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Atacama
A missing research team is found dead in the Atacama Desert under mysterious circumstances. Far away in East Tennessee, Appalachian researcher Fiona Hawthorne reels from the death of her best friend, Alva, among the Atacama team. When Fiona's university professor Dr. Bingham is visited by members of a shadowy corporation, she begins to suspect not everything is as it seems. Enlisting her intense coworker Lafe Lambert, the two dig deep looking for answers around Alva's death...too deep.
Fiona soon realizes that she not only faces sinister corporate agents, but also a monster hiding in plain sight.
Editorial review:
“Jendia Gammon’s Atacama masterfully weaves a gripping sci-fi mystery that blurs the line between reality and nightmare. With lyrical prose, Gammon builds an atmosphere thick with tension and dread as she takes you on a heart-pounding race for answers. What begins as a twisted mystery quickly spirals into a cosmic nightmare, unearthing surreal horrors lurking beneath the surface that will haunt you long after the final page. A mind-bending exploration of grief, love, and the unknown, Atacama is as unnerving as it is hopeful, and left me clawing for more as it pulled me deeper into its eerie world.”
— Mallory Pearson, author of Voice Like a Hyacinth and We Ate the Dark
Fiona soon realizes that she not only faces sinister corporate agents, but also a monster hiding in plain sight.
Editorial review:
“Jendia Gammon’s Atacama masterfully weaves a gripping sci-fi mystery that blurs the line between reality and nightmare. With lyrical prose, Gammon builds an atmosphere thick with tension and dread as she takes you on a heart-pounding race for answers. What begins as a twisted mystery quickly spirals into a cosmic nightmare, unearthing surreal horrors lurking beneath the surface that will haunt you long after the final page. A mind-bending exploration of grief, love, and the unknown, Atacama is as unnerving as it is hopeful, and left me clawing for more as it pulled me deeper into its eerie world.”
— Mallory Pearson, author of Voice Like a Hyacinth and We Ate the Dark
- GenresHorror
298 pages, Hardcover
Published May 13, 2025
1 person is currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Jendia Gammon
27 books37 followersJendia Gammon is a Nebula and BSFA Awards finalist author of fantasy, science fiction, and horror novels and short stories. She is also CEO of Roaring Spring Productions, LLC and Editor-in-Chief of its publishing imprint, Stars and Sabers Publishing. She has also written under the pen name J. Dianne Dotson. Born in Southern Appalachia, Jendia now lives in Los Angeles with her family.
Jendia conducts workshops and participates in panels on creative writing for conventions around the world. She holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Jendia is also a science writer and an artist.
Jendia conducts workshops and participates in panels on creative writing for conventions around the world. She holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Jendia is also a science writer and an artist.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 27, 2025
Atacama by Jendia Gammon – X-Files on Steroids!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
Atacama is a thrilling descent into corporate conspiracy and lurking horrors that kept me on edge from start to finish. Gammon masterfully balances suspense with richly layered characters, ensuring that every revelation lands with impact. Fiona Hawthorne’s journey—both personal and investigative—is gripping, fueled by grief, curiosity, and an unsettling truth that refuses to stay buried. The atmosphere is hauntingly vivid, the tension relentless, and the payoff? Worth every twist and turn.
Overview
A missing research team turns up dead in the desolate Atacama Desert—under circumstances that defy logical explanation. Meanwhile, in East Tennessee, Appalachian researcher Fiona Hawthorne struggles to process the death of her closest friend, Alva, among the doomed expedition. Her search for answers leads her straight into the grasp of a shadowy corporation with secrets they’ll kill to protect. Teaming up with her intense and razor-sharp coworker Lafe Lambert, Fiona begins pulling at threads she was never meant to unravel. The deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes—there’s more than corporate intrigue at play. There’s something monstrous hiding in plain sight.
About the Creators
Jendia Gammon delivers a gripping narrative that blends mystery, sci-fi, and horror with stunning precision. Her storytelling thrives on tension and character depth, making Atacama a standout thriller that lingers long after the final page. In addition to crafting the novel’s eerie and unsettling atmosphere, Gammon also illustrated its haunting imagery, bringing her vision to life through both words and visuals.
Lillian Ehrhart’s editorial expertise sharpens the novel’s pacing and impact, ensuring that every twist lands exactly where it should. Her refined touch brings out the richness in Gammon’s prose, elevating the book’s suspense and emotional depth.
Chris Panatier designed the striking cover that immediately sets the tone for the novel’s unsettling themes. His ability to capture eerie, surreal elements makes the cover a perfect entry point into Atacama’s chilling world.
If you love unsettling mysteries with a sinister edge, Atacama delivers in spades!
Happy reading 👾🛸📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
Atacama is a thrilling descent into corporate conspiracy and lurking horrors that kept me on edge from start to finish. Gammon masterfully balances suspense with richly layered characters, ensuring that every revelation lands with impact. Fiona Hawthorne’s journey—both personal and investigative—is gripping, fueled by grief, curiosity, and an unsettling truth that refuses to stay buried. The atmosphere is hauntingly vivid, the tension relentless, and the payoff? Worth every twist and turn.
Overview
A missing research team turns up dead in the desolate Atacama Desert—under circumstances that defy logical explanation. Meanwhile, in East Tennessee, Appalachian researcher Fiona Hawthorne struggles to process the death of her closest friend, Alva, among the doomed expedition. Her search for answers leads her straight into the grasp of a shadowy corporation with secrets they’ll kill to protect. Teaming up with her intense and razor-sharp coworker Lafe Lambert, Fiona begins pulling at threads she was never meant to unravel. The deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes—there’s more than corporate intrigue at play. There’s something monstrous hiding in plain sight.
