Scott Donnelly is quickly becoming one of my favorite short form horror writers. His last novella, Creepy Project, was a fun and bloody homage to slashers.
In The Terror From Beyond The Void, he sets his sights on the classic sci-fi horrors of aliens not of this world who do horrible things to humans. But he doesn't just copy and paste tired tropes, he puts his own touch on them and adds enough new ideas to make them appear fresh.
The one thing I truly love is how he introduces us to the characters. It's a deliberate but quick approach to who they are and we get enough information to care about them without getting slogged down in mundane details. And just as we're getting comfortable with them, he unleashes hell and it's a jarring but fun experience.
The Terror From Beyond The Void begins with two families in the woods on a camping trip. The power goes out, they see a strange light burst across the sky, and feel the tremble from where something has crashed in the woods. And, of course, they have to investigate!
After the reveal of what actually crashed, this book becomes a story of survival. As they find themselves boxed in, not being able to pass certain boundaries, it becomes evident that these creatures are stalking and hunting them. Scott manages to make the outdoor setting feel claustrophobic as the truth of their situation sets in. And they'll have to make some very terrifying choices along the way.
This book is bloody at times but it's also...gooey. Once we see what these creatures can do and how they dispatch their prey, we realize this is not your average everyday little green men. In fact, there's not a ray gun or any other weapon in sight because these aliens are much more up close and personal with their kills.
The Terror From Beyond The Void releases on October 1st and you can pre-order it by clicking this link. It's definitely recommended and what better way to start the spooky season?
To see my full video review for this book and many others, check out my Horror Reads YouTube channel.
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