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The Owl Men of Shanidar
On a colonial planet isolated in deep space, archaeologist Brynn Silva discovers a rusted claw in the desert. The moment is a sea change for the colonists of Shanidar. Although abandoned cities abound on the planet, no alien remains have ever been discovered. No tombs. No cemeteries. No artifacts of death. Only the ruins and artwork of a vanished society. Until now. Here, reaching through a wound in the sand, is one of the Owl Men. As Brynn, a xenolinguist rival, and a cult of zealots called The Resurrectionists strive to understand the past and future of Shanidar, a mysterious stranger appears on the horizon, taking the colonists in directions no one can predict.
Is the wanderer a survivor of a prior expedition, as he claims? Is he one of the beings that inhabited Shanidar in the distant past? Or is he, as the Resurrectionists come to believe, a messiah from the stars? On Shanidar, horror is in the eye of the beholder.
Is the wanderer a survivor of a prior expedition, as he claims? Is he one of the beings that inhabited Shanidar in the distant past? Or is he, as the Resurrectionists come to believe, a messiah from the stars? On Shanidar, horror is in the eye of the beholder.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2025
19 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Coy Hall
35 books236 followersCoy Hall lives in West Virginia, where he splits time as a professor of history and author. His books include Grimoire of the Four Impostors (2021), The Hangman Feeds the Jackal: A Gothic Western (2022), The Promise of Plague Wolves (2023), and A Séance for Wicked King Death (2023).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 17, 2025
“A city of the dead. A graveyard of machines.”
Coy Hall strikes again!
The Owl Men of Shanidar is a sci-fi horror novel, set on the ghost planet of Shanidar, a planet with limited biodiversity and where higher lifeforms are long extinct. The mystery of The Owl Men unravels inch by glorious inch when a stranger appears on the horizon. A stranger who brings many promises and undeniable benefits...or does he?
The world building is highly imaginative and completely immersive. The attention to detail is exemplary, from the Owl corpse to the sickening plague of chirr flies.
As readers, and through the eyes of the characters, we are asked to trust in the madness of miracles, but for me the story raises questions about faith, gullibility, and above all people's enduring need to follow those who show leadership and strength even when their actions feel 'wrong.' We have lost touch with our instinct and are all too willing to turn a blind eye. To follow the crowd and not to question, because it's so much easier than being an outsider. Is it though, ultimately?
I was reminded of both biblical tales and classic fiction and folklore, from Noah's Ark and the plagues of Egypt to Shelley's Frankenstein and the golem of Jewish folklore.
A remarkable and unexpected ending completed my enjoyment of this tale. Highly recommended!
Coy Hall strikes again!
The Owl Men of Shanidar is a sci-fi horror novel, set on the ghost planet of Shanidar, a planet with limited biodiversity and where higher lifeforms are long extinct. The mystery of The Owl Men unravels inch by glorious inch when a stranger appears on the horizon. A stranger who brings many promises and undeniable benefits...or does he?
The world building is highly imaginative and completely immersive. The attention to detail is exemplary, from the Owl corpse to the sickening plague of chirr flies.
As readers, and through the eyes of the characters, we are asked to trust in the madness of miracles, but for me the story raises questions about faith, gullibility, and above all people's enduring need to follow those who show leadership and strength even when their actions feel 'wrong.' We have lost touch with our instinct and are all too willing to turn a blind eye. To follow the crowd and not to question, because it's so much easier than being an outsider. Is it though, ultimately?
I was reminded of both biblical tales and classic fiction and folklore, from Noah's Ark and the plagues of Egypt to Shelley's Frankenstein and the golem of Jewish folklore.
A remarkable and unexpected ending completed my enjoyment of this tale. Highly recommended!
May 3, 2025
This fantastic sci-fi novel has a retro edge to it, feeling like one of those classic books the genre is built upon.
Settlers on a frontier planet are building a new civilization, but remain desperate for reminders of Earth. A stranger comes along and things quickly spiral out of control.
Strong themes of belief, societal pressures, and herd mentality make this a compelling read.
Highly recommend.
Settlers on a frontier planet are building a new civilization, but remain desperate for reminders of Earth. A stranger comes along and things quickly spiral out of control.
Strong themes of belief, societal pressures, and herd mentality make this a compelling read.
Highly recommend.
February 28, 2025
Coy Hall adds another string to his bow with this exemplary journey into science fiction. Fans of Hall will see how his last book (Colossus With a Poison Tongue) was a vital step towards this one. Whereas Colossus had one foot still rooted in historical fiction, The Owl Men of Shanidar leaps bravely into the endless realm of sci-fi. Fear not, though. Coy Hall's well honed voice remains clear as he uses his expert eye for historical fact and research to deliver his most confident novel to date.
The world building on display here grows to an endless sandbox, which gives great scope for Hall to return and deliver more stories. Characters casually drop dialogue hinting at potential story arcs in gem-like form. I'm eager for Hall to dig some of them up and display them to us.
The story covers the dangers of class, blind faith, and the threat to those with the capacity to ask questions of it. There's a sense of fresh starts not being all they seem, and Hall revels in his characters discomfort. Characters who are flawed and yet we must find out what happens to them. There's the intoxicating power of dreams seemingly coming true, but at what cost? Could we remain the same or be reshaped by such a thing? It's an exhilarating process with many moments one can only describe as terrifying. There's seemingly no judgement from Hall as he's content to bend our minds at the scope of the narrative.The Owl Men of Shanidar recalls the golden era of science fiction before whispering new secrets into your ear.
The world building on display here grows to an endless sandbox, which gives great scope for Hall to return and deliver more stories. Characters casually drop dialogue hinting at potential story arcs in gem-like form. I'm eager for Hall to dig some of them up and display them to us.
The story covers the dangers of class, blind faith, and the threat to those with the capacity to ask questions of it. There's a sense of fresh starts not being all they seem, and Hall revels in his characters discomfort. Characters who are flawed and yet we must find out what happens to them. There's the intoxicating power of dreams seemingly coming true, but at what cost? Could we remain the same or be reshaped by such a thing? It's an exhilarating process with many moments one can only describe as terrifying. There's seemingly no judgement from Hall as he's content to bend our minds at the scope of the narrative.The Owl Men of Shanidar recalls the golden era of science fiction before whispering new secrets into your ear.
April 16, 2025
Imagine if Prometheus was actually what it was advertised to be. Big, serious, thought provoking science fiction like Heinlein or Dan Simmon’s Hyperion work. This book felt a lot like what The Alien Factor is ran through the mind of a guy who wrote the phenomenal Colossus with a Poison tongue. Hall pulls no punches and never once does that annoying thing where the reader is treated as an imbecile who can’t figure out things on their own. THAT is the most crucial part of a science fiction story in my eyes; put me in the world and let me live in it. K thx.
May 5, 2025
Dense, weird, eerie, perplexing. A frontier sci-fi story that veers into cosmic horror and theology. There are shades of PKD but it’s also quite unlike anything else I’ve read before. Rich world building and examinations of some Big Questions.
April 28, 2025
Whenever Hall writes in a genre, he showcases an incredible understanding of what makes it resonate, and how to embrace what readers love about a genre without falling back on tropes. He's done this with noir, westerns, and horror. But now, Hall takes on sci-fi fantasy with The Owl Men of Shanidar, a story about a small settlement on a distant world grappling with gods, creation, and extinction. As with every Hall book, five stars.
June 3, 2025
Engaging story about a group of colonists trying to find a new place for humanity, but their shackles to an ancient society and religious zealotry may have them repeating the same mistakes of the past.
Hall has created a rich world filled with unique interpretations of myths. The characters drive the tension of the story with their conflicting world views and the politics of the colony made for a compelling read. Fans of the Dune series will love it!
Hall has created a rich world filled with unique interpretations of myths. The characters drive the tension of the story with their conflicting world views and the politics of the colony made for a compelling read. Fans of the Dune series will love it!
June 29, 2025
With The Owl Men of Shanidar, Hall has written a metaphysical and theological science fiction novel that reminds me of later stage Philip K. Dick. It is beautifully written and follows fully-fleshed characters, some driven dreamers, some fearsome followers, as they search for ancient knowledge in a magnificently realized alien world.
A Wanderer is seen in the desert of a newly colonized planet where no man could possibly exist. Is he a man, a harbinger, or a malevolent god? This novel questions blind faith and the perils of insidiously allowing oneself to believe and worship a maniacal messiah.
A Wanderer is seen in the desert of a newly colonized planet where no man could possibly exist. Is he a man, a harbinger, or a malevolent god? This novel questions blind faith and the perils of insidiously allowing oneself to believe and worship a maniacal messiah.
March 2, 2025
Bless the Resurrectionist.
The whole time reading The Owl Men of Shanidar I kept getting flashes of Philip K. Dick, but not because Coy's prose reminded me of him, but because I felt that I was reading serious, legitimate sci-fi. There is so much to unpack with this novel that I can't really give it justice in a review such as this, but the combination of science-fiction, mythology, and even the occult (the religious kind) makes for a powerful read that is worth more than just your time.
“I’m in the state of mind to be lobotomized.”
Coy Hall has talent. He is a talent. He is also an author of skill, imagination, and facts. That may seem at odds but I believe an author takes the fake and makes it real and within the lie is the truth. And The Owl Men of Shanidar feels real. It absolutely feels real. There is no winking at the reader nor plead to believe in the fiction. Because the story is written to be believed, as all good stories should be.
“Forgiveness was a flame in his heart, and he breathed tongues of fire until his lungs were seared.”
The androids and glimpses of a fallen, ancient world, and the touches of a cosmogony, combined with prose that is such a joy to read, all make this an amazing story, and inside this story, like inside a machine, “is the womb of understanding”.
If you read this review, buy this book. If you like sci-fi, read this book. If you like literature, read this book. If you like books, read this book.
The whole time reading The Owl Men of Shanidar I kept getting flashes of Philip K. Dick, but not because Coy's prose reminded me of him, but because I felt that I was reading serious, legitimate sci-fi. There is so much to unpack with this novel that I can't really give it justice in a review such as this, but the combination of science-fiction, mythology, and even the occult (the religious kind) makes for a powerful read that is worth more than just your time.
“I’m in the state of mind to be lobotomized.”
Coy Hall has talent. He is a talent. He is also an author of skill, imagination, and facts. That may seem at odds but I believe an author takes the fake and makes it real and within the lie is the truth. And The Owl Men of Shanidar feels real. It absolutely feels real. There is no winking at the reader nor plead to believe in the fiction. Because the story is written to be believed, as all good stories should be.
