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THE KNOCKING
"Space Horror at its most claustrophobic, paranoid, and unhinged. If you like your horror sharp, weird, and deeply disturbing, The Knocking delivers."--Chapter And Charm
"Even a week later, I am still thinking about this book. In true Kent fashion, he leads you in a direction and then pulls the rug beneath your feet."--Alyssa's Novel Nook
Ryan and Leo, two explorers sent to the edge of a far-off galaxy to chart a new frontier. With years of the journey spent in cryogenic sleep, Leo awakens first, tasked with preparing the ship and systems before Ryan joins him.
As Leo battles the crushing weight of isolation, memories of Earth begin to distort and fade. Loneliness blooms into something darker, more insidious. When Ryan finally awakens, it should be a moment of relief. Instead, it marks the beginning of a nightmare.
Something is wrong. The ship feels different. Ryan is no longer the man Leo remembers him to be. And whatever darkness followed them into the void...It's hungry.
From the twisted imagination behind the highly acclaimed horror short story, My Daughter. Comes a descent into terror among the stars. Unnerving, emotional, and deeply disturbing. This space horror will slither deep under your skin, begging to tear free. Can you hear it? The knocking?
Warning! Extreme Horror.
"Even a week later, I am still thinking about this book. In true Kent fashion, he leads you in a direction and then pulls the rug beneath your feet."--Alyssa's Novel Nook
Ryan and Leo, two explorers sent to the edge of a far-off galaxy to chart a new frontier. With years of the journey spent in cryogenic sleep, Leo awakens first, tasked with preparing the ship and systems before Ryan joins him.
As Leo battles the crushing weight of isolation, memories of Earth begin to distort and fade. Loneliness blooms into something darker, more insidious. When Ryan finally awakens, it should be a moment of relief. Instead, it marks the beginning of a nightmare.
Something is wrong. The ship feels different. Ryan is no longer the man Leo remembers him to be. And whatever darkness followed them into the void...It's hungry.
From the twisted imagination behind the highly acclaimed horror short story, My Daughter. Comes a descent into terror among the stars. Unnerving, emotional, and deeply disturbing. This space horror will slither deep under your skin, begging to tear free. Can you hear it? The knocking?
Warning! Extreme Horror.
- GenresHorrorScience Fiction
41 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2025
4 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Jed Kent
16 books73 followersJed Kent is a masterful weaver of psychological thrillers and horror, drawing readers into the shadowy depths of the human psyche with his gripping narratives. Residing in the picturesque Pacific Northwest (PNW), Jed finds himself surrounded by the region's natural beauty and enigmatic landscapes, which serve as the perfect canvas for his dark and intricate stories.
Alongside his wife and family, Jed lives a life that balances the tranquility of the PNW with the thrill of crafting stories that challenge the boundaries between reality and the macabre. His novels are not just books but portals to worlds where the line between sanity and madness is as thin as the paper they're printed on.
Join him as he continues to explore the darkest corners of the human experience, leaving readers both haunted and eagerly anticipating what nightmares he will conjure up next.
Alongside his wife and family, Jed lives a life that balances the tranquility of the PNW with the thrill of crafting stories that challenge the boundaries between reality and the macabre. His novels are not just books but portals to worlds where the line between sanity and madness is as thin as the paper they're printed on.
Join him as he continues to explore the darkest corners of the human experience, leaving readers both haunted and eagerly anticipating what nightmares he will conjure up next.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 14, 2025
Total insanity... in space! Gravity meets Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart": extreme sci-fi horror at its best!
Aboard a space vessel, Leo wakes up after years of cryogenic sleep; isolated, paranoid, distrustful and fearful. He's watching Ryan, his crew mate, who's better than him in everything. That's it. That's the premise of this super-claustrophobic story. And in less than 40 pages, Jed Kent turns the paranoia up to eleven! The tension escalating... and then it's Ryan's turn to wake up. So who's been knocking on the walls all this time, crying out to be let back in? Damn you, Leo, what have you done man?
The human heart is complex, and it can justify anything. Jed Kent picks up on this time-worn truth, and builds a serpentine story of subtle evil, with a nightmarish twist in the end. Highly recommended!
Aboard a space vessel, Leo wakes up after years of cryogenic sleep; isolated, paranoid, distrustful and fearful. He's watching Ryan, his crew mate, who's better than him in everything. That's it. That's the premise of this super-claustrophobic story. And in less than 40 pages, Jed Kent turns the paranoia up to eleven! The tension escalating... and then it's Ryan's turn to wake up. So who's been knocking on the walls all this time, crying out to be let back in? Damn you, Leo, what have you done man?
The human heart is complex, and it can justify anything. Jed Kent picks up on this time-worn truth, and builds a serpentine story of subtle evil, with a nightmarish twist in the end. Highly recommended!
June 22, 2025
I’m still thinking about this book more than a week later. In true Kent fashion he leads you in a direction just to pull the rug beneath your feet!
It’s an amazing short story and definitely not what you expect. A horror story, based in space.
It’s an amazing short story and definitely not what you expect. A horror story, based in space.
June 29, 2025
Years into a space mission, Leo awakens and begins his task of getting the ship ready before his crew mate Ryan wakes up. When the time finally arrives for Ryan to wake up, Leo is troubled. Something just isn’t right. The ship feels different. Ryan feels different. Then the knocking starts.
Jed Kent has a way of writing that pulls you in and keeps you in a chokehold until the end. The story flows at a breakneck speed and doesn’t ever slow down. You feel everything Leo does (whether you want to or not). The claustrophobic space pod, the empty void, and the lingering dread propel you through the story until you hit the insane ending that will have you rethinking everything you thought you knew. Jed won’t let you take anything for granted.
If you’re looking for a fast, twisted, and blood soaked thrill ride, then make sure you book your place on the ship with Leo and Ryan on July 29th!
Jed Kent has a way of writing that pulls you in and keeps you in a chokehold until the end. The story flows at a breakneck speed and doesn’t ever slow down. You feel everything Leo does (whether you want to or not). The claustrophobic space pod, the empty void, and the lingering dread propel you through the story until you hit the insane ending that will have you rethinking everything you thought you knew. Jed won’t let you take anything for granted.
If you’re looking for a fast, twisted, and blood soaked thrill ride, then make sure you book your place on the ship with Leo and Ryan on July 29th!
July 13, 2025
After years in space, Leo awakes from his cryogenic sleep pod. Four days to wait until his crew mate Ryan awakes. But when the knocking starts. Leo has to question, is all what it seems?
The claustrophobia this creates is astounding; overwhelming tension and dread created by sheer immersion in the story. When it goes extreme, trust me, I mean extreme.
You will guess and second guess, and you will fail. This sucks you in like a black hole and there is no escape.
What is absolutely astounding is all this is in a story less than 40 pages!
Mark your diary for 29 July. You cannot miss this one!
The claustrophobia this creates is astounding; overwhelming tension and dread created by sheer immersion in the story. When it goes extreme, trust me, I mean extreme.
You will guess and second guess, and you will fail. This sucks you in like a black hole and there is no escape.
What is absolutely astounding is all this is in a story less than 40 pages!
Mark your diary for 29 July. You cannot miss this one!
July 23, 2025
Y’ALL.
This is space horror at its most claustrophobic, paranoid, and unhinged. Jed Kent doesn’t just write fear—he injects it straight into your bloodstream. His characters? Wrecked. His pacing? Ruthless. His atmosphere? Like breathing dread.
It’s only five chapters, but every word hits like a hammer.
If you like your horror sharp, weird, and deeply disturbing—The Knocking delivers.
Short. Brutal. Brilliant.
Jed Kent, you beautiful menace. You did it again.
📌 Rating: 5/5 space screams you can’t unhear
This is space horror at its most claustrophobic, paranoid, and unhinged. Jed Kent doesn’t just write fear—he injects it straight into your bloodstream. His characters? Wrecked. His pacing? Ruthless. His atmosphere? Like breathing dread.
It’s only five chapters, but every word hits like a hammer.
If you like your horror sharp, weird, and deeply disturbing—The Knocking delivers.
Short. Brutal. Brilliant.
Jed Kent, you beautiful menace. You did it again.
📌 Rating: 5/5 space screams you can’t unhear
August 12, 2025
rounding up from 4.5 stars
This short story very quickly had me on pins and needles. Claustrophobia isn't generally an issue for me, but there are two locked rooms situations that get to me and that's being trapped under water and being stuck in space. I mean, what can be more isolating than being alone in space?
Only a short way into the story and I had mental whiplash. I didn't know what to believe. Then the end came with the truth. The truth was something I never would have ever contemplated.
This short story very quickly had me on pins and needles. Claustrophobia isn't generally an issue for me, but there are two locked rooms situations that get to me and that's being trapped under water and being stuck in space. I mean, what can be more isolating than being alone in space?
Only a short way into the story and I had mental whiplash. I didn't know what to believe. Then the end came with the truth. The truth was something I never would have ever contemplated.
June 27, 2025
Ryan and Leo have been in a cryogenic sleep for years on board a vessel in space. Tasked with charting a new frontier, the two men have spent countless hours training for the mission. Leo is the first to awaken from the induced slumber, and is in charge of preparing the systems and everything else before Ryan wakes up. But the isolation slowly seeps insidiously, causing Leo to experience disturbing effects. When Ryan wakes up the nightmare begins. And the knocking from outside of the ship starts.
If Jed Kent writes it, I will read it. I have followed his author journey from The Beastly Whispers on until this gem. I am usually not a fan of space fiction but when Kent had started this as a short story in a Facebook group, it grabbed my attention. So naturally I had to read it, and I was not disappointed! The thing with Kent's writing is that it makes you feel all of the emotions while reading it. Dripping with ominous vibes and suffocating claustrophobia, The Knocking is no exception. For such a short (under 40 pages) story, it definitely packed a lot into it. If you are looking for a short but gripping extreme space horror, please don't miss out on this one!
Thank you as always to Jed Kent for letting yet another story set up camp in my brain for the foreseeable future! Expected publication date is July 29th.
If Jed Kent writes it, I will read it. I have followed his author journey from The Beastly Whispers on until this gem. I am usually not a fan of space fiction but when Kent had started this as a short story in a Facebook group, it grabbed my attention. So naturally I had to read it, and I was not disappointed! The thing with Kent's writing is that it makes you feel all of the emotions while reading it. Dripping with ominous vibes and suffocating claustrophobia, The Knocking is no exception. For such a short (under 40 pages) story, it definitely packed a lot into it. If you are looking for a short but gripping extreme space horror, please don't miss out on this one!
Thank you as always to Jed Kent for letting yet another story set up camp in my brain for the foreseeable future! Expected publication date is July 29th.
August 21, 2025
Absence makes the heart grow fonder…or some such shizzit. It can also test the limits of sanity, as Leo is about to find out…
The duration of their mission was seven years, and now that it is nearing completion, Leo has awakened from cryogenic suspension. While he waits for his shipmate, Ryan, to join the land of the living, he spends his days and nights readying the ship for the final phase of their journey, his own footsteps unnaturally loud in the claustrophobic space. Though he’s loath to admit it, he isn’t entirely sure all of the footsteps are his own. Plagued by worsening dreams even before he awakened, Leo can feel himself slip-slip-slipping away and will be relieved to have actual human companionship once more.
But Ryan’s awakening doesn’t bring the peace of mind that Leo had hoped for. If anything, it only makes things worse. Outside the ship, somebody—some THING—is knocking. It has Ryan’s voice…and it wants to come inside.
Kent’s ultra-tense tale is reminiscent of some of the best episodes of TV’s Black Mirror. You literally feel Leo struggle to hold on to himself as the pieces just keep falling away, slowly revealing a reality that is shocking, perverse, and at times, unexpectedly erotic. Visceral and intense, you’ll want to read this with all the lights on. Or not—if that’s your thing.
But if something comes knocking, I’d think twice before answering that door…
The duration of their mission was seven years, and now that it is nearing completion, Leo has awakened from cryogenic suspension. While he waits for his shipmate, Ryan, to join the land of the living, he spends his days and nights readying the ship for the final phase of their journey, his own footsteps unnaturally loud in the claustrophobic space. Though he’s loath to admit it, he isn’t entirely sure all of the footsteps are his own. Plagued by worsening dreams even before he awakened, Leo can feel himself slip-slip-slipping away and will be relieved to have actual human companionship once more.
