'GHOST STATION'.....IN OUTER SPACE, THEY'LL HEAR YOU IF YOU SCREAM LOUD ENOUGH.....

 Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes (2024)

(Sorry to miss posting yesterday.....many books and films to catch up on and tell you all about, plus the eclipse.....plus it was my birthday! But stay with BQ for a whole load of new book and movie reviews...promise...so let's start with this creepy goody...)

         As a lifelong fan of sci-fi/horror, I couldn't wait to dive into this one. And it did not disappoint in checking all the boxes for a book or film that blends space exploration with gut wrenching fear of the unknown and mysterious, grisly deaths.

         As expected, we're in a bleak future where space exploration is controlled by rapacious corporations for their own monetary benefit. And these greedy oligarchs depend on the overworked, underpaid crews who put their lives on the line travelling to remote barren planets to collect valuable samples......and possibly alien artifacts, if they find any.

        Joining such a crew is psychologist Olivia Bray and she brings with her a background steeped in horrific childhood trauma and a lifelong toxic relationship with her family.......the family that owns and runs one of those corporations that sends out the exploration crews.

        She's seeking a measure of redemption for herself by hoping to diagnose and prevent any outbreak of a syndrome that drives crew members mad to the point of making them dangerous to themselves and others.

        But this particular crew, knowing the family she comes from, resent and despise her from day one, despite all her futile efforts to win their trust. The planet they're exploring puts them all on edge even more.......a storm-wracked inhospitable world, dominated by the crumbling structures of a long extinct alien civilization.

       Or maybe, as a series of unsettling, nightmarish incidents start to pile up, one after the other, there's something else on this planet with them........something that might explain why the previous exploration team fled the planet in an awful big hurry....

       I wouldn't dare explain anything further, but as you can expect, the elements are all in place here for a scary good time. Fear, loathing, paranoia and increasing terror run rampant. And Libby, who's already weighed down with enough previous miseries to fuel her own separate novel, is forced to cope with way more than her own personal demons.

       I realize many readers may find "Ghost Station" repetitive and redundant, given that its basic storyline has been done in literally dozens of familiar films and books. And I did find the final chapters rushed into a quick abrupt wrap-up.....(which may work well for a film version but you always expect more from the book) But I loved that author S.A. Barnes was truly committed to delivering a full fledged, full-speed-ahead edition of this well worn genre.

       Sure, I'm familiar with tales of a space crew beset by who knows what.......but that didn't stop me from turning the pages at light speed. For fans who can't get enough of sci-fi-horror mashups, here's your cup of dread right here.

      4 stars (****)....and maybe keep the lights on..........