“Forgiveness was a flame in his heart, and he breathed tongues of fire until his lungs were seared.”
The androids and glimpses of a fallen, ancient world, and the touches of a cosmogony, combined with prose that is such a joy to read, all make this an amazing story, and inside this story, like inside a machine, “is the womb of understanding”.
If you read this review, buy this book. If you like sci-fi, read this book. If you like literature, read this book. If you like books, read this book.
April 30, 2025
Something Different
A fantastic sci-fi novel with its own unique world. Hall is always great at world building and this is no exception. A small group of people are new settlers on a planet that is filled with ruins of a group that they call the Owl men. After two years an impossible wanderer arrives and he promises great things. He creates miracles, resurrecting long extinct Earth animals, and he demands worship. Though there are a few dissenters among the devout.
Highly recommended, the world itself is so interesting and rich that it pulls you in quickly. It keeps you guessing on the direction it will take. The characters are well written and diverse and will make you change your mind about them throughout the tale. A different kind of tale but that is almost normal for the unique writing of Coy Hall.
A fantastic sci-fi novel with its own unique world. Hall is always great at world building and this is no exception. A small group of people are new settlers on a planet that is filled with ruins of a group that they call the Owl men. After two years an impossible wanderer arrives and he promises great things. He creates miracles, resurrecting long extinct Earth animals, and he demands worship. Though there are a few dissenters among the devout.
Highly recommended, the world itself is so interesting and rich that it pulls you in quickly. It keeps you guessing on the direction it will take. The characters are well written and diverse and will make you change your mind about them throughout the tale. A different kind of tale but that is almost normal for the unique writing of Coy Hall.
November 19, 2025
Typically brilliant world building from Hall is the foundation for a book which looks at the obsessive nature of fundamentalist religion in an isolated world which, while obviously far from our own, has so many relevant cultural touchpoints - loneliness and detachment within the population, increasingly dominant forces of technological might possessing almost governmental powers.
Excellent characters, a mysterious, otherworldly pre-existent civilisation on the planet of Shanidar all add to the broth here and prompt fascinating questions of the reader without ever getting in the way of a gripping, page turning story.
Excellent characters, a mysterious, otherworldly pre-existent civilisation on the planet of Shanidar all add to the broth here and prompt fascinating questions of the reader without ever getting in the way of a gripping, page turning story.
April 30, 2025
Coy Hall’s The Owl Men of Shanidar is a compelling fusion of science fiction, archaeology, and cosmic horror, set against the backdrop of a distant colonial planet. The narrative centers on archaeologist Brynn Silva, who uncovers a rusted claw—an artifact linked to the enigmatic Owl Men, a species previously absent from the planet’s abandoned cities and ruins. This discovery propels the colonists into a complex interplay of mystery, belief, and existential dread.
Hall’s storytelling is marked by rich world-building and a deft blending of genres. The novel delves into themes of blind faith, class dynamics, and the perils of unexamined beliefs, all while maintaining a gripping narrative pace. The introduction of a mysterious wanderer further complicates the colonists’ understanding of their world, challenging their perceptions of history and divinity.
Overall, The Owl Men of Shanidar stands out as a thought-provoking and immersive read, offering a fresh take on familiar science fiction motifs while exploring profound philosophical questions.
Hall’s storytelling is marked by rich world-building and a deft blending of genres. The novel delves into themes of blind faith, class dynamics, and the perils of unexamined beliefs, all while maintaining a gripping narrative pace. The introduction of a mysterious wanderer further complicates the colonists’ understanding of their world, challenging their perceptions of history and divinity.
Overall, The Owl Men of Shanidar stands out as a thought-provoking and immersive read, offering a fresh take on familiar science fiction motifs while exploring profound philosophical questions.
July 27, 2025
a good read, devoured the book in a day. you can tell Hall is a history teacher, eager to share but without overwhelming his readers.
it feels like a sci fi classic. much as 70 s authors criticized, rightfully, political factions with dictatorial/ colonial aspirations, Coy Hall does the same and makes this book very much a product of its time.
using the science fiction lense, and spirituality as one of the themes, Hall makes the story compelling and enjoyable for future generations while pointing at a open wound which festers in 21 century.
it feels like a sci fi classic. much as 70 s authors criticized, rightfully, political factions with dictatorial/ colonial aspirations, Coy Hall does the same and makes this book very much a product of its time.
using the science fiction lense, and spirituality as one of the themes, Hall makes the story compelling and enjoyable for future generations while pointing at a open wound which festers in 21 century.
June 22, 2025
Confession time: I bought The Owl Men of Shanidar, but wasn’t sure I’d ever read it. I struggle with sci-fi, and figured it wouldn’t be for me. But then I thought, “C’mon, man, this is effin’ Coy Hall! You *love* his work. You gotta give it a chance!”
Glad I did. I went from “probably not gonna read it” to top-three in Hall’s canon. What a travesty to miss this beautifully written book about truth and falsehood, creation and death, hive-mind and resistance, all with exemplary world-building and characterization. Recommended.
Glad I did. I went from “probably not gonna read it” to top-three in Hall’s canon. What a travesty to miss this beautifully written book about truth and falsehood, creation and death, hive-mind and resistance, all with exemplary world-building and characterization. Recommended.
