Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes (2022)
Lots of Sci-fi: Little Horror
Book cover blurb
Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed—made obsolete—when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.
What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick trip through the Aurora reveals something isn’t right.
Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Words scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora, before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.
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My Review
Right off the bat, there are a lot of Alien (the movie) comparisons here. But I guess it's hard to see how there wouldn't be, considering that movie's influence in this genre. But, to be honest, simply accepting that fact allows you to get on and enjoy the story for what it is, which I found easy to do, mainly because Barnes has created her own world here and she stamps her authority on it very well, sweeping the reader along with vivid interactions with characters and their surroundings.
It's a small crew on a small ship with different, clashing personalities, which makes things interesting. Unfortunately, I got lost and confused during early character interactions. It felt like the introductions had been rushed, coming too close together. The ensuing argumentative banter from all parties didn't give enough time to get names and personalities straight in my head before the to and fro of the dialogue led me to give up trying to keep track of who was who.
During the first encounter with the Aurora and boarding the twenty-year lost ship, I didn't feel much dread or menace. There were a lot of dead people, sure, but that's more tragic than threatening. Obviously, the ship is devoid of life, adrift beyond occupied space and the very nature of that introduces an element of unease, but there is no foreboding.
As the story progressed, I began to get my head around which character was which. Their individuality and interactions came across as believable and real. Voller was most definitely a favourite of mine. Not because he's a good character, he's actually an asshole, but he's a real person. Someone I imagine everyone has encountered at one point in their lives. I know I certainly have.
The flashback element of the story's construction was curious. The flashback elements come across as the main story and the present-day sections register as the flashbacks. This actually plays to the reader's advantage, aiding you to focus on what is important, the previous goings on with the encounter of the Aurora. In turn, the 'Now' chapters, which are ideally short, offer a nice respite from the tension of the main story, allowing you to breathe. These sections too, are well-characterised. The two interrogators questioning the main character Clair, come across as very much individuals, which sows a different kind of tension in these sections.
As a science fiction novel, I like this book. I think it works well. The characters, the space-faring elements, the small hints of life in that future. We weren't overwhelmed by technical jargon and explanations of how things work, which can often pull me out of a story. The romance elements were a little heavyhanded for my liking, over-emphasized to the point of detracting from the main premise.
As a horror novel, I was left wanting. Simply, there wasn't really much horror. Plenty of dead bodies and death, but there was no real 'spookiness'. I didn’t feel that tension in my chest, the on-the-edge nerves that make you jump at sudden intrusions or interruptions while reading. Once the book was closed between reads, my mind wasn't forced to dwell on anything. But having said that, I've read little horror, science fiction or otherwise, so perhaps I'm judging Dead Silence too harshly.
My copy of this novel
Tor Nightfire hardback edition.
Published in 2022
339 pages
ISBN 9781250819994