Space allows for a different type of horror. Knowing that whatever is haunting or pursuing you there is no where you can escape to. Be it Alien or Event Horizon you can never escape the nightmare unless you have a handy escape pod and even then you need somewhere to actually get to in time. In Anne Tibbet’s science fiction horror novel Screams From The Void I was hoping after a blistering start for some true scares but sadly i found this tale lacked enough bite to grab me.

The United Space Corps Vessel Demeter is nearing the end of its two year space mission and its crew are tired and ready for home. But the Captain and pilot are altered to a biological on board - alien life. Before they can investigate too quickly they are soon in the command centre of the ship all dead and the rest of the crew are unaware. The remaining crew including grumpy and risk taking Technical Sergeant Pollux and constantly on final warning Ensign Raina have to work out all is not well on their ship and then face the dangers before the rest of the crew are dead and this ship a wreck in space.

This was a frustrating read. The initial opening chapter of a bloodbath in a starship’s command centre really pays off and then the expected tension soon vanishes. Tibbets has opted for an interesting approach of showing the crew in the now and also the past. We get to see relationships start and end but with little use of character. Its a dysfunctional crew with lots of rivalries and allies that I struggled to understand how it could ever have worked well as a unit. Unfortunately this attempt at Alien for me falls very flat. The crew are too fractured and characterisation for most is thin. The SF elements are basic and the writing is often a little clunky for my tastes with just gruesome deaths to keep us occupied but a sense of horror had soon drained away. Sadly not a book I can recommend.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Ok this was terrifying like Stephen king in space. I loved it and especially loved wondering who would survive and who wouldn’t. An absolute a star for a thrilling and terrifying read.

When I first started reading this I was VERY interested in the book, but two things bothered me. The stupid decisions by one of the main scientists who had a rash and the overuse of the word "smirk" in all its forms. I took a break from the book for a bit, but I really wanted to finish it...to find out what happened with the characters.

I liked this book, and really enjoyed the switch between the past and the present. I thought that was done well. It was a great suggestion by her agent to present the story in that way.

One thing that I would have really appreciated in the book, is if Raina had had support for her chosen career. She gets crap for her innovating fixes, but the only support she gets for it is from her abusive lover.

While the toxic masculinity is strongly apparent in this book, I would have hoped that by the time we actually achieve space travel, if ever, our society may have evolved into something better.

I wanted to like this more than I did. Great idea...great presentation...but the overbearing negativity of the people, mostly males, who seemed to have it out for her just didn't make logical sense.

Despite its flaws, i enjoyed the read.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and Anne Tibbets for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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I was super excited to read this and was expecting a proper SF space horror and for the most part, I got exactly what I expected.

The horror aspect was dealt with nicely but I did feel that the lack of a sensible main character held me back from enjoying the story fully.

Raina's ex is on board the ship and consistently betrays her trust, putting her life at risk on multiple occasions. In return, Raina continues to put her trust in him for a flimsy reason. The reasoning is 'flimsy' because, frankly, it doesn't make sense for her to trust him after everything that's happened between them no matter how seemingly healthy their relationship was in the very beginning.

This is also why I found the constant flashbacks unnecessary as they provided more evidence for Raina to not trust him even as she continued to do so.

Overall, this was an enjoyable horror that could have been better with good characterization of the protagonist.

Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

4 Stars!



I came into Screams from the Void by Anne Tibbets completely blind. Other than the fact that the synopsis sounded interesting and it was from Flame Tree Press, I had no expectations of what I was going to find when I started the novel. I was not even sure if it was a horror or a science fiction novel. The fact that it was from Flame Tree, however, was enough to convince me to give it a try and hope for an entertaining read.



The space freighter Demeter had been journeying through the stars for two years collecting samples of vegetation from alien worlds to bring back to Earth. Mechanic’s Ensign Reina was ready for the trip to be ending and glad that it looked as if it would end uneventfully soon. She had made the mistake of becoming involved with a fellow crewmember and now found herself trapped on the ship with the jealous ex-boyfriend and a boss that seemed to have it in for her. She just wanted to get back to Earth and move on with her life. It seemed like that simple wish was about to come true and the ship was heading home. Then the unknown biological lifeform was discovered on the ship and her dreams were soon to turn into nightmares.



