The main issue here is that it needed more. There’s no depth to the character or what’s happening, and while the art succeeds in the feeling of isolation, it needed more time to develop this well.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

(English is not my first language, but I hope it's understandable) I am not convinced by this read about sleep disorder story crossed with a pseudo 2001, a space odyssey sci-fi plot. I think it lacks a deepness of character so we could build some empathy for Michael. Also the strip from the beginning indicates very early what this is about and unveils the mistery before it happens. The drawing feels very flat to me even if I like how it is framed.

"Station Grand" by Craig Hurd-McKenney is a novel that stands out for its originality and narrative ambition. The author transports us to a fascinating futuristic world, where technology is intertwined with profound and terrifying human issues such as abuse and trauma that persists into adult life. The world building is definitely one of the book's strong points, with well-kept details and a unique atmosphere.

However, while the setting and the protagonist are interesting, the development of the plot is sometimes a little slow and fragmented. Some plot twists appear predictable and some narrative threads remain incomplete, leaving the reader with some unanswered questions. Furthermore, the character characterization, although promising, is too thin. The plot is too fragmented and dislocated in the narrative, creating a sense of waiting and repetitiveness for an end that never arrives.

The plot touches on topics of a certain importance and social weight, but treated without a conclusion. Maybe it's just personal taste but I prefer, especially when dealing with this kind of topic, to have a complete, clear and direct story, at least in its conclusion. Or at least give me some more clues to understand what I'm reading.

"Station Grand" is a graphic novel that deserves to be read, especially by science fiction and psychology enthusiasts. The originality of the idea is undeniable. However, overall, it leaves something to be desired. It offers interesting ideas, but it fails to shine fully. It is a work that could appeal to those looking for original and ambitious, dreamlike and profound stories but which could disappoint those expecting a more dynamic and complete plot and a more defined characterization of the characters.

This graphic novel started very well - very atmospheric and with the perfect suffocating space station setting.
I always think sleep depravation stories work very well, so I was all in - sadly the end was a big letdown.
The end was so abrupt I didn't quite understand the story was finished and read the second story, thinking it would lead to answers. Since the second tale is rather disjointed, I took it as a dream sequence that weaved in the past of the main character... but no, that was all my own imagination in overdrive.
I really don't mind stories that keep the real answer as ambiguous, I like the strange unknown it opens up... but this just felt like it had missing pages because it came too quick.
A real shame, I think with a stronger wrap-up and better break between the two stories (such as a bio of the authors) it would have been a strong work of fiction.

‘Station Grand’ is a haunting graphic novel, set aboard a space station the main character is stranded from communication with anyone else. Slowly this isolation leads him with a myriad of delusions and difficult memories. Until he feels the haunting presence of something on the ship with him.

I really enjoyed the concept of this graphic novel and thought that it had been well connected to the authors life. It did feel like a personal tale despite the obvious genre style and conventions. I would have loved to have seen this personal element fleshed out a bit more through making the novel longer and leaving more time for the reader to engage with the main character before the horror started.

I really enjoyed the horror elements of this novel and how the art style matched this tone. The black and white is subdued in a way that leaves the reader questioning what is appearing to them, much like within the narrator’s mind.

I would recommend this book to someone new to the horror genre (like myself) and people who are interested in starting to read graphic novels.

Thanks to #netgalley and the publishers for this ARC of #stationgrand

i love a good isolation space horror and this one dealt with intense subject matter but definitely a bit confusing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC!

A book that has an interesting premise, but falters in execution. The idea of childhood trauma (in this case physical abuse) taking (maybe) physical form is interesting, and I'm not looking for definite answers, but this book can't seem to make its mind up and more or less lacks a convincing and/or satisfying ending. Having the story located in space feels inconsequential.

A shame.

3.oo Not bad but far too short. Not enough time to really care about the main character or to really develop the sense of dread it seemed to be going for.

Hurd-McKenney and Bailey have given us a brief, unsettling space gothic in which echoing, sterile environments alternate with gritty, sketchbook nightmares. I am not looking forward to my attempts to sleep tonight.

3.5 stars.

I appreciate the attempt of conveying childhood trauma and sleep paralysis. It feels unfinished, superficial and the story felt like it didn't go anywhere. About halfway through it changes to a muli-POV which at first I found disjointed but as I sunk into it, I really appreciated that style of storytelling. I would recommend this for a quick read but check trigger warnings if your sensitive to certain subjects.

