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The Ghost Line
The luxury cruise ship the Martian Queen was decommissioned years ago, set to drift back and forth between Earth and Mars on the off-chance that reclaiming it ever became profitable for the owners. For Saga and her husband Michel the cruise ship represents a massive payday. Hacking and stealing the ship could earn them enough to settle down, have children, and pay for the treatments to save Saga’s mother’s life.
But the Martian Queen is much more than their employer has told them. In the twenty years since it was abandoned, something strange and dangerous has come to reside in the decadent vessel. Saga feels herself being drawn into a spider’s web, and must navigate the traps and lures of an awakening intelligence if she wants to go home again.
But the Martian Queen is much more than their employer has told them. In the twenty years since it was abandoned, something strange and dangerous has come to reside in the decadent vessel. Saga feels herself being drawn into a spider’s web, and must navigate the traps and lures of an awakening intelligence if she wants to go home again.
145 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2017
18 people are currently reading
1861 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Neil Gray
6 books42 followersAndrew Gray‘s most recent publication is the novella The Ghost Line, co-written with J.S. Herbison. His short fiction has appeared in numerous speculative fiction magazines, including Nature Futures, Apex Magazine, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, The Sockdolager and On Spec.
He was awarded On Spec’s Lydia Langstaff Memorial Prize, has been nominated for a National Magazine Award for Fiction and has been shortlisted several times for the CBC/Saturday Night Literary Award. He was the runner-up prize winner in the 2015 Quantum Shorts flash fiction competition.
His first collection of stories, Small Accidents, was published by Raincoast Books and was shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Award at the BC Book Prizes and an IPPY award in the US.
He lives with his family and several cranky chickens on Canada’s West Coast.
He was awarded On Spec’s Lydia Langstaff Memorial Prize, has been nominated for a National Magazine Award for Fiction and has been shortlisted several times for the CBC/Saturday Night Literary Award. He was the runner-up prize winner in the 2015 Quantum Shorts flash fiction competition.
His first collection of stories, Small Accidents, was published by Raincoast Books and was shortlisted for the Ethel Wilson Award at the BC Book Prizes and an IPPY award in the US.
He lives with his family and several cranky chickens on Canada’s West Coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
April 18, 2017
ARC provided by Tor in exchange for an honest review.
The Ghost Line is a short story that surrounds four people on a mission to hijack an abandoned space ship named the Martian Queen.
➽ Saga - Our main protagonist, married to Michel, is obsessed with exploring abandoned ships and has a fan-base from her haunted finds.
➽ Michel - The husband of Saga and one of the most sought after hackers in the universe.
➽ Gregor - A Russian pilot with a drinking problem.
➽ Wei - The woman who hired these three crew members, even though she answers their questions about the mission very begrudgingly, while keeping many secrets close to herself.
Saga and Michel accept Wei's mysterious mission, even though they were going to settle down and start a family, because the money she offered them was tremendous. I'm guessing that is also why Gregor accepted, but it is never clearly stated.
The Martian Queen was once a great and luxurious hotel ship, equipped with casinos, spas, nightclubs, and even more built inside. While active, it was a home and place to sleep for people traveling between Earth and Mars. Now, the ship still travels back and forth from Earth to Mars, constantly being lead by our orbit, even though it hasn't had a crew or passengers for twenty years.
This story feels like you're walking through and exploring what's left of the Titanic, but in space. It feels eerie and ominous, while you're trying to piece together the mystery of this ship and why it is still part of our orbit. I am not sure I would consider this part of the horror genre, but it is for sure creepy and will leave you on edge while reading.
This is ultimately a story about love and loss, and making sacrifices that you don't ever believe you are brave or capable enough to make until you are forced to make them. I loved the message, and I very much enjoyed the ending, but I still feel like this was too grand of a story for only 70ish pages. I, personally, feel like it would be been much better as a full length novel, or even if 100 extra pages were tacked on, so we could have explored more of the ship, more of the characters, and more of the mysteries. Instead, I feel like the message was way less impactful and I wasn't nearly as invested as I probably should have been. This definitely wasn't a bad read; it just left a lot to be desired and a lot of questions to be answered.
I would be very interested in a continuation short story, just to see how certain people felt with the conclusion. Yet, I do think this is a decently strong story to stand upon its own, too. Regardless, this was a good short story, and for sure worth the short amount of time it takes to read!
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The Ghost Line is a short story that surrounds four people on a mission to hijack an abandoned space ship named the Martian Queen.
➽ Saga - Our main protagonist, married to Michel, is obsessed with exploring abandoned ships and has a fan-base from her haunted finds.
➽ Michel - The husband of Saga and one of the most sought after hackers in the universe.
➽ Gregor - A Russian pilot with a drinking problem.
➽ Wei - The woman who hired these three crew members, even though she answers their questions about the mission very begrudgingly, while keeping many secrets close to herself.
Saga and Michel accept Wei's mysterious mission, even though they were going to settle down and start a family, because the money she offered them was tremendous. I'm guessing that is also why Gregor accepted, but it is never clearly stated.
The Martian Queen was once a great and luxurious hotel ship, equipped with casinos, spas, nightclubs, and even more built inside. While active, it was a home and place to sleep for people traveling between Earth and Mars. Now, the ship still travels back and forth from Earth to Mars, constantly being lead by our orbit, even though it hasn't had a crew or passengers for twenty years.
This story feels like you're walking through and exploring what's left of the Titanic, but in space. It feels eerie and ominous, while you're trying to piece together the mystery of this ship and why it is still part of our orbit. I am not sure I would consider this part of the horror genre, but it is for sure creepy and will leave you on edge while reading.
This is ultimately a story about love and loss, and making sacrifices that you don't ever believe you are brave or capable enough to make until you are forced to make them. I loved the message, and I very much enjoyed the ending, but I still feel like this was too grand of a story for only 70ish pages. I, personally, feel like it would be been much better as a full length novel, or even if 100 extra pages were tacked on, so we could have explored more of the ship, more of the characters, and more of the mysteries. Instead, I feel like the message was way less impactful and I wasn't nearly as invested as I probably should have been. This definitely wasn't a bad read; it just left a lot to be desired and a lot of questions to be answered.
I would be very interested in a continuation short story, just to see how certain people felt with the conclusion. Yet, I do think this is a decently strong story to stand upon its own, too. Regardless, this was a good short story, and for sure worth the short amount of time it takes to read!
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September 28, 2017
4.5 Stars
This is a gripping novella that plays with tropes of the horror genre. Blurring the lines between technology and the supernatural, this story could be considered the science fiction version of a haunted house story. Taking place on an abandoned luxury starship, the setting was atmospheric with vivid, eerie details. The world building felt natural and immersive. The narrative was well paced, resulting in a highly entertaining and suspenseful story. I would recommend this book to science fiction readers who would like to read a futuristic twist on the classic ghost story.
This is a gripping novella that plays with tropes of the horror genre. Blurring the lines between technology and the supernatural, this story could be considered the science fiction version of a haunted house story. Taking place on an abandoned luxury starship, the setting was atmospheric with vivid, eerie details. The world building felt natural and immersive. The narrative was well paced, resulting in a highly entertaining and suspenseful story. I would recommend this book to science fiction readers who would like to read a futuristic twist on the classic ghost story.
March 13, 2018
Sci-fi ghost story. Nice :)
Necu puno pricati sem da je pricica odlicno napisana, tenzija se fino dize kroz celo delo i kraj je dosta originalan. Sve u svemu odlicno.
Preporuka.
Necu puno pricati sem da je pricica odlicno napisana, tenzija se fino dize kroz celo delo i kraj je dosta originalan. Sve u svemu odlicno.
Preporuka.
December 3, 2017
A small crew are paid to investigate a "ghost liner", a mothballed luxury spaceship that is maintaining an orbit for commercial purposes, but is unmanned. But all is not as it seems.
This story works well at the novella length with an interesting premise and relatively simple story with some wonderfully creepy atmospherics. The cast is simple, with a husband and wife team as the main characters, their pilot and their mysterious employer. Where it falls down is that the mystery goes on a bit too long and the plot turns on the employer holding onto her secrets for far longer than she needed to, to catastrophic result.
This story works well at the novella length with an interesting premise and relatively simple story with some wonderfully creepy atmospherics. The cast is simple, with a husband and wife team as the main characters, their pilot and their mysterious employer. Where it falls down is that the mystery goes on a bit too long and the plot turns on the employer holding onto her secrets for far longer than she needed to, to catastrophic result.