The crew had no idea where the creature came from but their hope that it was friendly was quickly dashed. The little monster was a killing machine and the crew members were the only prey around for this relentless predator to hunt. Traditional weapons like laser guns that the ship had for protection have no effect on the creature. Now Reina and the remaining members of the Demeter’s crew are in a struggle for their lives and their wits are their only weapon. Where did the creature come from? That may hold the key to their survival. Now all they have to do is live long enough to figure out how to stop a killing machine with their bare hands.



Tibbets kicks Screams from the Void off with a bang and then keeps the hits coming throughout the novel. Yes, this is a science fiction novel at heart but it is really more of a horror novel set in space much like the first Alien movie was. There is enough science fiction here to appeal to fans of that genre but there is a lot of fairly hard horror mixed in as well. The creature is a fierce little beast that is relentless in its murderous rampage and the crew seems lost at best. Not only are they battling the creature, but they are also battling their own demons and the bizarre social dynamic that has come to exist on the Demeter. They will not survive if they cannot get along, but they do not like each other all that much and personal issues keep getting in the way of survival. They are not only battling the creature. They are battling each other as well and that only serves to make things even more difficult.



Screams from the Void is not a perfect book. It does not break new ground with the premise, alien loose on a solitary ship and wreaking havoc, and so there are times when it feels as if this story has been told before. Tibbets does a good job putting her spin on it but that feeling was still there at times. There was also a little too much put on the relationships between the characters that felt dampened the momentum of the story at times but that is a bit of a quibble as well. Overall, Screams from the Void is an entertaining way to spend a couple hours. If you like your horror served with a side of science fiction, then this is the novel for you. I’m not really sure how much this novel will appeal to hardcore science fiction fans as it is farily light on the sci-fi, but there are elements there to appeal to that audience as well. I would personally label the novel as horror and go from there, though, so it should be more suited to readers of that genre. In any event, it was a fun read with only a few flaws and one that I would recommend to anyone seeking something that is high in entertainment but does not require too much deep thinking.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Screams from the Void is available now.

As promised, here is my extended review of Screams from the Void by Anne Tibbets. I received an ARC to review as a participant in a blog tour. Now, a few days late, I have finished the novel.

My overall feeling about this book is the same as my first impression. It’s damn good. I especially like how it starts off with a bang. The expectation is set in the first few pages that the book will deliver gruesome sci-fi terror in the vein of Ridley Scott’s Alien. The novel delivers on this promise.

Raina, the protagonist, is a sympathetic character who we learn made the mistake of getting involved in an abusive relationship during a two-year voyage aboard an interstellar spacecraft. At the beginning of the novel, she’s recently broken off a relationship with her abuser and reported him to the captain. As is often the case in he said/she said situations, Raina receives little support from the captain, and it is intimated that the whole predicament is her fault.

Utilizing a timeline alternating from the present to months earlier, while Raina was still in the relationship with her abuser, we learn how horrible her domestic situation was. This is especially poignant in light of the recent MeToo movement. It is also a clever device to differentiate Screams from the Void from other horrifying tales of deadly aliens running amok aboard starships. I will go so far as to say that the tale of abuse that continues throughout the novel and is only resolved at its climax is more terrifying and ultimately satisfying than the crew battling to survive the alien encounter.

This fast-paced novel is gory good fun. Intertwining a tale of domestic abuse with a space monster story makes for a unique read. The supporting characters are cut from typical sci-fi cloth that will make them readily recognizable to readers. But have no fear; Raina and her abuser are not stereotypical, both being well characterized. My one quibble is that in places, profanity is ever so slightly overused to show emotional distress.

I will reiterate that aspiring authors will do well to study the opening chapter of this book. It really does start off with a big bang that immediately pulls the reader into the story. Also, it’s worth reading the acknowledgments, which is not something I typically do. In this case, it is 100% worth it. Anne talks about the struggles she had getting this book published and indicates that perhaps current events such as the MeToo movement helped get it over the finish line from manuscript to novel. I think this reminds us all that perseverance is an essential trait for any fiction writer.

This was SO good, I loved it! The action started immediately and there was never a dull moment. The detail was so well written that I could imagine the scenes so clearly and easily feel all the emotions the characters were going through.

After the first chapter, there's a bit of slow character introduction and the whole 'oooh what's going on' but then the carnage started and I struggled to put the book down.

The relationships between the characters are as much as a danger and a race to survival as the whole issue with having a menacing, deadly, eat-through-your-insides monster onboard. Raina and Morven's abusive past relationship, Osric and his arseholeness to Raina, Morven having issues with literally every higher ranking officer all pull the story together very well and (nearly) each of them are relatable in so many different, unique ways.

