Ghost Station is a slow burn space horror with space exploration, capitalism and deadly secrets.

This is a real slow burn following a complex MC working to prevent a future type of space PTSD. There many intertwining mysteries that play out at the beginning creating a sense of dread and claustrophobia as the crew navigate the mission. Of course, since the crew has their own secrets of their own, they don't want a doctor poking around their brains.

The plot became repetitive at the halfway mark and the characters didn't have as much time to connect with one another. The atmospheric tension didn't ramp up enough for later to carry the novel. The length of time it took for the MC Ophelia to come clean surrounding her past with the first person POV didn't work for me. Perhaps third person with head hopping would've been more effective for me as a reader.

Once some mysteries were solved, I regained interest until the ending left me wanting. There is some skin-crawling body horror but I could've used more!

Overall, an alright read and I tried not to have my expectations too high after loving Dead Silence.

CW: death, blood, violence, body horror, mental illness, suicide, gun violence, medical content, death of parent, child death

Three stars is a gift. The book had some promise, with a good story premise, potentially interesting characters and what appeared at the beginning to be a plot, although that sort of collapsed. Decent audio narration. I listened to the whole thing, despite my hatred of present tense narration. What really destroyed this book for me was a main character so totally consumed with guilt--over stuff her parents did during her childhood--that she was almost paralyzed. I don't think any of this is a spoiler, but stop reading if you don't want to know much of anything about this book. What a weak person! So her dad went nuts and killed people. He was sick and crazy so most of that behavior was out of his control. So her mother tried to cover things up. Why does that impose blame on her?

MC, Ophelia, had opportunities to grow, but pretty much failed to do so, often acting not quite indecisively, but making decisions based on guilt instead independent instincts. And if she wanted to feel guilty, she had some room for it all on her own.

This book was pretty much a waste of my time. It failed to entertain, inspire, or teach me anything

4.5 stars rounded up.

S.A. Barnes is now an auto-buy author for sure.

I loved Dead Silence, and Ghost Station delivered on a lot of what I liked about her horror debut. Set in an abandoned research facility on an alien planet, Ghost Station follows Ophelia, the company-mandated therapist on a small research crew. Sent to monitor the crew for signs of a particular type of psychosis that frequently affects these long-term interplanetary missions, she finds herself equally haunted by the legacy of her own messed up family. The crew don't trust her, but when things start to go awry on their mission, they are forced to come together to stay alive.

I love (well-written) horror that forces you to question what is real and what is a product of the protagonist's own mind. S.A. Barnes delivers that in spades without relying on lazy, stigmatizing depictions of mental illness. She gets it.

The root of the horror in this book was completely novel (to me, at least), and I loved watching Ophelia piece it together. Quite literally, my only complaint with this book is that I wish there was more of it. I'm dying to know more about the planet's original inhabitants, and I wish there was more meat to the epilogue. I have questions, Ms. Barnes!!!

All in all, Ghost Station was a creepy, fascinating, and totally unique horror story that nevertheless called to mind the things I love most about Dead Silence. I can't wait to dive into some more sci-fi horror, or whatever S.A. Barnes writes next.

A space horror story. This trope is probably the most frightening to me. Being stuck in space with the thoughts that there is no help in sight. In my opinion that scenario is scary. Dr. Ophelia Bray is on a mission to study the Eckhart-Reiser Syndrome. It's a priority to her to find out more about this syndrome and maybe find a way to prevent it. There was a case study of this syndrome that took many lives, and she is on her way to an abandoned planet. Dr. Bray feels like the crew is hiding something from her and she is bound and determined to find out the truth. Until some of the crew members start to experience some symptoms of ERS or is it something else? There are deep, dark secrets that everyone seems to be hiding and with that trust in each other becomes nonexistent. Exciting storytelling, characters, and amazing writing. An exciting addition to any horror story enthusiast.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book can basically be summed up as: Daddy issues in space.

I really liked the author's debut, Dead Silence. It was such a great space horror that hit all of the story beats and kept me on the edge of my seat. So, of course, I had high expectations for her sophomore novel.

It turned out to be a let down.

If you're a huge fan of sci-fi space thriller/horror, you're already read this or watched this play out many, many times before. There's seriously nothing new here.

The pacing was godawful slow. The first 50% moved at such a glacial pace (which, coincidentally, perfectly fit the ice planet setting lol) that I kept looking to see how long it would take to finish the book.

The first half of the book we're lost in the FMC's head space 90% of the time that the action happening outside didn't really matter. If you're familiar with this specific subgenre, it plays everything out to a T. The FMC has a weird crush/not-crush on the captain that read more like a high school crush weighed with severe daddy issues. No one in the team trusts her. Yada yada yada.

The second half of the book was more engaging. There's action, suspense, and life and death situations. If the book started out in the second half, then I would've been riveted.

But sadly, it didn't. And I was left feeling really bored and unimpressed. Even the daddy issues didn't grip me, and I'm a huge sucker for books that deal with daddy issues.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley.

I really loved S.A. Barnes Dead Silence so decided to pick this up as well. I really enjoyed the narrator and the world building in this novel but felt the story line was just a little flat. If you enjoy heavy sci-fi with a little horror in it, I'd still suggest giving this a try. The narrator does a fantastic job of keeping me engaged so I would also highly suggest checking out the audiobook version.

This was a fantastic deep space horror that felt like a block buster movie, a slow burn supernatural that was incredibly atsmopheric, very goose bump inducing! Claustrophobic but also exhilirating this was cinematic and would definitely work as a movie too

It brings me great sadness to say this book was a bit of a disappointment. I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Silence and was on the edge of my seat waiting for Barnes' next book. And while there were several things I enjoyed about this story, the overall experience was a bit lackluster.

Had this been marketed as a thriller in space, rather than space horror, I might have had different expectations. It was a bit of a slow burn with far too much inner dialogue from the main character (who, in my opinion, was the most boring part of the book). There wasn't anything particular scary or unsettling, and all the things that were supposed to be shocking.... well, they weren't. An abandoned space station, a few dead bodies, some mild body horror... all paired with a main character that makes very questionable decisions and develops a school girl crush way too fast. Oof. It was just a lot to get through for what felt like very little reward at the end.

With that said, Barnes does know how to craft a story and keep a reader hooked. Even though the pacing was slow, I didn't find myself setting the book aside in favor of another. The "locked room" mystery was enjoyable and you'll find yourself questioning the motives of everyone involved. Even though I didn't fully enjoy this particular story from her, I do look forward to her next book.

i think the strength here is the atmosphere but not so much the characters. ophelia especially didnt work for me. alas. all good though, no hard feelings

Ghost Station (and Dead Silence, S. A. Barnes' previous Scifi title) is instantly interesting and bingeable. Barnes feeds you info on a need-to-know basis, so no fear of choking down unnecessary interplanetary info. Just kick back and enjoy how a semi self-aware Psychologist, with daddy issues (hell, all around family issues) navigates her first outting with a tense, fractured R&E crew, new tech and potential hallucinations, all while on an abandoned planet in extreme isolation.
Barnes is quickly becoming a favorite author on the Scifi front. Bonus points for the horror-mystery additions.
An all around good time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the eARC!

Ghost Station is the latest scifi horror book by S.A. Barnes. It follows psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray as she is assigned to assist an exploration crew. When a member of the crew is murdered, she is set to investigate the cause of the latest violence. She questions it's connection to ERS, a mental disease that has caused several deaths. Unfortunately, answers don't always come quickly as she and the crew work together.

Overall, it's a good read. There is plenty of twists and turns laced into a dark and sinister atmosphere. Like Barnes previous book, the plot is well thought out with plenty of surprises. The pacing does a move a bit slower than Barnes previous endeavor, Dead Silence, but a lot of the same elements that made that book such a hit are still there. I really enjoyed the book. It's very readable especially for those who are just recently introduced to space horror. The characters are interesting and I think Bray has a lot of depth and even growth through the story. It's definitely one we will add to our library shelves.

3.5/5!

Books I don’t read enough of: space horror!

I absolutely love when a horror/mystery/thriller book is set in space. The level of claustrophobia is usually at its peak in these stories and I feel like that makes them extra exciting for me to read.

A few years ago I read Barnes’ book Dead Silence and instantly clicked with her writing style, so Ghost Station made it to my most anticipated reads list for 2024 and it did not disappoint!

Ghost Station is a claustrophobic and tense story told through the eyes of Dr. Ophelia Bray. Our narrator has some secrets she wants to keep hidden that make her at times an unreliable narrator for readers. She’s not the only one hiding something. Turns out the crew she’s been assigned to has some baggage of their own and the deserted location they’ve been sent to explore has a few dark reveals up its sleeve as well.

I loved the sense of dread that oozed through this story. I found myself thinking about what might happen next or what the crew would find next when I wasn’t reading the book. Despite the overall slower pace to this story, I was able to fly through the pages and consume large chunks when I would pick it up. The pacing is certainly something that won’t be for everyone, but I think if you know about it upfront it’ll help to level expectations.

This is more of a quiet horror story without any gore or jump scares waiting for readers. Those who enjoy a more psychologically-based and isolated location story will enjoy this one!

4.5 Stars. S.A. Barnes has done it again! Ghost Station is a creepy, unsettling space horror that will keep you guessing.

Dr. Ophelia Bray has committed her life to studying/preventing ERS, a condition that can lead to violence and self-harm. Ophelia thinks it’s necessary to help patients on board spacecraft rather than treat then when they return home, so she volunteers to join the crew of Resilience who has just lost a member due to suspected ERS. The crew lands on Lyria 393-C to explore and document any changes to the planet. Immediately, Ophelia feels a sense of wrongness as they set up at the ghost station.

I loved how creepy this book was. Setting was key here and Barnes really created an unsettling environment where it was impossible to feel safe. Whether inside the ghost station or exploring the planet you just don’t get a respite. There was also quite a bit of body horror! It was done well and quite gross, which I am a fan of. One of the things that kept this from being a true 5 star is that I found the plot a bit slow to start. Once the action started picking up I couldn’t put it down.

I really liked this author’s first novel, Dead Silence, but I think this one was even better. I’ll definitely read from this author again and can’t wait for their next novel. Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for a review copy.

"But I think if you let the past haunt you, if you can't accept it, it's that much harder to make better choices in the future."

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes is my first read by them, and while I don't know what I was truly expecting, only knowing that it was a space exploration with a death, I felt like it was way more naturally science fiction than horror.

I did really enjoy Barne's writing style, but I think the main problem I had with Ghost Station was the pacing. The summary makes the main twist out to be near the beginning of the book, when it doesn't happen until at least halfway through. I feel like it had more of a focus on the team, and while the team is an important part, until around 60% in, the true danger wasn't a huge part of it yet.

I felt a certain disconnect with Ophelia, a psychologist who's sent to help with the team. To help escape her trauma, she comes along with the team to explore a planet, and is sucked right back in. There could've been a lot more understanding coming from both sides of her coming along, especially from Ophelia herself.

Ethan was probably my fav character. He just wants to help, and make the most out of a bad situation, but after the team's lies and deception, he feels frustrated and sad cause he blames himself for everything that's happened. He's just a huge teddy bear, be honest.

Overall, if you're a fan of sci-fi, horror, body horror, and Barnes, you will enjoy Ghost Station.

tw // Death, Blood, Violence, Gun violence, Medical content, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Dementia, Child death, Body horror

#space #sciencefiction #scifi #scifihorror

Strange, deadly happenings on Lyria 393-C

Dr. Ophelia Bray is put into cold sleep on Earth in 2199 and wakes up three months later onboard the exploration-short duration vessel Resilience. She is a psychologist and will be working with the team, looking for signs of ERS, a syndrome that manifests with sleep deprivation, depression, violence, and sometimes even a psychotic break or insanity.

Reclamation and Exploration Team #356 heads to the surface of Lyria 393-C to document and survey this ancient planet with nonhuman remains that was actually deserted by a previous R&E team.

From the beginning there are inexplicable happenings and Bray and the rest of the team fear for their lives.

Oh, and Dr. Bray has quite a backstory too.

Sci fi, horror, and psychological thriller all rolled into one.

I received this Digital Review Copy from Tor Nightfire through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review. This is that review.

I started this in ebook format and ended up finishing it on audio. Loved the story and the creepy vibes. It reminded me of The Deep by Nick Cutter, which is a favorite of mine. I submitted a longer review with NetGalley on the audiobook I requested of this title.

I really enjoyed Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes. This is the first book I've read by the author, and I plan on purchasing her previous book to read very soon! This book was very compelling, and I didn't want to put it down. I can definitely see this being made into a movie. There were multiple layers of mystery, and each was skillfully handled so that I was not disappointed with any major unanswered questions. I do wish this was the start of a series, because I'd love to know more about the aliens (both of them?). But, not knowing more does not detract from the story as a whole. Overall, this was a great book, and I will probably go out and purchase it to add to my personal library.

*Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

First, I want to say that I LOVED S. A. Barnes first book, Dead Silence. When I saw that Barnes had another sci-fi horror book coming out, I was SO excited!! I didn’t even look at the plot blurb, it didn’t matter. I was going to read this no matter what it said. 😀

So I went into Ghost Station blind. I’m not sure what I was expecting? Alien ghosts maybe? Probably- ghost IS in the title after all…. But no, not alien ghosts… in fact, I’m honestly not really sure what was going on in this book?

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed Ghost Station a lot. The story starts off pretty slow burn, so buckle up. It felt like the author does a nice job building a creepy, tense atmosphere. The plot is more character driven and less about answers as to WTF is going on….

In fact, the “answers” are pretty ambiguous. Normally I’m not a really big fan of ambiguous answers, but Barnes pulls it off, in a nightmare fuel sort of way. Alien bugs? Alien tech? What happened on this planet?? Zero clue but I loved every drama llama moment of it (well almost every moment, see spoiler below)!!

Like I said earlier, Ghost Station is more about the characters. Trauma, grief, guilt, stress all thrown in a blender and added to this creepy murder planet full of weird going ons. Maybe the answers are a hare ambiguous, but I was invested in all the human and alien going ons. Is it horror though? HMMMMMMMM…….

The title does feel a little bit of a misnomer….? I mean… I get the name, but I don’t know, it just doesn’t fit well with the over all story? :/

SPOILER ALERT BELOW!!!!!

Over all, I enjoyed this book…. BUT, that ending… we need to talk about that for a second. I gotta say, not loving the fact that the characters are cured off page in such an abrupt fashion! Like, all this crazy stuff going on, everyone is infected with alien whatsit, and…. everyone just gets on the ship and leaves? :/ With no cares given about possibly infecting other people or planets with this… whatever it is??? And then it’s ok because everyone is just…. mostly cured super duper easy while they literally slept it off?? Off page?? Between chapters?? :/ HUH. Don’t love that. What happened? Did the author run out of time on her deadline and have to just END things quickly or something? :/ Because that’s definitely what it feels like…

*Sigh* Aside from that choice on the ending, I do like Ghost Station, slow pacing and misplaced title and all. This one is not as good as the author’s first book. I don’t like to compare the two, but it was a little hard not to. Dead Silence was SOOOOOOOO good, but Ghost Station just felt…. it’s good. You know? I was still entertained and had fun reading the book, and I will continue to read future work by S. A. Barnes. 🙂

This book did not really do it for me. I tried to be engaged but the storyline is a bit blah and hard to get into. Ophelia Bray is a psychologist specializing in the study and prevention of ERS, a space-based condition, similar to PTSD, that can lead to mental deterioration and violence. Dr. Bray is assigned to join a small exploration crew as they journey to an ancient, abandoned planet. Unfortunately, it doesn't take Ophelia long to realize that the new crew isn't exactly excited to have her aboard. Once again, this novel felt like a thriller hiding inside horror marketing. The narrative style and the meat of the story leaned too heavily into a tropey thriller narrative.
I would mind less if it was an engaging thriller but it was pretty forgettable without a lot of punch. I hoped to love this one and am ultimately disappointed that it turned out to be only fine

My thanks to Tor Publishing, S.A. Barnes and Netgalley.

3.5

This was my first book by SA Barnes, and I went into this book only knowing it was about the exploration of a space crew. I’d classify the book as a slower paced scifi thriller, where there is suspense and tension without the high octane pacing many thrillers tend to have. Instead, there’s an excellent sense of slow burn claustrophobia, that unsettling creeping dread that I usually associate with literary horror.

I will say that the larger twists felt obvious to me, so there weren’t any big surprising moments, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the journey!

Some aspects I enjoyed:

⁃ Complicated interpersonal dynamics among the crew members, and the secrets being kept from each other
⁃ A character finally facing and processing repressed trauma
⁃ Confrontation of mental health stigma
⁃ Societal problems caused by capitalism and the impacts this has on the crew specifically
⁃ Flawed characters who are so aware of their flaws but struggle to overcome them
⁃ Circumstances that make the characters question what is real and what isn’t

Other than a bit more twisty suspense, one thing I wanted was a more mature hint the one potential romantic attachment in the book. It felt a bit juvenile, and every time the characters finally got vulnerable with each other and started to open up, something happened that overshadowed the depth that could have been there. Instead it felt surface level, and I would have liked to see more depth in all of the crew relationships over the course of the book.

Otherwise I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from this author! Thanks so much to Tor/Forge and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book!