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Spaced Out #1
Spaced Out
I swear I'm not crazy.
One minute I'm closing up the coffee shop during a power outage, and the next I'm waking up in yesterday's clothes with a migraine and a stranger's phone in my bag. Oh, and no memory of the last thirty-six days.
Welcome to my life in Rättvik, Washington, where people are disappearing and shadowy figures keep popping up in my kitchen. The aggressively naked swamp man in the woods? Pretty sure he has something to do with it. Small towns are supposed to be boring. I guess mine didn't get the memo.
The guy who might hold the key to everything? my enigmatic bird-watching neighbor who knows way too much about me. He's definitely hiding something, potentially dangerous, and looks way too good in a wool cardigan.
If I can piece together what happened during my missing month and figure out why people keep vanishing, I might just avoid being next.
Told through Elen's sharp, neurodivergent voice and the third-person perspective of the mysterious Adrian, SPACED OUT is a sci-fi adventure full of humor, heart, and delightfully bizarre small-town chaos that will appeal to fans of Christopher Moore, A. Lee Martinez, and John Scalzi.
One minute I'm closing up the coffee shop during a power outage, and the next I'm waking up in yesterday's clothes with a migraine and a stranger's phone in my bag. Oh, and no memory of the last thirty-six days.
Welcome to my life in Rättvik, Washington, where people are disappearing and shadowy figures keep popping up in my kitchen. The aggressively naked swamp man in the woods? Pretty sure he has something to do with it. Small towns are supposed to be boring. I guess mine didn't get the memo.
The guy who might hold the key to everything? my enigmatic bird-watching neighbor who knows way too much about me. He's definitely hiding something, potentially dangerous, and looks way too good in a wool cardigan.
If I can piece together what happened during my missing month and figure out why people keep vanishing, I might just avoid being next.
Told through Elen's sharp, neurodivergent voice and the third-person perspective of the mysterious Adrian, SPACED OUT is a sci-fi adventure full of humor, heart, and delightfully bizarre small-town chaos that will appeal to fans of Christopher Moore, A. Lee Martinez, and John Scalzi.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2025
About the author
Dorian Lane
2 books6 followersDorian Lane is the author of one book and hopefully, soon, many more. She comes from a small island in Puget Sound where it's safe to say everyone is an aggressively territorial stinging insect in disguise. Her hobbies include coffee snobbery, hair dye that makes grandparents grumpy, and cuddling with her traumatized rescue dog who farts out what she's convinced are evil ghosts.
She can usually be found reading or playing video games into the wee hours of the morning because sleep is a social construct she chooses not to participate in. SPACED OUT is her debut novel.
She can usually be found reading or playing video games into the wee hours of the morning because sleep is a social construct she chooses not to participate in. SPACED OUT is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 9, 2025
**For transparency, Dorian is my friend and I was given a copy of Spaced Out for an honest review.**
If you like the creepy vibes of the Xfiles, the damp forests of the Pacific northwest and coffee you'll like this small town, urban sci-fi, mystery novel.
Spaced Out is about ADHD and coffee fueled Elen who's awoken with a whole month missing from her memory.
Creepy shadows, missing people, and weird notes appear as Elen tries to figure out what happened but there's more to it than a simple missing persons case.
A bit about me is that I love, sci-fi, mystery and the vibes of the Pacific northwest. This ticks pretty much all those boxes for me. I can feel the dampness as though I'm there in the town of Rättvik wondering down to The Basement bookstore and cafe.
The characters were just as vivid as the setting and Sig (Elen's little brother) is my favourite of them all. He is very much a brother. if that makes any sense to anyone...no? just me.
Our other POV character Adrian is very clear as well and the complete opposite to Elen. The bird facts at the beginning of his chapters are a nice touch. I can definitely picture both him and Elen as people I know in the real world.
