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Macao Station
Macao Station is a crumbling mining outpost at the far fringe of human space, plagued by underfunding and equipment failure, all but forgotten by its parent corporation. Life on board is hard, but mutual dependence and friendship knit the crew together as tightly as any family.
But that family is about to be shattered by a horrifying series of events.
Evil is stalking the decaying corridors of Macao. A shadow stirs in the asteroid belt, a whispering voice that calls to its emissary, demanding that its will be done. But is this sinister entity a real, living being, or simply a delusion born in the mind of a madman?
And more importantly, can it be stopped?
But that family is about to be shattered by a horrifying series of events.
Evil is stalking the decaying corridors of Macao. A shadow stirs in the asteroid belt, a whispering voice that calls to its emissary, demanding that its will be done. But is this sinister entity a real, living being, or simply a delusion born in the mind of a madman?
And more importantly, can it be stopped?
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2012
3 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Mike Berry
2 books5 followersMike Berry is a British author who lives in Brighton on the south coast of England. His first released novel, Xenoform, is a dark-future tale of stolen bodymods, rampaging AI and alien invasion. The story was inspired by his interest in the darker side of urban life, cyber crime and all things sci-fi.
Besides writing and doing a day job, he still occasionally plays guitar with his band, Blossoming Psychosis, originally formed from the remnants of a rooftop martial arts club. These days, he likes to escape to the countryside around Brighton with his children, who are seemingly set on a mission to climb every tree within twenty miles of their home.
He would like to point out that he does not, as yet, have any bodymods himself. His early attempts to implant a computer in his own brain merely led to "excruciating headaches and a lot of dead batteries."
Macao Station, a story of madness, murder and an evil spirit that lives in an asteroid, was released on August 18th.
Besides writing and doing a day job, he still occasionally plays guitar with his band, Blossoming Psychosis, originally formed from the remnants of a rooftop martial arts club. These days, he likes to escape to the countryside around Brighton with his children, who are seemingly set on a mission to climb every tree within twenty miles of their home.
He would like to point out that he does not, as yet, have any bodymods himself. His early attempts to implant a computer in his own brain merely led to "excruciating headaches and a lot of dead batteries."
Macao Station, a story of madness, murder and an evil spirit that lives in an asteroid, was released on August 18th.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 27, 2012
I would give this book six stars, if that was possible. Having just finished it, I am, obviously, still aglow with that feeling — part sadness that it is over, part contentment and happiness for having had the experience — you get after turning the final page of a really, really good story. I can't think of anything about this book that did not impress me.
Macao Station by Mike Berry (@XenoMike) is a science-fiction thriller that has everything I loved about the movies Alien, Aliens and Outland: a fascinating and engrossing setting, rich imagery, white-knuckle tension, plot twists, explosive action and intelligent, well-drawn characters.
Set far in the future, the titular space station is a mining outpost on the very edge of human-colonized space. Years from the nearest human settlement, Macao is surrounded by a mineral-rich asteroid belt that provides just enough income for the Farsight Corporation to keep the station in operation. In fact, to offset costs the corporation has actually turned one part of the station into a high-security prison.
To say the station is run-down and dilapidated is an understatement; the smallish maintenance section toils daily keeping the lights on and air breathable. The small ships used for mining the asteroid belt are pitted by rock strikes, worn out and prone to breakdowns, and until the annual resupply shuttle arrives the tavern only has synthetic beer to serve. But that station is also a small town, with everyone knowing everyone else, and what they're up to — creating a close-knit community.
But the asteroid belt around the station contains more than just minerals; there is something else there, something dark and unsettling to miner Lina McLough and her mates. Nearby are several Predecessor systems, so-called because evidence of an ancient civilization has been found on planets within it. No one knows what the Predecessors are (were?) or what happened to them, but a nasty rumor has started that the devastating psychoactive drug called "fader" sweeping through human space was found on a Predecessor planet.
Unsettling things begin to happen early in the book, and the tension builds and builds. The people who live on Macao are vaguely aware something isn't quite right, but they've existed within the barely functional/duct-taped-to-keep-it-going station for so long awareness is slow in coming. The final chapters are no less intense, but feature some truly exciting action sequences, often set in air-less and zero-gravity environments.
Mr. Berry has created a wonderfully rich setting for this story. This is no sterile Star Trek station; dirt, rust and metal shavings grind under foot and the food and coffee taste as bad as you'd expect. I'm no scientist or expert on space, either, but there are so many great touches that it is obvious the author has thought long and deeply on what it would be like to live and work in space. He describes the experience of mining an asteroid belt so clearly that I can't imagine it would happen any other way.
I also appreciated how Mr. Berry subtly reminds the reader that Macao is years from the nearest human outpost; there are no "sub-space" communications channels — broadcasts take nearly as long as a spaceship — so calling for help is not an option. They are truly on their own in solving any problems that crop up.
The characters in the story are varied, interesting and well-drawn, from heroine Lina to Halman, the station controller, and Ella, the head of security. They're a somewhat independent and self-sufficient sort — just what I expect of people who have lived and worked on a crumbling space station — but also vulnerable as their glass-bottle existence on Macao has lulled and shielded them. When adversity hits, the threads of the community begin to fray.
The conclusion of the story is explosive and satisfying, but also somewhat open-ended, leading me to wonder if Mr. Berry has further plans for universe of Macao Station. If he does, I'll be the first in line to buy the next installment.
Macao Station by Mike Berry (@XenoMike) is a science-fiction thriller that has everything I loved about the movies Alien, Aliens and Outland: a fascinating and engrossing setting, rich imagery, white-knuckle tension, plot twists, explosive action and intelligent, well-drawn characters.
Set far in the future, the titular space station is a mining outpost on the very edge of human-colonized space. Years from the nearest human settlement, Macao is surrounded by a mineral-rich asteroid belt that provides just enough income for the Farsight Corporation to keep the station in operation. In fact, to offset costs the corporation has actually turned one part of the station into a high-security prison.
To say the station is run-down and dilapidated is an understatement; the smallish maintenance section toils daily keeping the lights on and air breathable. The small ships used for mining the asteroid belt are pitted by rock strikes, worn out and prone to breakdowns, and until the annual resupply shuttle arrives the tavern only has synthetic beer to serve. But that station is also a small town, with everyone knowing everyone else, and what they're up to — creating a close-knit community.
But the asteroid belt around the station contains more than just minerals; there is something else there, something dark and unsettling to miner Lina McLough and her mates. Nearby are several Predecessor systems, so-called because evidence of an ancient civilization has been found on planets within it. No one knows what the Predecessors are (were?) or what happened to them, but a nasty rumor has started that the devastating psychoactive drug called "fader" sweeping through human space was found on a Predecessor planet.
Unsettling things begin to happen early in the book, and the tension builds and builds. The people who live on Macao are vaguely aware something isn't quite right, but they've existed within the barely functional/duct-taped-to-keep-it-going station for so long awareness is slow in coming. The final chapters are no less intense, but feature some truly exciting action sequences, often set in air-less and zero-gravity environments.
Mr. Berry has created a wonderfully rich setting for this story. This is no sterile Star Trek station; dirt, rust and metal shavings grind under foot and the food and coffee taste as bad as you'd expect. I'm no scientist or expert on space, either, but there are so many great touches that it is obvious the author has thought long and deeply on what it would be like to live and work in space. He describes the experience of mining an asteroid belt so clearly that I can't imagine it would happen any other way.
I also appreciated how Mr. Berry subtly reminds the reader that Macao is years from the nearest human outpost; there are no "sub-space" communications channels — broadcasts take nearly as long as a spaceship — so calling for help is not an option. They are truly on their own in solving any problems that crop up.
The characters in the story are varied, interesting and well-drawn, from heroine Lina to Halman, the station controller, and Ella, the head of security. They're a somewhat independent and self-sufficient sort — just what I expect of people who have lived and worked on a crumbling space station — but also vulnerable as their glass-bottle existence on Macao has lulled and shielded them. When adversity hits, the threads of the community begin to fray.
The conclusion of the story is explosive and satisfying, but also somewhat open-ended, leading me to wonder if Mr. Berry has further plans for universe of Macao Station. If he does, I'll be the first in line to buy the next installment.
January 24, 2013
Part sci-fi, part horror, all awesome. That may sound like a cheesy tag-line, but that's the best way to sum-up Mike Berry's epic "Macao Station", the tale of a remote space station that runs into some serious trouble when an expected supply shuttle doesn't arrive on time. Sinister forces are at work, and as the denizens of an ancient, unseen evil make the necessary actions to secure their masters release, dealing with the missing shuttle quickly becomes the least of the crew's problems...
There's so much to like here. Berry takes a great deal of time and care building his impressive cast of characters into multi-faceted individuals, and while some may be a bit restless during the book's slow build, those who stick with the story will have their patience rewarded in an exciting, gut-wrenching climax.
But what's mots impressive to me is Macao Station itself. Berry builds its geography, its reality, the rules of its operation and all of its quirks and oddities. The station becomes as much of a character as Lina, Halman, Rocko, and the others, and Berry does an excellent job of establishing his setting and then squeezing every last bit of potential out of his creation.
Fans of sci-fi and horror need to check this book out. Period.
There's so much to like here. Berry takes a great deal of time and care building his impressive cast of characters into multi-faceted individuals, and while some may be a bit restless during the book's slow build, those who stick with the story will have their patience rewarded in an exciting, gut-wrenching climax.
But what's mots impressive to me is Macao Station itself. Berry builds its geography, its reality, the rules of its operation and all of its quirks and oddities. The station becomes as much of a character as Lina, Halman, Rocko, and the others, and Berry does an excellent job of establishing his setting and then squeezing every last bit of potential out of his creation.
Fans of sci-fi and horror need to check this book out. Period.
April 17, 2021
This book was pretty good up until the end. Because there really wasn't much of an ending, it just...stops. Disappointing.
April 27, 2021
Don't do drugs kids
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2017
Overall a very good take on the classic marooned and being hunted genre. I decided to take a chance on it and ended up enjoying it. Oddly my biggest issue with the book was the very last chapter - it was too much the cliched ending and would have been better off not being in there.
Want to read
February 12, 2013Kindle freebie, 2/12/13
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews