Can more horror science fiction release please? I need more content like this novella!

I binged this audiobook in less than ten hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was immediately sucked back into my thirteen year old self when I watched Alien for the first time, and while this novella isn't QUITE like that movie, the nostalgia was there anyway.

Now... I am not a stem girlie, but surprisingly, Ness Brown did a fantastic job utilizing engineer and scientific language without overwhelming me. I wouldn't have initially expected this story to be a debut because it has a strong overarching plot with great spaceship world building. You can tell that Ness is a scientist purely from her writing style because she's very direct. The writing doesn't have any lyrical prose because she's describing the scenes as concisely as possible and then jumping into what's next for the characters. This type of writing style, in my opinion, is less common because people like to create lush descriptions of the scenes, so Ness was refreshing in that she doesn't mess around with her writing. Moreover, this writing style led the story to be fast paced with constant action around nearly every corner and sometimes... even within the walls.

See what I did there? Hehe.

Anyway, switching gears to characters, Jacklyn Albright was another refreshing element to this novella. Her father, the Captain of the ship Calypso, is unresponsive in his room, and she's forced to take up the mantle of running the ship, which only worsens due to the fact that Calypso has limited fuel and supplies. Can they make it back to Earth? Can they even turn back to Proxima b, their failed colony on another planet? The centuries worth of their journey ahead doesn't look so promising. All of these thoughts are plaguing Jack as she tries to pick the best course of action, particularly as a possible coup is forming from the civilian passengers on board. And then, finally, to make matters worse, an intruder arrives, so all hell truly breaks loose. The entire time Jack is a solid force even as her own terror completely envelopes her. She is the sort of Captain anyone on board a ship would be honored to have because protecting her ship and passengers always comes first. She's certainly put through the ringer throughout this 176 page novella, but she sticks the landing as one of my favorite characters.

Also, for anyone curious, the diversity within this novella was THROUGH THE ROOF. The entire crew was from a wide variety of backgrounds across Earth, and Jack is even LGBTQ+ due to her relationship with fellow crew member. While they're a few characters that reflect the darker versions of humanity, the crews constant empathy and communication towards one another was phenomenal. There's a genuine respect and care for safety, so Jack is again a perfect example of a Captain who will not let her crew do anything that she doesn't also do. It's just refreshing to see such a natural and realistic depiction/ reflection of the world's diversity but in a space setting. I'm really hyped to see what else Ness releases in the future because if it was anything like this, then I'll be lined up front and center to get a copy myself.

Lastly, as any great horror book has, Ness Brown brought the creepy crawlies. I felt transported back to Alien (but honestly even better because there's a whole crew and not just one woman fighting) whenever Jack is forced to confront whatever came aboard the Calypso. From the eerie darkness unfurling to the inhumane screams down the hallway, I had goosebumps all over my body. It was a blast *cue the plasma blasters* reading this book, and I'm definitely going to recommend it to any sci-fi or horror fans.

Thank you Tor Nightfire for the audiobook ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.