Dark: A Novella

by Iain Rob Wright

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction

120 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2026

About the author

One of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.

With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.

To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com

Reviews

[Matt Egan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast, claustrophobic and fun

Dark is a sci-fi/horror thriller about colonists on a transport from Earth to Kepler 18c, another theoretically liveable world. When people wake up one at a time, in a seemingly empty plot of space, A place with no stars before realizing the horrifying truth of the situation. With a deceptive AI not giving straight answers, the crew must figure it out on their own. If you like movies like "Pandorum", you'll love dark, as will anyone looking for a fast, fun read. Overall, 4/5 stars!

[§am I Am · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. im not a huge sci fi fan but this book was soo good and the ending to this book is how I like things to end in books.

after being woken up early, a group of ship workers are trying to deal with a problem of how to save the colonists. problem after problem arises. Will they figure it out in time?

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Iain Rob Wright - there better be a sequel.

[Dale Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, this was amazing. Fans of space horror will love it! The mystery starts straight away as people are awakened prematurely from deep sleep and have to try and find answers to the many, many questions they have. Alongside an AI avatar that they aren't sure they can fully trust, their journey begins in ernest. The characters are good, the storyline is good and mysterious, and it's very tense and claustrophobic in parts. I pictured myself in the same situation and it scared the life out of me.

The story zips along at a good rate of knots thanks to Iain's top notch wiriting and the fact it's a novella.

Would highly recommend this to any horror fans.

[Monica Milton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sci-fi horror at its best.

I'm not usually one for writing reviews but this was definitely worthy of one. As a massive fan of all things Aliens, Event Horizon, Prometheus etc, how Iain Rob Wright managed to pack in so much suspense, feeling for the characters and all in such a short novel was nothing short of brilliant. Yes the book was too short for my liking; but I'd recommend it to anyone, not just horror fans. I can only hope for a sequel one day. Excellent story telling by a master craftsman 10/10

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts good, ending is meh

This books start off really well with plenty of creepiness and suspense. It was genuinely eerie as the colonists start waking up and realizing something is horribly wrong with their mission. When it is finally revealed what happened, it's a bit of a let down. The monster is underwhelming, as is the fates of the previous colonists who woke up early.

[Bookivore Unforgiven · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow what a wonderfully surprising suspenseful short read

So I didn’t see this one coming. I totally thought this was gonna be a horror like all the others a killer on the loose but in space? That’s not what this is at all. There are several killers but not like your thinking. You definitely need to find out more by grabbing this novella for a quick suspense filled read!

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good novella and enjoyable reading experience now marred by the suspicion that it - like the cover image I had *thought* was amateur art until seeing the credit to DALLE-3 - is actually the product of genAI.

[I C Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always look forward to releases from this author, pleased to say this one didn’t disappoint.
Being a Novella it was quite short (I finished it in a couple of hours) but was still a good read, quite a tight suspense filled story with good characters.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Shit

What a story! Told with just the right secrecy to put a kink in your shorts. Half way through you know the truth! But you can’t believe it. After you know the truth, you have to wonder how it’s going to work! Excellent book. So captivating and entrenching!

[Renata Mijatov · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful and scary.

I really enjoyed this but wish here was a follow up. I’m I feel invested and highly recommend this book.
The bravery of these characters is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking.

[Jenny McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love Sci/fi, spacey, alien vibes. Think passengers , alien, Life. If you like those films. This one is definitely for you. It may be short but it was easy reading, fast paced , futuristic and exciting!

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one, and a perfect length. I am a sucker for any books like this, the "lost in space"/haunted ship type stories. I can honestly say that Wright came up with a new spin on the old trope that I really enjoyed! Unique addition to a well proven formula, a great ending, bravo!

[Todd Plante · Rating 5 out of 5]

My two favorite genres are horror and science fiction. However; a science fiction story that reads like a tense horror book is simply heaven. This story hits on so many levels. I finished and was totally bummed out that the story had ended before I wanted it to.

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favourite genre is this exact book. Space, a horrific event with space creatures, a new planet and a problem to solve. Great stuff. Read this in one go and was very happy with it all the way along.
Only regret is that I would have been happier if it was a longer story with even more details about everything, because I would still be reading it.
I'm not hip to this stuff, and like to give the benefit of the doubt, but if this cover is AI, I am seriously disappointed and will give a wide berth to future books. I'd rather have just a plain black cover than AI. This author should be better than that.

[Erwan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after reading a very good review online.
An amazing story in about 120 pages, I was completely hooked.
I will definitely try other books by this author. Brilliant.

[kim wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark

Brilliant book . Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Well executed and written. I’ve never read a bad book yet from Iain.
Highly recommend reading this 😊

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A large group of colonists have left Earth on the way to colonize another planet. A few of them wake up early and have to deal with a problem. This is a really good horror story.

[Michael R. Margrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read, very believable.

Is there a sequel? I would like to see what else is waiting for them! BIG fan of Mr. Wright.

[Lauren Fitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6 stars

[Tyronia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark

I very good read It was the last stand against hostility or custer last stand. It was a fast read with thrill suspense and horror

[Laura A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fab story, such a short read but gripping and claustrophobic. I feel like I need to step outside and breathe the air after that. 💚

[Hilton Alligood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subtitle?

"Don't wake up early"? More like Don't wake up late.. I liked this one. You think POP is bad, but in the end he was good.

[Susan Whitmarsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense

My only complaint is that this book is too short. It's my favorite kind of story, and it all made sense. Its a quick read and well worth the time.

[CLINT GILMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novella

The characters are likeable and the situation they're in is interesting. I liked the book a lot. It's worth your time to read!

[Alice Evergarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but s(cary)weet.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but punchy and very tense. Interesting concept, and a satisfying ending.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don’t know if i can even explain how much i enjoyed this one. it was fast paced & even though it was short i grew to love everyone. i was kind of sad it wasn’t longer!