About the Creators
Jendia Gammon delivers a gripping narrative that blends mystery, sci-fi, and horror with stunning precision. Her storytelling thrives on tension and character depth, making Atacama a standout thriller that lingers long after the final page. In addition to crafting the novel’s eerie and unsettling atmosphere, Gammon also illustrated its haunting imagery, bringing her vision to life through both words and visuals.
Lillian Ehrhart’s editorial expertise sharpens the novel’s pacing and impact, ensuring that every twist lands exactly where it should. Her refined touch brings out the richness in Gammon’s prose, elevating the book’s suspense and emotional depth.
Chris Panatier designed the striking cover that immediately sets the tone for the novel’s unsettling themes. His ability to capture eerie, surreal elements makes the cover a perfect entry point into Atacama’s chilling world.
If you love unsettling mysteries with a sinister edge, Atacama delivers in spades!
Happy reading 👾🛸📚
February 13, 2025
It's not even published yet and I'm ready for the sequel! I was getting some Annihilation and X-files vibes and enjoyed the familiar East Tennessee setting. Jendia can do horror! Of course, as she has proven previously, she gives us just the right cliffhanger to keep us coming back for more. And now I want pancakes! (IYKYK)
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August 5, 2025Full review on Grimdark Magazine.
Expanding upon an idea first introduced in her short story collection, The Shadow Galaxy, Jendia Gammon’s cosmic horror thriller, Atacama, takes readers on a chilling journey that begins with a seemingly innocuous sample taken from the Atacama Desert by a university research team.
The uncanny atmosphere of Atacama’s opening chapters permeates both the novel’s cosmic horror elements and its protagonist, crafting a personal story about coping with sudden grief and moving forward—albeit with a terrifying alien complication.
After the first chapter, the plot shifts to a more mundane, everyday tone, and a romantic subplot suddenly develops too quickly, taking centre stage, which I didn't much enjoy.
Even so, Atacama delivers an unsettling exploration of grief through a distinctly extra-terrestrial lens, exploring our very human vulnerability in this vast, unknowable universe.
Expanding upon an idea first introduced in her short story collection, The Shadow Galaxy, Jendia Gammon’s cosmic horror thriller, Atacama, takes readers on a chilling journey that begins with a seemingly innocuous sample taken from the Atacama Desert by a university research team.
The uncanny atmosphere of Atacama’s opening chapters permeates both the novel’s cosmic horror elements and its protagonist, crafting a personal story about coping with sudden grief and moving forward—albeit with a terrifying alien complication.
After the first chapter, the plot shifts to a more mundane, everyday tone, and a romantic subplot suddenly develops too quickly, taking centre stage, which I didn't much enjoy.
Even so, Atacama delivers an unsettling exploration of grief through a distinctly extra-terrestrial lens, exploring our very human vulnerability in this vast, unknowable universe.
July 13, 2025
An incident in the Atacama desert leads to the news back home thrusting Fiona into unexpected events one after the other. How did the researchers perish? Who is Jack Cordeiro and why is the CUPRUM corporation so involved? Just what did happen in that desert?
This novel by Jendia Gammon is a great read, building the story and the mystery chapter by chapter. This book was released after "Doomflower"(another great book) where find once again that things aren't quite what they seem and lives can turn on a dime.
A must read in my book.
This novel by Jendia Gammon is a great read, building the story and the mystery chapter by chapter. This book was released after "Doomflower"(another great book) where find once again that things aren't quite what they seem and lives can turn on a dime.
A must read in my book.
October 20, 2025
Atacama will be the example I hold up for 'unputdownable'. From start to finish, I was hooked. Gammon crafted a perfect blend of science, sci-fi and horror, a thriller with fantastic characters, and great explorations of both grief and setting, from East Tennessee to the Atacama - places I've never visited but now feel I have! If there was a film adaptation (yes please!) I'd be on the edge of my seat for the whole twisty plot. There's X-Files vibes, but this is a totally original page-turning mystery, and I want to believe there'll be a continuation where we learn more about the CUPRUM corporation.
January 10, 2025
Atacama is a mystery-filled journey that connects two distant worlds through suspicious circumstances. Researcher Fiona becomes entangled in these events that lead readers on a nail-biting, page-turning adventure as we root for her to uncover the truth without falling into tragedy. Jendia Gammon has a gift for crafting ominous villains and unlikely heroes with remarkable depth. Sequel, please!
January 2, 2026
A stunning work of fiction, full of twists and turns that leave you on the edge of your seat. I felt a bit of a "The truth is out there," X-Files vibe and often felt I was on the cusp of understanding. The denouement was immensely satisfying. The last 100 pages or so I just couldn't put it down. I had to know. Brilliant story!
June 11, 2025
I enjoyed everything about this book: the sensory details, the realistic glimpse into the workings of a science lab, the poetic descriptions, the vivid settings. The realistic characters, depiction of grief, and ongoing, fascinating mystery made this a 5 stars.
June 16, 2025
Atacama was a fun read - a bit thriller, a bit horror, and a lot of character growth. It gets going at a good pace and keeps moving until the end.
October 5, 2025
Although this more sci/fi horror thriller type isn't usually the type of book I pick up, Atacama, by Jendia Gammon, was a fast-paced thrill ride and I enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed Gammon's characters, each one unique and a great addition to the story. Well researched with a suspenseful plot.
May 2, 2025
Tense and terrifying! An enthralling horror thriller from a masterful storyteller. Perfect for fans of The X-files and Black Mirror. I was gripped throughout. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews