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Metro 7
The crew of the Icarus detect a distress signal while transporting a war criminal back to human controlled space.
The distress signal is coming from the Metropolis Seven, a long-vacationer on a 10-year journey across the galaxy which is on a collision course with a binary star system.
It's up to Captain Draco Goldwing and the crew of the Icarus to investigate what's happened to the one hundred thousand passengers aboard the Metropolis Seven and save the ship before it's too late.
The distress signal is coming from the Metropolis Seven, a long-vacationer on a 10-year journey across the galaxy which is on a collision course with a binary star system.
It's up to Captain Draco Goldwing and the crew of the Icarus to investigate what's happened to the one hundred thousand passengers aboard the Metropolis Seven and save the ship before it's too late.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2014
25 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
Matthew J. Hellscream
9 books25 followersMatthew J. Hellscream was born in 1986, and from a young age knew that he wanted to write tales of terror that would disgust and delight.
He lives in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and writes scary things for fun.
Author of the first successfully Kickstarted Australian Fiction Novel, Metro 7, he has gone on to release a number of short stories and another full-length novel, Carnifex.
He lives in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and writes scary things for fun.
Author of the first successfully Kickstarted Australian Fiction Novel, Metro 7, he has gone on to release a number of short stories and another full-length novel, Carnifex.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 10, 2016
Imagine if the crew of Firefly’s Serenity, existed in the Mass Effect universe and responded to a distress call from a massive holiday vessel only to find an infectious outbreak the likes of that from John Carpenter’s The Thing on steroids aboard, producing a nightmarish Dead Space type scenario, and you’ve got an idea of what goes down in Metro 7. But, just an idea. You see the great thing about Metro 7 is not the obvious array of different inspirations for it, a few I’m sure I’m not even aware of, it’s that Matthew J Hellscream makes them his own. The universe that he’s created is familiar, hence all the name dropping, but fresh and unknown at the same time, and that’s what keeps you turning the pages.
The Icarus and her crew stand alongside other great ships and crews in Sci-Fi rather than being mere copy and pastes of them. And the cotangent they encounter and its resulting effects on the crew of the Metro 7 exceeds the stomach churning that’s induced in other sci-fi horror I know and love (the “Birthing Pods” is a mental image that cannot be unseen. Thanks Matthew).
This first release from Hellscream is an impressive start for someone obviously driven to write (at the point of writing this review I know of at least two other publications well underway), and I look forward to his next novel, the outback horror tale- Carnifex eagerly. While it may have been interesting for him to explore the Metro 7 universe further with his second release I’m glad he hasn’t, this young writer has a lot of stories to tell and it’d be a shame for him to get bogged down in just one universe. Not only that, but it’s obvious by his drive that the more he writes the better young Matthew J Hellscream is going to get.
The Icarus and her crew stand alongside other great ships and crews in Sci-Fi rather than being mere copy and pastes of them. And the cotangent they encounter and its resulting effects on the crew of the Metro 7 exceeds the stomach churning that’s induced in other sci-fi horror I know and love (the “Birthing Pods” is a mental image that cannot be unseen. Thanks Matthew).
This first release from Hellscream is an impressive start for someone obviously driven to write (at the point of writing this review I know of at least two other publications well underway), and I look forward to his next novel, the outback horror tale- Carnifex eagerly. While it may have been interesting for him to explore the Metro 7 universe further with his second release I’m glad he hasn’t, this young writer has a lot of stories to tell and it’d be a shame for him to get bogged down in just one universe. Not only that, but it’s obvious by his drive that the more he writes the better young Matthew J Hellscream is going to get.
June 15, 2014
A great first novel from a first time author. Sci-fi is a genre that can very quickly lose me due to some authors over reliance on tropes and established fiction. Hellscream manages to take inspiration from established sci-fi fictions, be it movie, video game or book, and inject just enough originality to keep it feeling fresh. He also has a knack for universe building, delivering a galaxy that has a turbulent history and lived in feeling that reminded me of Star Wars or Star Trek.
