Ghost Station

S.A. Barnes

Pub date: April 9th, 2024
Genre: Science fiction, horror

SYNOPSIS:

A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence.

An abandoned plant. A hidden past. A deadly danger.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of Eckhart-Reiser syndrome (ERS)―the most famous case of which resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. It’s personal to her, and when she’s assigned to a small exploration crew who recently suffered the tragic death of a colleague, she wants to help. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that the crew is hiding something.

Ophelia’s crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizers’ hasty departure than opening up to her.

That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia’s worst nightmare starting―a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something even more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what’s happening. But trust is hard to come by…and the crew isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

REVIEW:

I always seem to forget how much I truly enjoy reading science fiction until I dive headfirst into a book like this. While regular science fiction is near and dear to my heart, science fiction horror has become my favorite. Quite honestly thinking about actually living in space is terrifying to me as someone who’s never left Earth to be in an environment where if anything fails, you’ll more than likely die. The same goes for the ocean and deep water exploration – I’m not sure if I would be brave enough for that either. Love learning about both but from the safety of breathable air.

The outdated attitude that feelings are a weakness – or an inconvenience at best, instead of simply human and a necessity to address – lingers in this industry.

The mental health angle and the effects that space could have on humanity were something I haven’t encountered previously. Each crew member has their own secrets and history which added to the general feeling of unknowns and unease with the Doctor. The atmosphere of the planet was desolate and haunting – the perfect setting for a book like this one.

The ending felt a little convenient and slightly rushed – I wanted more explanation of the planet’s history and the spires. The romantic feelings in this one did fall flat for me & it could have been skipped completely with no impact on the storyline.

I have yet to get to Dead Silence but I am hoping to rectify that situation with a quickness – especially considering I already have a copy. Cold Eternity was also announced with a release date of April 2025 and after reading this book, I will be checking that one out next year. A huge thank you to Tor Nightfire for the opportunity to read Ghost Station – I will honestly admit it kept me up well past bedtime, freaking out in the darkness. All opinions are my own.