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Crawlspace
Enter an edge-of-your-seat nightmare to the darkest frontiers in Crawlspace, a sci-fi horror novel from New York Times bestselling author Adam Christopher, perfect for fans of S.A. Barnes and Event Horizon.
Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her team from the Artemis Corporation, along with their military liaison, are in the final preparations for an undertaking that will alter the course of human history: a test flight that promises to open up new frontiers in the expanse of the universe.
But their journey between dimensions is one they never trained for. Strange voices in the corridors. Long lost faces not forgotten. Strange symbols carved into the hull. And gathering outside the ship, ancient forces beyond reckoning.
The crew will need all their skills to survive and uncover the twisted truth behind their mission.
Commencing countdown...
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her team from the Artemis Corporation, along with their military liaison, are in the final preparations for an undertaking that will alter the course of human history: a test flight that promises to open up new frontiers in the expanse of the universe.
But their journey between dimensions is one they never trained for. Strange voices in the corridors. Long lost faces not forgotten. Strange symbols carved into the hull. And gathering outside the ship, ancient forces beyond reckoning.
The crew will need all their skills to survive and uncover the twisted truth behind their mission.
Commencing countdown...
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2026
About the author
Adam Christopher
47 books726 followersAdam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Master of Evil, Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
March 22, 2026
2.0 Stars
This is yet another disappointing attempt at science fiction horror. The story started with some decent tension but failed to actually deliver any actual horror. I don't why this subgenre is so hard to get right but these half hearted attempts keep disappointing me.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is yet another disappointing attempt at science fiction horror. The story started with some decent tension but failed to actually deliver any actual horror. I don't why this subgenre is so hard to get right but these half hearted attempts keep disappointing me.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Read
March 4, 2026This was, unfortunately, a DNF for me.
I found the pacing slow and the characters unremarkable. Eventually, I realized I simply wasn't enjoying the read and stopped.
I found the pacing slow and the characters unremarkable. Eventually, I realized I simply wasn't enjoying the read and stopped.
Want to Read
April 7, 2026ARC received. Thank you, Tor Nightfire & Macmillan Audio!
I love the sound of this one!!!
I love the sound of this one!!!
Read
February 28, 2026Survival horror in space! Crawlspace follows a crew on an experimental spaceship who become stranded on a mission and weird things start to happen. Dark forces gather outside and things are not all as they seem. This was fun and a quick read so I don't want to spoil things, but I think it will be enjoyable for sci-fi readers who want something a bit spookier. The audio narration is good but also fits the hard sci-fi vibe in terms of style. I would recommend this more to people who are sci-fi readers looking for a bit of horror than I would to horror readers looking for a bit of science fiction. I received a copy of this book review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
April 10, 2026
2.5 rounded. Not creative conclusion
April 1, 2026
I almost stopped this audiobook within the first three chapters, because the narrator (Jennifer Pickens) and I were not vibing. She was saying "daa-tuh" when I wanted to hear "day-tuh"", which wouldn't have been a problem if the word hadn't appeared in nearly every sentence during the setup chapters in this horror story.
But I kept going, because the idea of a claustrophobic space horror story compels me. I'm so glad I stuck it out, because once we hit Chapter 4, Pickens started flipflopping between "daa-tuh" and "day-tuh", and by the time we were in Chapter 6, we were solidly in "day-tuh" territory. Great, now I can settle in and concentrate on the story, not the mispronunciations.
This is my first time reading Adam Christopher, and I enjoy his writing style. The action and desperation of the crew felt real, and the unsettled feeling of the betrayal (but by whom?) propelled me faster through the novel. I could see this becoming a movie and feeling glued to my seat as I watch everything play out. How do we make this happen?
But I kept going, because the idea of a claustrophobic space horror story compels me. I'm so glad I stuck it out, because once we hit Chapter 4, Pickens started flipflopping between "daa-tuh" and "day-tuh", and by the time we were in Chapter 6, we were solidly in "day-tuh" territory. Great, now I can settle in and concentrate on the story, not the mispronunciations.
This is my first time reading Adam Christopher, and I enjoy his writing style. The action and desperation of the crew felt real, and the unsettled feeling of the betrayal (but by whom?) propelled me faster through the novel. I could see this becoming a movie and feeling glued to my seat as I watch everything play out. How do we make this happen?
February 24, 2026
Big bummer on this one. The cover and synopsis promised cosmic, ancient, claustrophobic horror, but the story never really delivered on that vibe. Nothing genuinely scary happens until the last ten percent, which is way too late to save it.
Instead, it felt like average characters trapped on a failing ship in space, running out of time. Wash, rinse, repeat of something we’ve all seen a thousand times before.
The writing itself wasn’t bad, and there’s definitely potential there. I’d still give the author another chance, but this one just didn’t blast off for me.
Instead, it felt like average characters trapped on a failing ship in space, running out of time. Wash, rinse, repeat of something we’ve all seen a thousand times before.
The writing itself wasn’t bad, and there’s definitely potential there. I’d still give the author another chance, but this one just didn’t blast off for me.
March 15, 2026
ARC✶REVIEW
#ad much love for my advance copy @tornightfire #partner
& @macmillan.audio #partner for the ALC
🅲🆁🅰🆆🅻🆂🅿🅰🅲🅴
< @
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 𝟣𝟩, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨
horror | sci-fi | fantasy
𝙺𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔-𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔-𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔…
When a mission goes all the way wrong, the astronauts aboard XK72 find themselves stuck and running out of time. But it might have been one of their own who put them here. And there’s more to worry about than the time running out, because something is out there knocking.
🎧: Also followed along with the audio and def recommend the audio. Jennifer Pickens did fantastic with this audio - bringing the plot alive before our ears. She captures the suspense and tension so well. Fabulous listen. I prob would have DNF had I not also had the audio.
Reading this one really did feel like reading a SA Barnes book. And boy, did I enjoy it. At first. It’s claustrophobic with characters you may, or may not, fully trust.
They’re seeing people who aren’t there and don’t trust themselves or each other. It’s a pressure cooker of a book. I knew as soon as I saw this book that I had to read it.
But then it all slowly fell apart 😭 - I did like it but it was far from perfect. But I was more disappointed so 3.5.
LMAO SOMEONE’s 5 star review saying it’s about a family and finding a Crawlspace in their home ☠️ tell us you didn’t read the book, without telling us.