The reason this isn't quite a 5 star read for me was because it just took a little bit to get into Elens head at the beginning. I'm not sure why so it might be a me thing. It also wasn't my favourite ending but that makes sense given it's the first of a series and I like to know all the answers... That's definitely a me thing though!
Anyways, this was a fun read, it doesn't take itself too seriously but still has those slightly eerie vibes. And has gotten me out of a reading slump which I greatly appreciate. I would definitely recommend it to those who think any of what I said is helpful and I hope this gets the readers it deserves.
Excellent!! - Once you read it you'll know....
If you like the creepy vibes of the Xfiles, the damp forests of the Pacific northwest and coffee you'll like this small town, urban sci-fi, mystery novel.
Spaced Out is about ADHD and coffee fueled Elen who's awoken with a whole month missing from her memory.
Creepy shadows, missing people, and weird notes appear as Elen tries to figure out what happened but there's more to it than a simple missing persons case.
A bit about me is that I love, sci-fi, mystery and the vibes of the Pacific northwest. This ticks pretty much all those boxes for me. I can feel the dampness as though I'm there in the town of Rättvik wondering down to The Basement bookstore and cafe.
The characters were just as vivid as the setting and Sig (Elen's little brother) is my favourite of them all. He is very much a brother. if that makes any sense to anyone...no? just me.
Our other POV character Adrian is very clear as well and the complete opposite to Elen. The bird facts at the beginning of his chapters are a nice touch. I can definitely picture both him and Elen as people I know in the real world.
The reason this isn't quite a 5 star read for me was because it just took a little bit to get into Elens head at the beginning. I'm not sure why so it might be a me thing. It also wasn't my favourite ending but that makes sense given it's the first of a series and I like to know all the answers... That's definitely a me thing though!
Anyways, this was a fun read, it doesn't take itself too seriously but still has those slightly eerie vibes. And has gotten me out of a reading slump which I greatly appreciate. I would definitely recommend it to those who think any of what I said is helpful and I hope this gets the readers it deserves.
Excellent!! - Once you read it you'll know....
November 4, 2025
Dorian Lane’s Spaced Out is a brilliantly offbeat blend of small-town absurdity, science fiction mystery, and wry humor that lands somewhere between Good Omens and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. From the opening line, “I swear I’m not crazy”, Lane hooks the reader with a voice so distinct and chaotic that it feels alive on the page.
The protagonist, Elen, is a wonderfully neurodivergent narrator whose sharp observations and sardonic wit carry the story with energy and heart. Her missing thirty-six days become the core of an investigation that’s equal parts eerie and hilarious, and as strange phenomena unfold, vanishing neighbors, shadowy figures, and an aggressively naked swamp man, Lane manages to balance comedy and tension with remarkable finesse.
The alternating perspectives between Elen and her mysterious neighbor, Adrian, create a dynamic interplay that deepens the intrigue. Their chemistry simmers quietly beneath the surface, adding emotional weight to a story that could easily have been pure farce. Instead, Spaced Out becomes something richer: a quirky yet thoughtful exploration of identity, perception, and belonging.
Lane’s prose is crisp, cinematic, and confident, with dialogue that crackles and pacing that never lags. The small-town setting of Rättvik, Washington, is both cozy and unsettling, a perfect backdrop for a tale that’s equal parts heartwarming and strange. For readers who enjoy speculative fiction with personality, intelligence, and a hint of chaos, this is an unforgettable ride.
The protagonist, Elen, is a wonderfully neurodivergent narrator whose sharp observations and sardonic wit carry the story with energy and heart. Her missing thirty-six days become the core of an investigation that’s equal parts eerie and hilarious, and as strange phenomena unfold, vanishing neighbors, shadowy figures, and an aggressively naked swamp man, Lane manages to balance comedy and tension with remarkable finesse.
The alternating perspectives between Elen and her mysterious neighbor, Adrian, create a dynamic interplay that deepens the intrigue. Their chemistry simmers quietly beneath the surface, adding emotional weight to a story that could easily have been pure farce. Instead, Spaced Out becomes something richer: a quirky yet thoughtful exploration of identity, perception, and belonging.
