Scourge Between Stars

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown (@nessthenovelist) from Tor Nightfire (out 4/4/23), is an atmospheric, claustrophobic, scifi creep-fest. While I’m sure there will be inevitable comparisons to the film Alien, TSBS is a creature unto itself, smart and clever, working its way under your skin and leaving you feeling just a terrified and confused as the inhabitants of the starship, Calypso.

The inhabitants of Earth abandoned the planet long ago, boarding generation ships in the hope of making a new life for themselves on another planet. When that plan fails, the colonies decide to try returning to Earth, but the ships are accosted by unknown forces and consistently damaged. On top of this, it becomes apparent that there is something show more else on the ship, something not human. Acting captain Jacklyn must try to navigate the extraterrestrial challenges, as well as the possibility of mutiny on the ship.

Honestly, my only complaint about the story is its length; this certainly reads like the introduction to a much larger story. There are several questions left unanswered (we know how I like tidy stories with no dangling questions!), and there is definitely room for more adventures of the Calypso and its crew. Hopefully Brown will bring us back to this galaxy soon and delve deeper into the mysteries of the unknown.

Thank you to @netgalley and @tornightfire for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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For the most part, this was a very effective, creepy read.
The author did a wonderful job creating a setting that felt believable, a decrepit spaceship nearing the end of it's ability to function. It added to the sense of danger and dankness. As the danger became more and more evident, and the crew began to try and deal with it, this setting added to the sense of dread and high stakes.
Jacklyn Albright, the acting captain was believable both in her competency but also her sense of self doubt and being overwhelmed. I was very invested in her and her story.
Most of the rest of the crew was also believable, and as the losses mounted you felt their losses.
The only character I had issues with is the android. She was more than a bit of a show more deus ex machina and I never understood Jacklyn's issues with her.
My last issue was with the ending. It was very much a deus ex machina ending that came out of nowhere and didn't make sense. This is an issue I have seen with many novellas or short stories.
As the story winds down there is a need to tie up the story in an cohesive ending with very little time or space and they often feel rushed.

The ending aside though, I enjoyed this book a great deal, it was unsettling and creepy in the way it was supposed to be and I am looking forward to more from this author. show less

A couple hundred or so years ago, desperate colony ships left Earth in search of a new home. The place they found, Proxima b, turned out to be to dangerous to settle, so their descendants are heading back to Earth. Things don't look good. They can't go back to Proxima b, they likely don't have enough food, oxygen, and fuel to make it back to Earth (which may not even be habitable, anyway), and they keep getting caught in the crossfire of what seems to be some kind of enormous alien war.

Jacklyn Albright is the acting captain of the Calypso, barely holding herself together, much less the ship. Her mother committed suicide, her sister is dead, and her father, the ship's captain, hasn't left his quarters or spoken to anyone in over a week. show more Then things go from bad to worse. There are glitches in the ship's systems, something keeps making banging noises inside the ship's walls, and a crew member is found horribly mutilated.

I was reminded of the Alien franchise (with a tinge of Event Horizon), as Jacklyn and her crew members tried to track down whatever was moving around on the ship and somehow deal with it as it kept picking off more people. People were sleep-deprived, and things just kept getting worse on pretty much every front. Meanwhile, Jacklyn was also emotionally unbalanced by all the recent deaths in her family, her father's apparent decision to completely check out of all of his responsibilities, and the fact that the unnervingly human-like android who kept following her around looked a lot like her dead sister.

Even as I was hoping the crew could somehow figure out how to deal with whatever it was that was actively killing them, there was still the dark cloud of the future hanging over everything. Things were bleak - even if they could survive this, they might all die of starvation later. I liked how the author worked that into the overall horror, but the way things wrapped up was a tad too convenient for my tastes.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook through my library.

Thoughts: I had been in the mood for a sci-fi read but wanted something quick when I ran into this book on my wishlist (I know, my wishlist is huge so sometimes I peruse it and see things on there I had forgotten about). This was a decently done sci-fi horror, it was just really predictable and felt like a horror alien movie that we all know about (Alien).

I enjoyed our main protagonist, Jacklyn (Jack), she's been put in an awful position. Her father, the captain, has locked himself in his cabin, her mother went insane and committed suicide, and her sister was recently killed in one of the periodic attacks that keep hitting their show more starship from an unknown source. Jack is trying to get everyone back home to Earth, a nearly hopeless effort when she starts hearing things in the walls of the starship, supplies start missing, and the android on board starts complaining of "anomalies".