Station Grand has really unique space isolation story with maybe something else aboard the ship and some truly great artwork.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC.

Very minimalist art style works well with this brief tale. The choice to keep the art in a simple black-and-white style when the story is about everything BUT what is clearly black and white really helps connect the narrative and art style.

The story is a somewhat confusing mishmash of insomnia, repressed memories, childhood trauma, and crushing isolation as the protagonist spends approximately nine months alone and out of communication with Earth aboard a space facility overseeing work on Venus. His only companion during this time is the base's control system computer. The story is quite disjointed, but since it is primarily told from the protagonist's point of view, it backs up the psychological turmoil he is going through. Unfortunately, the ending seems abrupt and rather unsatisfying.

It was… a little underwhelming? The art felt very fitting and the story was personal to both author and artist (via their note). I don’t have a sleeping disorder, so I can’t comment on that, but I can say that it felt like a personal story, even without that note providing additional context.

That said, I was a little lost on the plot. I can get some barebones, but it felt throughout the story that I was always missing out on something, and I really couldn’t pinpoint what. At the end, I was just plain confused. Maybe a reread will do this some justice, but as of now, those are my thoughts!

summary: good art, nice personal ties, confusing plot

Thank you to NetGalley and ONI Press for the chance to read this volume.

This horror sci-fi graphic novel draws on the writer and illustrators own experiences of insomnia and sleep disturbances to give us an eerie and terrifying look at living long term in space. The way we begin to doubt our main character as more information about his past comes to light mirrors the way he begins to question both the computer and his own reality.

I really loved the art style - there was something deeply personal about seeing the pencil strokes here.

Nothing drew me in here. Nothing seemed unique. The art style was interesting with the black and white aesthetic; but the overall story was one we have seen before. Sleep deprivation, are they mad, are they sane?

I enjoyed this, even if it left me a little confused... The book follows a man in space who no longer has contact with Earth. As time passes, his sleep is impacted and he begins to question a lot of the things around him, taking inspiration from his past and present. I loved the drawing style and how easy it was to read in terms of the text style and drawing. From what I understand, the book is very personal to the author and the artist, so I feel that to write and illustrate a book on such a personal topic is a true feat.

However, I found the plot hard to follow. To start with it was easy, but then when it changes later on in the book I got a bit lost. Like I said previously, it seems that the book was very personal to the author and the artist in terms of shared experiences, but I admit that the book lost me when the timeline changed. Rather than the character questioning everything, it felt more like I was the one questioning, because I didn't understand what was happening...

Overall, I enjoyed it for the style and the illustration, but I feel that the actual plot could have used some more work.

Solid space horror that leaves to many questions and like, no answers. I don't mind a lack of answers but give us something? The story jumps forward at one point and it feels like there was a chunk that was cut out... the art was interesting but I would've liked color because it doesn't feel like the black and white was really utilized in any special/meaningful way to make the lack of a color have a point. Again, not that it needs to but all of these pieces put together gives the book an unfinished feeling, and I couldn't shake the dissatisfaction at the end.

Hurd-McKenney also gets a little bit into childhood abuse and the lasting trauma, repressed memory, psychological issues, etc but it feels all surface level. Just as the story starts to go deeper into any of these topics, is when it suddenly ends.

If there's going to be more, I think this is worth the read, otherwise there is better out there. I'm sad at the wasted vibes because the idea and visuals are so cool.

The artwork is well drawn! I don't like that the ending of the comic was so vague. I'd like to have known for sure what was happening but I understand that vagueness is part of the mystery.

Decently creepy story about a guy who is alone in space learning he may not be so alone, with hints of religious trauma and SA survivor-dom. However, this feels very brief and like a lot is left hanging without any sort of pressing "OR IS IT?" that would haunt me after the story. I'm not even sure what the creature WANTS (to eat people? to just kill them? to disappear them somewhere?) so I'm struggling to even be afraid of a specific fate. It's all very nebulous.

Overall, it's a pretty basic horror story and if you've read something like "someone alone is stalked by a mysterious entity" then this will likely seem pretty cookie cutter to you. Nothing really elevates the premise to set it apart, save maybe for the way the computer is somehow manipulated by the creature to have its databanks altered for better gaslighting.