The multiple storylines work to keep the reader engaged and always looking forward to the next chapter. I found myself more interested in a particular storyline when things began to drag or slow down with another, keeping me engaged through the 350 odd pages.
There are a few issues, as all first novels have, such as some repetitive scenes and what feels like a hasty conclusion but they're so minor as to not detract from the overall package. Grammatical & spelling errors are sometimes present, but they're not so great as to spoil the readers enjoyment.
All in all, Metro 7 has me looking forward to the next book Hellscream has festering away in the large, pulpy mass where a normal human brain should be.
- DAN!
The multiple storylines work to keep the reader engaged and always looking forward to the next chapter. I found myself more interested in a particular storyline when things began to drag or slow down with another, keeping me engaged through the 350 odd pages.
There are a few issues, as all first novels have, such as some repetitive scenes and what feels like a hasty conclusion but they're so minor as to not detract from the overall package. Grammatical & spelling errors are sometimes present, but they're not so great as to spoil the readers enjoyment.
All in all, Metro 7 has me looking forward to the next book Hellscream has festering away in the large, pulpy mass where a normal human brain should be.
- DAN!
March 23, 2022
Look away, I'm doing my happy dance. When I find a cool sci fi horror book, I can't help myself, and when it's good, like this one, I bust out all my moves. I fell right into this story and the world that Mr Hellscream (do you think that's his real name?), built. If this author ventures into the beyond again, I shall be there reading about it.
November 1, 2025
Добротный космический боевик с элементами боди-хоррора и путешественником во времени в комплекте. Героические герои откликаются на сигнал бедствия, и началось... Из плюсов и минусов же: несколько POV, от лица которых ведётся повествование, но их психологические характеристики, в лучшем случае, штриховые. Повороты сюжета не сказать, что совсем картонные, однако читаемые в рамках жанра. Грубо говоря, отличное чтиво для метро, чтобы не засыпать и при этом не напрягаться.
May 31, 2016
A excellent work
I am very happy to have read this book.
Some of the other reviews liked it to Alien, so I approached it with some reservations, derivative work is something that always makes me wonder. But, happily, it was nothing like Alien. It does take place in space, and there is an Alien entity that threatens the protagonists, but that is the end of the similarities.
It is a great stand alone book, a complete story with well fleshed out characters and plot. Hugely enjoyable, the story moves along swiftly and surely. There are several places that would have benefited from a "we are moving to another character/situation" brake... a dotted line, or just a paragraph brake. At times, it was surprising to be reading one characters narration and story and in the very next line, you find yourself reading a different character in a different situation, but it is a minor discomfort at most.
Great characters, and a well thought out plot makes this just a joy to read. Highly recommended.
I am very happy to have read this book.
Some of the other reviews liked it to Alien, so I approached it with some reservations, derivative work is something that always makes me wonder. But, happily, it was nothing like Alien. It does take place in space, and there is an Alien entity that threatens the protagonists, but that is the end of the similarities.
It is a great stand alone book, a complete story with well fleshed out characters and plot. Hugely enjoyable, the story moves along swiftly and surely. There are several places that would have benefited from a "we are moving to another character/situation" brake... a dotted line, or just a paragraph brake. At times, it was surprising to be reading one characters narration and story and in the very next line, you find yourself reading a different character in a different situation, but it is a minor discomfort at most.
Great characters, and a well thought out plot makes this just a joy to read. Highly recommended.
March 10, 2016
I found myself honestly unable to put this book down. I was struggling to ration it out, making my couple of hour long commute to and from the city bearable during the week.
I was only halfway through it before I had already started recommending it to like half a dozen people, it was already shaping up to be that fantastic. If you're looking for an epic story with gore that will make your stomach churn, twists that will make you gasp out loud and characters that you will find yourself caring more about than you'd care to admit, then you've picked up the right story.
I feel like Hollywood needs to hurry and snatch up this story because I would kill to see this made into a movie!
