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The Siberian Incident
100,000 years ago the object hit the lake at the deepest point, quickly sinking into its mile-deep stygian darkness. The sheets of ice closed, time moved on, and the land forgot.
But over the centuries, legends grew of people vanishing, of strange, deformed animals, and of an unexplained luminescence down in the lake depths.
When Marcus Stenson won the lucrative contract to create a sturgeon fish farm on the site of a disused paper mill on the shore of Lake Baikal, he thought he had hit the jackpot. He refused to listen to the chilling folktales, or even be concerned by the occasional harassment from the local mafia. But then animals were found mutilated in the frozen forest, and people started to go missing. And worse, some came back, changed, horribly.
In the depths of the lake, something that had been waiting 100,000 years was stirring. And it needed the warmth of mankind to survive.
But over the centuries, legends grew of people vanishing, of strange, deformed animals, and of an unexplained luminescence down in the lake depths.
When Marcus Stenson won the lucrative contract to create a sturgeon fish farm on the site of a disused paper mill on the shore of Lake Baikal, he thought he had hit the jackpot. He refused to listen to the chilling folktales, or even be concerned by the occasional harassment from the local mafia. But then animals were found mutilated in the frozen forest, and people started to go missing. And worse, some came back, changed, horribly.
In the depths of the lake, something that had been waiting 100,000 years was stirring. And it needed the warmth of mankind to survive.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2019
1154 people are currently reading
1367 people want to read
About the author
Greig Beck
46 books1,147 followersHi GoodReaders, I’m an Australian author residing in Sydney with my wife, son and a mad Golden Retriever named Jessie. My novels are now available globally, also in Large Print and now in full AUDIO format.
I grew up spending my days surfing at Bondi Beach before entering a career in Information technology which took me around the world. After completing an MBA, i was appointed both an Australasian director of a multinational software company, and tasked with setting up the USA arm of the organisation.
Today, I spend most of my time writing... with plenty left over for surfing.
More information about me and my works can be found at either www.greigbeck.com, or join me on FaceBook (Greig Beck Author).
I grew up spending my days surfing at Bondi Beach before entering a career in Information technology which took me around the world. After completing an MBA, i was appointed both an Australasian director of a multinational software company, and tasked with setting up the USA arm of the organisation.
Today, I spend most of my time writing... with plenty left over for surfing.
More information about me and my works can be found at either www.greigbeck.com, or join me on FaceBook (Greig Beck Author).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
February 5, 2022
The author is very good at creating atmospheric read which makes you feel chilly just reading it.
As for character development though it falls short, if he wrote even one solid character in this one it would be ten times better but it seems rushed and focuses more on the action.
It was an enjoyable and tense page-turner of a read, but personally I class this as a read-oncer.
It's also clearly influenced by John Carpenter's The Thing.
I would be really cool to see it adapted.
I'm looking forward to reading something else but this author.
As for character development though it falls short, if he wrote even one solid character in this one it would be ten times better but it seems rushed and focuses more on the action.
It was an enjoyable and tense page-turner of a read, but personally I class this as a read-oncer.
It's also clearly influenced by John Carpenter's The Thing.
I would be really cool to see it adapted.
I'm looking forward to reading something else but this author.
June 7, 2025
So this is a first…I honestly can’t decide on a 3.5 or 4 star rating. Like completely stumped. Greig Beck’s writing quality is what’s giving it the advantage, but the story itself drops it back down. I read quite a few of the prior reviews and understand how similar certain elements were to John Carpenter’s The Thing. The critiques were warranted, however I felt there were also a number of differences that solidify this as a separate entity. Now this honestly comes down as having too many layers and plotpoints to fully explore any of them properly. Sara and Marcus are apart, he goes missing after getting mixed up in Russia with a new business venture and the mafia, Sara also had a prior relationship with his brother, who travels with her to the site of the disappearance, there are alien lifeforms running around, Sara and Carter (The brother) flirt with another romantic outing, scientists and ex-special ops guys show up, etc. And there was plenty more, but just way, way too many things happening all at once. And at the heart of this story should have been Sarah, who connected everything together, but she got lost in the mix, which was a shame. There wasn’t much on grief for her lost husband, before or after the events in the story, or even the conflicted feelings of restarting a relationship with Carter. The aliens had some good showings and definitely warranted being there, but everything else just seemed really unnecessary. I’ve read several of Beck’s books now, and there were some mild comparisons to Fathomless and Abyss here, too, which sort of made some of this feel like a slightly modified repeat. But, again, the author’s skills are fully intact here, however he needed to hone in on what the story needed to be, rather than overcomplicating what should have just been a decent science fiction concept.
July 4, 2020
The Siberian Incident by Greig Beck is a good thriller. It would be a great late night monster movie! Something crashed to Earth ages ago and every time people settled around this lake, and things happen. Now a couple but this Lake property to help a type of fish. They hire locals and that's when things go bad. Lots of normal and abnormal action! Pretty good!
December 28, 2021
Welcome to Siberia, where even summers are cold. We are at Lake Baikal, at what used to be a paper mill that is now used for a breeding program of Beluga sturgeon.
American Marcus Stenson has won a project and is now trying to establish the aforementioned fish farm. Locals show up to work for him and tell him strange and chilling tales of their ancestors about weird lights in the lake and more.
However, like any intrepid hero, he completely ignores all of it. Just like he headbutts the local mafia until his equally-hero brother needs to come save him (he can because he's a former special forces soldier, what else).
But then people go missing (and not for the first time in the past 100k years), animals are found horribly mutilated ... and in the worst of cases, some come back (animals and people alike) but "changed".
If this sounds familiar and you think of The Thing, you'd be right. But the author didn’t stop there. We also get another hero: a US veteran, special forces OF COURSE.
Sadly, A LOT of elements in this story were terribly familiar. The premise sounded promising but the author actually seemed to snatch a tidbit from this movie and another from that story and try to mash them together - unsuccessfully. Don't get me wrong, this could have worked. But it didn't. The book was ... in one word: generic. So much so I skimmed after the 25%-mark. And I basically never do that.
I think it's safe to say that the author and I will not become friends. I get curious about his stories quite often but am constantly disappointed by the end result. *sighs*
American Marcus Stenson has won a project and is now trying to establish the aforementioned fish farm. Locals show up to work for him and tell him strange and chilling tales of their ancestors about weird lights in the lake and more.
However, like any intrepid hero, he completely ignores all of it. Just like he headbutts the local mafia until his equally-hero brother needs to come save him (he can because he's a former special forces soldier, what else).
But then people go missing (and not for the first time in the past 100k years), animals are found horribly mutilated ... and in the worst of cases, some come back (animals and people alike) but "changed".
If this sounds familiar and you think of The Thing, you'd be right. But the author didn’t stop there. We also get another hero: a US veteran, special forces OF COURSE.
Sadly, A LOT of elements in this story were terribly familiar. The premise sounded promising but the author actually seemed to snatch a tidbit from this movie and another from that story and try to mash them together - unsuccessfully. Don't get me wrong, this could have worked. But it didn't. The book was ... in one word: generic. So much so I skimmed after the 25%-mark. And I basically never do that.
I think it's safe to say that the author and I will not become friends. I get curious about his stories quite often but am constantly disappointed by the end result. *sighs*
Read
December 28, 2021I'm not going to lie. I was bored with this and 20% in I was overwhelmed by the generic and I just couldn't drive myself forward to continue on.
I don't generally quit. I can count my fingers on two hands the times when I have. I just had to do it. Sorry.
I don't generally quit. I can count my fingers on two hands the times when I have. I just had to do it. Sorry.
October 8, 2023
Scary? Yes. Intense? Yes. Make you jump? OH YEAH!!! It was fun reading a good horror book and not many do horror better than Greig Beck. I have read other writings of his and have never been disappointed. Was the ending a little predictable … maybe, but the stew pot of personalities mixed with a very nerve wracking plot made up for this minor blip. My feeling … it is a good book to read in the light.
December 23, 2019
I've read everything that Greig Beck has written from the beginning. I've been a hugely loyal and enthusiastic fan. Many 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. But lately, meh! His early novels were characterized by great research resulting in wonderful scientific verisimilitude which, perhaps in part because I am a scientist, is very important to me in the fiction I read. Also good character development (e.g., the FIRST BIRD, VALKERYN and PRIMORDIA series. THE SIBERIAN incident is the second Beck novel in a row where this great accuracy falls completely apart (the preceding novel I refer to here is his latest Alex Hunter novel, FROM HELL).
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MODERATE PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD
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THE SIBERIAN INCIDENT is about an invasion of insectile extraterrestrials that take up residence at the bottom of Lake Baikal in Siberia. Why do they hide underwater? Your guess is as good as mine, since the horror is that they come ashore and disembowel animals and humans and then reanimate the corpse and walk around. Why? I don't know. Anyway, all this is very bad for an American, Marcus Stenson, who has decided to open a beluga sturgeon farm in the lake. Marcus is abducted and left for dead early on by the Russian mafia. But something else actually kills him. So his wife and ex-Special Forces big bother come to open the farm and get revenge. Not a terrible set-up. Plenty of room for mafia bad guy stuff and Special Forces guy (and two buddies he invites for help) mayhem, not to mention alien problems.
Early on there are some biology lab scenes that used to be Becks forte, but now have devolved into nonsensical unscientific gobbledegook. Someone using a microscope (no cover slip for specimen which doesn't work by the way adjusts by "enlarging the spectrum" after pushing the specimen "into the viewing aperture". Huh? And then there's something called an "electron scanning microscope". No such thing. It's called a Scanning Electron Microscope or SEM. Some made-up chemical called "hydraulic acid". A tank of CO2 that we are told is flammable. You get the idea. All this jerks the educated reader right out of the story.
And then there's the major plot hole. The alien critters use earthly critters (apparently only land critters although they live in the water) as biological building blocks as we use technology. They even build a submarine out of corpses. They apparently have no technology at all. So how do they traverse interstellar space? In a spaceship made of other alien corpses propelled by...... aliens farts? It would be funny if if weren't so sad.
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END PLOT SPOILERS
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Beck has always had a knack for interesting ideas and great pacing. Still does. But it is clear to me that he is no longer willing to put in the time to research the background science and technology in his fiction as he did when he was starting out. Instead, he appear to just be winging it. The characters are completely flat. No personality. No motivation. No anything. Maybe this has something to do with the length. Something less than 250 pages. Really short for a full novel.
All this is really too bad. I'll try one or two more of his novels (I read them all 'for free' sort of with my Kindle Unlimited subscription) but it he doesn't get back to basics, meaning researching his material, I'm done.
Not recommended.
JM Tepper
*********************************************************************
MODERATE PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD
*********************************************************************
THE SIBERIAN INCIDENT is about an invasion of insectile extraterrestrials that take up residence at the bottom of Lake Baikal in Siberia. Why do they hide underwater? Your guess is as good as mine, since the horror is that they come ashore and disembowel animals and humans and then reanimate the corpse and walk around. Why? I don't know. Anyway, all this is very bad for an American, Marcus Stenson, who has decided to open a beluga sturgeon farm in the lake. Marcus is abducted and left for dead early on by the Russian mafia. But something else actually kills him. So his wife and ex-Special Forces big bother come to open the farm and get revenge. Not a terrible set-up. Plenty of room for mafia bad guy stuff and Special Forces guy (and two buddies he invites for help) mayhem, not to mention alien problems.
Early on there are some biology lab scenes that used to be Becks forte, but now have devolved into nonsensical unscientific gobbledegook. Someone using a microscope (no cover slip for specimen which doesn't work by the way adjusts by "enlarging the spectrum" after pushing the specimen "into the viewing aperture". Huh? And then there's something called an "electron scanning microscope". No such thing. It's called a Scanning Electron Microscope or SEM. Some made-up chemical called "hydraulic acid". A tank of CO2 that we are told is flammable. You get the idea. All this jerks the educated reader right out of the story.
And then there's the major plot hole. The alien critters use earthly critters (apparently only land critters although they live in the water) as biological building blocks as we use technology. They even build a submarine out of corpses. They apparently have no technology at all. So how do they traverse interstellar space? In a spaceship made of other alien corpses propelled by...... aliens farts? It would be funny if if weren't so sad.
*********************************************************************
END PLOT SPOILERS
*********************************************************************
Beck has always had a knack for interesting ideas and great pacing. Still does. But it is clear to me that he is no longer willing to put in the time to research the background science and technology in his fiction as he did when he was starting out. Instead, he appear to just be winging it. The characters are completely flat. No personality. No motivation. No anything. Maybe this has something to do with the length. Something less than 250 pages. Really short for a full novel.
All this is really too bad. I'll try one or two more of his novels (I read them all 'for free' sort of with my Kindle Unlimited subscription) but it he doesn't get back to basics, meaning researching his material, I'm done.
Not recommended.
JM Tepper
February 3, 2020
5 stars audio
4.5 stars story
4.5 stars story
December 16, 2019
A Great Read from Mr. Beck & Co.
Freezing Siberian lake. American scientists, Russian mob. Sturgeon farming And some alien species that lives in cold deep black water that needs to eviscerate large animals so they can go strolling around . (Humans are animals too...) Throw in a couple of retired Special Ops. guys and you have - well read it yourself. DIsclaimer: No sturgeon were hurt in the writing of this book.
Freezing Siberian lake. American scientists, Russian mob. Sturgeon farming And some alien species that lives in cold deep black water that needs to eviscerate large animals so they can go strolling around . (Humans are animals too...) Throw in a couple of retired Special Ops. guys and you have - well read it yourself. DIsclaimer: No sturgeon were hurt in the writing of this book.
July 1, 2020
Great read for lovers of alien horror
Are you ready to make contact? I did enjoy this story, great tension and build up. That, and the fact that it was written by an Aussie.
Are you ready to make contact? I did enjoy this story, great tension and build up. That, and the fact that it was written by an Aussie.
October 5, 2020
Well there was something about this that stopped me from really enjoying it. I'm not sure what it was. I liked the ideas used like the skin suits and how we go about learning about the creatures. I didn't like the ending where we don't really know if they are gone or not. I liked the bear skin suit part where they find it and then try to see what has happened to it. I just couldn't connect to the characters and although it was interesting I was only really half paying attention.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2020
A wild thriller, with quality sci-fi and just a touch of horror. If you're a fan of the classic Carpenter movie, The Thing, you'll love this book. It's a fun and fantastical read that's as chilling as it is thought-provoking.
October 10, 2020
This book would work well for a semi low budget film on the sci fi channel. It has all the makings of a excellent creepy and apocalyptic alien takeover. I was kind of reminded of the film Dreamcatcher aside from these aliens not giving two shits about us humans aside from our use to them. While mildly dry and a smidge boring for the first half I really ended up loving this book. The cliche ending is actually what did it for me because I love that immediate of knowing that things once thought are ok are far from it. The HEA we thought we were getting is literally shredded and lit on fire before ending like the slamming of a door. Again beyond cliche but very fitting of the genre. Most of the action really took place in the end and while at times the book got pretty gory and graphic much of the dialogue and storyline matter little to the overall plot. Each snippet of this monster alien creature slowly built over time and it wasn’t until they captured one that I was finally able to visualize one. Ewww, let’s hope they remain fictional as we wouldn’t stand a chance. I thought it was really disturbing how they use our skin, animal skins etc at times like their own costumes as well as building tools as we would metals, woods etc. On that aspect I almost wish they had made some form of contact with them because how the hell would that even work smh. Overall this is just the kind of borderline horrific/cheesy plot up my alley and once again this author did a great job.
January 18, 2024
Part Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, part Carpenter’s The Thing, part Rambo. This is a balls to the wall horror-thriller.
Not only do you get the creature storyline, but in addition there is a fantastic revenge factor a’la First Blood/Rambo, concerning one of the main characters and the Russian mafia, the Bratva.
Essentially, a couple of Americans open a sturgeon farm in Russia and soon run afoul of the Russian mafia know as the Bratva. They do not take ‘no’ for an answer.
I hate spoilers, so I gotta skip some stuff lest i give too much away.
Suffice it to say that things get bad for the Americans to the point one of them calls in help to one Carter Stenson, an ex-military man, that “...looked like he had been carved from solid granite.” This guy also does not take no for an answer.
But the Bratva isn’t the only thing they have to worry about. There’s something in the lake. Something that glows. Something that can crack 6 feet of ice. Something that can overtake and kill its prey in seconds. and does that viciously.
Both storylines come together for some good old fashioned mayhem and chaos. And boy do the bullets and blood fly!
I really enjoyed this ride and I think you will too.
Not only do you get the creature storyline, but in addition there is a fantastic revenge factor a’la First Blood/Rambo, concerning one of the main characters and the Russian mafia, the Bratva.
Essentially, a couple of Americans open a sturgeon farm in Russia and soon run afoul of the Russian mafia know as the Bratva. They do not take ‘no’ for an answer.
I hate spoilers, so I gotta skip some stuff lest i give too much away.
Suffice it to say that things get bad for the Americans to the point one of them calls in help to one Carter Stenson, an ex-military man, that “...looked like he had been carved from solid granite.” This guy also does not take no for an answer.
But the Bratva isn’t the only thing they have to worry about. There’s something in the lake. Something that glows. Something that can crack 6 feet of ice. Something that can overtake and kill its prey in seconds. and does that viciously.
Both storylines come together for some good old fashioned mayhem and chaos. And boy do the bullets and blood fly!
I really enjoyed this ride and I think you will too.
June 2, 2021
100,000 years ago something crashed into the deepest lake on earth, in Siberia. Since then, weird lights have been seen emanating from the depths and in modern day people in the area have been disappearing. Now, an American has won a lottery to build a sturgeon farm in the lake, to save the dwindling sturgeon population. He arrives in Siberia to begin the work. Enter his group of workers, the Russian mafia, sub-zero temperatures and terrifying occurences: disemboweled animals that are still somehow ambulatory, missing team members, cameras catching..... something, yet nothing. It's a wild and crazy adventure for fans of horror-thriller, sci-fi, and military tales. 5 stars for the pure entertainment value. It's cliche and predictable, but this did not detract from the fun. The narration was also excellent.
January 10, 2021
After the first few pages, I forgot that this author was new to me. It was like reading a Michael Crichton novel. This was a fun read with lots of action. The nature of the aliens was interesting. This book made me do some internet searches on Siberian geography, climate, Strugeon fish, Beluga Caviar and Bratva and I am so glad for the new learning :-)
March 20, 2021
Invisible. They're Invisible unless exposed by uv light. No.
Alright so first the good, I liked the ballsy choice the writer took in the first 50 pages. It was brazen and I wonder how many people who read the blurb got pissed after that point and put down the book. I liked the setup of the Russian mob and the mystery surrounding the lake. Fantastic setup all around. Yuri is an excellent side character and someone who you can care for.
Now the bad, all that setup for some very disappointing execution. I think people need to stop watching movies to get their military lingo. Military members have a very crass way of speaking to each other and it never sounds wooden when they do it. Its not pointless rambling and random fist bumps at awkward times. No. No, no, no, no, no. They give each other crap, all the time but when its serious it's serious and the only thing they're concerned with is their buddy getting out alive. This book's military dialogue is ridiculous and made me cringe. Then there's the two higher paid scientists that show up. They're scientists. Well educated members of society who know enough to know that if safety is a concern you don't jeopardize it for something extremely stupid. Are there dumb and risky decisions in science? Sure. Are there people who see a skin suit made of a person going to get really close to the things responsible for the sake of a dialogue? No. Thats a new level of dumb that I can't handle. What are they Ed Gein enthusiasts?
So disappointed with the halfway point onward of this book. The first half was such a strong opening. Gets an extra star for ballsy decision mentioned at the beginning of the review.
There it is and there you have it.
Alright so first the good, I liked the ballsy choice the writer took in the first 50 pages. It was brazen and I wonder how many people who read the blurb got pissed after that point and put down the book. I liked the setup of the Russian mob and the mystery surrounding the lake. Fantastic setup all around. Yuri is an excellent side character and someone who you can care for.
Now the bad, all that setup for some very disappointing execution. I think people need to stop watching movies to get their military lingo. Military members have a very crass way of speaking to each other and it never sounds wooden when they do it. Its not pointless rambling and random fist bumps at awkward times. No. No, no, no, no, no. They give each other crap, all the time but when its serious it's serious and the only thing they're concerned with is their buddy getting out alive. This book's military dialogue is ridiculous and made me cringe. Then there's the two higher paid scientists that show up. They're scientists. Well educated members of society who know enough to know that if safety is a concern you don't jeopardize it for something extremely stupid. Are there dumb and risky decisions in science? Sure. Are there people who see a skin suit made of a person going to get really close to the things responsible for the sake of a dialogue? No. Thats a new level of dumb that I can't handle. What are they Ed Gein enthusiasts?
