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Echoes in the Black
It has been centuries since any ship dared cross the Veil.
A region of dead, lightless space abandoned after the last travellers who entered it never returned.
Marcus Carpenter, a disgraced transport pilot with few options left, takes a high-paying job to haul sealed cargo through the one route every sane navigator avoids. The terms are fast transit, no inspection, no questions.
But the deeper he pushes into the Veil, the more the Charon begins to change.
Sensors drift. Systems behave as though something unseen is interfering. Shadows cling to the walls a little too long. And the thing he’s carrying… begins to unsettle the very air around it.
Out here, in a place humanity once sealed off and forgot, Marcus begins to understand that the real question isn’t why no one travels through the Veil anymore.
It’s what has been waiting in the dark all this time.
And now that he’s here—
it has finally found him.
A slow-burn blend of sci-fi horror and atmospheric suspense, Echoes in the Black explores isolation, forbidden space, and the terrifying consequences of venturing into places meant to stay undisturbed.
A region of dead, lightless space abandoned after the last travellers who entered it never returned.
Marcus Carpenter, a disgraced transport pilot with few options left, takes a high-paying job to haul sealed cargo through the one route every sane navigator avoids. The terms are fast transit, no inspection, no questions.
But the deeper he pushes into the Veil, the more the Charon begins to change.
Sensors drift. Systems behave as though something unseen is interfering. Shadows cling to the walls a little too long. And the thing he’s carrying… begins to unsettle the very air around it.
Out here, in a place humanity once sealed off and forgot, Marcus begins to understand that the real question isn’t why no one travels through the Veil anymore.
It’s what has been waiting in the dark all this time.
And now that he’s here—
it has finally found him.
A slow-burn blend of sci-fi horror and atmospheric suspense, Echoes in the Black explores isolation, forbidden space, and the terrifying consequences of venturing into places meant to stay undisturbed.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2025
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3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 25, 2025
Echoes in the Black by Martin Shaw 5/5 ⭐️
A Gripping, Shadow‑Soaked Space Nightmare
The author reached out to me thinking this book would be right up my alley—and he was absolutely right. Echoes in the Black is science fiction and horror at their best: atmospheric, unsettling, and anchored by characters you actually want to follow into the void.
Marcus Carpenter, a disgraced transport pilot with nothing left to lose, takes a job no sane navigator would touch: ferry sealed cargo straight through the Veil, a dead zone of lightless space abandoned centuries ago after every ship that entered simply… vanished. The setup alone hooked me, but it’s the execution that kept me locked in.
Shaw’s worldbuilding is vivid without ever slowing the pace. The Charon feels like a character in its own right—its drifting sensors, glitching systems, and too-long shadows creating a creeping dread that builds page by page. As Marcus pushes deeper into the Veil, the tension tightens beautifully. You can almost feel the air thinning around him, the ship groaning under the weight of something unseen, something ancient, something waiting.
The horror here is psychological, cosmic, and wonderfully patient. Shaw knows exactly when to reveal, when to withhold, and when to let the silence do the work. By the time Marcus realizes the real danger isn’t the route but what’s been lying dormant in the dark all this time, the story has its hooks fully in.
A gripping blend of sci-fi mystery and atmospheric terror, Echoes in the Black explores isolation, forbidden space, and the consequences of disturbing what should have been left alone. Great characters, tight tension, and worldbuilding that feels both expansive and claustrophobic made this an easy 5-star read for me.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
A Gripping, Shadow‑Soaked Space Nightmare
The author reached out to me thinking this book would be right up my alley—and he was absolutely right. Echoes in the Black is science fiction and horror at their best: atmospheric, unsettling, and anchored by characters you actually want to follow into the void.
Marcus Carpenter, a disgraced transport pilot with nothing left to lose, takes a job no sane navigator would touch: ferry sealed cargo straight through the Veil, a dead zone of lightless space abandoned centuries ago after every ship that entered simply… vanished. The setup alone hooked me, but it’s the execution that kept me locked in.
Shaw’s worldbuilding is vivid without ever slowing the pace. The Charon feels like a character in its own right—its drifting sensors, glitching systems, and too-long shadows creating a creeping dread that builds page by page. As Marcus pushes deeper into the Veil, the tension tightens beautifully. You can almost feel the air thinning around him, the ship groaning under the weight of something unseen, something ancient, something waiting.
