Ghost Station

iam

April 28

I adore SciFi horror, and already loved Dead Silence by SA Barnes as well, so I was thrilled for Ghost Station - and it did not disappoint.

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.
Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.
Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS—a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.
While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's 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 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.

I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

With an estranged psychologist who's just had a patient commit suicide right after a session with her and set in a corporate ruled world, this already had the perfect setup. Add said psychologist to a crew that also just lost a member, sent to recover an abandoned station on a planet with an extinct alien civilisation, and you have an even better start for your plot. Add in the claustrophobic feel of the abandoned station, a big mystery around why its abandoned, and a healthy dose of mistrust between the limited cast of characters, and you have a perfect SciFi horror.

Ghost Station shines with its atmosphere and feelings of paranoia and oppression. Phe, the main character, could never feel safe, could never rely on anyone to help her, and couldn't even trust herself due to her own secrets.

I loved the various mysteries and secrets that help appearing. Some had mundane answers, others horrifying ones, and yet others... well, I guess that's my biggest gripe with the book. Some of the mysteries, the whys and hows and what even really is happening, aren't explained.

While the ending felt nice, there was no sense of satisfaction because some really important questions were unanswered. That was a bit of a bummer, but I still really enjoyed the book, and I'm happy for all additions to the subgenre.

~iam