I've been in the mood for some good space horror and this book delivered on that front. For someone who enjoys space horror, such as Alien, Dead Space, or Event Horizon, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to review this book. We follow a fun cast of characters who are sent to study a wormhole. Cammie, an astrophysicist, joins an expedition to the wormhole but soon, she and the team find horrifying discoveries beyond their imagination. This was a fun story filled with some intriguing characters, fun sci-fi discoveries, and Lovecraftian horrors, which is what drew me to this title to begin with! The story was well paced and it certainly got more intense as the story moved along. The ending was a bit abrupt but I do like that it opens the door for the possibility of another book. Overall, this was a lot of fun and if you're a fan of space horror, I think you'll really have a fun time with this one. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the review copy.

Space exploration, ancient civilizations, hidden threats, bugs and the undead - this book had a lot. This scifi/horror book was imaginative and creepy. I found the relationship between Cammie and her mentor off putting and unnecessary. The ending is not exactly a cliffhanger, but it certainly leaves room for another book. I listened to the audiobook, and in my opinion Scott Brick makes every book worse, but most people seem to love him.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I really enjoyed this sci-fi space horror story, I’m not much of a horror fan but for some reason, space horror really appeals to me, probably because I know there’s no way I’ll ever encounter any monsters in space.

This book reminded me too much of Elon Musk while reading, but overall, the book was really good. The “space”-building of the wormhole and all the asteroids around it was pretty creative, and the spaceship the crew were on was described really well. Throw in a diverse range of characters, some scary animals and dead people, space creatures and space gods, and you’ve got a really entertaining book.

Looks like the story was left open for a second book, so I’m definitely looking forward to reading it, if and when it comes out. Great sci fi read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me an advanced copy.

Kevin J. Anderson starts a new series with a discovery of a wormhole in the nether regions of space. Rich industrialist, Benedict Noor, who earned his money in asteroid mining, finances an expedition to the wormhole to create Nether Station(hard from Blackstone Publishing). Unfortunately they find alien bases on asteroids near the wormhole and a horrifying monstrous reason for their existence. Eventually the alien stations tell them what is going on, but they are soon fighting for their life. The next part will continue the tale of the survivors.

Nether Station
by Kevin J. Anderson
Science Fiction
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
Blackstone Publishing
Ages: 14+

Cammie Skoura, who was diagnosed as neurodivergent as a child, is now an astrophysicist. Years after the team she was on had sent the first probe to a wormhole at the far ends of the universe the signal returned from Alpha Centauri.

She joins the first-ever (privately funded) research team to research the wormhole and the possible shortcut to Alpha Centauri.

Upon arrival, when there was a death as they were waking the rest of the team, they found that there was an error with the cryopods, and left the rest sleeping.

Then there was an accident involving a stray rock that ripped a hole in the water storage tank, making the team go to a comet to remove ice, and not to mention dead bug-like creatures floating in space.

Oh, and on the comet, they discover a temple and a statue of a hideous creature carved into the ice.


Not exactly a horror story, it started off as a cozy sci-fi, but it did get a little more suspenseful in the middle of the story, but for me, it was not scary and still hovered along the 'cozy' genre. You could say it had the same feel as the movie 'Galaxy Quest' but without the humor. Not scary, just happening.

So it was a really easy story to follow; not a lot of heavy concepts/words, and readers of most educations can easily follow along, and there's not a lot of violence or adult situations so it's suitable for readers fourteen and older.

It was a little disappointing for me that this wasn't as gory or graphic as I was hoping it was, but it was a quick read with quite a few 'gasp' moments that I was not suspecting.

The only character I did not like was the 'private CEO' who funded the program and joined the mission because he reminded me a lot of a certain CEO who I roll my eyes whenever I hear about his stupid antics, which are causing me to debate upon leaving a certain site. Enough said on that one.

Overall, I did like the story and it was left open for another book, which I do want to read.

3 Stars

I'm giving this four stars for now bc the editing isn't complete. And honestly, as somebody who edits, if I was sent this in this condition I would send it back.

That said, the story is great. When I got to a certain point, I thought great, just another run of the mill ancient force awakened by dumb humans. But what followed was a really good story. I would love to see this cleaned up. And I will be anticipating the sequel, because this is very clearly the first in a series.

I really liked this! I went into this book eith pretty clear expectations for how the plot was going to go and I was pleasantly suprised by how quickly I was proven wrong. It's a short book with short chapters so even with the POV switches the story moves very fast. I liked that the horror did not just come from lovecraft's standard "seeing too much and becoming mad", but also from the vacuum of space itself. I really liked the climax, it was exciting and I was concerned for the characters' safety.
I will say I wish the ending was better. It felt pretty abrupt and while I wouldnt say it is a "good" ending, I do wish things had gone worse. The ending felt like an early MCU movie setting up for a sequel, which just feels wrong for the cosmic horror genre.
Overall, a solid 4/5.

Science fiction often sees outer space as this place where we can grow and discover and things will be better in the future, but we have always had a fear of the cosmos as well. Ever since Wells had Martians coming down from the sky and destroying our world we have also had a fear of what we may find out there. This led to the cosmic horror visions of William Hope Hodgson and H. P. Lovecraft and on through Who Goes There?, Black Destroyer and Nightflyers. Nether Station joins these works as an excellent example of cosmic horror and our fear of the vast, deep unknown of space, where we won’t be kings of our environment.

Nether Station is very much a part of a series, with part two already well underway. But it can stand alone if you don’t choose to continue. The story is compelling enough that I definitely want to continue and can hardly wait for the next installment. This book is well-written, with good characters, a lot of imagination and a story that keeps you glued to it. The style is not hard to read. This is an excellent adventure/horror story.

Anything I didn’t like? Nothing major, though if you are looking for something completely original, this falls a little short. It is too much like Alien or Nightflyers and the characters are a bit too much like we would expect from a movie, with a selfish, driven billionaire who doesn’t use his head in making decisions. But that is nit-picking—they didn’t harm my enjoyment of this. Nether Station is still a lot of fun. Recommended.

Nether Station" is a captivating read that immerses you in a richly imagined world filled with intrigue and complex characters. The author skillfully weaves together themes of identity and morality, creating a narrative that is both thought-provoking and engaging.

The setting is vividly described, enhancing the sense of place and drawing the reader into the story. The protagonist's journey is both personal and universal, exploring deep emotional landscapes while maintaining a gripping plot. The pacing is well-balanced, keeping you invested from start to finish.

What stands out most is the author's ability to create tension and suspense, leaving you eager to turn the pages. The dialogue is sharp and realistic, adding depth to the characters and their relationships.

Nether Station is a space horror novel by Kevin J. Anderson. It's an exciting read, a real page-turner. My reason for giving it 3 stars instead of higher is due to the dumb decision making by the crew that would in no way happen in real life. It's still a fun read though and leaves the door open for a sequel.

I'm a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

A wealthy billionaire leads a private expedition into space to map a recently discovered wormhole only to encounter a dark threat to humanity. This was a compelling and quick read. Tho the characters and story were a bit stilted, my interest was held to the very end. Thanks to NetGalley for a
a chance to read and review this book.

Cosmic/SciFi horror
Wow!
What a fantastic ride!
I love Lovecraftian SciFi horror and this book checked all the boxes for me!
Aliens: check ✔️
Eldritch gods: check ✔️
Mysterious ancient ruins ✔️

A privately funded expedition to a newly discovered wormhole in the Kuiper belt becomes a cosmic nightmare to the crew of the Lethe and Nether Station when they discover ruins of an ancient alien race there. What were these ancients doing there? Had they been to Earth?
After sending probes through the wormhole they discover that they may have awoken something that's been waiting for eons.

It was a bit of a slow start getting to know the characters but at a third of the way through the action starts and never lets up.
This reminds me a little of some Jack McDevitt books and the wonder of finding ancient alien ruins but with horror.
I loved this book so much that I will definitely be purchasing a hard copy! I'm really hoping there will be a second book to continue the journey.
Check this out if you're a Lovecraft fan or simply love SciFi horror!

I received an arc from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

NETHER STATION  started out a little slow, introducing the characters and the situation with the wormhole itself. Once this is finished, things picked up, and it was really worth the read. I found I was really enjoying the story and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Cammie and her coworkers have made their way to the wormhole, and just as they are about to awaken the other staff, disaster strikes. On their attempt to awaken the first of the sleeping scientists, they witness the death of their friend. They survey some of the surrounding comets to find the acheoligical discovery of a lifetime. It will change what people everywhere believe about their universe and surroundings. Least of all, they have yet to truly begin working with the wormhole. As they test the Einstein Rosen Bridge and attempt to learn its secrets, they come to realize how dangerous the universe is. They find they may end up sacrificing their lives for knowledge they never imagined possible.

As a fan of speculative science fiction as a whole, and more specifically stories such as Project Hail Mary and Event Horizon, as well as the concepts proposed in Alien: Prometheus, I was immediately ecstatic to read Nether Station. Further reading and learning it is a Weird Tales Presents publication made my interest skyrocket, as I'm not only an avid fan of weird literature, but a long time fan of Weird Tales itself.

Immediately, I found the scientific concepts easy to follow along with as a non-scientifically learned person-- while it doesn't exactly hold your hand and throws you immediately into the concepts used as the foundation of the story, Nether Station also provides enough context clues to keep you afloat while also guiding the reader seamlessly into the story. It's an easy to understand speculative science fiction tale, and requires no hard knowledge beforehand.

Upon finishing this novel, I felt mixed in opinion as a reader. There were a few things Nether Station tackled exceedingly well! And then there were other concepts that felt a bit dorky in execution.

To start, Cammie Skoura is an absolute treasure of a primary character. Her growth in overcoming her fears and isolation was stellar, and not only that, but she deserves every ounce of heroism the ending gives her. Nevertheless, I found the way several of the male characters approached her to be needlessly creepy, and the focus on her non-romantic relationship with the head scientist being questioned several times felt unnecessary.

As a cosmic horror fan, and particularly a Lovecraft fan, I found the detailed descriptions of horror to be horrifying. From the greenhouse scenes with plant decay and intelligence, to the scenes with the rats and monkey, and even further to the detailed scenes regarding the dead, everything felt outstanding, and several times I gripped my reading device in fear at these creatures reactions to madness and horror.

The exploration of the wormhole itself, as well as the exploration of this unknown alien civilization felt exciting. The mystery behind what was going on in the wormhole led up to a grand conclusion that I felt was successful and horrific. The shared knowledge of the alien race, too, kept me keyed in as a reader, and several times I found it hard to put the book down due to how exciting these mysteries became.

That said, other parts of the cosmic horror, not so much. The rather obvious Lovecraft namedrops made several parts of the novel feel more like At the Mountains of Madness fanfiction rather than something that stood on its own, which is what I anticipated reading at first. Once I realized what was happening, as a fan of the specific stories referenced within Nether Station, I was able to immerse myself in the now-shared universe a bit more and I did appreciate what Nether Station accomplished within that viewpoint.

One thing I found myself unsure of as a reader was what happens to Benedict Noor in the novel. I found him perfectly unlikeable, and a perfect antagonist toward the main cast within their own group. He very clearly represents a certain type of person found in real life-- the know it all businessman entrepreneur who thinks his money supersedes science-- and the tension between him and the characters made for a great storyline. That said, his "ending" didn't feel ultimately satisfactory within Nether Station. I would have liked to see those ramifications he suffers upped a bit further, see them drawn out.

Overall, Nether Station is a great read, even with my complaints. I enjoyed my time reading it, and I look forward to its official release. As well, I look forward to Kevin J. Anderson's sequel, Nether Vortex.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Kevin J. Anderson for this advanced copy.

Nether Station tells the story of a manned mission to study a black hole at the edge of our solar system. The black hole may or may not be a shortcut to another part of the galaxy. Once the ship gets on site, wackiness ensues.
This book is part space drama, part exploration and part cosmic horror. I can definitely say that I wish Anderson had amped up the horror a bit more.
The cast of characters were interesting enough, although I only found a couple of them really likable. A couple of the characters were a little tedious to me. Either by personality or character make up.
I really can’t wait for the sequel. As soon as I finished reading this, I wanted the next one.

“Nether Station” is cosmic horror story of epic proportions.

Full of thrilling space exploration, monstrous discoveries, and nightmarish situations.

Our main characters are conflicted as they study and try to answer questions about the wormhole at the edge of known space. Part of a crewed private sector mission, they run into many challenges and mysteries upon their arrival at the portal to elsewhere. Readers will experience growing dread and tension along with crew as they find dreadful answers among the stars.

I really hung onto every word, every action of each character, trying to anticipate what would happen next. There were times where I had to put this story down, give myself a break from the anxiety I was feeling. Anderson really knows how to draw people into the story he’s created.

This was one of the best Lovecraftian scifi tales I’ve read in a while and it was fantastic to become so immersed (even though I really worried about what would happen to the crew of Nether Station).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Blackstone Publishing for a copy!

Lovecraft in space! One of my favorite genres. I love some cosmic horror, even when it is derivative - I don't mind, that's my comfort food. I want the familiar when it comes to my favorites.

Anderson's story gets going pretty early on and keeps going on throttle until the end. I appreciate the large stakes, I loved the cosmic horror details, and I loved all the homages to the author's influences.

The biggest influences I noticed are At the Mountains of Madness by Lovecraft, and one of my most favorite movies ever, Event Horizon. Anderson uses characters and stories from At the Mountains of Madness (in this universe, Lovecraft's stories aren't stories but history) in an effect way to set up the motivations and actions of several characters. One in particular that I think the author must have had other plans for but then it kind of fizzles out; unless there's going to be a sequel, that was a disappointment and felt like a missed opportunity. As for Event Horizon, the author even names a couple ships the Lewis and Clark, haha. If you've seen the movie though, you'll recognize a few things (not that the movie itself is wholley original, but it is an influential cult classic) that are familiar.

My only real complaints are the character of Noor and what happens there. I don't always want answers but we saw examples of what happens when life goes through the wormhole, and then... the book just ends. With a huge What If that, honestly, doesn't really need a sequel but still feels like the set up for one.

I enjoyed this a lot though, even if it did annoy me at times lol It really scratches that cosmic horror itch.

Similar to Nether Station: The Void by Brett J Talley, Ghost Station by SA Barnes, The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown, Report on an Unidentified Space Station by JG Ballard, and all of the Dead Space books (Dead Space: Martyr, and more).

A solid sci-fi/horror story that ramps up the lovecraftian elements as we go on. The ending was pretty wild but it was a decent book overall. It was a good mix of horror and sci-fi.

I'm familiar with Kevin J. Anderson from his X-Files and Star Wars novels, most of which are pretty average, but I never read any of his own material before. For the most part, this was a solidly written, reasonably paced Sci-Fi exploration/action/horror story. It starts off as generic Sci-Fi, but by the midpoint turns very Lovecraftian. Mainly, the Sci-Fi and Lovecraftian elements were merged together well, though the ending was a bit over-the-top. Overall, though, I think it's the best book I've read by the author.

Space is vast. Space is full of wonders. Space is terrifying.

In the darkest part of the solar system lies a wormhole. Nether.

Astrophysicist Cammie Skoura has joined the first research team traveling to the Nether anomaly, eager to understand the mechanics of the wormhole and to explore its possibilities as a shortcut to Alpha Centauri.

But another race of ancient beings has already been here—an impossibly long time ago—leaving remnants of their vast complexes and gigantic temples built for horrific beings beyond comprehension.

What dangers did those elder races find in the hidden corners of spacetime?

What did they unleash?

And what remains?

Now, Cammie and the crew of Nether Station must find the answers—before the darkest part of the cosmos swallows them up …

A really good sci fi story with a lot of fantasy elements that worked really well. I've read a few of his books and this was my favorite so far. Excited to see where he goes from here:)