May 21, 2017
Review of THE GHOST LINE
by Andrew Neil Gray and J. S. Herbison
What an exciting novella! I hope this universe will be expanded on, as I totally enjoyed the characters and the convoluted plotting, not to mention the advanced reason behind the events on the abandoned vessel, THE MARTIAN QUEEN. In many ways I found this story particularly special and engaging.
A married couple who explore abandoned asteroid habitats and space vessels are hired by a woman who claims to be acting on behalf of a corporation, to hack The Martian Queen, a ship which three decades ago flew between Mars and Earth, providing an upscale experience The Titanic and The Lusitania might envy. When the company went bankrupt, new ownership shut down the ship and left it in orbit. Now the ship is to be hacked and sent out of orbit—supposedly. In actuality, what Wei intends is far from anything Saga and Michel or their pilot Gregor could possibly expect; and even stranger is the ship's intention.
THE GHOST LINE is a riveting science fiction experience, but I think it will be enjoyed just as much by readers of other genres. It's just that excellent.
by Andrew Neil Gray and J. S. Herbison
What an exciting novella! I hope this universe will be expanded on, as I totally enjoyed the characters and the convoluted plotting, not to mention the advanced reason behind the events on the abandoned vessel, THE MARTIAN QUEEN. In many ways I found this story particularly special and engaging.
A married couple who explore abandoned asteroid habitats and space vessels are hired by a woman who claims to be acting on behalf of a corporation, to hack The Martian Queen, a ship which three decades ago flew between Mars and Earth, providing an upscale experience The Titanic and The Lusitania might envy. When the company went bankrupt, new ownership shut down the ship and left it in orbit. Now the ship is to be hacked and sent out of orbit—supposedly. In actuality, what Wei intends is far from anything Saga and Michel or their pilot Gregor could possibly expect; and even stranger is the ship's intention.
THE GHOST LINE is a riveting science fiction experience, but I think it will be enjoyed just as much by readers of other genres. It's just that excellent.
May 26, 2017
Andrew Neil Gray and J.S. Herbison are wonderful authors. This short but powerful novella started off as one thing. The story of a husband and wife hacker duo. Of a woman intent on breaching a ship lost to the vastness of space. Of adventure and hints of mystery.
It instead evolves into a beautiful, melancholic unraveling of something greater. Something deeper than just another story about a ghost ship.
Written from the perspective of Saga, we see the unfolding story of each member who traveled with her to the Mars Queen. Gregory, the ships pilot, battling his own demons. Wei, the mysterious patron with a dark secret. And Michel, Saga's husband and stronghold on this floating ship. Together, with strong imagery and the emotive journey that Saga undergoes, The Ghost Line becomes a sci-fi novella with a punch.
It instead evolves into a beautiful, melancholic unraveling of something greater. Something deeper than just another story about a ghost ship.
Written from the perspective of Saga, we see the unfolding story of each member who traveled with her to the Mars Queen. Gregory, the ships pilot, battling his own demons. Wei, the mysterious patron with a dark secret. And Michel, Saga's husband and stronghold on this floating ship. Together, with strong imagery and the emotive journey that Saga undergoes, The Ghost Line becomes a sci-fi novella with a punch.
August 30, 2023
A "salvage" mission on a luxury star-ship between Earth and Mars goes sideways. The ship is not as empty as it's supposed to be. I really enjoyed this story. The characters are three dimensional, the atmosphere eerie, some interesting concepts, and an unexpected twist at the end. Too bad this wasn't a full length novel.
July 21, 2017
This was an unexpected delight. I'm not familiar with either author, and it looked like a fun, enteretaining ghost story.
It's so much more than that, but it really is best to go in as cold as you can. So I'll keep it down to a straight recommentadation for any who likes sci fi/ghosts/abandoned spaces that get all creepy when people start poking around...
It's so much more than that, but it really is best to go in as cold as you can. So I'll keep it down to a straight recommentadation for any who likes sci fi/ghosts/abandoned spaces that get all creepy when people start poking around...
August 27, 2017
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but publishers like Tor are trying very hard to reintroduce readers to novellas – you know, something about 150 pages long, long enough to pique your interest but easy enough to be read in one sitting. The Ghost Line is one of the latest of these - a story of space wreck recovery but with a touch of horror added that manages to reuse the tropes in a way that keeps the story chugging along.
