“The Gulp has a habit of swallowing people… but sometimes it spits one out”
I first discovered this week’s recommendation wedged between other books, tucked away at the back of an op shop. I was surprised to find that I'd never heard of the author before, especially given that he is a fellow Australian with a sizable bibliography. As such, I figured that I should spread the word to other horror readers.
The Gulp is an Australian horror anthology novel by Alan Baxter. The book’s five stories take place in and around Gulpepper, a small seaside town in rural Australia, dubbed 'The Gulp' by its inhabitants.
There is something wrong with Gulpepper, and it seems that everyone who's ever been there knows it. People that sleep there are plagued by dreams of primordial creatures falling from the sky, criminals run half of the businesses and many of the residents are just… odd.
The Gulp gives us a nice sampler of different types of horror, from realist (or close enough) to supernatural, from comedic to brutal.
Something I found interesting was the use of Australian slang used in the book. Often it feels like Australian authors avoid using slang, possibly fearing it won’t translate well or to appeal to a global audience. The Gulp was completely unafraid of using Australianisms and I found myself smiling every time I saw people talk about 'Woolies', ‘Servos’ and ‘Jaffles’.
My personal favourite story from the book is '48 To Go', in which a small time crook breaks into an elderly couple's house in an attempt to pay back his boss for a stolen drug package. It's dark, it's brutal, it's disturbing and it's a whole lot of fun.
You can buy the book directly from Baxter’s website here.