May 17, 2025
Another knock out of the park by Coy Hall. When I read a Coy Hall novel I need to give up trying to predict what will happen next. This book was a ride where it was best just to let a master take the wheel and reveal the story. “The Owl Men of Shanidar” was by turn evocative and unnerving set in a fully-realized world that pulsed with life. I loved this adventure and read the last chapter scarcely breathing.
May 19, 2025
With “The Owl Men of Shanidar” Coy Hall pokes at many of my tender spots: archeology, lost civilizations, cryptic languages, science fiction. Add to the mix a plucky and bright heroin, and a sentient poetic android, and Hall had me at the first puff of dust in the desert. I hope he goes back to that world and tells us what happens after ‘the end’ because I want more. What happens to Brynn and Kell? Do they topple the false prophet? And most important, will the Owl Men fly again? I hope they do... that would be a sight.
April 28, 2025
The Owl Men of Shanidar is Coy Hall's first foray into the sci-fi genre. In order to avoid any potential spoilers, I would urge readers to check out the novel's blurb over on the online book seller of your choosing. I will say, that what starts out as an archeological mystery, takes a sharp turn into the realm of the supernatural (or perhaps a better term would be, the metaphysical).
The novel deals with the themes of religion and unquestioning faith. And naturally, the exploitation of these ideas, by charismatic individuals with ulterior motives. And make no mistake, the character of Werdegast is the epitome of an individual harboring ulterior motives (I also appreciated the shout out to Edgar G. Ulmer in Hall's choice of appellation).
Coy Hall also turns a critical eye towards the (unwritten) compact between deity and it's followers. As stated in chapter 27; "Is that not the essence of all religions? The god wants worship and adulation. The ritual matters more than belief. It doesn't matter whether the adherents truly believe. The outer act of belief matters most...In religion, both sides are selfish. Both sides use the other." That speaks volumes, doesn't it? And yet, for all that, there are some truly awe inspiring moments in this book. One could say, some events are downright miraculous. The pertinent question is, just what type of deity is pulling the strings? This is a vastly important distinction in this case.
Brynn and Kell are the heart and soul of this novel. And while their ultimate fates are left unresolved, the ending is such that they continue on a "grand tradition among the Owl Men." That determination and resistance are worthy ideals to aspire to, given the abuses of the powerful.
One could imagine that if The Owl Men of Shanidar were written decades ago, sections of it would have routinely appeared in Michael Moorcock's New Worlds or perhaps, Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions. Coy Hall is following in the literary footsteps of those daring and ambitious writers of the New Wave. And to be perfectly honest, I'm here for it. The Owl Men of Shanidar is a fantastic read!
The novel deals with the themes of religion and unquestioning faith. And naturally, the exploitation of these ideas, by charismatic individuals with ulterior motives. And make no mistake, the character of Werdegast is the epitome of an individual harboring ulterior motives (I also appreciated the shout out to Edgar G. Ulmer in Hall's choice of appellation).
Coy Hall also turns a critical eye towards the (unwritten) compact between deity and it's followers. As stated in chapter 27; "Is that not the essence of all religions? The god wants worship and adulation. The ritual matters more than belief. It doesn't matter whether the adherents truly believe. The outer act of belief matters most...In religion, both sides are selfish. Both sides use the other." That speaks volumes, doesn't it? And yet, for all that, there are some truly awe inspiring moments in this book. One could say, some events are downright miraculous. The pertinent question is, just what type of deity is pulling the strings? This is a vastly important distinction in this case.
Brynn and Kell are the heart and soul of this novel. And while their ultimate fates are left unresolved, the ending is such that they continue on a "grand tradition among the Owl Men." That determination and resistance are worthy ideals to aspire to, given the abuses of the powerful.
One could imagine that if The Owl Men of Shanidar were written decades ago, sections of it would have routinely appeared in Michael Moorcock's New Worlds or perhaps, Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions. Coy Hall is following in the literary footsteps of those daring and ambitious writers of the New Wave. And to be perfectly honest, I'm here for it. The Owl Men of Shanidar is a fantastic read!
July 2, 2025
3.5 rounded up?
This novella is an interesting tale that spans fantasy, scifi, and horror. The fantasy logic of the story feels to me like that of a fable, or a classical myth about humans who upset volatile and proud gods, and I think you'll get more out of it if you approach it that way. Despite having space ships and androids and settlers on new planets, the "rules" of this story are not grounded in scifi at all. I think that's totally fine as long as you know what you're in for. Read it as a dark fable.
The story is about Brynn, a xenoarchaeologist, part of a corporate settlement on the planet of Shanidar. She and others discover the body of one of the strange ancient race of "owl men", made of metal, but they also discover a wanderer, a man who claims to have been part of an earlier settlement on the planet. Brynn's desire is to decipher the owl language, but for her boyfriend, a Resurrectionist, the dream is to someday return Earth to habitable again and bring back all the animals that once lived on it. These very different desires, and the mysterious wanderer, are what drive the plot.
I thought this was quite well done, especially the way the horror elements unfolded. I felt genuinely uneasy. The characters were believable and though there wasn't a lot of depth to Brynn, I liked her. My favourite character, though, was probably that of Kell, the android man. His bumbling verbosity and propensity to turn everything into a poem reminded me of an LLM made corporeal. But also I'm always a sucker for an innocent anthropomorphised non-human person. Kell totally got me.