From the publisher: “The Martian Queen was the Titanic of the stars before it was decommissioned, set to drift back and forth between Earth and Mars on the off chance that reclaiming it ever became profitable for the owners. For Saga and her husband Michel the cruise ship represents a massive payday. Hacking and stealing the ship could earn them enough to settle down, have children, and pay for the treatments to save Saga's mother's life. But the Martian Queen is much more than their employer has told them. In the twenty years since it was abandoned, something strange and dangerous has come to reside in the decadent vessel. Saga feels herself being drawn into a spider's web, and must navigate the traps and lures of an awakening intelligence if she wants to go home again.”
The Ghost Line is a surprisingly good debut that reminded me of Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Diving stories, mixed in with a touch of Greg Bear’s Blood Music and even James S. A. Corey’s Expanse series. It’s a great story that feels like it could have come straight from Asimov’s Magazine or Analog, of competent workers doing something well until they are put under stress.
Being a novella there’s not a lot of time spent filling in the background. The story is told mainly from the perspective of husband and wife team Saga and Michel, who are cyber-hacking specialists able to revive AI systems from hibernation safely. They are hired by Wei to revive the mothballed Martian Queen. Since the owners went bankrupt, the Queen has been running a ghost line route between Earth & Mars, keeping a company’s rights on it even though it is currently unused. Wei’s plan is that they can move the Queen off course and allow her employers to claim the route for themselves. Wei, Saga, Michel and their pilot Gregor arrive quickly at the Martian Queen and initially things go well. But then, nearly as quick, strange things start to happen…
I liked the fast pace and the setup of the story. It all quickly establishes a setting and creates characters that are recognisable and likeable. The ship itself is appropriately grand and elegantly creepy. As we explore the corridors I’m sure there’s something in the descriptions about the effects of the passing of time and the fleeting nature of material things in there as well.
That’s not to say that it’s perfect. The pacing is a little uneven, though perhaps this is to be expected in a novella. As a shorter piece of writing, the novella can result in things happening a little too quickly at times, and The Ghost Line is a little guilty of this. This also means that the characters are not as nuanced as they might be in a longer form. This is particularly noted here in the case of Wei, whose abrupt manner is a little manic and at times rather annoying. Ultimately she becomes a tool of the plot, with a few key plot points being conveniently waived away by Wei just not telling people why things are happening or being done.
But the fact that I read The Ghost Line in one sitting is a sign of a promising debut. If you like your science fiction at a fast pace with a little bit of the creepy thrown in, The Ghost Line is an entertaining story that does its job and keeps your attention.
I look forward to reading more from these two authors.
From the publisher: “The Martian Queen was the Titanic of the stars before it was decommissioned, set to drift back and forth between Earth and Mars on the off chance that reclaiming it ever became profitable for the owners. For Saga and her husband Michel the cruise ship represents a massive payday. Hacking and stealing the ship could earn them enough to settle down, have children, and pay for the treatments to save Saga's mother's life. But the Martian Queen is much more than their employer has told them. In the twenty years since it was abandoned, something strange and dangerous has come to reside in the decadent vessel. Saga feels herself being drawn into a spider's web, and must navigate the traps and lures of an awakening intelligence if she wants to go home again.”
The Ghost Line is a surprisingly good debut that reminded me of Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Diving stories, mixed in with a touch of Greg Bear’s Blood Music and even James S. A. Corey’s Expanse series. It’s a great story that feels like it could have come straight from Asimov’s Magazine or Analog, of competent workers doing something well until they are put under stress.
Being a novella there’s not a lot of time spent filling in the background. The story is told mainly from the perspective of husband and wife team Saga and Michel, who are cyber-hacking specialists able to revive AI systems from hibernation safely. They are hired by Wei to revive the mothballed Martian Queen. Since the owners went bankrupt, the Queen has been running a ghost line route between Earth & Mars, keeping a company’s rights on it even though it is currently unused. Wei’s plan is that they can move the Queen off course and allow her employers to claim the route for themselves. Wei, Saga, Michel and their pilot Gregor arrive quickly at the Martian Queen and initially things go well. But then, nearly as quick, strange things start to happen…
I liked the fast pace and the setup of the story. It all quickly establishes a setting and creates characters that are recognisable and likeable. The ship itself is appropriately grand and elegantly creepy. As we explore the corridors I’m sure there’s something in the descriptions about the effects of the passing of time and the fleeting nature of material things in there as well.
That’s not to say that it’s perfect. The pacing is a little uneven, though perhaps this is to be expected in a novella. As a shorter piece of writing, the novella can result in things happening a little too quickly at times, and The Ghost Line is a little guilty of this. This also means that the characters are not as nuanced as they might be in a longer form. This is particularly noted here in the case of Wei, whose abrupt manner is a little manic and at times rather annoying. Ultimately she becomes a tool of the plot, with a few key plot points being conveniently waived away by Wei just not telling people why things are happening or being done.
But the fact that I read The Ghost Line in one sitting is a sign of a promising debut. If you like your science fiction at a fast pace with a little bit of the creepy thrown in, The Ghost Line is an entertaining story that does its job and keeps your attention.
I look forward to reading more from these two authors.
September 16, 2019
For such a short story/novella/book/whatever you call it, this took quite some time to get going. The characters were dull and lifeless, and I wouldn't have cared if they'd all died on page 2. For a story set on a ship adrift in space, there was quite a bit of time spent on building cultural stereotypes around the earth country each character visited or grew up. Usually this doesn't much bother me because I'm more invested in plot, but I thought that bit was lacking too. It's an abandoned luxury cruise spaceship, and it barely felt creepy. The stuff in the dining area was decent, but the rest was truly meh. By the time I got to the big action at the end, I was just looking forward to going to sleep. Which is sad.
And if I'm being really honest (which is a thing I very much like to be), this was basically an amalgamation of several episodes of doctor who, but done poorly and via characters I can't imagine anyone being invested in. At least it only took about two hours to read. *shrug*
And if I'm being really honest (which is a thing I very much like to be), this was basically an amalgamation of several episodes of doctor who, but done poorly and via characters I can't imagine anyone being invested in. At least it only took about two hours to read. *shrug*
July 13, 2017
Received to review via Netgalley; publication date 11th July 2017
I didn’t expect to find this so creepy, but wow, it ended up getting under my skin. I thought I’d just start it, see what it was like before bed… and then I read the whole thing. I loved the partnership between the husband and wife team, and the whole idea of a space-liner drifting on an old cruise path just to keep the rights to it. There’s not much explanation for why what happens on the ship occurs, but it’s almost better that way — you don’t understand why anymore than the characters do.
I loved the ending, too. It’d have been easy to give readers an easier, happier way out; to have some kind of compromise be reached. Instead — well, I’d better not say too much. Suffice it to say that it works really well, and though it’s not horror, it definitely has a heck of a creep factor in places.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
I didn’t expect to find this so creepy, but wow, it ended up getting under my skin. I thought I’d just start it, see what it was like before bed… and then I read the whole thing. I loved the partnership between the husband and wife team, and the whole idea of a space-liner drifting on an old cruise path just to keep the rights to it. There’s not much explanation for why what happens on the ship occurs, but it’s almost better that way — you don’t understand why anymore than the characters do.
I loved the ending, too. It’d have been easy to give readers an easier, happier way out; to have some kind of compromise be reached. Instead — well, I’d better not say too much. Suffice it to say that it works really well, and though it’s not horror, it definitely has a heck of a creep factor in places.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
August 3, 2017
Tor.com has had a whole series of excellent space opera stories coming out this summer, which came at a perfect time for me, as I've been in the mood for science fiction more than fantasy these last few months. The Ghost Line finds a small group of salvagers exploring a vast abandoned luxury cruise ship and discovering more than any of them bargained for. The book's best quality is its lovely, thoughtful descriptions of the abandoned ship and the way in which it allows the reader to become immersed in the exploration of the haunted ship. It's not the strongest of Tor.com's 2017 lineup, and it feels slight and a little uninspired (while at the same time owing perhaps a little too much of what inspiration it has to The Expanse) in comparison to gems like All Systems Red or even Killing Gravity, but The Ghost Line is nevertheless a solidly entertaining read worthy of a lazy afternoon.
Read more reviews at SF Bluestocking.
Read more reviews at SF Bluestocking.
January 3, 2018
An enjoyably creepy tale but I do wish it had been longer.
September 20, 2017
4.5/5.0
July 16, 2017
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.
In general, I have no issues reading novellas, novelettes, or short stories -- except when I find that the length inhibits the storytelling. Unfortunately, I felt that was the case with The Ghost Line.
The story has a fairly abrupt start, as the main characters are approaching the titular ghost line, an abandoned luxury space cruise ship, and from that point on, it never quite gives us the full scope of the story's universe. We don't learn what Earth is like to any real degree in this spacefaring future--beyond a few mentions of advanced technology--and our interactions with its inhabitants are limited to the four-person crew on the mission.
The characters themselves aren't poorly written, per se, but they could have been executed better. One of them bordered on a cliche, another acted so aberrantly throughout the story that it made a few of the plot twists a little too obvious. The main character was a little to woe-is-me as well, dwelling on her personal problems so often that it distracted from the main storyline.
The plot itself was interesting, but I didn't find the twists all that original or shocking. I think the length really stunted the story's ability to build suspense, as it kept throwing out answers immediately after the questions were asked. My biggest letdown, honestly, was that the tone wasn't nearly as "horror-tinged" as I was hoping it'd be. I wanted a slow, atmospheric, creepy buildup, but the pace got so fast around the one-third mark that such a tone became impossible to hold.
Overall, this was an okay read, but nothing to write home about.
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In general, I have no issues reading novellas, novelettes, or short stories -- except when I find that the length inhibits the storytelling. Unfortunately, I felt that was the case with The Ghost Line.
The story has a fairly abrupt start, as the main characters are approaching the titular ghost line, an abandoned luxury space cruise ship, and from that point on, it never quite gives us the full scope of the story's universe. We don't learn what Earth is like to any real degree in this spacefaring future--beyond a few mentions of advanced technology--and our interactions with its inhabitants are limited to the four-person crew on the mission.
The characters themselves aren't poorly written, per se, but they could have been executed better. One of them bordered on a cliche, another acted so aberrantly throughout the story that it made a few of the plot twists a little too obvious. The main character was a little to woe-is-me as well, dwelling on her personal problems so often that it distracted from the main storyline.
The plot itself was interesting, but I didn't find the twists all that original or shocking. I think the length really stunted the story's ability to build suspense, as it kept throwing out answers immediately after the questions were asked. My biggest letdown, honestly, was that the tone wasn't nearly as "horror-tinged" as I was hoping it'd be. I wanted a slow, atmospheric, creepy buildup, but the pace got so fast around the one-third mark that such a tone became impossible to hold.
Overall, this was an okay read, but nothing to write home about.
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July 20, 2017
Saga and her husband Michel are persuaded by the tight-lipped Wei to take part in one last mission before settling down to raise children together. Their job is to hack the Martian Queen, apparently for profit. But Wei isn't telling them everything.
This novella has one of the loneliest, most distinctively creepy atmospheres I've ever experienced. I read most of this late at night, and found myself following my cat around just to feel less disturbed.
Gray and Herbison make a perfect team and I'm happy to hear there's a full novel in the works.
This novella has one of the loneliest, most distinctively creepy atmospheres I've ever experienced. I read most of this late at night, and found myself following my cat around just to feel less disturbed.
Gray and Herbison make a perfect team and I'm happy to hear there's a full novel in the works.
February 8, 2018
I thought this was pretty good but didn't quite stick the ending. It went a little outside my realm of believability around the 80% mark but I still enjoyed it. It had a very 'The Shining' feel for a while that I wanted it to embrace even more so. I was expecting a little more paranormal in the end.
August 21, 2017
note : 3.5 étoiles tendant vers 4 !
personnages = ok
-1 pour ce qui est du pilote (russe alcoolique) un peu superficiel et cliché (par contre j'ai aimé le côté hacker de Michel)
-1 pour le manque d "historique" (à part pour Saga) les auteurs ne nous disent à peu près rien de leur motivation et de leur passé J'aurais aimé les voir un peu plus "étoffés" pour mieux comprendre leurs réactions
thème = ok
-1 parce que déjà lu (un mixte entre la série de KK RUSCH Diving Universe et celle de Jack McDevitt "Alex Benedict" sont 2 ex qui me viennent à l'esprit)
-2 pour les "spores" venues d'ailleurs ...je pense les avoir rencontrées dans des nouvelles (??? ou peut être une réminiscence de Leviathan Wakes de James COREY) et pour ma part, le côté "esprit collectif évolutif" semble peu crédible (pratiquement instantané) ou tout au moins, pas assez scientifiquement présenté
+1 pour ne pas être tombé dans le piège facile de l'horreur pour l'horreur (ce qui rend l'histoire encore plus poignante et terrible)
style écriture :
+ 1 j'ai été embarqué sans pouvoir lâcher et sans m'ennuyer Les descriptions techniques (hackage, description du vaisseau etc) sont suffisamment light pour sembler réelles sans ressembler à une notice technique indigeste Chacun des quatre coéquipiers est différencié et le lecteur n'a pas de mal à les visualiser
ressenti
+1 un très bon moment de lecture sans pour autant être époustouflant L'atmosphère est bien rendue, la tension va en escaladant. Saga n'est pas parfaite mais admirablement humaine
regret
-1 j'aurais aimé en savoir plus sur l'historique du vaisseau ; sur le passé des personnages
et sur le monde dans laquelle tout ceci se déroule qui n'est abordé que par des remarques ici ou là Le récit est court Pas le temps de s'ennuyer certes mais quelques dizaines de pages supplémentaires l'aurait rendu encore plus crédible et intéressant, à mon humble avis...
personnages = ok
-1 pour ce qui est du pilote (russe alcoolique) un peu superficiel et cliché (par contre j'ai aimé le côté hacker de Michel)
-1 pour le manque d "historique" (à part pour Saga) les auteurs ne nous disent à peu près rien de leur motivation et de leur passé J'aurais aimé les voir un peu plus "étoffés" pour mieux comprendre leurs réactions
thème = ok
-1 parce que déjà lu (un mixte entre la série de KK RUSCH Diving Universe et celle de Jack McDevitt "Alex Benedict" sont 2 ex qui me viennent à l'esprit)
-2 pour les "spores" venues d'ailleurs ...je pense les avoir rencontrées dans des nouvelles (??? ou peut être une réminiscence de Leviathan Wakes de James COREY) et pour ma part, le côté "esprit collectif évolutif" semble peu crédible (pratiquement instantané) ou tout au moins, pas assez scientifiquement présenté
+1 pour ne pas être tombé dans le piège facile de l'horreur pour l'horreur (ce qui rend l'histoire encore plus poignante et terrible)
style écriture :
+ 1 j'ai été embarqué sans pouvoir lâcher et sans m'ennuyer Les descriptions techniques (hackage, description du vaisseau etc) sont suffisamment light pour sembler réelles sans ressembler à une notice technique indigeste Chacun des quatre coéquipiers est différencié et le lecteur n'a pas de mal à les visualiser
ressenti
+1 un très bon moment de lecture sans pour autant être époustouflant L'atmosphère est bien rendue, la tension va en escaladant. Saga n'est pas parfaite mais admirablement humaine
regret
-1 j'aurais aimé en savoir plus sur l'historique du vaisseau ; sur le passé des personnages
et sur le monde dans laquelle tout ceci se déroule qui n'est abordé que par des remarques ici ou là Le récit est court Pas le temps de s'ennuyer certes mais quelques dizaines de pages supplémentaires l'aurait rendu encore plus crédible et intéressant, à mon humble avis...
July 10, 2017
Una novela breve de misterio en una nave abandonada. No es muy original, pero si que es muy resultona y en algunos casos sorprendente. Da para una buena película de terror en el espacio.
March 14, 2017
[I can't decide between a 3 and a 4 so I guess it's a 3,5/5!]
June 30, 2017
Actual rating is 3.5
This was not at all what I expected. I picked The Ghost Line up because I was in the mood for a fun scifi read. And it was definitely fun to read. But it was also much stranger and more emotional than I expected. For such a short book, it packed quite the punch.
As I said, this was a short book (less than a hundred pages, I believe). So there wasn't a whole lot of time for world building . But, that being said, I was really impressed with how much building was done in such a short period of time. I felt like I had a surprisingly good grasp of this universe.
The same could be said for the characters. Even though we only got a short glimpse into their lives, I feel like I got to know them all really well. I would have loved even more character development and exploration, but of course in a shorter book like this that's not really possible.
This book is short, but so interesting. I loved the interplay of the characters and it was so much fun to get to know this universe. I'd definitely check out more books by these authors. And to anyone who likes scifi, I'd recommend giving this a read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor.com for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!
This was not at all what I expected. I picked The Ghost Line up because I was in the mood for a fun scifi read. And it was definitely fun to read. But it was also much stranger and more emotional than I expected. For such a short book, it packed quite the punch.