The horror here is psychological, cosmic, and wonderfully patient. Shaw knows exactly when to reveal, when to withhold, and when to let the silence do the work. By the time Marcus realizes the real danger isn’t the route but what’s been lying dormant in the dark all this time, the story has its hooks fully in.
A gripping blend of sci-fi mystery and atmospheric terror, Echoes in the Black explores isolation, forbidden space, and the consequences of disturbing what should have been left alone. Great characters, tight tension, and worldbuilding that feels both expansive and claustrophobic made this an easy 5-star read for me.
Happy reading from the Void 🚀🪐📚
January 5, 2026
This is a science fiction horror novel steeped in existential dread, a feeling that steadily intensifies the deeper you go into the story. Rather than offering a traditionally likable protagonist, Shaw presents a deeply human one: flawed, self-preserving, and often morally questionable. His decisions, particularly those driven by money and made at the expense of his crew, are selfish and difficult to justify, yet they feel unsettlingly real. What makes the character compelling is not his likability, but his humanity. His flaws reflect instinctive survival behavior, and while his past choices are shallow and ethically dubious, the third act introduces moments of genuine reckoning. As fragments of memory surface and the truth of what truly happened begins to take shape, we start to see redeeming qualities emerge, ones rooted in guilt, reflection, and a delayed sense of responsibility rather than easy absolution.
The narrative unfolds across two different time perspectives, adding a disorienting and mind-bending quality that enhances the psychological tension. Shaw skillfully blends science fiction concepts with psychological horror, often making the reader question the protagonist’s sanity and perception of reality. This uncertainty becomes a powerful hook, drawing you deeper into the story as the line between memory, guilt, and truth continues to blur. The gradual accumulation of information in the third act is especially effective, culminating in a chilling convergence of science fiction and psychological thriller elements. The payoff feels earned, not rushed, and reframes much of what came before in disturbing and thought-provoking ways.
One of the novel’s strongest aspects is its atmospheric description. The sci-fi environments are vividly rendered, amplifying the sense of isolation and dread while grounding the story’s more abstract themes. Shaw’s attention to mood and setting enhances the emotional weight of the narrative, making each scene feel immersive and tense.
Overall, Echoes in the Black delivers a gripping blend of science fiction, psychological horror, and existential inquiry. The characters, plot, and atmosphere work in tandem to create a deeply unsettling experience, and the ending is nothing short of jaw-dropping, lingering in the mind long after. Although the protagonist walks a fine line between being easy to dislike and uncomfortably relatable, that balance ultimately works in the book’s favor. It reinforces the story’s existential themes and challenges the reader to sit with moral ambiguity rather than seek comfort in clear-cut heroes.
The narrative unfolds across two different time perspectives, adding a disorienting and mind-bending quality that enhances the psychological tension. Shaw skillfully blends science fiction concepts with psychological horror, often making the reader question the protagonist’s sanity and perception of reality. This uncertainty becomes a powerful hook, drawing you deeper into the story as the line between memory, guilt, and truth continues to blur. The gradual accumulation of information in the third act is especially effective, culminating in a chilling convergence of science fiction and psychological thriller elements. The payoff feels earned, not rushed, and reframes much of what came before in disturbing and thought-provoking ways.
One of the novel’s strongest aspects is its atmospheric description. The sci-fi environments are vividly rendered, amplifying the sense of isolation and dread while grounding the story’s more abstract themes. Shaw’s attention to mood and setting enhances the emotional weight of the narrative, making each scene feel immersive and tense.
Overall, Echoes in the Black delivers a gripping blend of science fiction, psychological horror, and existential inquiry. The characters, plot, and atmosphere work in tandem to create a deeply unsettling experience, and the ending is nothing short of jaw-dropping, lingering in the mind long after. Although the protagonist walks a fine line between being easy to dislike and uncomfortably relatable, that balance ultimately works in the book’s favor. It reinforces the story’s existential themes and challenges the reader to sit with moral ambiguity rather than seek comfort in clear-cut heroes.
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