So disappointed with the halfway point onward of this book. The first half was such a strong opening. Gets an extra star for ballsy decision mentioned at the beginning of the review.
There it is and there you have it.
August 22, 2021
When I started reading stuff from Tim Curran and other Severed Press authors and I saw a Greig Beck story I thought I would love to read it. I've known his novels for several now and they look cool thrillers in the same vein of other novels mixing thriller with adventure and ancient monsters and so on (I'm looking at you Jeremy Robinson and James Rollins)
Well, what we've got here is an American guy who makes a deal with some Russian guys to create a farm on sturgeon. But then stuff doesn't happen the way he wants after all this are Russians and Russian mafia has it's hands on everything/anything. When he disappears , his ex army brother and wife go to Russia to deal with it.
Apart from these mafioso other stuff start to happen and so more Americans (ex-military) arrive at Russia. Then the book changes a bit and if it was more thriller to more commando fighting the Thing from OuterSpace.
What about the monsters... some spoilers ahead!
Well what we've got here is some monsters that transverse space but when they arrive at earth they have no technology... how? They use dead bodies to make things and use them so they walk on land and so on... they built things out of corpse but then Greig Beck never explained how they transverse the cosmos. Poorly written this part.
Spoilers Finish
My main problem with most of these kind of novels Thrillers/Adventures/Monsters seldom end bad. They usually overcome their problem and all is fine which is a bit boring and predictable.
Well, what we've got here is an American guy who makes a deal with some Russian guys to create a farm on sturgeon. But then stuff doesn't happen the way he wants after all this are Russians and Russian mafia has it's hands on everything/anything. When he disappears , his ex army brother and wife go to Russia to deal with it.
Apart from these mafioso other stuff start to happen and so more Americans (ex-military) arrive at Russia. Then the book changes a bit and if it was more thriller to more commando fighting the Thing from OuterSpace.
What about the monsters... some spoilers ahead!
Well what we've got here is some monsters that transverse space but when they arrive at earth they have no technology... how? They use dead bodies to make things and use them so they walk on land and so on... they built things out of corpse but then Greig Beck never explained how they transverse the cosmos. Poorly written this part.
Spoilers Finish
My main problem with most of these kind of novels Thrillers/Adventures/Monsters seldom end bad. They usually overcome their problem and all is fine which is a bit boring and predictable.
December 10, 2020
After reading the his other books this one isn’t as fast paced action packed. It was a ok read. It kept reminding me of the movie The Thing!!!
100,000 years ago the object hit the lake at the deepest point, quickly sinking into its mile-deep Stygian darkness. The sheets of ice closed, time moved on and the land forgot.
But over the centuries, legends grew of people vanishing, of strange, deformed animals and of an unexplained luminescence down in the lake depths.
When Marcus Stenson won the lucrative contract to create a sturgeon fish farm on the site of disused paper mill on the shore of Lake Baikal, he thought he had won the lottery and refused to listen to the chilling folktales, or even be concerned by the occasional harassment from the local mafia.
But then animals were found mutilated in the frozen forest and people started to go missing. And worse, some came back, changed, horribly.
In the depths of the lake, something that had been waiting 100,000 years was stirring. And it needed the warmth of mankind to survive.
100,000 years ago the object hit the lake at the deepest point, quickly sinking into its mile-deep Stygian darkness. The sheets of ice closed, time moved on and the land forgot.
But over the centuries, legends grew of people vanishing, of strange, deformed animals and of an unexplained luminescence down in the lake depths.
When Marcus Stenson won the lucrative contract to create a sturgeon fish farm on the site of disused paper mill on the shore of Lake Baikal, he thought he had won the lottery and refused to listen to the chilling folktales, or even be concerned by the occasional harassment from the local mafia.
But then animals were found mutilated in the frozen forest and people started to go missing. And worse, some came back, changed, horribly.
In the depths of the lake, something that had been waiting 100,000 years was stirring. And it needed the warmth of mankind to survive.
June 23, 2021
Originally gave this 3 1/2, but I’m reassessing it as 2 1/2. There were some high points towards the end that made the overall thing enjoyable and compelled me to rate it higher, yet I can’t ignore the flimsy characters and trudging chapters about nothing. Something about it also made me think this was trying to be a screenplay more than a novel. There were entire chapters about expositional dialogue of things that had already been established through the narrative voice previously. The overall “Rambo III meets The Thing” concept does pay off at some highly entertaining and thrilling moments of fighting back against the Russian mafia and confronting “the creature,” but those moments were scarce, and the overall project got lost in exposition when it should have been ramping up the high-octane action it promised through initial glimpses. A shame. The beginning really was entertaining as hell! I really wanted to like this. :(
January 5, 2020
Great Sci-Fi Horror
I love this type of horror! Nothing to difficult to explain or understand, just evil aliens and great characters. Would have made a great science fiction movie.
I love this type of horror! Nothing to difficult to explain or understand, just evil aliens and great characters. Would have made a great science fiction movie.
June 17, 2021
First contact horror stories are a dime a dozen, but this one really worked for me. The horror part of the story starts in flashbacks to the distant past while the modern storyline gets established. American Marcus Stenson has won a contract to restock the sturgeon supply in Lake Baikal deep in Siberia. He and his wife are excited about the project but are unready for the interest that the Russian Mafia takes in their venture. That storyline alone was worth the price of admission and it almost makes you forget that Beck has something much more sinister in the works for his readers.
The actual aliens are wonderfully done. They’re creepy, they’re lethal, they’re absolutely terrifying, and while we expect at least some of the cast of good guys to survive, it’s not clear at all how they’re going to do it. Most importantly, the eventual resolution to the storyline is credible. The bad things are as bad as we expect them to be and the good guys efforts mostly make sense as well.
So if you’re looking for a novel with interesting challenges of both a real world and a horror genre nature, you should give The Siberian Incident a try.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
The actual aliens are wonderfully done. They’re creepy, they’re lethal, they’re absolutely terrifying, and while we expect at least some of the cast of good guys to survive, it’s not clear at all how they’re going to do it. Most importantly, the eventual resolution to the storyline is credible. The bad things are as bad as we expect them to be and the good guys efforts mostly make sense as well.
So if you’re looking for a novel with interesting challenges of both a real world and a horror genre nature, you should give The Siberian Incident a try.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
January 11, 2020
Something lurks beneath the ice...
Deep in the heart of Siberia, under a frozen lake, something ancient and evil is stirring. It has been waiting there a long time...and now all it wants is to come out.
Written in a similar style to, and obviously heavily inspired by The Thing, The Siberian Incident is a gripping Sci-Fi/ horror thriller that is a veritable tour-de-force.
Right from the beginning I found myself caught up in the story and absolutely loved every moment. The characters were well imagined and I loved the way the plot evolved as we slowly discover the true nature of the threat that they face.
Quite literally, I could not put this down and would definitely read more by this author.
Full marks - this was one of the best Sci-Fi horrors that I have read in absolute ages!
Deep in the heart of Siberia, under a frozen lake, something ancient and evil is stirring. It has been waiting there a long time...and now all it wants is to come out.
Written in a similar style to, and obviously heavily inspired by The Thing, The Siberian Incident is a gripping Sci-Fi/ horror thriller that is a veritable tour-de-force.
Right from the beginning I found myself caught up in the story and absolutely loved every moment. The characters were well imagined and I loved the way the plot evolved as we slowly discover the true nature of the threat that they face.
Quite literally, I could not put this down and would definitely read more by this author.
Full marks - this was one of the best Sci-Fi horrors that I have read in absolute ages!
December 31, 2022
“We know more about the face of the moon than we do about the Blue Eye of Siberia (Lake Baikal).” Old Siberian saying.
Ya this isolated Siberian fish farming sounds like the worst/coldest job ever…. No thanks.
Learning about Lake Baikal whilst reading, and then swooping over to google, was definitely interesting! I had no idea about its length/depth. They also have the cutest seals there!
“It was a place of secrets, mystery, and it was no wonder it held legends within its watery depth and dark forests.”
I think my favourite characters were Carter & Yuri. Sara grossed me out, flipping back and forth between the brothers and literally barely grieving her spouse….
The “creatures” were relentless and horrifying.
