Title: The Scourge Between StarsAuthor: Ness Brown
First Published: April 4, 2023
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Pages: 176
Genre: Horror, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, Space Opera
Format: eARC, Paperback
Source: NetGalley, Purchased
Rating:
Synopsis:
Ness Brown's The Scourge Between Stars is a tense, claustrophobic sci-fi/horror blend in the vein of Alien and Event Horizon.
As acting captain of the starship Calypso, Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they limp back to Earth from their forebears’ failed colony on a distant planet.
Faced with constant threats of starvation and destruction in the treacherous minefield of interstellar space, Jacklyn's crew has reached their breaking point. As unrest begins to spread throughout the ship’s Wards, a new threat emerges, picking off crew members in grim, bloody fashion.
Jacklyn and her team must hunt down the ship’s unknown intruder if they have any hope of making it back to their solar system alive.
Review
The Scourge Between Stars is quite simply fantastic. A creepy atmospheric science fiction horror thriller that fully delivers on its premise. It was short but packed a serious punch and I found it impossible to put down. I stayed up all night reading it even with work the next day in a single sitting. It was just that good.
The story follows acting captain Jack leading one of many ships fleeing Proxima Centauri b, a failed colony hundreds of years after the ecological destruction of Earth. I enjoyed the selection of Proxima b as it is an exoplanet currently being studied by today’s scientists, but the habitability of the planet is still not well understood. Ness Brown’s background as an astrophysicist is clear in the structure of the story.
Each of the ships in the fleet is named after goddesses and I liked the references. The characters also had distinct personalities and were fleshed out nicely, even for ones with limited appearances. The real spotlight however is in the story and intense atmosphere throughout the book. It perfectly captured the claustrophobia of being trapped in a hostile environment with nowhere to go.
The Scourge Between Stars was everything that I had hoped for and more, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the book since I finished! I always hesitate when a book description compares a book to classics, but the comparisons to Alien and Event Horizon honestly fit perfectly. I would scream if this book ever got picked up for a film or tv adaptation and I very much hope that it does. The Scourge Between Stars was easily one of my absolute favorite books that I have read for the year and honestly is also one of my all-time favorite science fiction books.
Quote
“Space was silent, but that didn’t stop Jacklyn from hearing screams.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Ness Brown
Ness Brown was born and sort of raised in New Mexico, a land with long traditions of speculative storytelling and alien conspiracies. During their nomadic childhood, books became their vehicle to worlds unknown, which they continue to explore both creatively and as a career.
Ness came to New York City to study Astronomy at Columbia University, where they also found their husband and passion for Wing Chun kung fu. After graduating they spent six years teaching college astronomy and astrobiology, inspiring others to think about what or who else might be out there.
As an astrophysicist, Ness wonders about cosmic dawn and how the first generation of celestial objects affected the universe. As an author they wonder about how fantastical, horrific, and science-inspired stories affect us.
They are currently pursuing a graduate degree in Astrophysics with the help of their two cats, Mephi and Faust.
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