The ending was great but I do wish it was slightly more open for the possibility of a sequel, more of a cliffhanger or background about the rash/infection I think would've made it all just that smidge better.

All in all, this was such an enjoyable read filled with emotion, tension and lots and lots of gore. I really hope there is going to be another book!

Where do I start -------- I just loved this book!

The airship the "Demeter" with a crew of twelve has been in space for two years collecting species of alien plant life to bring home to earth. Sgt. Pollux is in charge of the greenhouse and any policies involving the plant life. She has been having issues with a rash for a few weeks that continues to worsen and the itching is driving her crazy causing her focus to be distracted. Unbeknownst to anyone on the ship an alien biological has been living, growing and watching the crew because it is very hungry. Raina who is an ensign mechanic is struggling with issues of an angry and verbally abusive boss and also an abusive ex who is also an ensign and aboard this ship. There are only two months left until the Demeter returns home and the crew is tired of one another and their problems, exhausted from their rigid work routines and last but not least very excited to be returning home. As each team member must deal with their own personal problems that will lead to mistrust and a possible breakdown with the safety of the crew, they will find there is more than one monster on board their spaceship and each one is as deadly as the other. Within a twenty-four hour period it will be a survival test for all that no-one was prepared to handle even with the most advanced weapons in their arsenal because the monsters on board this ship have only one thing on their mind and no one will be safe even if they are allowed to survive!

I just loved this book. There is action from the first several pages and then never stops. The characters drew me in whether I liked or despised them and I couldn't wait to find out what each one would do and how they would handle the entities aboard the craft. I was tense throughout the story and it never let me down with all the thrills and spills never letting up. The writing was excellent. I could envision everything in complete detail what was taking place and was feeling emotional, disgusted, angry, fearful etc. I love when stories can elicit many feelings about the characters and their situations. I can't wait to read more books similar to this so I guess my next read will have to take place in space as well. If you enjoy outer space books or shows don't hesitate to read this book. It was just so much fun in a gory, horror filled way (Yay)!

I want to thank the author Anne Tibbets and the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic story and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I highly recommend this Sci-fi horror novel and have given a rating of 5 Thrilling Outer Space 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

At first I wasn't sure where this novel was going - opening up on a different planet and then hopping onto a spaceship gave me a little whiplash! However, when the novel got going, it actually was great fun. Lots of sci-fi with horror elements thrown in. Think Alien but less suspense, more intense action - good times!

I really wanted to like this but it didn't quite work for me. The story starts off well and it caught my interest but I didn't much care for the character except for the scientist Pollux. If the story had been told from her perspective I think I would have gotten more out of it but instead, Raina is presented as the character we focus on the most and I wasn't feeling her much. Her weird relationship with one of the other grunts felt tacked on and the guy having abusive tendencies felt like the author was trying to make it more interesting than it was.

Overall, it did get better towards the end but getting there wasn't that exciting for me. I think I needed more tension and fewer hysterics.


** I received a Review Copy of this book via NetGalley **

Mixed feelings

I chose this book to read because I usually enjoy sci fi/space operas with alien monsters with buckets of gore thrown into the mix. In this case I didn't feel that portion of the book was its strong point.

Yes, it is a story based on a space science vessel with a small crew that's collecting alien plants from different planets in the year 2231. And yes, an unknown dangerous alien biological is found on board.

But I did not find the sciencey portions of the story too detailed, believable, or interesting and the the space monster scenes got to be repetitive.

What I did find well written were the scenes with the lead character and her abusive ex-boyfriend, both the flashback scenes and the current scenes. I felt the author could do a great job writing a psychological thriller. She seems to be dialed into the feelings and emotions of toxic relationships.

So, overall, the sci fi portion was readable but not great and the relationship portion was done very well.