The ending was ambiguous, but I’m really disappointed that there is no mention of what happened to the endangered sturgeon… did they let them swim free? I can’t believe they’d just leave them to die?!
Ya this isolated Siberian fish farming sounds like the worst/coldest job ever…. No thanks.
Learning about Lake Baikal whilst reading, and then swooping over to google, was definitely interesting! I had no idea about its length/depth. They also have the cutest seals there!
“It was a place of secrets, mystery, and it was no wonder it held legends within its watery depth and dark forests.”
I think my favourite characters were Carter & Yuri. Sara grossed me out, flipping back and forth between the brothers and literally barely grieving her spouse….
The “creatures” were relentless and horrifying.
The ending was ambiguous, but I’m really disappointed that there is no mention of what happened to the endangered sturgeon… did they let them swim free? I can’t believe they’d just leave them to die?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2020
The story is like a blend between John Carpenters "The Thing", and "Predator"..
I didn't love it, but still it kept me turning the pages!!
If you want to be entertain and love action, then go for it!!
But don't expect too much from the characters..
A good story, but somewhat missing in it..
Maybee a bit more deep, and character development..
Anyway, happy reading to all my friends..
Dean;)
I didn't love it, but still it kept me turning the pages!!
If you want to be entertain and love action, then go for it!!
But don't expect too much from the characters..
A good story, but somewhat missing in it..
Maybee a bit more deep, and character development..
Anyway, happy reading to all my friends..
Dean;)
April 26, 2020
This is a hot mess, but would make a great B movie.
September 28, 2023
3.5 stars out of 5
This would make a awesome action movie.
This is the first book by Greig Beck and I liked it, so it won't be my last, his writing has a similar feel to Matthew Reilly's, so if you like his books, you will probably like this also, It was easy to read and picture what was happening.
This would make a awesome action movie.
This is the first book by Greig Beck and I liked it, so it won't be my last, his writing has a similar feel to Matthew Reilly's, so if you like his books, you will probably like this also, It was easy to read and picture what was happening.
January 16, 2020
Great plot! Monsters! Romance! Treachery! Old love rekindled! I really enjoyed this read, in part because it had a kinda happy ending. While I love a good ”everyone dies” story I do like for the good guys to win occasionally. Good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2021
Some reviewers here have complained that The Siberian Incident was either too slow or too different from Greig Beck's other books. Some even had issues with the way some characters used a microscope. As an engineer and scientist I had no such problems. It does not have to be perfect as the entire story is far-fetched and a good yarn, but that is why I read novels. I want to be entertained.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is set in one of my favourite settings: cold ice. I have read several books that is set in Antarctica, but never in Siberia. Greig wrote the scenery superbly and I felt the cold while reading it. The action was for most a bit subdued, but in a strange way, I enjoyed it. Too many books follow movie scripts these days where a storyline is sacrificed for never-ending action and over-the-top sequences. As such, I will remember this book for many years to come as the action never took centre stage. The story was sufficient to ensure a good read.
The final chapters though seemed a bit rushed - a bit of a recurring theme with Greig Beck's latest books. His last book I read, Journey to the Center of the Earth, also seemed rushed at the end. I'd probably give the book 4.5 stars, but rounded it up rather than down. I am happy I invested the time to listen to the book. Yeah, I listened to it on Audible and the production and narration was first class.
Do yourselves a favour and consider the audio book as your first option. Happy reading/listening.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is set in one of my favourite settings: cold ice. I have read several books that is set in Antarctica, but never in Siberia. Greig wrote the scenery superbly and I felt the cold while reading it. The action was for most a bit subdued, but in a strange way, I enjoyed it. Too many books follow movie scripts these days where a storyline is sacrificed for never-ending action and over-the-top sequences. As such, I will remember this book for many years to come as the action never took centre stage. The story was sufficient to ensure a good read.
The final chapters though seemed a bit rushed - a bit of a recurring theme with Greig Beck's latest books. His last book I read, Journey to the Center of the Earth, also seemed rushed at the end. I'd probably give the book 4.5 stars, but rounded it up rather than down. I am happy I invested the time to listen to the book. Yeah, I listened to it on Audible and the production and narration was first class.
Do yourselves a favour and consider the audio book as your first option. Happy reading/listening.
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