I enjoyed the characters and writing style here. This book moves at a fast pace and there is a ton of action. This is very readable and engaging as well. The android, Watson, was a high point of the novel for me. I loved this character and this was a creative and intriguing addition to the story.

Where this went flat for me is how this is a story that's been told many times before. There just wasn't a lot of creativity here. I agree with other reviewers who have mentioned how similar this is to the movie Alien. Everything about this story went exactly how I expected. I even felt like some of the scenes were lifted almost directly from the Alien movie.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was a decent sci-fi horror that is basically a retelling (or exact telling) of classic sci-fi horror that already exists. I did enjoy Brown's characters and writing style so I will keep an eye out for Brown's future works. I just hope that Brown's future works are unique and creative. show less

This book was a tasty little snack. It was just the right amount of scary and tension for me. It's sort of like Alien, only the lead female doesn't have to run around in her underwear most of the time. And there wasn't a cat.

I really liked Jack, she was very well realized. I liked getting to see inside her head and feel her feelings with her. She was scared of this very terrifying situation, but she handled it. She didn't have to be this superhero character who was never afraid and always in control. She responded like a person would. We saw her at her most vulnerable, but still standing up and doing what she had to do, acting as the captain while the real captain hid in his cabin.

I don't always like these kind of space ship with a show more threat stories because I hate when people start turning on each other, but this one didn't have that and it was good. If you're into space horror, give this one a read, it's nice and short! show less

What a great read! The Scoutge Between Stars is a claustrophobic thrill ride that takes place in a failed colony ship that had to leave the Centauri system and return home. Conditions are deteriorating, and supplies seem to be dwindling for unknown reasons. Unbeknownst to all on board, there is an unwanted stowaway, identity unknown.

This is one of the best SF books I’ve read in a good while. While there are elements from the first Alien film, the author makes the story all her own. The plotting is superb, the tension well ratcheted, the characters well drawn, all making this a book that just kept me riveted to the page.

Highly recommended.

My thanks to Tor Nightfire and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this remarkable debut novel.

In "The Scourge Between Stars" by Ness Brown, Jacklyn Albright assumes the role of acting captain aboard the starship Calypso, entrusted with the daunting task of safeguarding the remnants of humanity on their precarious journey back to Earth from a doomed colony. The narrative unfolds against a backdrop of constant peril in the vast and hazardous expanse of interstellar space, where hunger and destruction loom as persistent threats.

As the crew faces the brink of despair, internal strife brews within the ship's Wards, exacerbated by a menacing new adversary that methodically claims lives in a gruesome manner. Jacklyn and her team find themselves thrust into a race against time, compelled to unveil the identity of the mysterious intruder show more if they harbor any aspirations of surviving the perilous return to their solar system.

While "The Scourge Between Stars" exhibits commendable strengths, it also grapples with certain shortcomings. Notably, the narrative draws unmistakable inspiration from the iconic "Alien" franchise, with striking parallels in the depiction of extraterrestrial entities reminiscent of Xenomorphs and the inclusion of a robotic crew member. The resemblance to these well-established tropes might leave readers with a sense of déjà vu, as the narrative echoes familiar themes from the science fiction genre.

One of the notable highlights of the book lies in its vivid descriptions of the expansive chambers aboard the Calypso. Brown successfully instills a sense of dread in these vast spaces, proving that the chilling atmosphere of horror can be effectively conveyed in large, seemingly open areas. The play of light and shadows, with flashlights failing to penetrate the ominous corners, adds a layer of tension that transcends the conventional confines of confined spaces.

However, the narrative takes a divisive turn in its conclusion, with a Deus Ex Machina element that may leave some readers dissatisfied. The resolution at the end of the story appears abrupt and may not resonate well with those seeking a more nuanced and organic culmination.

Despite these reservations, the adept handling of horror elements suggests that Ness Brown possesses a skill for crafting atmospheric tension. While "The Scourge Between Stars" may draw heavily from established influences, the author's ability to evoke fear within expansive settings warrants consideration. Despite the uneven aspects, there is potential in Brown's storytelling, and readers intrigued by the horror genre may find it worthwhile to explore more of the author's works. show less