#ad much love for my advance copy @tornightfire #partner
& @macmillan.audio #partner for the ALC
🅲🆁🅰🆆🅻🆂🅿🅰🅲🅴
< @
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴍᴀʀᴄʜ 𝟣𝟩, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟨
horror | sci-fi | fantasy
𝙺𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔-𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔-𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚌𝚔…
When a mission goes all the way wrong, the astronauts aboard XK72 find themselves stuck and running out of time. But it might have been one of their own who put them here. And there’s more to worry about than the time running out, because something is out there knocking.
🎧: Also followed along with the audio and def recommend the audio. Jennifer Pickens did fantastic with this audio - bringing the plot alive before our ears. She captures the suspense and tension so well. Fabulous listen. I prob would have DNF had I not also had the audio.
Reading this one really did feel like reading a SA Barnes book. And boy, did I enjoy it. At first. It’s claustrophobic with characters you may, or may not, fully trust.
They’re seeing people who aren’t there and don’t trust themselves or each other. It’s a pressure cooker of a book. I knew as soon as I saw this book that I had to read it.
But then it all slowly fell apart 😭 - I did like it but it was far from perfect. But I was more disappointed so 3.5.
LMAO SOMEONE’s 5 star review saying it’s about a family and finding a Crawlspace in their home ☠️ tell us you didn’t read the book, without telling us.
March 31, 2026
Crawlspace is a rough one to get through. What appeared to be an Alien-like horror romp ended up being an outer space snooze-fest. The pacing was that of a snail on a glue board. The action was few and far between. When something did happen, it really didn’t grab you. The writing, while not horrible, was this homogenized endless stream of tech speak that would bore even the most dorky engineers. Just a very boring read.
1.5 Broken HyperDrives out of 5
1.5 Broken HyperDrives out of 5
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As a big fan of sci-fi horror, I jumped at the chance to read this book. The cover is super creepy and the synopsis made it sound like I was in for something like Event Horizon or Alien.
Unfortunately the book let me down on a few counts. From a pure reading standpoint, the actual formatting of the book is not good - the margins are so wide that it makes reading the ebook nearly impossible and there are goofy, fruitless chapter titles that are highly unnecessary.
The actual plot of the book is... Fine... I guess. There is really no fear or horror elements until perhaps the last 25 pages. Most of the book is made up of techno jargon that goes on for pages interspersed with quirky characters. If you like techno jargon scifi with characters stuck in weird situations, you might like this. However, marketing it as a horror book I feel is very deceiving and instead I found my eyes glazing over the mumbo jumbo of characters trying to fix a spaceship for 200 pages.
Thank you to NetGalley for lending me a copy for review purposes.
Unfortunately the book let me down on a few counts. From a pure reading standpoint, the actual formatting of the book is not good - the margins are so wide that it makes reading the ebook nearly impossible and there are goofy, fruitless chapter titles that are highly unnecessary.
The actual plot of the book is... Fine... I guess. There is really no fear or horror elements until perhaps the last 25 pages. Most of the book is made up of techno jargon that goes on for pages interspersed with quirky characters. If you like techno jargon scifi with characters stuck in weird situations, you might like this. However, marketing it as a horror book I feel is very deceiving and instead I found my eyes glazing over the mumbo jumbo of characters trying to fix a spaceship for 200 pages.
Thank you to NetGalley for lending me a copy for review purposes.
March 24, 2026
Crawlspace by Adam Christopher — 4/5 ⭐️
A slow-burn descent that erupts into a finale absolutely worth the ride.
Christopher plays the long game here, threading unease through every corridor of the Artemis Corporation’s ambitious dimensional test flight. The early chapters simmer with mystery—strange voices, impossible symbols, and the creeping sense that the ship itself is watching. But it’s the final act where the book truly ignites. The tension snaps, the revelations hit hard, and the story barrels into an ending that rewards every breadcrumb along the way.
Once the pieces lock into place, the payoff is big, weird, and wonderfully unsettling.
Overview
Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her Artemis Corp team are preparing for a mission meant to reshape humanity’s future. But their leap between dimensions delivers them into something far stranger than science ever promised.
• Voices whisper from empty rooms
• Familiar faces appear where they shouldn’t
• Symbols etch themselves into the hull
• And outside the ship, something ancient waits
To survive, the crew must confront forces beyond comprehension—and the truth behind their mission, twisted and buried deep.
Countdown complete. The void answers.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
A slow-burn descent that erupts into a finale absolutely worth the ride.
Christopher plays the long game here, threading unease through every corridor of the Artemis Corporation’s ambitious dimensional test flight. The early chapters simmer with mystery—strange voices, impossible symbols, and the creeping sense that the ship itself is watching. But it’s the final act where the book truly ignites. The tension snaps, the revelations hit hard, and the story barrels into an ending that rewards every breadcrumb along the way.
Once the pieces lock into place, the payoff is big, weird, and wonderfully unsettling.
Overview
Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her Artemis Corp team are preparing for a mission meant to reshape humanity’s future. But their leap between dimensions delivers them into something far stranger than science ever promised.
• Voices whisper from empty rooms
• Familiar faces appear where they shouldn’t
• Symbols etch themselves into the hull
• And outside the ship, something ancient waits
To survive, the crew must confront forces beyond comprehension—and the truth behind their mission, twisted and buried deep.
Countdown complete. The void answers.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
March 29, 2026
thank you Tor nightfire for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I totally see the inspiration from event horizon. I read a lot of scifi horror. it's been a while since I read something that felt like a popcorn horror. I was able to follow along pretty easily and can totally see this being a mini series. It felt like it was written for the screen.
Liv, Deacon, Mirai, Astrid, Avery and Redway are on a test run for a new system of transport in space that may have flung them to the edge of the universe or another dimension. They can't get into contact with HQ, one of them goes missing and weird sounds go bump in the eternal night. I am a sucker for monsters so haha I'm always gonna love that.
There is a bit of info dumping happening so that brought those sections down for me. I was interested in the suspense and mystery of it all. If you are the kind of hard scifi reader that needs answers, you get some but not all. I'm ok with ambiguity so the ending was fun for me. The stakes were high the entire time.
I totally see the inspiration from event horizon. I read a lot of scifi horror. it's been a while since I read something that felt like a popcorn horror. I was able to follow along pretty easily and can totally see this being a mini series. It felt like it was written for the screen.