I didn't love the ending but I'll allow it.
Overall I had a good time. I'd read more from the author for sure, but hopefully a full-length novel next, please :)
This novella is an interesting tale that spans fantasy, scifi, and horror. The fantasy logic of the story feels to me like that of a fable, or a classical myth about humans who upset volatile and proud gods, and I think you'll get more out of it if you approach it that way. Despite having space ships and androids and settlers on new planets, the "rules" of this story are not grounded in scifi at all. I think that's totally fine as long as you know what you're in for. Read it as a dark fable.
The story is about Brynn, a xenoarchaeologist, part of a corporate settlement on the planet of Shanidar. She and others discover the body of one of the strange ancient race of "owl men", made of metal, but they also discover a wanderer, a man who claims to have been part of an earlier settlement on the planet. Brynn's desire is to decipher the owl language, but for her boyfriend, a Resurrectionist, the dream is to someday return Earth to habitable again and bring back all the animals that once lived on it. These very different desires, and the mysterious wanderer, are what drive the plot.
I thought this was quite well done, especially the way the horror elements unfolded. I felt genuinely uneasy. The characters were believable and though there wasn't a lot of depth to Brynn, I liked her. My favourite character, though, was probably that of Kell, the android man. His bumbling verbosity and propensity to turn everything into a poem reminded me of an LLM made corporeal. But also I'm always a sucker for an innocent anthropomorphised non-human person. Kell totally got me.
I didn't love the ending but I'll allow it.
Overall I had a good time. I'd read more from the author for sure, but hopefully a full-length novel next, please :)
July 13, 2025
The Owl Men of Shanidar is a bleak tale set in a universe of advancing technology and eroding humanity. A corporate group of settlers are eking out their existence on the the planet Shanidar near the edge of the ruins of an ancient race they refer to a "Owl Men" based on the imagery on the walls of the structures. After a small group of scientist find a metal owl man carapace in a river, a mysterious stranger shows up claiming to be from a previous expedition to the planet although there's no information that ever took place. The colonist soon find themselves being drawn down a treacherous path of cosmic horror.
Although I really liked The Owl Men of Shanidar it certainly was lingeringly unnerving and poignantly depressing. I like to have characters to cheer on but these were all so beaten down by their reality it was difficult to do more than feel sorry for them. Regardless, this is still the best independent book I've read so far in 2025, which I expected. Coy Hall has become one of my top favorite writers and I look forward to any and all of his future works.
Although I really liked The Owl Men of Shanidar it certainly was lingeringly unnerving and poignantly depressing. I like to have characters to cheer on but these were all so beaten down by their reality it was difficult to do more than feel sorry for them. Regardless, this is still the best independent book I've read so far in 2025, which I expected. Coy Hall has become one of my top favorite writers and I look forward to any and all of his future works.
August 7, 2025
The Owl Men of Shanidar by Coy Hall is a fascinating read. The sci-fi novel begins with an archaeological exploration of a distant planet, with a cast of complex and flawed characters. The author doesn't just world-build; he creates an entire universe, a whole new reality. The story touches on faith and belief and what is reality. A complex tale, beautifully brought to life by Coy Hall. It is one of those stories that will stay with you long after you've put the book away.
Highly recommended for lovers of literary sci-fi.
Highly recommended for lovers of literary sci-fi.
December 28, 2025
Before I read this novel, based on a brief description, I called it the Anti-Dune. Having finished this clever, genre-defying novel, I stand by that assessment. I went into the book fairly blind, other than the author's own description. I recommend reading it that way. There will be small spoilers in this review. But if the idea of an Anti-Dune entices you, read The Owl Men of Shanidar without going any further. You'll appreciate it more.
Author Coy Hall has diverse interests and great skill at combining genres. This is ostensibly a sci-fi thriller with elements of existential horror done far more delicately and intelligently than Lovecraft. But the strength of Owl Men comes in its unflinching dissection of the not-so-fine line between religious belief and fanaticism.
The world is built first, a colony on a distant planet, in a future whose reality is shaped by megacorporations in a quasi-feudal hierarchy. Science uneasily coexists with fervent religious belief in a future "Resurrected" Earth.
The characters come next, with Resurrectionist Cullen Archer, scientist Brynn, damaged android Kell, rebuilt xenolinguist Alaric Rhys, and several others who drift in and out of the story as it expands. They aren't as well crafted as the world Hall gives us, but they grow as the story does and I found myself compelled by their struggles once their world began to shift.
With these two aspects etched in stone, next comes the actual story. A dead planet once alive with mechanical owls, now the site of a tiny human colony researching this distant history. A man wanders in from the desert. He claims to be from a previous, secret, colony. He lies. But with his lies comes a terrifying new truth. One that will upend the lives of everyone on Shanidar.
There were chapters where I felt a totality of dread thanks to the powerful unknown and even after the truth is laid bare, Hall keeps ratcheting up the tension. This is not a horror novel, but there is a deeper fear he gets to play with. The fear we have of being the outsider. Of seeing things we know are inherently wrong and yet being unable to affect change.
He also manages a very clever way of dispensing exposition without annoying me, which is a minor miracle as I hate exposition dumps.
After the first couple chapters, I was never on level ground reading Owl Men. It made me increasingly uneasy and uncomfortable. And I cannot imagine giving it higher praise than that.
Author Coy Hall has diverse interests and great skill at combining genres. This is ostensibly a sci-fi thriller with elements of existential horror done far more delicately and intelligently than Lovecraft. But the strength of Owl Men comes in its unflinching dissection of the not-so-fine line between religious belief and fanaticism.
The world is built first, a colony on a distant planet, in a future whose reality is shaped by megacorporations in a quasi-feudal hierarchy. Science uneasily coexists with fervent religious belief in a future "Resurrected" Earth.
The characters come next, with Resurrectionist Cullen Archer, scientist Brynn, damaged android Kell, rebuilt xenolinguist Alaric Rhys, and several others who drift in and out of the story as it expands. They aren't as well crafted as the world Hall gives us, but they grow as the story does and I found myself compelled by their struggles once their world began to shift.
With these two aspects etched in stone, next comes the actual story. A dead planet once alive with mechanical owls, now the site of a tiny human colony researching this distant history. A man wanders in from the desert. He claims to be from a previous, secret, colony. He lies. But with his lies comes a terrifying new truth. One that will upend the lives of everyone on Shanidar.
There were chapters where I felt a totality of dread thanks to the powerful unknown and even after the truth is laid bare, Hall keeps ratcheting up the tension. This is not a horror novel, but there is a deeper fear he gets to play with. The fear we have of being the outsider. Of seeing things we know are inherently wrong and yet being unable to affect change.
He also manages a very clever way of dispensing exposition without annoying me, which is a minor miracle as I hate exposition dumps.
After the first couple chapters, I was never on level ground reading Owl Men. It made me increasingly uneasy and uncomfortable. And I cannot imagine giving it higher praise than that.
April 15, 2025
Coy Hall is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. There isn't a single genre that he isn't master of.
The Owl Men of Shanidar is a visual feast of a novel. All within a modest page count, you will find a story that is not modest at all, literally detailing the rise and fall of civilisations, races, and the history of a once-unchartered planet in deep space, and the beginnings of a revolution. If this sounds like your type of book, you will love everything about this mystery/sci-fi/space opera/horror. Parts Dune, Part Hyperion, yet more immediately gripping than both.
On the planet of Shanidar, now occupied by colonists from Earth, archaeologist Brynn Silva discovers a rusted claw - a remnant of one of the Owl Men, beings that once occupied this place. So begins a vast wave of change, brought about at the same time by the arrival of a Stranger in the desert, a man with multitudes of secrets. Is he an ally? Or is the truth something far stranger, and dangerous to one's body and soul both?
I cannot speak much more about the plot because it is full of surprises. I have a clear favourite scene of the book, and it depicts none other than what may in fact be the origin of Creation. I was also taken aback by the ending, and I am sure that Coy Hall has more books up his sleeve set in this fictional world, and I for one am ready for Brynn's next steps in this dangerous conflict.
Check out The Owl Men of Shanidar. It is filled with originality and bursting with philosophical elements.
The Owl Men of Shanidar is a visual feast of a novel. All within a modest page count, you will find a story that is not modest at all, literally detailing the rise and fall of civilisations, races, and the history of a once-unchartered planet in deep space, and the beginnings of a revolution. If this sounds like your type of book, you will love everything about this mystery/sci-fi/space opera/horror. Parts Dune, Part Hyperion, yet more immediately gripping than both.
On the planet of Shanidar, now occupied by colonists from Earth, archaeologist Brynn Silva discovers a rusted claw - a remnant of one of the Owl Men, beings that once occupied this place. So begins a vast wave of change, brought about at the same time by the arrival of a Stranger in the desert, a man with multitudes of secrets. Is he an ally? Or is the truth something far stranger, and dangerous to one's body and soul both?
I cannot speak much more about the plot because it is full of surprises. I have a clear favourite scene of the book, and it depicts none other than what may in fact be the origin of Creation. I was also taken aback by the ending, and I am sure that Coy Hall has more books up his sleeve set in this fictional world, and I for one am ready for Brynn's next steps in this dangerous conflict.
Check out The Owl Men of Shanidar. It is filled with originality and bursting with philosophical elements.
May 31, 2025
Spoiler Free.
Highly recommended for fans of the entire spectrum of Science Fiction. The Owl Men of Shanidar incorporates everything that's good from the genre, and a fascinating plot is created around it.
Coy Hall's writing holds such a beautiful elegance. He avoids gimmicks, to deliver a story in an intelligent, measured and calm manner. It's an absolute joy to read.
Brynn is the kind of character I love to root for, she is strong in the face of adversity, and resilient.
Werdergast makes for a compelling player, and Coy Hall unravels him expertly.
The themes explored are very metaphorically topical, but what I really appreciated, is that it takes the classic sci-fi route, it has a timelessness to it. Everything is applied subtley, and not in your face, such as we see so often now.
The imagination for the plot, the wonderfully detailed description for Shanidar, and the bizarre creatures blew me away. You really get pulled into the environment.
The horror builds, and the pacing (in terms of the tension created) is spot on.
I believe that, as well as this being for horror and Science Fiction fans, those who enjoy fantasy would get a lot from this also, due to the highly imaginative and intricate world design.
This is an outstanding book, and I'd love to see a film adaptation. Although, I'd want it to have a very 1950s aesthetic!
This is one I will read again, and after also loving 'The Hangman Feeds the Jackal' by this fantastic author, I'll be exploring more from him.
Superb.
Highly recommended for fans of the entire spectrum of Science Fiction. The Owl Men of Shanidar incorporates everything that's good from the genre, and a fascinating plot is created around it.
Coy Hall's writing holds such a beautiful elegance. He avoids gimmicks, to deliver a story in an intelligent, measured and calm manner. It's an absolute joy to read.
Brynn is the kind of character I love to root for, she is strong in the face of adversity, and resilient.
Werdergast makes for a compelling player, and Coy Hall unravels him expertly.
The themes explored are very metaphorically topical, but what I really appreciated, is that it takes the classic sci-fi route, it has a timelessness to it. Everything is applied subtley, and not in your face, such as we see so often now.
The imagination for the plot, the wonderfully detailed description for Shanidar, and the bizarre creatures blew me away. You really get pulled into the environment.
The horror builds, and the pacing (in terms of the tension created) is spot on.
I believe that, as well as this being for horror and Science Fiction fans, those who enjoy fantasy would get a lot from this also, due to the highly imaginative and intricate world design.
This is an outstanding book, and I'd love to see a film adaptation. Although, I'd want it to have a very 1950s aesthetic!
This is one I will read again, and after also loving 'The Hangman Feeds the Jackal' by this fantastic author, I'll be exploring more from him.
Superb.
June 22, 2025
Well-written sci-fi with a healthy dose of horror that does an excellent job of immersing the reader into a complicated but believable dystopian vision where Earth has been destroyed and what few relics left of the organisms that were once abundant there are revered as objects of a fervent religious awe. Colonists on the planet of Shanidar find little familiar life (or life at all) but evidence of a long-dead civilization (or is it?) abound. When a mysterious stranger arrives in their midst, people quickly divide into true believers in a messiah that will repopulate the planet with the lost animal life of Earth and those that are both skeptical and frightened of the stranger's motives and intentions.
An interesting meditation on so many things, this novel feels very philosophical. Issues of consent, belief and control, resurrection, religious fervor, and cults are touched on in a way that I personally found anxiety-producing, making this a very effective horror tale for me. The actual plot feels a bit light for a work of this length and the ending also seemed abrupt, leaving the reader on an ambiguous note which possibly sets this up as the first in a series exploring the complex world the author has created. An accomplished work if not completely satisfying to my taste, but fans of creative and original sci-fi with serious horror trappings will find much to intrigue them among the meditations on what it means to be not just a human but a human of Earth when that planet no longer exists.
An interesting meditation on so many things, this novel feels very philosophical. Issues of consent, belief and control, resurrection, religious fervor, and cults are touched on in a way that I personally found anxiety-producing, making this a very effective horror tale for me. The actual plot feels a bit light for a work of this length and the ending also seemed abrupt, leaving the reader on an ambiguous note which possibly sets this up as the first in a series exploring the complex world the author has created. An accomplished work if not completely satisfying to my taste, but fans of creative and original sci-fi with serious horror trappings will find much to intrigue them among the meditations on what it means to be not just a human but a human of Earth when that planet no longer exists.
June 28, 2025
The Owl Men of Shanidar is a fantastic book, which thoroughly seduced me with its layers of world building, religion, historical references, and lingering mystery. I found its shifting character POVs very effective and refreshing, adding nuance to each character and broadening the story at large through their divergent sides of the story. Rich with description, but never overdone, TOMoS holds a steady narrative that remains balanced throughout, with plenty of dialogue and a constant slow-drip of information that enhances the mystery and tension without ever becoming overbearing in its melange of detail.
I read this 250-page bad boy in three days (which for me, with my slow reading speed, means I couldn't put the book down). I was fully absorbed, entertained, and eager. Great experience reading this one!
My only gripe (and I admit it is miniscule): Jaguars don't purr! They actually can't. Look it up - roaring cats vs purring cats. Yes, there is a jaguar in this story, and yes, it purrs. This did not detract from the story one iota, but the big cat purrs enough throughout this novel that I felt the need to at least bring up this little discrepancy.
I read this 250-page bad boy in three days (which for me, with my slow reading speed, means I couldn't put the book down). I was fully absorbed, entertained, and eager. Great experience reading this one!
My only gripe (and I admit it is miniscule): Jaguars don't purr! They actually can't. Look it up - roaring cats vs purring cats. Yes, there is a jaguar in this story, and yes, it purrs. This did not detract from the story one iota, but the big cat purrs enough throughout this novel that I felt the need to at least bring up this little discrepancy.
March 3, 2025
This is a fine work of science fiction with a few splashes of horror. (Bonus points to the readers who catch the Dracula reference.) The story features a human colony on a world that was once inhabited by aliens and robots - the "owl men" of the title. The heroine is an archeologist who digs up one of the owl men. It looks like an important discovery, but the real game-changer is a mystery man who comes walking out of the wastelands of the planet Shanidar with a story to tell at around the same time. To say the mystery man shakes things up in the colony would be a massive understatement. No one will ever be same again once he's finished. I won't spoil the plot for you, but I was caught off guard by the author's twists more than once.
