- Published: April 2024
- Format: Digital
- Genre: Science fiction, horror
Ghost Station was slow to get going, and it kept a lot of things hidden at first. It picks up quite a bit about halfway in, and from there it was a thrilling science fiction/horror/adventure story. It combines a lot of good horror elements — an abandoned, icy planet (with eerie howling wind), horrific nightmares, disturbing physical ailments, and crew members who turn on each other. S.A. Barnes is the author of one other novel, Dead Silence.
Dr. Ophelia Bray is a psychologist joining a space mission to help the crew cope with the death of one of their team. She specializes in ERS, a sort of post-traumatic stress disorder that has been known to cause people to commit murder. At the same time, she’s fleeing Earth from some kind of trauma herself. The crew, including its captain, don’t want her there, partly because she comes from an evil corporate family and she’s not one of them. Also because she’s there to assess their mental well-being. She wants to help, but in fact a diagnosis of ERS would be the end of their employment.
Of course, in space they all have to rely on each other to survive. Particularly when one of the crew starts suffering from delusions and they all start experiencing strange things.
I liked the interplay of psychology and horror in this book. Ophelia is dealing with some serious trauma, and I like stories where you aren’t sure what’s internal and what’s external. Although I did think it a little bit cliché, the therapist who seriously needs therapy.
It’s a good story, and very atmospheric, with vivid descriptions of the station and planet. I found Ophelia very sympathetic, once I understood her backstory, and I also liked that the crew was mostly hostile to her, which felt realistic. I appreciated that the author didn’t tell this story from multiple perspectives. The character felt thoughtfully developed even if we didn’t get as much insight about the other crew members.
By far the clunkiest part of the story is Ophelia’s attraction to her captain, which was obvious from the first moment he speaks to her – though I did appreciate that she clearly understands how unprofessional any involvement would be. Ultimately it’s handled well, but could have been written better (as in, they are facing mortal peril and she’s looking at his muscles).
The second half of this novel was great – a real page turner – but the first half had problems with slow pacing, particularly of the key reveals in the story. If it hadn’t been an ARC I might not have pushed through. But this also isn’t a genre I read a lot of, so I’m not sure what to compare it to. I’d say if you love outer-space horror and creepy atmospheric science fiction, give this one a try.
Note: I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group. This book was published April 9, 2024.