Liv, Deacon, Mirai, Astrid, Avery and Redway are on a test run for a new system of transport in space that may have flung them to the edge of the universe or another dimension. They can't get into contact with HQ, one of them goes missing and weird sounds go bump in the eternal night. I am a sucker for monsters so haha I'm always gonna love that.
There is a bit of info dumping happening so that brought those sections down for me. I was interested in the suspense and mystery of it all. If you are the kind of hard scifi reader that needs answers, you get some but not all. I'm ok with ambiguity so the ending was fun for me. The stakes were high the entire time.
March 24, 2026
So, the premise is so cool for Crawlspace: basically, this crew ends up caught in... I don't even know, non-space? They're stuck in literally nowhere, no light, no means of escape. And some kind of space entity is messing with them, too. Sounds exciting! I do love me a space horror, so I was immediately intrigued. The story started off a little rough, because there was a lot of tech-related info-dumping at the start, which made it feel very dense. But I went with it, because I really wanted to know what happened to this ship!
That's the rub- I needed to know what happened. So I kept reading, despite the fact that I felt a bit underwhelmed. The characters were incredibly flat, and I felt like we knew nothing about them, though I held out hope that we might learn a bit more about them as the story progressed and they had to handle whatever this situation threw at them (reader, we did not). Liv was the main character, but the only thing I knew about her was that she was a pilot. That is literally it. The others were also just definitions of their roles on the ship, and one girl had a dead sister. This is the only personal fact we know about any of them. Family? Friends? Lovers? Your guess is as good as mine.
Yet I still wanted to know what was going on! So, I kept on keeping on. The vibes were pretty good, I will give it that- you could tell that it was a messed up situation, and that things were desperate and scary. But because I did not know a blessed thing about any of the characters, it was really hard to care what happened to them. Like okay that one dude is gone? Bummer I guess. Oh is he back? Fine enough, okay. It just didn't matter, because there was no emotional connection between the characters at all.
Then toward the end, things just got even more unhinged, and I dare say a little... silly? I think it was supposed to be a bigger deal, but I didn't love it.
Bottom Line: I'll give it two stars for the vibes, and the fact that despite everything, I still wanted to know how it ended.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
That's the rub- I needed to know what happened. So I kept reading, despite the fact that I felt a bit underwhelmed. The characters were incredibly flat, and I felt like we knew nothing about them, though I held out hope that we might learn a bit more about them as the story progressed and they had to handle whatever this situation threw at them (reader, we did not). Liv was the main character, but the only thing I knew about her was that she was a pilot. That is literally it. The others were also just definitions of their roles on the ship, and one girl had a dead sister. This is the only personal fact we know about any of them. Family? Friends? Lovers? Your guess is as good as mine.
Yet I still wanted to know what was going on! So, I kept on keeping on. The vibes were pretty good, I will give it that- you could tell that it was a messed up situation, and that things were desperate and scary. But because I did not know a blessed thing about any of the characters, it was really hard to care what happened to them. Like okay that one dude is gone? Bummer I guess. Oh is he back? Fine enough, okay. It just didn't matter, because there was no emotional connection between the characters at all.
Then toward the end, things just got even more unhinged, and I dare say a little... silly? I think it was supposed to be a bigger deal, but I didn't love it.
Bottom Line: I'll give it two stars for the vibes, and the fact that despite everything, I still wanted to know how it ended.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Did Not Finish
March 27, 2026Dnf. It started out strong, but ended up with a very slow pacing. I just couldn’t enjoy it.
Thank you for the advance copy.
Thank you for the advance copy.
March 16, 2026
Jennifer Pickens, the audiobook narrator, is the MVP of Crawlspace by Adam Christopher. Without her excellent narration, this might have been a DNF for me. What I thought were the most interesting parts of the plot were overlooked and more boring elements brought to the forefront. Unless this is supposed to be book one of a series or duology, it was very rude for the ending to be presented in the way it is, abruptly. ALC was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 9, 2025
I got this ARC at New York Comic Con a few weeks ago and I’m so glad that I did. I couldn’t put it down, the end of each chapter made me want to continue on to the next. A+ Space horror!
My only criticism is that the chapter titles were completely unnecessary and cheesy, it almost ruined the suspenseful vibe the book was trying to covey. The titles were all quotes from within the chapter and it did nothing but make me cringe, once when seeing the title and then again when I came across it in the chapter. It was a constant “oh look they said the thing” moment in my head, taking me out of the story for a bit. Remove the chapter titles entirely before release and I’d say this is a 5 star!
My only criticism is that the chapter titles were completely unnecessary and cheesy, it almost ruined the suspenseful vibe the book was trying to covey. The titles were all quotes from within the chapter and it did nothing but make me cringe, once when seeing the title and then again when I came across it in the chapter. It was a constant “oh look they said the thing” moment in my head, taking me out of the story for a bit. Remove the chapter titles entirely before release and I’d say this is a 5 star!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2026
I picked up this ARC at New York Comic Con, where I got to meet the author and get my copy signed! Adam Christopher is such a nice guy and literally so cool, writing for franchises from Star Wars, to Warcraft, to Doctor Who!
This is a quick but highly entertaining cosmic horror! It involves a crew on an experimental vessel trapped in a starless void. The magic is in the mounting dread and tension. The whole time I just wanted to know what the heck was going on! There was one line earlier on that had me HOOKED, and that was “Do you want in?”. Ahhh, in on what?!? It drove me crazy, I had to know what was going on. Ultimately, the concept presented in this book was absolutely a fascinating thought. As I often find with sci-fi, I know it isn’t real, but I feel like it could be. The reality of the character’s situation would be absolutely terrifying, but reading about it sure was fun!
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and the Tor booth at NYCC for the ARC! Book releases 3/17/26.
This is a quick but highly entertaining cosmic horror! It involves a crew on an experimental vessel trapped in a starless void. The magic is in the mounting dread and tension. The whole time I just wanted to know what the heck was going on! There was one line earlier on that had me HOOKED, and that was “Do you want in?”. Ahhh, in on what?!? It drove me crazy, I had to know what was going on. Ultimately, the concept presented in this book was absolutely a fascinating thought. As I often find with sci-fi, I know it isn’t real, but I feel like it could be. The reality of the character’s situation would be absolutely terrifying, but reading about it sure was fun!
Thank you to Tor Nightfire and the Tor booth at NYCC for the ARC! Book releases 3/17/26.
Did Not Finish
March 23, 2026DNF @ 39%. This is laughably horrible. Truly. The characters have as much depth as a sheet of paper. The amount of cliche dialogue that comes out of their mouths is downright hilarious. The author has written so many books in already-established franchises that it seems he has no experience creating characters from scratch. Plot points and conflicts are continually restated multiple times in each chapter, which damages the pacing. The whole plot could probably be completed in under 100 pages, but it seems that Christopher had a word count to hit. Such a shame too because the premise has so much potential to it.
March 8, 2026
One of my favorite horror subgenres is sci-fi horror and this one did not disappoint!! 🙌
Definitely a bit of a slow burn, but I loved the creepy feeling that built up as the book progressed! I did get a bit of Event Horizon vibes but almost a bit of Virus vibes! Which now I want to watch that movie as it’s been a while..and yes, I know that it’s not set in space, but.. 😂 ANYWAYS, be sure to check this one out if you love sci-fi horror like I do! 👏
Thank you Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
Definitely a bit of a slow burn, but I loved the creepy feeling that built up as the book progressed! I did get a bit of Event Horizon vibes but almost a bit of Virus vibes! Which now I want to watch that movie as it’s been a while..and yes, I know that it’s not set in space, but.. 😂 ANYWAYS, be sure to check this one out if you love sci-fi horror like I do! 👏
Thank you Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Crawlspace" by Adam Christopher is a solid, quick read in the realm of cosmic horror. It excels at building an oppressive sense of dread and danger throughout the pages, and presents a dark scenario involving astronauts on an experimental vessel trapped in a starless void.
There are a few truly standout scenes in this book, and a lot of tension. The mystery remains engaging, even if fans of the genre will find many familiar elements.
Unfortunately, while not completely flat, the characters remain largely one note. And the horror, while present, never really takes off quite the way I was hoping it would, instead remaining at a moderate simmer for most of the book.
Still, it's worth checking out for fans of the genre, as there is a lot to like here. I'll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.
Special thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the advanced copy for review!
There are a few truly standout scenes in this book, and a lot of tension. The mystery remains engaging, even if fans of the genre will find many familiar elements.
Unfortunately, while not completely flat, the characters remain largely one note. And the horror, while present, never really takes off quite the way I was hoping it would, instead remaining at a moderate simmer for most of the book.
Still, it's worth checking out for fans of the genre, as there is a lot to like here. I'll give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.
Special thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the advanced copy for review!
March 29, 2026
An experimental spacecraft on its initial mission does not go according to plan and the crew must figure out what went wrong and how to get home. A promising setup and mystery that unfortunately peters out into an unsatisfying resolution. Disappointing. Despite that, Jennifer Pickens does a great job on this audiobook.
April 16, 2026
(5.0 Stars)
This book was an absolute trip, and i mean that in the best possible way!
I loved everything about this book. Great story, great characters, action, tension, intrigue, and superb world-building.
It was just all-around good, gripping, and excellent speculative fiction. I also liked the narration of the audiobook.
This book was an absolute trip, and i mean that in the best possible way!
I loved everything about this book. Great story, great characters, action, tension, intrigue, and superb world-building.
It was just all-around good, gripping, and excellent speculative fiction. I also liked the narration of the audiobook.
Did Not Finish
March 24, 2026I made it to 20% before calling it. One of my highly anticipated books of the year, this was a real disappointment. I'm sure the horrors in the last quarter are likely excellent, but when the military pilot has a secret agenda and takes everyone hostage and I just don't *care* about any of them... That says something for me. But I can't be scared for characters if I don't know who they are.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2026
If you like hard sci-fi with a huge dose of dread, Crawlspace is for you. Following a stranded crew, this quick, spooky read is full of twists. It’s definitely more for sci-fi readers who want a horror edge.
Thank you Goodreads for the giveaway!
Thank you Goodreads for the giveaway!
December 7, 2025
I genuinely had a fantastic time reading Crawlspace; a lot of creepy, thrilling, eerie scenes that had a cinematic quality. Like...I was fully absorbed and read it in 2 sittings.
While it was the book that got me out of my slump, the storyline had a few moments where I thought, "I've read this before". As with any book set in a spaceship(Is that the proper terminology? lol), at least for me, there are some space-y terms that I had to remind myself what they meant.
Those that enjoyed S.A. Barnes or The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown (totally underrated Nightfire release). Also kind of reminded me of Sarah Gailey's Spread Me a bit.
While it was the book that got me out of my slump, the storyline had a few moments where I thought, "I've read this before". As with any book set in a spaceship(Is that the proper terminology? lol), at least for me, there are some space-y terms that I had to remind myself what they meant.
Those that enjoyed S.A. Barnes or The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown (totally underrated Nightfire release). Also kind of reminded me of Sarah Gailey's Spread Me a bit.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Space horror is my absolute catnip. I am the easiest audience on Earth for this genre. Put a haunted spaceship in front of me and I will show up emotionally prepared to spiral. Alien permanently altered my brain chemistry. Event Horizon walked so my nightmares could run. If a story involves a small crew drifting through the void while something deeply unnatural starts knocking on the hull… I’m already seated, snacks in hand, ready to emotionally support every terrible decision.
So when Crawlspace showed up promising interdimensional terror, strange voices in the corridors, and ancient forces gathering outside the ship?
I was ready to fall in love.
And instead… I spent a surprising amount of time learning about the engine.
The premise is honestly fantastic. Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her team from Artemis Corporation are testing a brand new slip drive that could change human space travel forever. Faster-than-light exploration, new dimensions, the kind of scientific breakthrough that sounds amazing until literally anything goes wrong. There’s also a military liaison onboard, which in fiction is basically a neon sign that says something shady is happening here. The test flight begins, the ship jumps between dimensions… and suddenly the crew is stranded somewhere they were absolutely not supposed to end up.
Then the weird stuff starts.
Voices echo through the corridors. Faces appear that absolutely should not be there. Strange symbols show up carved into the hull like the universe is leaving creepy little Post-it notes. And outside the ship, in the endless dark, something ancient and unknowable seems to be gathering.
Which is exactly the kind of setup that makes space horror fans like me start rubbing our hands together like cartoon villains.
Because the magic of this subgenre is that moment when the ship stops feeling like a vehicle and starts feeling like a coffin. The walls close in. The crew stops trusting their senses. Reality gets slippery. The universe suddenly feels way bigger and way meaner than humanity ever planned for.
The bones of that story are absolutely here.
But the problem is we spend a lot of time explaining the ship.
And listen, I respect good sci-fi. I appreciate the science. I support competent people trying to fix complicated machinery while trapped in a nightmare dimension. But I kept waiting for the horror to grab the story by the throat and whisper, “You should never have come here.”
Instead we’re troubleshooting the slip drive for… a while. Imagine watching Alien, but every twenty minutes someone pauses the movie to explain the Nostromo’s fuel system. That’s a little bit the vibe.
The pacing ends up feeling like a slow burn where the match is slightly damp. The creepy elements are there, lurking just outside the airlock, but the story keeps circling back to the mechanics of the ship and the logistics of getting home. Meanwhile I’m sitting here whispering, “But what about the cosmic nightmare outside?”
Olivia herself is a solid lead. She’s capable, level-headed, and doing her best Captain of the Disaster while reality quietly unravels around her. I liked her immediately. But the rest of the crew unfortunately blur together a bit. Characters come and go, strange things happen to them, and I kept wishing they had stronger personalities so those moments would actually land. Here, a lot of the crew feels like variations of Extremely Concerned Astronaut.
Now let’s talk about the audiobook, because Jennifer Pickens genuinely carries a lot of the atmosphere here. Her narration is smooth and grounded, and she gives Olivia a calm, capable presence that anchors the story even when the plot drifts deep into technical territory. She keeps the tension moving when the narrative gets knee-deep in slip-drive mechanics. Honestly, if I had been reading this in print instead of listening, my attention might have quietly floated off into deep space somewhere around the fourth engineering explanation.
And here’s the frustrating part, because you can absolutely see the potential here. The cosmic horror ideas are genuinely cool. There are glimpses of something ancient outside the ship. Reality bending in subtle, unsettling ways. That creeping sense the crew opened a door humanity absolutely should have left closed. When the horror elements finally start pushing forward, they’re eerie and interesting and exactly the kind of thing the premise promised. It just takes a long time to get there.
Part of the issue is expectation. This book gets compared to Alien and Event Horizon, which are two of the heaviest hitters in space horror. Those stories thrive on dread, escalating terror, and characters slowly unraveling under pressure. Crawlspace leans much harder into the science fiction side of the equation. It’s more about the mechanics of being stranded in a broken ship than the psychological nightmare of being trapped with something unknowable.
Which means if you walk in expecting full cosmic terror, you might feel a little stranded yourself.
That said, Adam Christopher clearly knows his sci-fi. The premise is strong, the ideas are intriguing, and the writing itself is polished. This one just didn’t quite deliver the level of horror the setup promised. But his work across the genre gives me hope. The imagination is there. The weirdness is there. If the horror dial gets cranked up in future books, I will absolutely board that spaceship again.
Final vibe check… this lands at 2.5 stars for me. Not terrible, not amazing, just a slightly frustrating case of a great premise that never fully ignites. Jennifer Pickens’ narration is excellent, Olivia is a strong lead, and there are some cool cosmic horror concepts floating around in the void.
But if you come in hoping for something that hits the same nerve as Alien… This is not that mission.
Whodunity Award: Most Patiently Explained Haunted Spaceship in the Galaxy
And a big thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC, which allowed me to float through this haunted spaceship engineering lecture from the safety of Earth instead of getting stuck in a malfunctioning slip drive with a bunch of extremely stressed astronauts.
So when Crawlspace showed up promising interdimensional terror, strange voices in the corridors, and ancient forces gathering outside the ship?
I was ready to fall in love.
And instead… I spent a surprising amount of time learning about the engine.
The premise is honestly fantastic. Mission Lead Olivia O’Connor and her team from Artemis Corporation are testing a brand new slip drive that could change human space travel forever. Faster-than-light exploration, new dimensions, the kind of scientific breakthrough that sounds amazing until literally anything goes wrong. There’s also a military liaison onboard, which in fiction is basically a neon sign that says something shady is happening here. The test flight begins, the ship jumps between dimensions… and suddenly the crew is stranded somewhere they were absolutely not supposed to end up.
Then the weird stuff starts.
Voices echo through the corridors. Faces appear that absolutely should not be there. Strange symbols show up carved into the hull like the universe is leaving creepy little Post-it notes. And outside the ship, in the endless dark, something ancient and unknowable seems to be gathering.
Which is exactly the kind of setup that makes space horror fans like me start rubbing our hands together like cartoon villains.
Because the magic of this subgenre is that moment when the ship stops feeling like a vehicle and starts feeling like a coffin. The walls close in. The crew stops trusting their senses. Reality gets slippery. The universe suddenly feels way bigger and way meaner than humanity ever planned for.
The bones of that story are absolutely here.
But the problem is we spend a lot of time explaining the ship.
And listen, I respect good sci-fi. I appreciate the science. I support competent people trying to fix complicated machinery while trapped in a nightmare dimension. But I kept waiting for the horror to grab the story by the throat and whisper, “You should never have come here.”
Instead we’re troubleshooting the slip drive for… a while. Imagine watching Alien, but every twenty minutes someone pauses the movie to explain the Nostromo’s fuel system. That’s a little bit the vibe.
The pacing ends up feeling like a slow burn where the match is slightly damp. The creepy elements are there, lurking just outside the airlock, but the story keeps circling back to the mechanics of the ship and the logistics of getting home. Meanwhile I’m sitting here whispering, “But what about the cosmic nightmare outside?”
Olivia herself is a solid lead. She’s capable, level-headed, and doing her best Captain of the Disaster while reality quietly unravels around her. I liked her immediately. But the rest of the crew unfortunately blur together a bit. Characters come and go, strange things happen to them, and I kept wishing they had stronger personalities so those moments would actually land. Here, a lot of the crew feels like variations of Extremely Concerned Astronaut.
Now let’s talk about the audiobook, because Jennifer Pickens genuinely carries a lot of the atmosphere here. Her narration is smooth and grounded, and she gives Olivia a calm, capable presence that anchors the story even when the plot drifts deep into technical territory. She keeps the tension moving when the narrative gets knee-deep in slip-drive mechanics. Honestly, if I had been reading this in print instead of listening, my attention might have quietly floated off into deep space somewhere around the fourth engineering explanation.