Lane’s prose is crisp, cinematic, and confident, with dialogue that crackles and pacing that never lags. The small-town setting of Rättvik, Washington, is both cozy and unsettling, a perfect backdrop for a tale that’s equal parts heartwarming and strange. For readers who enjoy speculative fiction with personality, intelligence, and a hint of chaos, this is an unforgettable ride.
April 7, 2026
What does a bunch of missing people, a group of people with specific time block amnesia and shadow monsters have in common? Spaced Out follows Elen Berg as she tries to figure out all of these things while dealing with her own month long amnesia. With weird shadow monsters showing up in her apartment, her phone accidentally swapped with a stranger, she starts backtracking her life with her brother. Along the way, she has run ins with the local conspiracy theorist, newcomer Adrian, who may or may not be behind all of these mysteries, ends up taking in the dog of one of the missing and that she now belongs to a metal tribute band. All the while, Elen, who is ADHD, has to deal with her sensory overwhelm and a depleted social battery from to many human interactions, but through it all, discovers some new found friends that stick by her when things get tough. Spaced Out comes with a great mystery, lots of sci-fi references, a built in playlist courtesy of the chapter titles and great neurodivergent representation. I also like the fact that I didn't see any plot or story twists along the way.
October 27, 2025
Well… I’m not sure what I just read but it was definitely spunky! I’m a big fan of science fiction (though robots are a higher draw than aliens, in general). There was absolutely nothing WRONG with this story but it simply didn’t draw me in. Fun little story, a few clever twists, dry humor and snarky commentary. If you love all those things, go for it. I was just… looking for something a little more exciting. I can’t pinpoint what that thing would’ve been, so it’s possible it was just a mood thing. 🤷🏻♀️
January 9, 2026
This book is an enjoyable read, certainly something to take your mind off the seriousness of every day life and leave you pondering as to what on earth is going on, in a comical way.
The Chapters are neatly layered in an order which allows fluidity, as well as being written in an understandable good manner. Humor is abound, and I certainly did not anticipate the ending.
Characters are gradually constructed as we learn something new in each chapter. Definitely worth a read if you are after a comedy
The Chapters are neatly layered in an order which allows fluidity, as well as being written in an understandable good manner. Humor is abound, and I certainly did not anticipate the ending.
Characters are gradually constructed as we learn something new in each chapter. Definitely worth a read if you are after a comedy
May 25, 2026
This is the first book in the series. It follows Elen after a month long journey after she has her mind wiped and discovering all that went done during that month. She is confused as to what has happened and spends time trying to figure out what has happened, unbeknown those around her are more than meets the eye.
Like the prequel Space Oddities, I thoroughly enjoyed following along with Elen and her friends as we learn more about her and their story. I look forward to the next chapter of the story coming soon.
Like the prequel Space Oddities, I thoroughly enjoyed following along with Elen and her friends as we learn more about her and their story. I look forward to the next chapter of the story coming soon.
March 19, 2026
I made it almost halfway through this book… and nothing really happened. I don't mind a slow build, but I was hoping for at least some character development or a bit of world-building along the way. Instead, it felt like a lot of filler conversations that didn't add much (yes, including a random chat about the dad's cologne).
I kept waiting for it to pick up, but eventually it just felt like I was wasting my time, so I didn't finish.
I kept waiting for it to pick up, but eventually it just felt like I was wasting my time, so I didn't finish.
September 27, 2025
It was a slow start to the story and getting to know a bit about the characters. I really liked Adrian, Elen not as much. While it was supposed to be a comedy/humorous, I only thought some of it was a bit ridiculous. I did like how the characters supported each other in the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 6, 2026
Wow! This was quite a ride! I love the feeling of uncovering what happened with the FMC, it makes a unique experience. I also loved the characters and natural way everything unfolded. Definitely worth a read!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews