Screams from the Void

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 was a really fun and well paced horror-in-a-spaceship read that really puts an emphasis on the type of monster that abuses women and also the women's feelings toward that person. All while surviving a oose deadly alien on the ship. I really enjoyed the reverse-timeline and the characters. Raina made some decisions that i'm sure people wouldn't agree with, but then again she wasn't in her right mind to begin with. The characters each had their own strengths and weaknesses and it really lent itself well to the story. The foreign-biological was a little tired and re-hashed but it played the role well for what it was.
All in all it was a solid read for me and while not entirely unique, i will remember it for being a great started read for those who are super fans of Alien/Predator as well as Lifetime movies.

Thanks for the opportunity to review

Screams from the Void

[Blurb goes here]

I had a lot of fun reading the novel, although I read it in my own terms. A bit on that later. The writing is superb, loved it. What I have a problem with is one of the characters and first and foremost, the editing. Let me explain:

It's kind of 'à la mode' thing, to start of a TV series in the present, and then, after a few minutes, have a flashback of the main character. After that, is back to the present, and then back to the past, ad infinitum, ad nauseam. Well, this novel reads like that. We start in the present, when the crew of an exploratory vessel, collecting life samples in different planets, is in danger. Guts fly through the cabin of the ship, blood spattered in its walls. So far so good. Then a flashback. A good one, no problem. This goes on through out the book, and here is where all starts to go sideways. The flashbacks become repetitive. There's no new information in them either, since most of that information, we already read from situations taking place in the 'present'. The flashbacks seem to be in reverse chronological order.

One of the antagonist is, simply put, a piece of human trash. A real monster of a man. We know he is, since we read it in one of the first flashbacks. Do we really need to know, nearing the end of the book, that he seemed like a genuine good guy, but was a manipulative monster from the beginning? Obviously, we don't. Those flashbacks become repetitive real quick, so yea, I ended up skipping them, making for a more pleasant read.

The main character. Ugh! Dear author, you should have kill this one first. Let me elaborate. She was in a relationship with the 'monster of a man' and has been abused by him physically, time and again. He has a temper and he's the stereotypical wife-beating red neck, only handsome, burly and tall. He has been consistently showing his true colors. Consistently. Other members of the crew know this. At some point she's in real peril, he purposely decreases her chances of survival, she notices. She knows what happened. Still she decides to trust him at every turn, even when he keeps on betraying her at every turn. Her life at risk because of him over and over again. And then come the -by now- infamous flashbacks, describing how sweet he used to be, at first. Nothing like a flashback to justify her putting her life in the hands of the man who was trying to get her killed a few moments earlier, and a few moments before that, and so on.

The creature. All I have to say is this: really?

Yes, I know, after what you read here, me recommending this novel seems hypocritical. Still, I do. I enjoyed the action, the suspense, the horror and the gore. Really enjoyed it. My suggestion would be, read it on your own terms, if you want to have fun.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Scary in space has always spoken to me as being like Alien in terms of suspense; there is a monster in the dark, and you know its coming.
Tibbets places you on the page with an ominous whisper in you ear; its already here. It’s behind you.
There is no hesitation, no stopping, and no escape aboard the freighter Demeter. The gradual introduction of the crew while unknown havoc explodes (literally) across the ship promises a story of high stakes, and with more than one element of horror.
The main protagonist, Ensign Reina, speaks to many of us as putting up with an awful situation for the “job” until enough is enough. From a boss who constantly degrades her to make up for his own ineptitude (who hasn’t been there?), to a sexy ex who’s bad boy side is way badder than any of us wants, Reina’s got her hands full. But her patience is running out quicker than the crew has members left.
Alongside Reina’s struggle is chief science officer Pollux who’s drive for constant improvement allowed dangerous cargo aboard. Something that’s hidden among the greenery of her collection of alien plant life to bring back to Earth. And when it bursts out of those early pages of the book, I wondered for the briefest moments if this fluffy critter wasn’t totally misunderstood.
Cue gore.
There are visceral moments of this book I won’t be able to scrub off my mind imagining. I’m not a big fan of bloody scenes, my empathy/imagination can’t hack it, but while the body count triggered my gross meter, it wasn’t the only vileness on the ship.
SPOILERS:
There is an alien on board. Its going to kill them all, and have I mentioned yet, that laser fire can’t kill it? Forget running out of ammo, throwing it out the airlock, or just plain wrestling it to death, lets start with the fact its invisible. You can’t see the damn thing. Pollux bought an invisible death machine on board and now she’s got to get rid of it.
Pollux’s zero BS attitude and Reina’s adaptability on a very dysfunctional ship give a hope that vanishes as quickly as the pace advances. Separated early on, the two differing viewpoints each add their own aspect of terror. Reina, side by side with her abusive ex, and Pollux, fighting off a debilitating rash that’s slowly stealing her thoughts.
For all their ingenuity, their struggle paints a horrible picture of how very f***ed they all are. And this was my one contention with the book. There were a couple of scenes were there was an over emphasis of the fact they had zero chance, but once that was done, I got on with seeing exactly how they were going to get out of it.
Because as much as you’re wondering what they’re going to do about this creature, it was only a part of the stakes. Reina’s ex Morven isn’t so much her ex as the guy from her past she can’t escape; from falling in love with, from still loving despite all he’s done, let alone what he’s about to do.
The two intertwining threads of Reina’s personal demons vs the actual one roaming the ship weave a tangled terrified stream through the story. How you can be mentally trapped, as well as physically, and the emotional turmoil trying to extract from that situation. Reina spoke to a part of me that has cringed when a man raises his voice.
Tibbets proves there’s more than one way to scare a reader and I’m not ashamed to say I kept the lights on and watched Disney after finishing this book. Thoroughly recommend for the well balanced characters you can empathize with in their weakness, the science fiction elements made believable, and the kind of horror that leaves you terrified of the void. When science advances far enough for intergalactic travel, nobody sign me up for space botany.