And here’s the frustrating part, because you can absolutely see the potential here. The cosmic horror ideas are genuinely cool. There are glimpses of something ancient outside the ship. Reality bending in subtle, unsettling ways. That creeping sense the crew opened a door humanity absolutely should have left closed. When the horror elements finally start pushing forward, they’re eerie and interesting and exactly the kind of thing the premise promised. It just takes a long time to get there.
Part of the issue is expectation. This book gets compared to Alien and Event Horizon, which are two of the heaviest hitters in space horror. Those stories thrive on dread, escalating terror, and characters slowly unraveling under pressure. Crawlspace leans much harder into the science fiction side of the equation. It’s more about the mechanics of being stranded in a broken ship than the psychological nightmare of being trapped with something unknowable.
Which means if you walk in expecting full cosmic terror, you might feel a little stranded yourself.
That said, Adam Christopher clearly knows his sci-fi. The premise is strong, the ideas are intriguing, and the writing itself is polished. This one just didn’t quite deliver the level of horror the setup promised. But his work across the genre gives me hope. The imagination is there. The weirdness is there. If the horror dial gets cranked up in future books, I will absolutely board that spaceship again.
Final vibe check… this lands at 2.5 stars for me. Not terrible, not amazing, just a slightly frustrating case of a great premise that never fully ignites. Jennifer Pickens’ narration is excellent, Olivia is a strong lead, and there are some cool cosmic horror concepts floating around in the void.
But if you come in hoping for something that hits the same nerve as Alien… This is not that mission.
Whodunity Award: Most Patiently Explained Haunted Spaceship in the Galaxy
And a big thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC, which allowed me to float through this haunted spaceship engineering lecture from the safety of Earth instead of getting stuck in a malfunctioning slip drive with a bunch of extremely stressed astronauts.
October 21, 2025
I don’t think I’m the right audience for this book. I kind of expected an Alien or Event Horizon type novel, but it’s more of an “if RL Stine wrote a sci fi novel.” The characters are lifeless, many indistinguishable from each other outside of their names. Description of the action is bland. Needs some kind of stinger to open the novel. Unfortunately, it’s what I’ve come to expect from modern writers. Kind of feels like a friend at a sleepover in middle school telling me a story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this science fiction novel that tells of a ship, a new way to travel and the horror that lurks on the threshold, an evil we can not see, but eagerly awaits our travels among the stars.
I lived in an apartment for the first years of my life. Houses were places that my relatives had, in New Jersey and Long Island. They always seemed big to me, spacious, full of places that I could hide when social events got too much. My first experience with haunted houses was Disney's Lonesome Ghosts, watched on a Fisher-Price Movie Viewer. I loved it. The idea that a house, a home could be filled with malignant creatures, wanted to frighten, maybe even do worse to people scared me to no end. I have loved stories of hauntings ever since, both in book and film, and maybe over the year I have become more jaded. There are only so many ways a door can't be opened, a window not be broken, even drywall kicked in, to escape a house. However in space, not only can one not hear a scream, one can't escape in a void loaded with radiation, and nothing to breathe. That leaves one with few options, especially when one hears knocking at the door, the door being an airlock. Crawlspace by Adam Christopher is a science fiction tale about a group of adventurers trying to help human progress by testing a new means of transportation, and finding that the universe is far more mysterious and deadly than science could ever predict.
Olivia O'Connor, known as Liv, is mission lead for in a bold experiment, a combined project between Artemis Corporation and the military. To test a new form of hyperspace travel, one that can go further and faster than anything that has come before. The team is highly skilled and highly motivated, though everything has not gone to plan. The original test pilot has been replaced by another military man, but he seems to be gelling well with the others. Everything seems to be going well, until the switch is pulled and alarms blast from every device. Stopping the crew finds they are out of communications with Earth, and things are not what they should be. They find themselves in a void, with nothing, no stars, no radiation, just sitting, and seemingly waiting for something. As the crew tries to figure out what has happened, things really start to go wrong. Crew members start to disappear, and worse something is knocking on the ship, as if wanting to come in. Though what could be in the void of space. Liv fears that eventually they might find out.
A book that is a mix of hard science fiction, a bit of psychological horror and cosmic horror. Thought the story is reminiscent of Event Horizon, and the classic horror movie From Beyond, the story is uniquely its own. I liked the mix, thought I wish it might have been a little more balanced. However this is a minor quibble. The book starts fast, keeping readers locks in and takes it time revealing things, not dropping too much information, or jump scares, letting the story play out. The book offers various points of view, and a lot of unreliable narrators, for reasons that become clear. There is a lot of exciting scenes, and Christopher does a good job of explaining things, especially the jump drive, and its components.
A spooky tale set in space, something that I am seeing a lot of recently and a trend that I enjoy. I liked this story, and as this is the first book by Adam Christopher I have read, I look forward to more by the author.
I lived in an apartment for the first years of my life. Houses were places that my relatives had, in New Jersey and Long Island. They always seemed big to me, spacious, full of places that I could hide when social events got too much. My first experience with haunted houses was Disney's Lonesome Ghosts, watched on a Fisher-Price Movie Viewer. I loved it. The idea that a house, a home could be filled with malignant creatures, wanted to frighten, maybe even do worse to people scared me to no end. I have loved stories of hauntings ever since, both in book and film, and maybe over the year I have become more jaded. There are only so many ways a door can't be opened, a window not be broken, even drywall kicked in, to escape a house. However in space, not only can one not hear a scream, one can't escape in a void loaded with radiation, and nothing to breathe. That leaves one with few options, especially when one hears knocking at the door, the door being an airlock. Crawlspace by Adam Christopher is a science fiction tale about a group of adventurers trying to help human progress by testing a new means of transportation, and finding that the universe is far more mysterious and deadly than science could ever predict.
