The Vanished: Science Fiction Thriller

by Joshua T. Calvert

194 passengers. 24 hours. No memories. One deadly countdown.

Dr. Joshua Hammond wakes up on a flight with no idea who he is—only a glowing green implant ticking down from 24 hours. Everyone on board has lost their memory. Everyone has the same timer.

When the plane lands in a ghost city and passengers start dying, the race to escape becomes a race to uncover the truth. A supposed safe zone may hold answers, but the deeper Joshua and fellow passenger Amy dig, the more sinister the puzzle becomes.

The clock is lying. And what’s waiting at zero isn’t survival.

For readers of Blake Crouch and John Grisham.

Genres: Audiobook

405 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2025

About the author

Joshua T. Calvert has traveled the world--on foot, by Jeep, by bicycle, by motorcycle, and lots of other ways besides. As you might imagine, he's seen many things most people never see - including an Iranian prison cell, from the inside! In Kyrgyzstan, he fared slightly better, narrowly avoiding being kidnapped for ransom. Skydiver, scuba diver, martial artist, adventurer - his goal is to experience everything possible, and then make it real to you in his books. And he's made a good run of it so far: in the Philippines, he did police training on multiple types of firearms (despite being no fan of guns himself); dove in Asian waters among sharks and shipwrecks; and patrolled with Sumatran jungle rangers.

That's what defines Calvert's approach to method writing: pushing himself beyond his own limits, to experience first-hand what his characters experience, to make your immersion in his stories as deep as it can be.

For Ganymede Rises, after a slight detour with some smugglers in the deserts of Uzbekistan and the steppes of Mongolia, he traveled by dogsled and snowshoe to the Arctic Circle to experience first-hand what it's like to be utterly isolated in the coldest place on Earth. For his book The Fossil, he sat with professional pilots in flight simulators for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft to learn what it's like to fly a passenger jet. His latest adventure: a parabolic flight with European Space Agency astronauts, to experience zero-gravity. All so he can describe it to you, in his own words.

Reviews

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I liked it but it wasn’t very engaging. Loved the premise - the countdown added that layer of pressure which I also loved. Love a time-travel, lost memory, airplane thrillers and it delivered on those fronts.

[Blaiz Ferrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a different listen than what I usually gravitate toward—but I ended up really enjoying it. The Vanished is super trippy, unsettling, and gives major end-of-the-world creepiness from the very start.

The premise hooked me immediately: 194 passengers, no memories, identical countdowns ticking toward something terrifying. Waking up on a plane with no idea who you are—and realizing everyone else is in the same situation—is deeply unnerving. Once the story shifts to the ghost city, the tension only ramps up.

The narrator did a fantastic job capturing the eerie unknown and the rising panic, which really elevated the experience in audio form. There was a bit of extra back-and-forth at times that made the story drag slightly, but overall the atmosphere and mystery kept me invested.

If you enjoy high-concept sci-fi thrillers that feel claustrophobic, creepy, and slightly mind-bending, this one’s worth a listen.

[Annie Tasaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

194 passengers wake up on a plane with no recollection of who they are or where they are going. On their arms is a ticking implant counting down from 24hrs. Dr. Joshua Hammond is one of these passenger, together with his seat mate Amy he must find a way out of this mess.

Gave me strong Lost vibes and I loved it. Kevin Kemp’s narration had me raptured from the very beginning. Even as we start to unravel what is happening we are kept on our toes until the very end. There was a lot happening in the last bit and it got slightly confusing but overall
I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Podium Audio and the author Joshua T. Calvert for the advanced listening copy, all my opinions are my own.

[ComeReadWithDocP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gripping, high-stakes sci-fi thriller that immediately earned a spot among my favorites in the genre. If you enjoy stories that give off In Time, Inception, The Matrix, or Manifest vibes, this one absolutely delivers.

From the start, this book keeps you questioning everything. Dr. Joshua Hammond wakes up aboard a plane in Miami in 1993, except he knows it isn’t 1993, but somewhere around 2024–2026. He has no idea how he got there, and neither do the other passengers. Things escalate quickly when they discover the airport is completely deserted… and each of them has a countdown timer embedded in their arm, ticking toward an unknown end.

The story shifts from confusion to pure adrenaline as the passengers race to uncover the truth while facing increasingly horrifying revelations. The twists were constant, the tension never let up, and the horror elements caught me completely off guard in the best way. Just when I thought I understood what was happening, the story pulled the rug out from under me, especially with the reveal of how they ended up there. And then the real ending hit. I was genuinely in shambles, yelling at my audiobook because I could not believe it ended the way it did.

Kevin Kemp’s narration was phenomenal. He captured the panic, urgency, fear, and determination of every character so effectively that it felt impossible not to be emotionally pulled into the story. His performance elevated the tension and made this an incredibly immersive listen, I highly recommend experiencing this one on audio.

If you’re looking for a sci-fi thriller that keeps your heart racing, leaves you unsettled, and refuses to let you relax until the final moments, The Vanished is a must-read (or listen).

Thank you to @podiumentertainment for the gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joshua is an excellent writer, and I have enjoyed reading his other works. In The Vanished he experiments with the first-person narrative. He did a good job, but it does grow a bit tiresome, especially when the story depends on what the narrator remembers and does not remember. The major section of the book develops the story of an airliner that leaves current day London, and lands in Miami in 1993. The actions of some characters are irrational until we have the "Ah-Ha" moment. Also, I found the relationships in the modern-day office setting confusing because of the varieties of effects of the trip on their interactions.
Sometimes it does need the third person commentary to put things into an understandable format.
Don't take this as speaking of my disappointment with the author or the novel; it is an interesting adventure into first-person narrative and maybe exposes some of the difficulties in such an approach to a story. I am sure I will continue to read and enjoy Joshua's works, all of which I have found worthwhile for my reading pastime.

[Brittany Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

The Vanished by Joshua T. Calvert is a gripping audiobook that pulled me in quickly and kept me listening. The suspense builds steadily, with an eerie atmosphere that makes you feel like something is always just beneath the surface.

I really enjoyed how the mystery unfolds in layers, slowly revealing new information and keeping me engaged throughout. The narration was solid and helped maintain the tension, making it an easy listen even while multitasking.

That said, the story did get a little confusing near the end. There’s a lot happening at once, and I found myself needing to mentally rewind a bit to fully piece everything together. While it didn’t completely take away from my enjoyment, it did slightly impact the clarity of the finale.

Overall, this is a strong mystery audiobook with a dark edge and plenty of intrigue. If you enjoy suspenseful listens that keep you guessing, this one is definitely worth checking out.

🎧🔍

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the conceit. Like, the whole thing was interesting. It was just poorly written and poorly executed and the whole vibe with Amy and Rebecca was weird as heck and I don't really know why that existed at all. Like there are just many things ~technically~ wrong with this book-- not from a science perspective or a philosophic perspective but from a writing perspective (not grammar or punctuation but just like, how one writes compelling fiction)-- that bothered me so much I almost couldn't finish it but the plot was so compelling I kept chugging along.

Side note: There's a book that basically does the same thing, but in a way so spectacular that I bought a hard copy signed edition. Unfortunately, I can not recommend said book without spoiling it, so may that book find you, reader.

[Matt Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable!

The Vanished is a fascinating and enjoyable read about a group of people who wake on a plane with no memory of their lives prior to waking and with what appear to be implants displaying an ominous countdown that no-one understands. The book is highly thought provoking and interesting from, literally, the first line. The moral discussion near the end of the book is a bonus and the conclusion is entirely satisfying. There are many surprises, so I'm not going to o into further detail and ruin the fun for everyone else. 5/5 stars, highly recommended for fans of thoughtful sci-fi and edge of your seat thrillers, as it qualifies as both!

[Angelbelle Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Podium for ALC.

Umm what 😳😧

That’s it! That’s the review

Ok but seriously this was a very suspenseful read with lots of mystery. I will say a couple of times I did feel like the book maybe went on a little too long and some parts were a bit confusing but it was a good story that kept me coming back for more

As far as the ending, I’m pretty sure I got what the author alluded to but personally I would have liked it to explicitly said

Overall it was shocking, it was creepy, and it was engaging

If you’re looking for a sci-fi book with a healthy dose of “what is happening?” mixed with “how on earth is this going to end?” then add The Vanished to your tbr

I listened to this on audio and the narrator did a good job of telling the story in an engaging way

[Erica Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so this was a little confusing at first which is why I gave it 4 stars. But once it caught up, it was really good. It kept you on the edge of your seat and not wanting to stop. There isn’t any romance in this book really, but the plot was absolutely fantastic, which is what I need to stay into a book. Loved it.

I got this as an alc and it was so worth it. It was narrated by one man but he did such an amazing job that it didn’t bother me one bit. Podium did a great job producing this!!

[Ashley Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Vanished has an extremely good plot. I was hooked from the very first page.. but as I got to the end, it was a lot to unpack. if you read this you'll know what I'm meaning.

there write times reading this where I just paused to take in whay was happening because it was soo good. but there was just something about the ending that I didnt like.

the narrator for this audiobook did amazing. I enjoyed listening to him.

thank you so much Podium for this ALC. 🩷

[Scott Lovelace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very suspenseful page turner of a scene fiction thriller. A flight lands at a seemingly abandoned airport, all the passengers have no memory of anything. The suspense builds and tensions rise. This was a hauntingly eerie atmospheric story. The twist / revelation at the end was one I didn’t see coming.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

intriguing storyline

very much character driven,this is an exciting, nerve wracking story, I got quite agitated wondering what was going to happen to everyone, the suspense and horror was so well written. And the ending is not what you think it will be, but much more interesting

[William N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really weird.

This guy's writing gets stranger and stranger, in a wonderful and entertaining way. I am constantly amazed at the variety of plots and strangeness of twists he throws out. I am wonderfully surprised at every new book. Just love them.

[Fred Ruthardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Believable characters, we'll written and suspenseful. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Joshua's books are always a joy yo read and will keep you up at night.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Closer to 3 1/2 stars. Good premise. Thrown for a loop at the ending. Actually thought the story stopped about 50 pages before it finally did.

[John Thurrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good 31/2 I wish he had expanded I little more on the philosophical argument