I was only halfway through it before I had already started recommending it to like half a dozen people, it was already shaping up to be that fantastic. If you're looking for an epic story with gore that will make your stomach churn, twists that will make you gasp out loud and characters that you will find yourself caring more about than you'd care to admit, then you've picked up the right story.
I feel like Hollywood needs to hurry and snatch up this story because I would kill to see this made into a movie!
July 14, 2014
Received this book at Dashcon for the Blind Date with a Book. Was a great weekend read that got my heart racing a few times. Some of the great things of the book was the descriptions and how the story was told. It was a fast paced book and anything but boring.
There were only a few things I could think of that I didn't like. First, it switched the point of view without any type of notice. I had to go back a few times to figure out who I was reading about. Second, some grammatical errors, but those weren't too bad.
Overall a fantastic read!
There were only a few things I could think of that I didn't like. First, it switched the point of view without any type of notice. I had to go back a few times to figure out who I was reading about. Second, some grammatical errors, but those weren't too bad.
Overall a fantastic read!
December 27, 2015
Metro 7 is a wild ride.
Captain Draco Goldwing and his crew respond to a distress signal in hostile space, and you shout at them NO DON'T DO IT but they go and do it. And every action they take you just wanna go AHH WHY and you can see why, because these morally good characters are trying to Do The Right Thing(C) and you just know in your gut that Doing The Right Thing(C) is just the worst idea. You root like hell for these characters and you hope desperately that their actions won't just blow up in their faces.
Captain Draco Goldwing and his crew respond to a distress signal in hostile space, and you shout at them NO DON'T DO IT but they go and do it. And every action they take you just wanna go AHH WHY and you can see why, because these morally good characters are trying to Do The Right Thing(C) and you just know in your gut that Doing The Right Thing(C) is just the worst idea. You root like hell for these characters and you hope desperately that their actions won't just blow up in their faces.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2015
I was given this book by my brother in law who's a mate of Mr Hellscreams. For a first novel this is very well written, my only knock is i feel it's a touch too long but outside that I really enjoyed the story, the characters are great, the world building is solid and it's put together really well. I'm not a big reader of Sci-fi but this I would recommend to devoted followers of that genre. Looking forward to seeing a follow up and also Carnifex!!! Cheers
January 4, 2015
This is a fantastic first novel from an author I'm looking forward to seeing more from. The story is compelling enough to be a one-sitting read. The world was well thought out, and the characters engaging. I've read big-name authors that couldn't make me care about their characters even half as much. As an author, Hellscream has a lot of potential, and I can't wait to see what he writes next.
May 12, 2014
Sci-fi/horror isn't a genre that everyone likes, but if you do, then I would highly recommend this book! The story itself is great, and the universe is really well developed. I predict future books in the same setting, and I will read all of them!
July 6, 2016
A very exciting and exhillerating read.
I enjoyed the storyline of this book it was exciting and different. Space. Diseases. Love. Time travel. Everything wrapped up to create something awesome
I enjoyed the storyline of this book it was exciting and different. Space. Diseases. Love. Time travel. Everything wrapped up to create something awesome
August 1, 2014
a fun genre romp, equal parts Aliens, Dead Space, The Thing, and Romero. A bit rough, but a fun popcorn read.
August 7, 2015
This was an entertaining read, worth picking up. I was hoping someone would use the flame thrower though.
June 27, 2016
#25 super fun, Sci-Fi horror from a Brisbane writer. Exciting, clever and filled with suspense. And like all good books, it left me wanting more. Bravo!
August 17, 2017
A journey through a cold, dark hell.
Ever since I encountered the world of Dead Space, I've longed for more. The relentlessly violent abominations surrounding poor Isaac Clarke on his journey through the bowels of a doomed ship just somehow resonated with me for all these years since. Of course Matt Hellscream's superb novel, Metro 7, isn't derivative of the Dead Space world--being very much its own story--but it does contain a number of the uniquely tasty themes and settings that serve to create and nurture that same sense of pure dread and claustrophobic terror that I just can't get enough of.