Olivia O'Connor, known as Liv, is mission lead for in a bold experiment, a combined project between Artemis Corporation and the military. To test a new form of hyperspace travel, one that can go further and faster than anything that has come before. The team is highly skilled and highly motivated, though everything has not gone to plan. The original test pilot has been replaced by another military man, but he seems to be gelling well with the others. Everything seems to be going well, until the switch is pulled and alarms blast from every device. Stopping the crew finds they are out of communications with Earth, and things are not what they should be. They find themselves in a void, with nothing, no stars, no radiation, just sitting, and seemingly waiting for something. As the crew tries to figure out what has happened, things really start to go wrong. Crew members start to disappear, and worse something is knocking on the ship, as if wanting to come in. Though what could be in the void of space. Liv fears that eventually they might find out.
A book that is a mix of hard science fiction, a bit of psychological horror and cosmic horror. Thought the story is reminiscent of Event Horizon, and the classic horror movie From Beyond, the story is uniquely its own. I liked the mix, thought I wish it might have been a little more balanced. However this is a minor quibble. The book starts fast, keeping readers locks in and takes it time revealing things, not dropping too much information, or jump scares, letting the story play out. The book offers various points of view, and a lot of unreliable narrators, for reasons that become clear. There is a lot of exciting scenes, and Christopher does a good job of explaining things, especially the jump drive, and its components.
A spooky tale set in space, something that I am seeing a lot of recently and a trend that I enjoy. I liked this story, and as this is the first book by Adam Christopher I have read, I look forward to more by the author.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
2.5 stars
The nitty-gritty: Despite a solid story idea and plenty of tension, Crawlspace didn't deliver on the horror.
Crawlspace had so much potential, but unfortunately the execution did not work for me at all, which resulted in a slow paced space thriller with very little scares. It was also bogged down with page after page of technical jargon, which frustrated me to no end. The characters are lackluster, the horror is basically non existent, and a lot of the action didn’t make much sense. I know all that sounds grim, but there were some positives for me. Adam Christopher knows how to create tension and atmosphere, and while the plot wasn’t ground breaking, I loved the idea of cosmic horror in space.
The XK72 is about to leave on a test mission. Liv Halliday is the Mission Lead, and she’s excited because it’s her first trip to space. They will be testing the ship’s hyperdrive engine, called the SLIP drive. Along with her fellow crew members—Astrid Healey, Avery Cormack, Titus “Deak” Deacon, Mirai Ikeda and pilot Josef Redway—Liv prepares for launch. But although all the ship’s status lights are green, something goes wrong, and the XK72 ends up in the wrong place.
When Redway starts acting strangely and they discover that Astrid is missing, all hell breaks loose. Where is Astrid? Why is Redway writing over the mission program? And what is that strange knocking sound coming from the crawlspace of the ship? Things are about to get weird, and Liv and the others wonder if they’ll make it home alive.
Let’s start with the things I enjoyed. First, the tension is very well done. Christopher uses some tried-and-true tropes but they work. For example, after Astrid disappears, the rest of the crew have to split up to look for her, and in a horror story, splitting up is never a good idea! Then the strange noises and the visions start. Each crew member starts to see people that couldn’t possibly be there, like Mirai keeps seeing her dead sister Suki, and Liv sees Astrid even though she doesn’t appear to be on the ship. The other horror element that really worked was the crawlspace. While looking for Astrid, the crew starts tearing apart the ship, thinking she might be hiding somewhere. And when they take a wall panel off, they discover there’s a very dark crawlspace running throughout the ship. It’s the perfect hiding place, whether you’re human or something otherworldly, and I loved the claustrophobic feeling when the characters go inside.
The cover of Crawlspace is fantastic, but it sets up certain expectations which were not met, unfortunately. Yes, there is a tentacled creature that (finally) shows up on page 198, but it makes a brief and vague appearance and disappears a few paragraphs later. So while I wanted this to be more of a space creature/alien horror story, I was sorely disappointed.
The rest of the story is full of confusing action as the crew moves about the ship, trying to figure out what’s going on. With way too much technical information on every single page, I kept losing the thread of the plot while I was trying to make sense of how the ship operates, and while I do think tech speak can make the story feel more authentic, here it was overdone to the point of ruining the story for me.
In addition to more horror, I wanted the characters to be better developed. Some of my favorite horror stories hit me hard on an emotional level, and that’s mostly due to caring deeply about the characters. The author barely scratches the surface with his characters in this book, and I just couldn’t bring myself to care much about them. Astrid’s disappeared? Oh well. Mirai just got sucked into space? Sigh.
And while the last 30-40 pages were thrilling, and I did like the vague, dread-inducing ending, it was “too little, too late” for me.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
The nitty-gritty: Despite a solid story idea and plenty of tension, Crawlspace didn't deliver on the horror.
Crawlspace had so much potential, but unfortunately the execution did not work for me at all, which resulted in a slow paced space thriller with very little scares. It was also bogged down with page after page of technical jargon, which frustrated me to no end. The characters are lackluster, the horror is basically non existent, and a lot of the action didn’t make much sense. I know all that sounds grim, but there were some positives for me. Adam Christopher knows how to create tension and atmosphere, and while the plot wasn’t ground breaking, I loved the idea of cosmic horror in space.
The XK72 is about to leave on a test mission. Liv Halliday is the Mission Lead, and she’s excited because it’s her first trip to space. They will be testing the ship’s hyperdrive engine, called the SLIP drive. Along with her fellow crew members—Astrid Healey, Avery Cormack, Titus “Deak” Deacon, Mirai Ikeda and pilot Josef Redway—Liv prepares for launch. But although all the ship’s status lights are green, something goes wrong, and the XK72 ends up in the wrong place.
When Redway starts acting strangely and they discover that Astrid is missing, all hell breaks loose. Where is Astrid? Why is Redway writing over the mission program? And what is that strange knocking sound coming from the crawlspace of the ship? Things are about to get weird, and Liv and the others wonder if they’ll make it home alive.
Let’s start with the things I enjoyed. First, the tension is very well done. Christopher uses some tried-and-true tropes but they work. For example, after Astrid disappears, the rest of the crew have to split up to look for her, and in a horror story, splitting up is never a good idea! Then the strange noises and the visions start. Each crew member starts to see people that couldn’t possibly be there, like Mirai keeps seeing her dead sister Suki, and Liv sees Astrid even though she doesn’t appear to be on the ship. The other horror element that really worked was the crawlspace. While looking for Astrid, the crew starts tearing apart the ship, thinking she might be hiding somewhere. And when they take a wall panel off, they discover there’s a very dark crawlspace running throughout the ship. It’s the perfect hiding place, whether you’re human or something otherworldly, and I loved the claustrophobic feeling when the characters go inside.