But Ryan’s awakening doesn’t bring the peace of mind that Leo had hoped for. If anything, it only makes things worse. Outside the ship, somebody—some THING—is knocking. It has Ryan’s voice…and it wants to come inside.
Kent’s ultra-tense tale is reminiscent of some of the best episodes of TV’s Black Mirror. You literally feel Leo struggle to hold on to himself as the pieces just keep falling away, slowly revealing a reality that is shocking, perverse, and at times, unexpectedly erotic. Visceral and intense, you’ll want to read this with all the lights on. Or not—if that’s your thing.
But if something comes knocking, I’d think twice before answering that door…
August 1, 2025
It’ll grab ahold of you by the nape of your neck!
Jed Kent’s The Knocking is a tight little story where logic and expectations are suspended in the bizarre, nightmarish like quality of surrealism for astronauts Leo and his partner Ryan. Two deep space explorers sent to chart the edge of the galaxy.
Leo and Ryan have spent many years together in cryogenic sleep and they are both very familiar with the deep loneliness and quietness of space and what that means. Both smart, strong, sturdy, and educated individuals they know not to jump to conclusions or lose their heads in stressful situations. But when the impossible all of the sudden proves itself probable when someone comes knocking on your pressurized sealed door, what’s an astronaut to do?
The fear factor in this story is definitely palpable. It’ll grab ahold of you by the nape of your neck and with a pinch of foreboding keep ahold of you until it’s worked its way down into your excited little heart. And once you reach what you’ve come for you’ll be amazed and you will definitely say, “Damn, I didn’t see that coming!” 😮 5⭐️
Jed Kent’s The Knocking is a tight little story where logic and expectations are suspended in the bizarre, nightmarish like quality of surrealism for astronauts Leo and his partner Ryan. Two deep space explorers sent to chart the edge of the galaxy.
Leo and Ryan have spent many years together in cryogenic sleep and they are both very familiar with the deep loneliness and quietness of space and what that means. Both smart, strong, sturdy, and educated individuals they know not to jump to conclusions or lose their heads in stressful situations. But when the impossible all of the sudden proves itself probable when someone comes knocking on your pressurized sealed door, what’s an astronaut to do?
The fear factor in this story is definitely palpable. It’ll grab ahold of you by the nape of your neck and with a pinch of foreboding keep ahold of you until it’s worked its way down into your excited little heart. And once you reach what you’ve come for you’ll be amazed and you will definitely say, “Damn, I didn’t see that coming!” 😮 5⭐️
July 18, 2025
The Knocking by Jed Kent
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Love this dark and intense short story!! It has lots of crazy thrills and sci-fi horror! It’s totally wild and disturbing!
Being on a ship in outer space can’t be an easy thing to handle. Leo has been in space essentially alone for a while and is mentally feeling the effects! His teammate Ryan, has been in a sleep induced state and Leo has been waiting for him to wake up.
Leo doesn’t know if he’s going crazy or if weird things are happening inside and outside of the ship.
The knocking begins…
This story definitely threw me for a loop! I did not have this plot figured out at all! I love all of the suspense and creepiness.
This is a super fast read and I didn’t move from beginning to the end of this story!
Thanks to Jed Kent for an arc of this fantastic story!! Being trapped in a space ship sounds horrible to me!
*This book comes out July 29th and is a MUST read!!*
🚀🩸🪐🩸🧑🚀
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Love this dark and intense short story!! It has lots of crazy thrills and sci-fi horror! It’s totally wild and disturbing!
Being on a ship in outer space can’t be an easy thing to handle. Leo has been in space essentially alone for a while and is mentally feeling the effects! His teammate Ryan, has been in a sleep induced state and Leo has been waiting for him to wake up.
Leo doesn’t know if he’s going crazy or if weird things are happening inside and outside of the ship.
The knocking begins…
This story definitely threw me for a loop! I did not have this plot figured out at all! I love all of the suspense and creepiness.
This is a super fast read and I didn’t move from beginning to the end of this story!
Thanks to Jed Kent for an arc of this fantastic story!! Being trapped in a space ship sounds horrible to me!
