About
AJ Reid writes from a salt-scoured stretch of the Wirral coast, where the Irish Sea keeps up an ancient, bitter feud with the land. His stories arrive like quiet confessions carried on a cold wind: northern steel wrapped around a stubborn core of kindness that refuses to die even when everything else does.
He is the author of the tense thriller Grey Noise, the brutal, spiritual dystopia The Horseman’s Dream, the mythic surge of The Knights of Snowdonia, the sly satire A Smaller Hell and the raw pulse of Marshmallow. Writing Magazine called his work “darkly playful”; readers have spotted echoes of Graham Greene’s moral vertigo, Roald Dahl’s wicked reversals and Shirley Jackson’s everyday menace — but always with a refusal to let compassion be the last casualty.
Steeped in Ballard’s empty futures and Jung’s mythic shadows, Reid keeps returning to the same question: what survives when everything else is taken?
When not writing he walks in the woods, cooks vegetarian meals, plays guitar, solders circuits, reads, or disappears into Hendrix riffs and Ann Peebles’ voice. His books are available on both Gumroad and Amazon. Follow him on X for whatever comes next.
Books
Buy from Gumroad
A darkly comic, Kafkaesque thriller set in a decaying Northern England town. New employee Black is ensnared by store owner Dianne Doyle in a surreal department store, unraveling at a shocking Christmas party.
A dystopian psychological horror set in a flooded, fascist-ruled Britain. Likened to Orwell and Ballard, this “shockingly prescient” thriller explores trauma, resistance, and reality’s fragility.
A mesmerizing anthology of dark, surreal short stories blending horror, humor, and folk tales. From a butcher’s grim dilemma in the award-winning Chop-Chop to a cosmic odyssey in The Quetzal’s Coda, these eclectic tales probe the strange and profound.
A bullied teen discovers he’s King Arthur’s reincarnation in this thrilling Arthurian legend. Recruited by a secret order, he wields mystical powers to battle Yakuza hitmen in Tokyo and Big Pharma in Paris. A modern, coming-of-age dark fantasy.
A chilling psychological thriller with dark comedy, Grey Noise follows Patrick McDonagh, a troubled sound engineer haunted by a sinister "grey noise." Likened to Hitchcock’s "Psycho”, this surreal crime novel grips fans of dark, character-driven horror.
A provocative anthology of 17 dark, surreal short stories blending gritty Northern England settings with Kafkaesque psychological depth. Praised for its "darkly playful elements", Seppuku captivates fans of literary horror and speculative fiction.
A haunting poetry collection weaving dark, surreal verses with gritty Northern England backdrops. Exploring vulnerability, identity, and societal decay, Marshmallow juxtaposes soft imagery with harsh realities, infused with Reid’s signature dark humour.
Buy from Amazon
A darkly comic, Kafkaesque thriller set in a decaying Northern England town. New employee Black is ensnared by store owner Dianne Doyle in a surreal department store, unraveling at a shocking Christmas party.
A dystopian psychological horror set in a flooded, fascist-ruled Britain. Likened to Orwell and Ballard, this “shockingly prescient” thriller explores trauma, resistance, and reality’s fragility.
A mesmerizing anthology of dark, surreal short stories blending horror, humor, and folk tales. From a butcher’s grim dilemma in the award-winning Chop-Chop to a cosmic odyssey in The Quetzal’s Coda, these eclectic tales probe the strange and profound.
A bullied teen discovers he’s King Arthur’s reincarnation in this thrilling Arthurian legend. Recruited by a secret order, he wields mystical powers to battle Yakuza hitmen in Tokyo and Big Pharma in Paris. A modern, coming-of-age dark fantasy.
A chilling psychological thriller with dark comedy, Grey Noise follows Patrick McDonagh, a troubled sound engineer haunted by a sinister "grey noise." Likened to Hitchcock’s "Psycho”, this surreal crime novel grips fans of dark, character-driven horror.
A provocative anthology of 17 dark, surreal short stories blending gritty Northern England settings with Kafkaesque psychological depth. Praised for its "darkly playful elements", Seppuku captivates fans of literary horror and speculative fiction.
A haunting poetry collection weaving dark, surreal verses with gritty Northern England backdrops. Exploring vulnerability, identity, and societal decay, Marshmallow juxtaposes soft imagery with harsh realities, infused with Reid’s signature dark humour.
Audiobooks
Preview
Penny Dreadfuls
tales from somewhere north of normal - only £0.99 each
Thirty years taking contracts. Don’t ask names. Don’t get attached. Mickey broke both rules. Sharp kid. Liked him. Then the powder hit, secrets spilled and his name ended up on my list. One job. One Polaroid. No loose ends. Northern noir short read. 99p.
Online chat turns gallery meet. Anti-establishment painter. Handler with orders. Biometrics spike. Protocol: lure, crush, extract. Then the kiss. Dark Northern noir. Satirical edge. Black humour. 99p.
Award-winning tale of a butcher driven to extreme measures by an unthinkable dilemma. Fresh meat for your darkest terrors. Only 99p a slice.
Inspired by a real midnight visit to a haunted Welsh forest castle, invoking the lost princess legend. Real-life local folk-horror chills for only 99p.
A train journey to an ancient city’s heart ... Or somewhere far stranger? All aboard! Tickets only 99p.
In a dystopian future where celebrities are cloned for the sex trade, a repressed psychiatrist and his neurotic patient hunt for genuine connection amid ethical ruin. Short, surreal, romantic mindbender - only 99p.
A single mother’s traffic jam spirals into chaos via a bizarre radio signal. Esoteric espionage frequencies for only 99p.
or buy the northern nightmares bundle containing all 7 penny dreadfuls for £2.99
All 7 penny dreadfuls for the price of 3: only £2.99! Bundle includes: Chop Chop Stazione Termini Codename: Tinkerbell White Rabbits Snakes and Ladders Gwenllian Tyger Bright
Reviews
Trailers
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