The cover of Crawlspace is fantastic, but it sets up certain expectations which were not met, unfortunately. Yes, there is a tentacled creature that (finally) shows up on page 198, but it makes a brief and vague appearance and disappears a few paragraphs later. So while I wanted this to be more of a space creature/alien horror story, I was sorely disappointed.
The rest of the story is full of confusing action as the crew moves about the ship, trying to figure out what’s going on. With way too much technical information on every single page, I kept losing the thread of the plot while I was trying to make sense of how the ship operates, and while I do think tech speak can make the story feel more authentic, here it was overdone to the point of ruining the story for me.
In addition to more horror, I wanted the characters to be better developed. Some of my favorite horror stories hit me hard on an emotional level, and that’s mostly due to caring deeply about the characters. The author barely scratches the surface with his characters in this book, and I just couldn’t bring myself to care much about them. Astrid’s disappeared? Oh well. Mirai just got sucked into space? Sigh.
And while the last 30-40 pages were thrilling, and I did like the vague, dread-inducing ending, it was “too little, too late” for me.
With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The premise of Crawlspace by Adam Christopher is simple: a six-person research crew tests an experimental slipdrive and ends up marooned in deep space. I read this exclusively as an audiobook, and Jennifer Pickens does a great job narrating what she's been given. She speaks clearly enough I was able to pop up the speed to 1.5x to get through the last couple hours, and she does a commendable "kshhshhshh" sound effect.
My biggest disappointment with Crawlspace is how generic it feels. The ensemble cast really melts together, making it hard to tell when the POV has changed in the audiobook; several times I had to skip back a few minutes to figure out when we'd switched characters. I never really got a sense of who each character was enough to care about the worries that tormented them as they tried to repair the ship. The stakes of not making it home never reached beyond "we'll die", which are, in my opinion, very boring stakes when we're dealing with cosmic horror. This reads like a haunted house story, but instead of exploring the emotional landscape of the characters being haunted, the narration is intensely focused on how they go about fixing the fusebox.
I think Crawlspace also lacked worldbuilding that would have made it more interesting start to finish. We get next to no background information on the work Artemis does as a company, its partnership with the military, or what makes the spaceflight and FTL research the crew conducts so important. The ship's design is the focal point of the narrative, not the broader implications of the technology. That's not necessarily a bad thing! But it didn't work for me.
This would have landed as a three-star read for me if it wasn't for the repetitiveness of the scenes. Not only do most of the characters separately learn the same pieces of information, the same character will learn a piece of information I could swear they already found out chapters earlier. There's a lot of trying malfunctioning comms, going to sleep in weird places, waking up in weird places, and ignoring the cosmic horrors because they have work to do. The tension relies on the reader not knowing what's going on, which ultimately amounts to very little actually going on.
I also fall into the camp of not liking the ending. A major reveal seems to happen off the page, in the span of a single scene break, leaving me confused and relistening to the first few minutes of the chapter trying to figure out how we got there. This goes back to the generic characters and flat emotional stakes and wanting readers to be totally in the dark—there's not really anything in the lead-up to this moment that makes it feel earned or possible to predict, which makes it feel tacked on for the sake of surprising the reader.
Finally, a tiny nitpicky gripe: I found the chapter titles really took me out of the eerie atmosphere Crawlspace was trying to create.
I think this will appeal to fans of Mouthwashing (yes, the game) who are looking to read something popcorn-y and slightly spooky with hard sci-fi elements. You'll find the crew dynamics of Alien, with the cosmic weirdness of Event Horizon and Solaris. From the book world, I would compare it to The Outside by Ada Hoffman, Blindsight by Peter Watts, and—hear me out—Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant.
The premise of Crawlspace by Adam Christopher is simple: a six-person research crew tests an experimental slipdrive and ends up marooned in deep space. I read this exclusively as an audiobook, and Jennifer Pickens does a great job narrating what she's been given. She speaks clearly enough I was able to pop up the speed to 1.5x to get through the last couple hours, and she does a commendable "kshhshhshh" sound effect.
My biggest disappointment with Crawlspace is how generic it feels. The ensemble cast really melts together, making it hard to tell when the POV has changed in the audiobook; several times I had to skip back a few minutes to figure out when we'd switched characters. I never really got a sense of who each character was enough to care about the worries that tormented them as they tried to repair the ship. The stakes of not making it home never reached beyond "we'll die", which are, in my opinion, very boring stakes when we're dealing with cosmic horror. This reads like a haunted house story, but instead of exploring the emotional landscape of the characters being haunted, the narration is intensely focused on how they go about fixing the fusebox.
I think Crawlspace also lacked worldbuilding that would have made it more interesting start to finish. We get next to no background information on the work Artemis does as a company, its partnership with the military, or what makes the spaceflight and FTL research the crew conducts so important. The ship's design is the focal point of the narrative, not the broader implications of the technology. That's not necessarily a bad thing! But it didn't work for me.
This would have landed as a three-star read for me if it wasn't for the repetitiveness of the scenes. Not only do most of the characters separately learn the same pieces of information, the same character will learn a piece of information I could swear they already found out chapters earlier. There's a lot of trying malfunctioning comms, going to sleep in weird places, waking up in weird places, and ignoring the cosmic horrors because they have work to do. The tension relies on the reader not knowing what's going on, which ultimately amounts to very little actually going on.
I also fall into the camp of not liking the ending. A major reveal seems to happen off the page, in the span of a single scene break, leaving me confused and relistening to the first few minutes of the chapter trying to figure out how we got there. This goes back to the generic characters and flat emotional stakes and wanting readers to be totally in the dark—there's not really anything in the lead-up to this moment that makes it feel earned or possible to predict, which makes it feel tacked on for the sake of surprising the reader.
Finally, a tiny nitpicky gripe: I found the chapter titles really took me out of the eerie atmosphere Crawlspace was trying to create.
I think this will appeal to fans of Mouthwashing (yes, the game) who are looking to read something popcorn-y and slightly spooky with hard sci-fi elements. You'll find the crew dynamics of Alien, with the cosmic weirdness of Event Horizon and Solaris. From the book world, I would compare it to The Outside by Ada Hoffman, Blindsight by Peter Watts, and—hear me out—Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant.
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