*This book comes out July 29th and is a MUST read!!*
🚀🩸🪐🩸🧑🚀
July 12, 2025
Jed! Ya know, I'd like to think of myself as fairly observant to the little things. I never mind if I can "see the twist" coming. It's all part of the fun in reading. But, nah. Not with Jed Kent's books.
The Knocking delivers a little cosmic story of madness. While you're reading it, you may think it's horrific enough...but when you get to the end, you're left there just staring at last line.
You know when you're getting your blood drawn? That moment of hesitation where you know the needle is gonna hurt going in, and you're ready for it to be done? You know it's not *that bad*, but it still makes you kinda hold your breath? This one gave me that feeling all during the middle. The anxiety and hesitation of it all...
In true Kent fashion, he leaves you with a psychological horror nugget to be experienced.
The Knocking delivers a little cosmic story of madness. While you're reading it, you may think it's horrific enough...but when you get to the end, you're left there just staring at last line.
You know when you're getting your blood drawn? That moment of hesitation where you know the needle is gonna hurt going in, and you're ready for it to be done? You know it's not *that bad*, but it still makes you kinda hold your breath? This one gave me that feeling all during the middle. The anxiety and hesitation of it all...
In true Kent fashion, he leaves you with a psychological horror nugget to be experienced.
July 29, 2025
The Knocking may be short, but it really packs a punch! From the start, you feel the claustrophobia, dread and isolation along with Leo who wakes in his cryogenic pod alongside his crew mate Ryan. However, something doesn’t feel right, and there is still some time before Ryan will wake up…
“They can’t train you for this. They can’t prepare you for the toll it takes when the silence starts eating away at you. When you don’t know what’s real anymore.”
I enjoyed Kent’s writing and the extreme horror elements within the story. It was descriptive and flowed smoothly. I feel Kent has a way with words. I also enjoyed the ending a lot as it makes you think about the human psyche and our emotions.
I read this short story twice, because it really is that good. This is the first thing I have read by Kent and it will not be the last. Thank you to the author for providing a copy!
“They can’t train you for this. They can’t prepare you for the toll it takes when the silence starts eating away at you. When you don’t know what’s real anymore.”
I enjoyed Kent’s writing and the extreme horror elements within the story. It was descriptive and flowed smoothly. I feel Kent has a way with words. I also enjoyed the ending a lot as it makes you think about the human psyche and our emotions.
I read this short story twice, because it really is that good. This is the first thing I have read by Kent and it will not be the last. Thank you to the author for providing a copy!
June 23, 2025
Not a big sci-fi fan but when I saw Kent had made an extreme horror in space I knew I had to read it. So glad I did. This is one messed up story. I think it's his most disturbing/disgusting story yet. I don't know how he makes up the sh*t that he does. It's written so well that it pulls you right into the story. And the endings almost always fill you with dread and disgust. This was no exception. I feel comfortable saying that Kent is an author to watch out for. If he writes it I am going to read it. Not once have I been disappointed. I think this is even better than My Daughter and that is saying something.
I can't stop thinking about The Knocking.
Get this on your list.
I can't stop thinking about The Knocking.
Get this on your list.
July 18, 2025
I am on such a sci-fi space kick, and this hit the spot.
Also, this happens to be a pet favorite of mine for scifi, I love a random person waking up early or even waking up from cryo sleep in general and nothing being as it should or seeming like that.
Leo has some issues, but who wouldn't, but then he gets a little odd about Ryan, the other crew member that should be waking up soon, but if Ryan is asleep, where is the knocking coming from...
The tension was ratcheted up to 30 on this one for me, and I could not wait to finish it, how all this fit into only like 40 pages, I don't know, but fantastic.
Also, this happens to be a pet favorite of mine for scifi, I love a random person waking up early or even waking up from cryo sleep in general and nothing being as it should or seeming like that.
Leo has some issues, but who wouldn't, but then he gets a little odd about Ryan, the other crew member that should be waking up soon, but if Ryan is asleep, where is the knocking coming from...
The tension was ratcheted up to 30 on this one for me, and I could not wait to finish it, how all this fit into only like 40 pages, I don't know, but fantastic.
August 9, 2025
What did I just read?!
This extreme horror story by Jed Kent was a crazy ride. I don't even know how to put it into words. It was intense, at times graphic, and made me question Jed's sanity as well as my own. All that being said, I couldn't put it down. I had to see how this was going to play out.