I received this book from Flame Tree Press through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Where are all the sci-fi fans at? Get over here y'all because have I got a book for you! Screams From The Void ticked all the boxes and more. Closed in setting with no escape - tick. Strong female characters - tick. Tense relationships - tick. Action packed - tick. Creepy atmosphere - tick. Gruesomeness - tick and tick.
Screams From The Void follows a crew on a spaceship who are on a pretty straight forward trip collecting various plant samples from different planets to take back to Earth. However, things go drastically wrong when a 'foreign biological' creature manages to get onboard and starts to attack the crew. There is one other element added in the story that adds to the terrifying danger that I'm not going to talk about it as that would be a spoiler, but it made me think 'OMG these people have no chance!'
Ok, so I'll admit that at first I wasn't totally gripped. It did take me around 40-50 pages to get caught up in it but once I did I loved it. It was one of those books that made me want to get back to reading it as soon as possible when I'd had to put the book down. It was fantastic how unique and individual each character was. Raina, the protagonist, is a mechanical engineer who is stuck on the ship trying to survive. She's a bit frustrating with some of her decisions when it comes to her crewmates but she's still a pretty awesome character. And Tamsin, a computer analyst (I pictured the beautiful and quirky Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds) was a character I'd have loved to get to know better. Morven, well, we're meant to hate him. He is literally my worst nightmare of a guy. I wanted to punch him in the face through the pages! As the plot built it felt like it was shock after shock after shock and I loved it! Such a wild ride that I didn't want to end.
TW - domestic violence / abusive relationship / rape

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

I don't know if I read the back of this book properly:

For two years in deep space, the freighter Demeter and a small crew have collected botanical life from other planets. It's a lesson in patience and hell. Mechanics Ensign Reina is ready to jump ship, if only because her abusive ex is also aboard, as well as her overbearing boss. It's only after a foreign biological creature sneaks aboard and wreaks havoc on the ship and crew that Reina must find her grit - and maybe create a gadget or two - to survive...that is, if the crew members don't lose their sanity and turn on each other in the process.

When I started it I thought it was like Lowerdecks, which it sort of is, in that it follows the ensigns on a small, not particularly important ship in a federation (not Star Trek, but close enough). What I wasn't expecting was the level of menace. It is called "Screams from the Void" so I don't know what i was actually expecting, but not that. This book is a thriller, and a horror and domestic suspense and a revenge fantasy. It's a lot, and there is a lot of running around the ship with axes. The characters are well developed, and the ending is satisfying. I haven't read any sci-fi for a bit, although this isn't really about the science it's about the people. Maybe that's true for all good books.

There is a lot going on in this story! I'm going to have to read this a second time just to catch all the nuances! On the surface, the story is a space opera. The crew of the Demeter has been in space for two years on a mission to gather plant life from other planets. The routine mission becomes much more dangerous when an alien biological is loosed in the ship. But underneath, the story is also about the crew dynamics. The main character, Reina, is stuck on the ship (her first voyage, too) with a completely overbearing boss and.....her abusive ex. As if that wouldn't make a first mission really really suck....then....alien biological. Yikes! Her first mission is definitely not textbook!

I loved how the story not only hits those exciting points: space mission, ahhhhh aliens!, survival, etc, but also delves into the behavior of the crew, the psychology of being in space stuck on a ship, and then being in danger.... and how Reina and the crew have to adapt and learn in order to survive.

I enjoyed this book! I will definitely be looking to read more by this author.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

Raina is an Ensign Mechanic on the Demeter Spaceship for the United Space Corp in the year 2231. The Demeter's crew is picking up plant samples from many different planets when they discover an unknown biological creature is on board the ship. A creature is loose and is killing off the crew, but the creature is not the only monster on board. Raina must also deal with her abusive boyfriend as well.

I really enjoyed the setting of a small enclosed ship for creating a trapped claustrophobic backdrop for the horror to unfold. I also enjoyed the organization of the story. This story was told with alternating chapters where half the story is telling the story of finding out more about the creature, where it came from, its strengths and weaknesses, and how they can possible escape alive. The other half of the story shows us the relationship between Raina and her abusive boyfriend, Morven, which is told in backwards order from the end of the relationship to the moment they met. Morven is quite the villain and rivals the dangerous nature of the creature itself. The backwards order of the relationship was a great way to show Raina's struggle to leave a dangerous situation, and to show her character growth throughout the story.

I would recommend this story to fans of science fiction as well as fans of creature horror stories.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Recommended for fans of Alien and Cube. I love science fiction horror. To me it’s one of the most honest subgenres, along with body horror. It allows us to look at real potentialities and the very real dangers and threats they could bring. It is exploring both the unknown and the very possible. At this point in our existence, humans are dealing with existential dread on a daily basis, and because of that I think scifi horror is more appropriate than ever. Anne Tibbets absolutely hits the elements that makes scifi horror so strong with Scream From the Void. While the setting and the immediate situation seem fantastical, the threats are very real and much closer to home than one might expect.

