Author: Giles Kristian & Phillip Stevens
“Two men perished by their own hand today. I have not the stomach to impart the particulars of their deaths. They were good men, undone by something that has no proper name.”
Novella Review
Set across a barren, frozen frontier, Erebus by Giles Kristian and Phillip Stevens follows a tight knit crew undergoing an extreme training mission in harsh conditions ahead of their journey to Mars. When their isolated exercise collides with an ancient, incomprehensible presence waiting in the dark, a grueling preparation test turns into a desperate fight for survival where no help is coming.
Giles Kristian sits firmly on our automatic buy list, and since Hellmouth stands as my favorite horror novella, hearing that arguably our favorite modern author co wrote a science fiction cosmic horror story had me elated. It completely lived up to my expectations. The camaraderie among the crew is immediately believable, with shared history felt in every glance and quip. That authentic banter grounds the narrative and makes you care deeply for every individual, even when your time with them is fleeting. Kristian and Stevens possess a remarkable ability to build a fully realized environment in very little space. I felt every cramped corridor, barren landscape, and cold hull interior. The claustrophobic living quarters paired with total desolation and darkness create the ideal backdrop for cosmic dread to hit with maximum impact, amplified by a constant unease and the terrifying realization that rescue is impossible.
Coupled with simpler yet razor sharp prose, the pacing moves with an almost effortless efficiency that had me frantically turning pages and telling myself just one more chapter. The shifting points of view work brilliantly, playing on our fears and pulling macabre tricks on the reader to ratchet up the tension. Drawing clear inspiration from classics like The Thing, Alien, and Event Horizon, the duality of futuristic technology colliding with something ancient and horrific throws both the crew and the reader off balance in the best way. My only real complaint is simply wanting more. The authors bring these characters to life with such depth in a short span that I selfishly wanted more time to explore their pasts, especially since we only get glimpses into their backstories in the most sinister and horrific ways. The narrative is at its strongest when it leans into its characters and Lovecraftian roots, hinting that something far larger than a mission to Mars is unfolding. While the ending felt rushed given the care poured into the rest of the story, it never ruined the ride. This terrifying, frozen trip into hell was an amazing time, earning a permanent spot in our archives.
Curator’s Notes
Claustrophobic Martian Isolation: Cramped hull interiors, narrow corridors, and a barren frozen landscape that amplify the terror of being completely cut off from rescue.
Ancient Dread Meets Future Tech: A sharp collision between advanced deep space hardware and an incomprehensible Lovecraftian force lurking beyond human understanding.
Sinister Character Glimpses: Believable crew camaraderie paired with fragmented, horrifying windows into each member’s hidden past.