Without giving anything away, there's something just plain disturbing and very WRONG going on within the great ship Metro 7--a luxury spacecraft the size of Manhattan light years away from its home. The enemy within the doomed ship are so wonderfully malicious, so utterly merciless and so genuinely frightening--and are just so well fleshed out (pun intended)--that it bumps the terror factor up there beautifully and is able to sustain it through to the end.
If it were just that--another us vs them tale--it'd have been enough to keep me happy. But it's not that simple; Mr. Hellscream has woven a number of stories perfectly within the overarching plot that pull us in different directions and make for a deeply satisfying read indeed. Metro 7 was, for me, one of the standout highlights of my favorite genre and I'm happy to say lived up to my high hopes, delivering the goods in spades. If you like terror in space, you can't do better than to dive into the twisted world of Metro 7.
Ever since I encountered the world of Dead Space, I've longed for more. The relentlessly violent abominations surrounding poor Isaac Clarke on his journey through the bowels of a doomed ship just somehow resonated with me for all these years since. Of course Matt Hellscream's superb novel, Metro 7, isn't derivative of the Dead Space world--being very much its own story--but it does contain a number of the uniquely tasty themes and settings that serve to create and nurture that same sense of pure dread and claustrophobic terror that I just can't get enough of.
Without giving anything away, there's something just plain disturbing and very WRONG going on within the great ship Metro 7--a luxury spacecraft the size of Manhattan light years away from its home. The enemy within the doomed ship are so wonderfully malicious, so utterly merciless and so genuinely frightening--and are just so well fleshed out (pun intended)--that it bumps the terror factor up there beautifully and is able to sustain it through to the end.
If it were just that--another us vs them tale--it'd have been enough to keep me happy. But it's not that simple; Mr. Hellscream has woven a number of stories perfectly within the overarching plot that pull us in different directions and make for a deeply satisfying read indeed. Metro 7 was, for me, one of the standout highlights of my favorite genre and I'm happy to say lived up to my high hopes, delivering the goods in spades. If you like terror in space, you can't do better than to dive into the twisted world of Metro 7.
May 1, 2018
An Enjoyable Space Yarn
It wasn't quite the space horror I was expecting...the initial build up to arriving on and starting to explore metropolis 7 was good and very reminiscent of aliens and dead space. However the story turned into more of a space adventure than a space horror. The fleshings just were not all that scary and the plot didn't create enough tension or claustrophobia. I enjoyed the book but if it were a movie it would be rated 15 as opposed to 18.
It wasn't quite the space horror I was expecting...the initial build up to arriving on and starting to explore metropolis 7 was good and very reminiscent of aliens and dead space. However the story turned into more of a space adventure than a space horror. The fleshings just were not all that scary and the plot didn't create enough tension or claustrophobia. I enjoyed the book but if it were a movie it would be rated 15 as opposed to 18.
December 23, 2019
2.5 stars. a lot of the lore is ripped from Mass Effect and the infected remind me of the Flood from Halo, yet despite this blatant plagiarism and the serious need for editing, I found myself enjoying this... to a point, at least, but the romance just became unbearable near the end. it felt out of place and forced and is just overall painfully heterosexual, and I wasn't a fan.
September 24, 2018
I like "haunted spaceships" sci-fi a lot. The writing is fine if a little overly dramatic. I'd like a sequel to really decide. The story and characters are a little too pulpy in places but I finished it so it can't have been that bad. A decent read but don't expect too much.
July 8, 2022
Another good novel in the genre!
The author has crafted a well-written novel with an original cosmology. I very much enjoyed the story, and cannot wait to find out what happens in the next installment!
The author has crafted a well-written novel with an original cosmology. I very much enjoyed the story, and cannot wait to find out what happens in the next installment!
February 29, 2020
Metro 7 was a fun read. I managed to knock it out in one sitting.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews