Welp, you can always rely on the tor.com novellas for that atmospheric wtfery without which the world of SF narrative would be that much poorer.
Thompson picked the right length for this. Too short and it would feel unfulfilling. And longer and it would stop being about the horror and experience and engage with the plot. Like so many good novellas, this isn’t about the plot.
Also, the novella length gives Thompson the space to think about life giving and murder and women without needing to...go anywhere with it. I think I have to think more about this.