If you like horror and sci fi, this is probably a good book for you. It's a quick read and I definitely recommend it. Just make sure you are up to date on all anxiety and heart meds first.
This extreme horror story by Jed Kent was a crazy ride. I don't even know how to put it into words. It was intense, at times graphic, and made me question Jed's sanity as well as my own. All that being said, I couldn't put it down. I had to see how this was going to play out.
If you like horror and sci fi, this is probably a good book for you. It's a quick read and I definitely recommend it. Just make sure you are up to date on all anxiety and heart meds first.
July 29, 2025
Wowza! This short story is definitely long-lasting on your mind and soul! The knocking will stay with you long after you close the book! It has suspense, gore, twists and emotions. How?! How can you have that all in such a short read?! I deem Jed Kent prince of the short horror stories because man, he NEVER disappoints!
July 13, 2025
The Tell Tale Heart in space! Wow this was an intense read. Fast paced, really well written, grotesque story. Two men in space for 7 years, alone, but then something starts knocking on the outside of the ship….
July 31, 2025
Phenomenal space horror story. It is short and it is graphic. In true Jed Kent fashion it was descriptive, twisty, and turns my stomach. At least this one only did it twice, wince once, and question am I a glutton for punishment. Why do I read books that turn my stomach queasy?
August 11, 2025
Omg! This story was badass!! Total spooky and creepy the setting was perfect. It toyed with psych throughout the whole way. The ending was totally gnarly, and I loved it!! I want a longer story of this… so damn good.
August 21, 2025
Twilight Zone Feel
This had me thinking about The Twilight Zone, as I read this.
So I was expecting a twist at the end. Which for me did not come. Not like The Twilight Zone would have done it.
This had me thinking about The Twilight Zone, as I read this.
So I was expecting a twist at the end. Which for me did not come. Not like The Twilight Zone would have done it.
June 23, 2025
I felt like the walls were caving in reading this. Every sound made me jump.
This story if five stars of dread and nauseating visuals.
Almost ashamed to say I loved it. Damn you!
This story if five stars of dread and nauseating visuals.
Almost ashamed to say I loved it. Damn you!
June 24, 2025
A space mission takes a turn when an unexpected sound occurs. What is outside the ship? Unexpected ending. In space, it's hard to know what's real.
August 1, 2025
This is one of the best—if not the best—short stories I've read all year. It grabs hold of you and doesn't let go until the very end. I highly recommend it.
August 1, 2025
Well this is a disgusting little adventure in space.
Both my retinas wanted to detach as I was reading this, but I convinced them to stay.
They are not the same though.
Both my retinas wanted to detach as I was reading this, but I convinced them to stay.
They are not the same though.
December 18, 2025
In space, no one can hear you scream… except for Leo, he can hear screaming.
July 30, 2025
As soon as I saw that Jed Kent had written a space horror story I knew I had to check it out. It does not disappoint! I think everyone who enjoys extreme horror will absolutely love this…and BONUS: It’s in SPACE! Honestly, I read a lot of horror so I’m not easily shaken but this story got to me. The day after reading it, I woke up in the morning thinking about it…and I’m still thinking about it days later. I haven’t been this traumatized by a story since I read “The Raft” by Stephen King as a kid. I highly recommend it!
December 8, 2025
When I saw this only being 41 pages I was truly curious on how we’d get a full story in that length. Let it be known that I now know to trust the process 🤣
This is an absolutely insane novella in the best of ways. The tension is so thick I promise you won’t put this down until you’ve read it cover to cover. There’s enough of a backstory that you feel up to speed but nothing is oversimplified or overexplained. The claustrophobic vibe is a strong 20/10 and the description of being extreme horror is NOT an exaggeration. 👀 I guarantee that the plot twists will leave you speechless and almost wanting more.
This is an absolutely insane novella in the best of ways. The tension is so thick I promise you won’t put this down until you’ve read it cover to cover. There’s enough of a backstory that you feel up to speed but nothing is oversimplified or overexplained. The claustrophobic vibe is a strong 20/10 and the description of being extreme horror is NOT an exaggeration. 👀 I guarantee that the plot twists will leave you speechless and almost wanting more.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews