Static: The signal came back. So did she.

by Robert Tibbs

414 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2026

About the author

Robert Tibbs writes sci-fi mystery thrillers set in the analog decade: CRT monitors, dial-up handshakes, and satellites you could hear if you knew how to listen.

His debut novel, Static, opens the Dead Signal trilogy. It follows Sam Hadley, a twenty-one-year-old satellite monitoring tech who hears a memory of her own face on a Cold War satellite that has been silent for five years. The trilogy runs from the New Mexico desert in 1996 to midnight on December 31, 1999.

Before writing fiction, he spent twenty-six years inside large federal technology programs, around the kinds of systems that are built to keep secrets. Eventually he decided to write about one that talked back.

Resonance, the second book of the trilogy, is next. Find him, and the reader list, at www.roberttibbs.com.

Reviews

[Kel Caffekey]

This is a brilliant book which is very well written which follows the story of Sam Hadley the receiver who discovers a satellite that only she can hear.

When I selected this book I chose it without reading what it was about yet knowing it was for me and straight away I was hooked.

I felt like I was sat at Meridian with Sam and following along like a blogger on one of the forums that Elliot created.

I felt like I knew and could describe Marcus and yet no real description was ever given of him apart from clean shoes.

I enjoyed the pace and suspense and that the author took the time to really make the reader feel like you were part of the book.

It's a rare skill this author has to ensure the reader returns because they have no idea what's coming next.

I absolutely loved the script, how it all played out and I can't wait until Sam sees his Dad again!

I am invested in this trilogy and I hope I'm one of the first to read book 2 in the series..

This book is so good ( I promise you won't be disappointed) that I even searched the internet for what I could find on the author and signed up to his mailing list.

Having read 430+ books this is only the 2nd time I've ever felt invested in a book and series and done that!

If that doesn't tell you how great this is then I don't know what will!

100/100 and wow I can't wait until book 2 out as the clock is counting down until 31/12/1999 🙂

Read it... There will definitely be something in there for you especially if you love conspiracy novels like I do 😉

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rachelle]

This was a refreshing story all around: great writing, original story, and I particularly enjoyed the unique nineties setting with that technology we all grew up with but forgot existed.

It was so interesting to enter the analog world and follow Sam’s journey through and to the signal. As other reviewers have mentioned toned, the author employs repetitive writing techniques that, while some may not enjoy the style, it does add to the tension and building of the suspense. I thought it added a unique atmosphere to the writing and propelled the story along. That said, had the repetition not been there the story could have been maybe 10-20% shorter.

All in all I enjoyed this story and found it hard to put down. This did feel like a prequel or build up to the actual story which I feel will be revealed in book two. I can’t wait to read the next part of the story as I feel like there are some big things coming!

Thanks to BookSirens, the publisher, and the author for my advanced reader copy. Opinions are my own.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½, points added for past tense
Engagement: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

[Charles]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a great story. I’ll say right up front, you should read it if you enjoy science fiction or alternative history stories.
The premise was solid. Beyond that, it’s the writing style that pulled me in. Books often have trouble building tension like a movie does with music, but this one doesn’t. The book raises some interesting questions without being preachy or pedantic. I look forward to further stories.

[Henny]

This book scratched a tech-itch I didn't know I still had. I loved going back to the 90s and I could vividly imagine the appliances described, both because of the descriptive writing and my own memories. There's quite a lot of repetition, which oddly helps build the tension. The story gripped me from the start and I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to the sequel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Avid reader Di]

This was just a wonderful story. The main character was very likeable and her quest to understand just drove the plot in a very interesting way. The book raises some very important ethical questions that drives research. I was sad when I got to the end of the book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Niki Russell]

I had to sit with this book for a bit. I genuinely enjoyed it. It deals with stuff im familiar with but done in ways I wasnt. Ill say it struck a careful balance between giving enough information to understand what they are talking about ( old tech not seen anymore) wothout getting too dry with facts. Sometime the emotional stuff dragged a bit for me. But this book made me think about technology, experiments on people and the ethics around it. I realllllly want to read the next book, it definitely got me invested. And I have noooo idea where it's heading.