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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
(DEUTSCH WEITER UNTEN)
I’m disappointed.
Somehow I started the book with quite high expectations, as I’d been looking forward to it for a long time and I’m also really into space horror. So what could be better than „A GHOST SHIP / A SALVAGE CREW. / UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.“? By now, unfortunately, I can think of a few things that excite me more.
Don’t get me wrong; the book was enjoyably written and the horror was really atmospheric (I had to put the book down at night because I didn’t dare go to the toilet) and haunting. But it was all over far too quickly and almost seemed ridiculous again? Not the horror itself, but the reactions of the crew.
The horror only takes place - for the reader - when Claire talks about her experiences on the aforementioned ghost ship. As soon as we are back in the present, the atmospheric space horror turns into ordinary space action with capitalist arseholes and a totally far-fetched romance for the reader. From this point on, we go through every cliché you can think of and this makes the book extremely predictable.
Another point that bothered me is that Claire’s „ability“ to see deceased people (we learn immediately on page one) was never explained, because this is far from just trauma. If this is just a reaction to traumatic events, then I’m Santa and you can all send your wish lists to me this year.
I don’t even want to talk about the epilogue, because that’s where the 0815 space action with capitalist arseholes turned into a 0815 space romance.
I wanted horror and that’s what the book promised (UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS!!!!); it just didn’t deliver.
The horror we got was good, but over far too quickly.
(DEUTSCH)
Ich bin enttäuscht.
Irgendwie bin ich mit recht hohen Erwartungen in das Buch gestartet, da ich mich schon lang drauf gefreut hatte und halt auch total auf Space Horror stehe. Was könnte also besser sein als „A GHOST SHIP. / A SALVAGE CREW. / UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.“ ? Mittlerweile kann ich mir da leider einiges vorstellen, das mich mehr begeistert.
Versteht mich nicht falsch; das Buch war angenehm geschrieben und der Horror war wirklich super atmosphärisch (ich musste es abends im Bett weglegen, da ich mich nicht mehr auf die Toilette getraut habe) und eindringlich. Aber all das war viel zu schnell vorbei und wirkte damit fast schon wieder lächerlich? Also nicht der Horror an sich, aber die Reaktionen unserer Crew.
Der Horror findet – für die lesende Person – auch nur statt, wenn Claire von ihren Erfahrungen auf besagtem Geisterschiff erzählt. Sobald wir uns also wieder im Jetzt befinden ist Schluss damit und der atmosphärische Space Horror verwandelt sich in 0815 Space Action mit kapitalistischen Arschlöchern und einer, für die lesende Person, total weit hergeholten Romanze. Wir gehen ab diesem Zeitpunkt alle Klischees durch, die man sich nur denken kann und das macht das Buch extrem vorhersehbar.
Ein weiterer Punkt, der mich gestört hat, ist, dass Claires „Fähigkeit“ verstorbene Personen zu sehen (erfahren wir sofort auf Seite eins) nie aufgeklärt wurde, denn das ist bei weitem nicht nur Trauma. Wenn das nur eine Reaktion auf traumatische Ereignisse ist, dann bin ich die Weihnachtsfrau und ihr alle dürft eure Wunschzettel dieses Jahr an mich senden.
Über den Epilog will ich gar nicht erst reden, denn da hat sich die 0815 Space Action mit kapitalistischen Arschlöchern zu 0815 Space Romantik entwickelt.
Ich wollte Horror und das hat das Buch auch versprochen (UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS!!!!); wurde halt nur nicht abgeliefert.
Den Horror, den wir bekommen haben, der war gut, aber halt viel zu schnell vorbei.
I’m disappointed.
Somehow I started the book with quite high expectations, as I’d been looking forward to it for a long time and I’m also really into space horror. So what could be better than „A GHOST SHIP / A SALVAGE CREW. / UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.“? By now, unfortunately, I can think of a few things that excite me more.
Don’t get me wrong; the book was enjoyably written and the horror was really atmospheric (I had to put the book down at night because I didn’t dare go to the toilet) and haunting. But it was all over far too quickly and almost seemed ridiculous again? Not the horror itself, but the reactions of the crew.
The horror only takes place - for the reader - when Claire talks about her experiences on the aforementioned ghost ship. As soon as we are back in the present, the atmospheric space horror turns into ordinary space action with capitalist arseholes and a totally far-fetched romance for the reader. From this point on, we go through every cliché you can think of and this makes the book extremely predictable.
Another point that bothered me is that Claire’s „ability“ to see deceased people (we learn immediately on page one) was never explained, because this is far from just trauma. If this is just a reaction to traumatic events, then I’m Santa and you can all send your wish lists to me this year.
I don’t even want to talk about the epilogue, because that’s where the 0815 space action with capitalist arseholes turned into a 0815 space romance.
I wanted horror and that’s what the book promised (UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS!!!!); it just didn’t deliver.
The horror we got was good, but over far too quickly.
(DEUTSCH)
Ich bin enttäuscht.
Irgendwie bin ich mit recht hohen Erwartungen in das Buch gestartet, da ich mich schon lang drauf gefreut hatte und halt auch total auf Space Horror stehe. Was könnte also besser sein als „A GHOST SHIP. / A SALVAGE CREW. / UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.“ ? Mittlerweile kann ich mir da leider einiges vorstellen, das mich mehr begeistert.
Versteht mich nicht falsch; das Buch war angenehm geschrieben und der Horror war wirklich super atmosphärisch (ich musste es abends im Bett weglegen, da ich mich nicht mehr auf die Toilette getraut habe) und eindringlich. Aber all das war viel zu schnell vorbei und wirkte damit fast schon wieder lächerlich? Also nicht der Horror an sich, aber die Reaktionen unserer Crew.
Der Horror findet – für die lesende Person – auch nur statt, wenn Claire von ihren Erfahrungen auf besagtem Geisterschiff erzählt. Sobald wir uns also wieder im Jetzt befinden ist Schluss damit und der atmosphärische Space Horror verwandelt sich in 0815 Space Action mit kapitalistischen Arschlöchern und einer, für die lesende Person, total weit hergeholten Romanze. Wir gehen ab diesem Zeitpunkt alle Klischees durch, die man sich nur denken kann und das macht das Buch extrem vorhersehbar.
Ein weiterer Punkt, der mich gestört hat, ist, dass Claires „Fähigkeit“ verstorbene Personen zu sehen (erfahren wir sofort auf Seite eins) nie aufgeklärt wurde, denn das ist bei weitem nicht nur Trauma. Wenn das nur eine Reaktion auf traumatische Ereignisse ist, dann bin ich die Weihnachtsfrau und ihr alle dürft eure Wunschzettel dieses Jahr an mich senden.
Über den Epilog will ich gar nicht erst reden, denn da hat sich die 0815 Space Action mit kapitalistischen Arschlöchern zu 0815 Space Romantik entwickelt.
Ich wollte Horror und das hat das Buch auch versprochen (UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS!!!!); wurde halt nur nicht abgeliefert.
Den Horror, den wir bekommen haben, der war gut, aber halt viel zu schnell vorbei.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5 stars
A mostly good, fun, romp of a time! I think it definitely delivers on its premise and it’s tagline of “haunted house in space.” I really liked how the horror and SF blended here, I don’t think it tried too hard to be one or the other. However, I was not a huge fan of the character work here: I found it quite clumsy and a pain to read most times in terms of how our main character’s arc progressed (or, didn’t, until all of a sudden it did, a little, all at once). Still, for the most part, it did exactly what it needed to do and I appreciate it for that!
A mostly good, fun, romp of a time! I think it definitely delivers on its premise and it’s tagline of “haunted house in space.” I really liked how the horror and SF blended here, I don’t think it tried too hard to be one or the other. However, I was not a huge fan of the character work here: I found it quite clumsy and a pain to read most times in terms of how our main character’s arc progressed (or, didn’t, until all of a sudden it did, a little, all at once). Still, for the most part, it did exactly what it needed to do and I appreciate it for that!
I really liked the premise of this book, but it fell a little short for me.
I did like Claire Kovalik and her backstory, but it didn't feel explored enough for me. Yes, it was talked about, but it felt surface level at times.
Kane - Love him. Wish he more time on page and honestly, I wish there was an actual answer for what caused Claire to leave the Aurora to seek help, because when Kane was found after returning to the Aurora my heart could have shattered. That poor man, he deserves the world and I hope he gets to live the rest of his life in comfort with his kiddo.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it is one that I wouldn't reread.
I did like Claire Kovalik and her backstory, but it didn't feel explored enough for me. Yes, it was talked about, but it felt surface level at times.
Kane - Love him. Wish he more time on page and honestly, I wish there was an actual answer for what caused Claire to leave the Aurora to seek help, because when Kane was found after returning to the Aurora my heart could have shattered. That poor man, he deserves the world and I hope he gets to live the rest of his life in comfort with his kiddo.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it is one that I wouldn't reread.
We love an anti-capitalist horror with an unreliable, sympathetically flawed narrator whose disability helps her survive a corporate nightmare. Good shit.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Twenty-five years ago, five hundred passengers and a hundred and fifty crew left on a maiden voyage for a tour of the solar system. It was supposed to take a year. But the Aurora disappeared six months in. All souls presumed lost. One of the biggest disasters in human history and high on the list of unsolvable mysteries."
So starts Dead Silence, a sci-fi horror space thriller. A salvage crew. A ghost ship. The Titanic in space. What a concept! I was hooked from the description. And after waiting ages for it at the library and not getting any closer to my turn, I finally just bought it. So glad I did!
Claire Kovalik is the team leader (TL) on a small "sniffer" maintenance ship crewed by five brave souls. On assignment at the very edge of the "Commweb," farther out than any other teams, they pick up a distress call – a very old one. Compelled to investigate, they leave the Commwebb and known space to check out the unknown and find the source of the beacon. When they do, they can't believe their eyes.
The Aurora! Space's first luxury liner. Disappeared with hundreds of VIPs on board - royalty, actors, sports stars, billionaires, CEOs, politicians, the famous and the elite. And they found it. Way off here, off course, hidden and beached and... very dead. They decide to investigate the ship, find proof of discovery to bring back to Verux, their corporate employer, essentially guaranteeing a reward as well as fame. This also allows them to (hopefully) bring closure and answers to the families of those who were once on board.
They aren't prepared for what the find on board. Chaos. Carnage. Signs of death and destruction and a deathly, deathly stillness.
What killed them? What left the ship out here, drifting so far from known space, all those years ago?
It doesn't take long to realise that there's something wrong with the ship. Very wrong. Even after all those years...
I really enjoyed this space thriller. Fast paced and definitely with a few creepy moments, I think it did the horror buildup really well, at least in the first half. The mystery is solved about 3/4 of the way through, and that does clear up most of the horror - from then on, it turns to space survival action thriller. I didn't love Claire as the main character, but she worked well as an unreliable narrator.
The book certainly has some messages too, which I'll put in spoiler tag just in case.
"Verux consumes without hesitation. Companies. Equipment. Lives. Familes. Anything and everything to appease their board and shareholders."
"'Verux killed to protect their profits. Just like they held off sending those filters to the Ferris Outpost. More deaths on their hands.'
'That was just business. Someone always has to be evaluating the bottom line. It's not personal.'"
"I was a child when it started, an orphan....Verux became my family, in a manner of speaking, and it turns out that relationship is every bit as dysfunctional as one created by blood, secrets and lies. Or perhaps our blood, secrets and lies are of a different variety. Other people's spilled blood. Secrets that qualify as espionage and sabotage. Lies as performance for the media and public."
Turns out, the big baddie was the corporation. Nothing new there! The author clearly has some strong views on the so-called billionaire's space race. She clearly does NOT want space to become the property of big business (I agree with her there!) and goes at length to show how bleak and terrible that will be. What lengths they will go to get ahead, to get that much richer and more powerful. To the point of sabotaging a luxury cruise line of a competitor just to get rid of the competition. To buy them out at a cheaper price. To steal their technology and clients. To ensure that their version of space is the one we follow.
Though the corporation does lose out in the end, this is not before a lot of (unnecessary) suffering happens. All in the name of "the almighty dollar."