While THE OWL MEN OF SHANIDAR doesn't read like a Philip K. Dick novel, Hall's interests and artistic seriousness are comparable. To read this book is to take a journey you've never been on before. I've never experienced anything quite like it.
While THE OWL MEN OF SHANIDAR doesn't read like a Philip K. Dick novel, Hall's interests and artistic seriousness are comparable. To read this book is to take a journey you've never been on before. I've never experienced anything quite like it.
June 30, 2025
I finished “The Owl Man of Shanidar” by Coy Hall.
A strange visitor influences the inhabitants of an extraterrestrial colony and so takes over the whole settlement piece by piece. The way the visitor corrupted the inhabitants was fascinating. The settlement changes from a partially functioning society to a crazy cult. At least that society has functioned until the affliction by the strange visitor, albeit with some injustices. There are puzzling artefacts and tombs which are big issues in the novel.
The novel is told in large part from the point of view of the young woman, Brynn, who is an archeologist. She perceives the changes, looks for allies, and tries to figure out the mystery. One of her friends is a nerdy, lovesick android. The novel is complex and includes some metaphors, but it is well structured, without omissions, and therefore well readable. The characters are well depicted, and the dialogues are authentic to read. The novel is thrilling in the way of a slow-burner and interesting. Its advantage is its eerie atmosphere.
A strange visitor influences the inhabitants of an extraterrestrial colony and so takes over the whole settlement piece by piece. The way the visitor corrupted the inhabitants was fascinating. The settlement changes from a partially functioning society to a crazy cult. At least that society has functioned until the affliction by the strange visitor, albeit with some injustices. There are puzzling artefacts and tombs which are big issues in the novel.
The novel is told in large part from the point of view of the young woman, Brynn, who is an archeologist. She perceives the changes, looks for allies, and tries to figure out the mystery. One of her friends is a nerdy, lovesick android. The novel is complex and includes some metaphors, but it is well structured, without omissions, and therefore well readable. The characters are well depicted, and the dialogues are authentic to read. The novel is thrilling in the way of a slow-burner and interesting. Its advantage is its eerie atmosphere.
April 15, 2025
Coy Hall’s The Owl Men of Shanidar is more than a gripping sci-fi mystery that takes place amid the ruins of an alien civilization. It’s also a thought-provoking parable that explores the limits of faith, knowledge and self-determination in the face of eternity (and extinction).
Hall’s imagination is working overtime in Owl Men, with delightful linguistic, religious, mythological and technological details that immerse the reader in his far-flung future. The fantastical setting allows for some fantastic characters whose interactions and dialogue are nuanced and always insightful. I loved them all, which made the inevitable punishments Hall throws their way all the more wrenching.
There are strong Gene Wolfe vibes here, with hints of Nathan Ballingrud and maybe even Walter M. Miller Jr. Full stars!
Hall’s imagination is working overtime in Owl Men, with delightful linguistic, religious, mythological and technological details that immerse the reader in his far-flung future. The fantastical setting allows for some fantastic characters whose interactions and dialogue are nuanced and always insightful. I loved them all, which made the inevitable punishments Hall throws their way all the more wrenching.
There are strong Gene Wolfe vibes here, with hints of Nathan Ballingrud and maybe even Walter M. Miller Jr. Full stars!
December 6, 2025
I don't consider myself a fan of sci-fi, it's probably one of the genres I always read with reluctance, but The Owl Men of Shanidar, although based in sci-fi explores the human condition and religions through the lens of archaeology in such an interesting way I ended up devouring half of the book in one day.
With the title and synopsis, I did truly not expect this plot, yet I was captivated. It's eerie, it's terrifying, the horror seeps and bleeds through thoughts, through the actions, through the indifference, through the fanatism.
The worldbuilding at the beginning was wonderful, although by the last chapters it felt rushed. Still, I had nightmares of the wanderer. In a way, the book surely is an allegory of religious fanatism and how anyone can fall victim into it, into a cultish worship of God. Once again I'm not a fan of sci-fi, but I found this books to be quite unique.
It's also surprising how such a plot was developed in such few pages.
With the title and synopsis, I did truly not expect this plot, yet I was captivated. It's eerie, it's terrifying, the horror seeps and bleeds through thoughts, through the actions, through the indifference, through the fanatism.
The worldbuilding at the beginning was wonderful, although by the last chapters it felt rushed. Still, I had nightmares of the wanderer. In a way, the book surely is an allegory of religious fanatism and how anyone can fall victim into it, into a cultish worship of God. Once again I'm not a fan of sci-fi, but I found this books to be quite unique.
It's also surprising how such a plot was developed in such few pages.
May 21, 2025
THE OWL MEN OF SHANIDAR is a grand achievement in the science fiction fantasy genre and may be author Hall's best book to date. The world building here is phenomenal and the story is truly original, with inspirations from Noah's Ark and that wonderful era of '50s sci-fi. It lays out exposition smoothly and I loved the way the story revealed its details about the title Owl Men over the course of the novel, with satisfying reveals as it hits the stretch run to the finale. I enjoyed the mystique of the characters and Hall's dialogue is unique and terrific as usual, as are his descriptions of death and decay -- which I feel are one of his trademarks. I highly recommend this one of a kind novel.
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