Reina is a mechanics ensign on a research mission for the United Space Corps. They’re only two months away from the end of the mission and their return to Earth, which couldn’t happen soon enough in Reina’s opinion. Her supervisor has it out for her, and she’s stuck on the ship with her abusive ex-boyfriend who, not so long ago, beat her senseless. But of course, a smooth ending to a horrifically bumpy experience is not in the cards for Reina. Something is on the ship with them, something vicious, hungry, and seemingly unkillable. Can Reina use her exceptional skill and intelligence to survive the creature? And if she does, will she be able to escape the human monsters onboard as well?

Screams From the Void is a fierce, action-packed, feminist story that was a pleasure to read. I loved the nonlinear narrative structure Tibbets uses to acquaint us with the characters and their complicated relationships, especially when exploring Reina’s relationship with her ex. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where a survivor of intimate partner violence is trapped in close proximity with their abuser in this way, especially in such a creative setting. And Tibbets’ characters are strong, relatable, and clearly well thought out. I felt like I was an additional crew member trying to survive alongside them.

The external threat to the group is not something new. We’ve seen alien/space monster horror before, but Tibbets’ vision of the creature they’re fighting is vivid and terrifying. And while the concepts of space explorers battling conflict both external and internal is again familiar, the details of the plot, characters, and setting really lift Screams From the Void to an elevated place for me. If you enjoy scifi horror, you will certainly enjoy this book.

SCREAMS FROM THE VOID is a fascinating and intriguing space opera set in the somewhat distant future (2231 A. D.) Exploratory missions of the United Space Corps search for habitable exoplanets for future colonization,  and an essential aspect is botanists traveling to new planets to sample alien plants for study. On the vessel Demeter, the Chief Science Officer develops bizarre physical symptoms; then a highly aggressive unstoppable "foreign biological" is discovered on board. The other botanists begin to exhibit similar symptoms,  while the unidentified creature wreaks bloody havoc throughout the ship. Woven throughout is a stunning tapestry of interpersonal interaction,  psychosis, psychological disorders, and abuse.

Caution: violence,  extreme gore, abusive encounters.

I’ve had a real slump with Sci-Fi lately - the last 5-6 Sci-Fi books I’ve read I’ve really struggled to engage with and had difficultly picturing the worlds portrayed so they’ve ended up taking me ages to read. I’m pleased to say that Screams from the Void really broke this pattern and I finished it in a day due to its engaging narrative and action-packed plot.

The story is set on the spaceship Demeter; a science biology research ship with small crew who are at the end of their 2-year mission and about to head back to earth. The ship and the chain of command were very easy to picture and I really felt invested and immersed into the setting as a whole. The story begins by jumping perspectives, but our main character is Raina; a very relatable mechanic who is fed up with a boss who treats her badly and takes credit for her work and her ex-boyfriend on the ship who she is still trying to get over despite a problematic and abusive relationship. Raina is a great character and as a woman she is someone I think we can all empathise with. The book also uses a good technique of starting in the present day and then introducing flashbacks which work their way backwards to show us more about Raina and her relationship with Morven. This is a really nice way of giving the character’s backstories without it feeling too forced and jarring you out of the action in the present for exposition’s sake.

The ship is attacked by a foreign biological and the crew must have their wits about them to capture it. I loved the characters in the crew and we really got a feel for each of their distinct personalities (although Tasmin was extremely annoying but I forgive the author as Raina is such a strong female lead!). I also liked that Tibbett pulls no punches in killing off characters as we go and it does get a little gory at times but the action is well paced. I really enjoyed the human-focused twist towards the end (no spoilers, sorry) and it was a nice take on what could have been a simple alien invasion story. I would have perhaps liked a little more information on the rash which a few characters had – I was wondering if it was an infection or something which would change the characters in some way. I think there was a slight missed opportunity to make a real twist ending out of the last few pages if this had been explained further.

Overall, I really recommend Screams from the Void – it’s a gory Sci-Fi which is engaging and tells a good story. Thank you to NetGalley & Flame Tree Press for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one has a lot of positive aspects to it, but wasn’t personally for me. It’s action packed, has an interesting setting, but felt like it sacrificed characters for the action and was content for many of them to be 2D cliches, It’s fun but not likely one that will stick with me for a long time.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review,