I don't want to ruin the conclusion of the mystery (hence the spoiler tags) but the most interesting and thought-provoking questions and topics raised by Dead Silence are part of that spoiler section! So there's not much more I can say here without risking giving too much info. Just know that if you like space, mysteries, ghosts, horror and thrillers, and if you dislike Jeff Bezos and Richard effing Branson and their very punch-able faces, this book is probably for you.
TW: Gore/injury detail, violence, death, blood. Suicidal thoughts, death of a parent (mother), trauma.
So starts Dead Silence, a sci-fi horror space thriller. A salvage crew. A ghost ship. The Titanic in space. What a concept! I was hooked from the description. And after waiting ages for it at the library and not getting any closer to my turn, I finally just bought it. So glad I did!
Claire Kovalik is the team leader (TL) on a small "sniffer" maintenance ship crewed by five brave souls. On assignment at the very edge of the "Commweb," farther out than any other teams, they pick up a distress call – a very old one. Compelled to investigate, they leave the Commwebb and known space to check out the unknown and find the source of the beacon. When they do, they can't believe their eyes.
The Aurora! Space's first luxury liner. Disappeared with hundreds of VIPs on board - royalty, actors, sports stars, billionaires, CEOs, politicians, the famous and the elite. And they found it. Way off here, off course, hidden and beached and... very dead. They decide to investigate the ship, find proof of discovery to bring back to Verux, their corporate employer, essentially guaranteeing a reward as well as fame. This also allows them to (hopefully) bring closure and answers to the families of those who were once on board.
They aren't prepared for what the find on board. Chaos. Carnage. Signs of death and destruction and a deathly, deathly stillness.
What killed them? What left the ship out here, drifting so far from known space, all those years ago?
It doesn't take long to realise that there's something wrong with the ship. Very wrong. Even after all those years...
I really enjoyed this space thriller. Fast paced and definitely with a few creepy moments, I think it did the horror buildup really well, at least in the first half. The mystery is solved about 3/4 of the way through, and that does clear up most of the horror - from then on, it turns to space survival action thriller. I didn't love Claire as the main character, but she worked well as an unreliable narrator.
The book certainly has some messages too, which I'll put in spoiler tag just in case.
Spoiler
"Verux consumes without hesitation. Companies. Equipment. Lives. Familes. Anything and everything to appease their board and shareholders."
"'Verux killed to protect their profits. Just like they held off sending those filters to the Ferris Outpost. More deaths on their hands.'
'That was just business. Someone always has to be evaluating the bottom line. It's not personal.'"
"I was a child when it started, an orphan....Verux became my family, in a manner of speaking, and it turns out that relationship is every bit as dysfunctional as one created by blood, secrets and lies. Or perhaps our blood, secrets and lies are of a different variety. Other people's spilled blood. Secrets that qualify as espionage and sabotage. Lies as performance for the media and public."
Turns out, the big baddie was the corporation. Nothing new there! The author clearly has some strong views on the so-called billionaire's space race. She clearly does NOT want space to become the property of big business (I agree with her there!) and goes at length to show how bleak and terrible that will be. What lengths they will go to get ahead, to get that much richer and more powerful. To the point of sabotaging a luxury cruise line of a competitor just to get rid of the competition. To buy them out at a cheaper price. To steal their technology and clients. To ensure that their version of space is the one we follow.
Though the corporation does lose out in the end, this is not before a lot of (unnecessary) suffering happens. All in the name of "the almighty dollar."
I don't want to ruin the conclusion of the mystery (hence the spoiler tags) but the most interesting and thought-provoking questions and topics raised by Dead Silence are part of that spoiler section! So there's not much more I can say here without risking giving too much info. Just know that if you like space, mysteries, ghosts, horror and thrillers, and if you dislike Jeff Bezos and Richard effing Branson and their very punch-able faces, this book is probably for you.
TW: Gore/injury detail, violence, death, blood. Suicidal thoughts, death of a parent (mother), trauma.
Bit of a hard hook to get into but I was addicted by the end.
I loved loved loved this !!!
It was so creepy and wonderful and everything I wanted it to be
It was so creepy and wonderful and everything I wanted it to be