As I said, this was a short book (less than a hundred pages, I believe). So there wasn't a whole lot of time for world building . But, that being said, I was really impressed with how much building was done in such a short period of time. I felt like I had a surprisingly good grasp of this universe.
The same could be said for the characters. Even though we only got a short glimpse into their lives, I feel like I got to know them all really well. I would have loved even more character development and exploration, but of course in a shorter book like this that's not really possible.
This book is short, but so interesting. I loved the interplay of the characters and it was so much fun to get to know this universe. I'd definitely check out more books by these authors. And to anyone who likes scifi, I'd recommend giving this a read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor.com for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!
August 4, 2017
Strangeness in the stars!
Abandoned star ships that are more than they seem. This premise has been played out before. At this stage I am not interested enough to pursue a future reading of a subsequent tale. The trouble was I felt somewhat abandoned by it all.
It looked like a straight forward job for Saga and her husband Michel. Break into The Martian Queen, a sealed mothballed ship, and help bring it back online. Then other factors enter including their employer and the ship itself. Life becomes something other. There was a reason this ship had been placed away from all.
This novella has great potential but I was not captured.
A NetGalley ARC
Abandoned star ships that are more than they seem. This premise has been played out before. At this stage I am not interested enough to pursue a future reading of a subsequent tale. The trouble was I felt somewhat abandoned by it all.
It looked like a straight forward job for Saga and her husband Michel. Break into The Martian Queen, a sealed mothballed ship, and help bring it back online. Then other factors enter including their employer and the ship itself. Life becomes something other. There was a reason this ship had been placed away from all.
This novella has great potential but I was not captured.
A NetGalley ARC
December 31, 2023
Michel and Saga are a husband-and-wife team hired to get inside a derelict luxury spacecraft called The Martian Queen. The craft appears to be haunted, however, and their client has unannounced plans for the both the spaceship and for Michel and Saga. This novella is fast paced and unfolds in an interesting direction. I would have been quite happy if the story were fleshed out a bit as the ending felt rushed compared to the beginning of the book, and I'm not sure I believed Saga's rationale for her final actions.
July 26, 2017
Bien, pero sin mas. Corto, con su suspense y su no saber que demonios pasa, con buena mezcla de crucero fantasma con terror en el espacio.
January 9, 2018
Interesting premise, but one that wasn't nearly fleshed out enough - I didn't really care about the characters, or the 'mystery'.
December 28, 2021
Read in one day. It was aight.
December 23, 2022
4.5 Loved this! Immersive and compelling with great characters and storytelling. I went in without any expectations and I'm happy I didn't read any reviews beforehand. I recommend jumping into this without knowing too much. Definitely some Leviathan Wakes vibes.
March 7, 2017
[Full review coming.]
December 13, 2021
3.5 stars, rounded up. This novella was a great spooky-ish sci-fi read right after Halloween. A salvage team goes to a long-forgotten space cruiser that was evacuated and left for an unknown reason. When the team arrives, the ship essentially begins to haunt them. This was a fun, quick read but was a little bewildering where it ultimately ended up. The ride along the way was fun though.
September 19, 2017
This was a fairly short book that I happened to pick up on a whim and I'm glad that I did because it was a pleasant surprise.
It's a story about four people who are in deep space and about to attempt to move an old cruise liner ship nicknamed the Queen out of Orbit in order to allow for something else. I know this is rather vague but because it's a fairly short book, I don't want to go too much into detail.
It was a fascinating mix of the futuristic, mystery, adventure and the importance of telling an illusion from something real. There's so much going on behind scenes though if you pay attention, you'll notice that something's not quite right with this ship but that's all I'm going to mention because.. spoilers!
I'm hoping there might be other books to go along with this one and if not, it ends in a way that I was satisfied and looking forward to seeing what this interesting duo comes up with next!
It's a story about four people who are in deep space and about to attempt to move an old cruise liner ship nicknamed the Queen out of Orbit in order to allow for something else. I know this is rather vague but because it's a fairly short book, I don't want to go too much into detail.
It was a fascinating mix of the futuristic, mystery, adventure and the importance of telling an illusion from something real. There's so much going on behind scenes though if you pay attention, you'll notice that something's not quite right with this ship but that's all I'm going to mention because.. spoilers!
I'm hoping there might be other books to go along with this one and if not, it ends in a way that I was satisfied and looking forward to seeing what this interesting duo comes up with next!
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