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Golem
The crew of Shackleton moon base is being hunted and killed. Mining operations are being destroyed, tourists killed, and all evidence points to an engineer who's gone mad, using a human-controlled robot to go on a murderous rampage. Or is he? No matter what this top-notch crew tries, the death and destruction continues. How can one engineer outwit the entire base crew? How has he managed to make his equipment do the impossible? As the situation grows more desperate, plan after plan fails to slow him and his killer machine down. As the deaths and destruction mount, as all of their attempts to stop him fail, there are forced to consider a more sinister option. What if something else is doing the killing?
338 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 20, 2026
Golem is a competent moon mystery packed with plenty of action that cracks along at a fair whip. The central premise is interesting and unfolds a little as expected. In some aspects, it is reminiscent of Artemis by Andy Weir in that a sassy engineer must use all her wits to prevent catastrophe on old Luna. However, the similarities stop there, as within Golem, there were a few issues that prevented the awarding of full marks. Outside of the main characters of Heda, Jay and Rachel, I was very hard pressed to picture any of the many other characters. Little to no characteristics were described. In scenes with multiple characters, the personal pronoun - he said, she said - was used a lot, making it very difficult to work out who was actually talking. This became very hard to follow. There was also a sort of protagonist for a bit who had maybe two or three lines in the entire book. All these areas could have been developed better. The action scenes and visualisation of the moon and a settlement under attack was very good but I just could not picture most of the characters. This detracted enough for me to lower the score to and contemplate whether this should be a three or four stars. I've plumped for the latter like a disembodied boot gently tumbling to the luna surface.
October 8, 2021
Unexpected treat.
I read JESUS WORLD by Jamie Buckingham back in the 80s. Ever since, the concept of the Golem has interested me.
Another Golem direction I would suggest if you are curious about the subject is the 90s DC comic book series called THE MONOLITH.
So when I saw Kim Aaron's GOLEM, I was in. The sci-fi cover brought a whole new aspect to the concept for me.
The story starts with nondescript, throwaway sexual romp This tryst happens on the moon. This is the bassline throughout the entire novel, "Are these two really connected? Is this love, or just a romp?"
There are quotes in this book that are meant to remind the reader of such films as Aliens, "Game over, man!"
Are the cinematic nods overly-familiar? What I took to to be was the feeling of how the writer can see their product. This could be a movie. It is movie-large in its concept.
A civilized moon of the future is presented. The moon is industrialized, colonized and has regular tourists. All of this heavy atmosphering set the ground for what you as a reader want. And behold, the Golem does come.
And that Golem:
Its alluded to
It wears a mask
Its part of a gotcha-type prank.
At approx 75 pages in, the Golem presents as a SERIOUS problem.
The menace of said Golem is never questioned. But can the govt workers on the moon get this Golem under control? All hell breaks loose from the micro to the macro.
It is entertaining reading about a moon in chaos.
The story, unfortunately is long-winded at points, but this is merely to bolster the facts that are afoot. I completely understand how it got to be this way and continually wondered to myself how the edits could be made, and found myself in similar positions that the author must have found themselves in prior to publication. That being said, there is a technical level to this science fiction that might actually lose some readers.
What I most wanted out of this tale was an explanation of the Golem itself. I wanted a deep, mythological tie to the concept. I didn't get what I wanted. I was entertained, but wow, I wanted so much more. It reads like there could be a sequel, and for this I have hope.
If you want to read an entertaining sci-fi mystery that will literally have you guessing. . .with red herrings galore, this is it.
I read JESUS WORLD by Jamie Buckingham back in the 80s. Ever since, the concept of the Golem has interested me.
Another Golem direction I would suggest if you are curious about the subject is the 90s DC comic book series called THE MONOLITH.
So when I saw Kim Aaron's GOLEM, I was in. The sci-fi cover brought a whole new aspect to the concept for me.
The story starts with nondescript, throwaway sexual romp This tryst happens on the moon. This is the bassline throughout the entire novel, "Are these two really connected? Is this love, or just a romp?"
There are quotes in this book that are meant to remind the reader of such films as Aliens, "Game over, man!"
Are the cinematic nods overly-familiar? What I took to to be was the feeling of how the writer can see their product. This could be a movie. It is movie-large in its concept.
A civilized moon of the future is presented. The moon is industrialized, colonized and has regular tourists. All of this heavy atmosphering set the ground for what you as a reader want. And behold, the Golem does come.
And that Golem:
Its alluded to
It wears a mask
Its part of a gotcha-type prank.
At approx 75 pages in, the Golem presents as a SERIOUS problem.
The menace of said Golem is never questioned. But can the govt workers on the moon get this Golem under control? All hell breaks loose from the micro to the macro.
It is entertaining reading about a moon in chaos.
The story, unfortunately is long-winded at points, but this is merely to bolster the facts that are afoot. I completely understand how it got to be this way and continually wondered to myself how the edits could be made, and found myself in similar positions that the author must have found themselves in prior to publication. That being said, there is a technical level to this science fiction that might actually lose some readers.
What I most wanted out of this tale was an explanation of the Golem itself. I wanted a deep, mythological tie to the concept. I didn't get what I wanted. I was entertained, but wow, I wanted so much more. It reads like there could be a sequel, and for this I have hope.
If you want to read an entertaining sci-fi mystery that will literally have you guessing. . .with red herrings galore, this is it.
November 12, 2021
Disappointing
I liked the basic premise for this book - a golem on the moon. However, it doesn’t explore the golem myth and merely uses it to explain a magical, unstoppable rogue robot. I found this very disappointing.
The setting of the moon was one of the things that drew me to this book, but I was disappointed by how it was portrayed. I love the idea of a working moon base with regular tourists, and even though the idea of a bus driver giving sightseeing day trips around the moon base was unexpected, I was willing to go with it. However, the set up as described seemed entirely unbelievable to me. There was a hotel, a repair bay and a command center and a garden. I am sure the author put a lot of work into imagining the settlement, but unfortunately it didn’t come across on the page. It didn’t live for me as a thriving community with a viable reason for existence, let alone a place billionaires would pay to visit. I could not establish my suspension of disbelief.
There is a lot of action in this book, but it all boils down to essentially different pieces of equipment running out of battery, dust, and a robot that runs at 50kph/30mph (which is very fast on the moon). Again, these are not bad things, but as I couldn’t believe in the moon base as portrayed, or connect with the characters, I was not invested in this action.
There are a lot of characters in this book but practically no character building. There are whole pages of dialogue between characters who have just been introduced without any descriptions of who they are, where they are or additional scene building. Things happen to names that I have no connection with, so they were meaningless to me.
The writing is competent. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are all in the right places. The pacing is good. The book is easy to read and the plot is easy to follow. However, the novel is lacking all the details that immerse you in the world, draw you into the characters, and make you feel the terror of their situation.
I liked the frequent movie Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the book, especially the Firefly reference.
It would be unfair to make this book 2 stars because it is competent but my reading experience was not pleasant enough to warrant 3 stars. Therefore I’m giving it 2.5 stars and rounding up to 3.
I liked the basic premise for this book - a golem on the moon. However, it doesn’t explore the golem myth and merely uses it to explain a magical, unstoppable rogue robot. I found this very disappointing.
The setting of the moon was one of the things that drew me to this book, but I was disappointed by how it was portrayed. I love the idea of a working moon base with regular tourists, and even though the idea of a bus driver giving sightseeing day trips around the moon base was unexpected, I was willing to go with it. However, the set up as described seemed entirely unbelievable to me. There was a hotel, a repair bay and a command center and a garden. I am sure the author put a lot of work into imagining the settlement, but unfortunately it didn’t come across on the page. It didn’t live for me as a thriving community with a viable reason for existence, let alone a place billionaires would pay to visit. I could not establish my suspension of disbelief.
There is a lot of action in this book, but it all boils down to essentially different pieces of equipment running out of battery, dust, and a robot that runs at 50kph/30mph (which is very fast on the moon). Again, these are not bad things, but as I couldn’t believe in the moon base as portrayed, or connect with the characters, I was not invested in this action.
There are a lot of characters in this book but practically no character building. There are whole pages of dialogue between characters who have just been introduced without any descriptions of who they are, where they are or additional scene building. Things happen to names that I have no connection with, so they were meaningless to me.
The writing is competent. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are all in the right places. The pacing is good. The book is easy to read and the plot is easy to follow. However, the novel is lacking all the details that immerse you in the world, draw you into the characters, and make you feel the terror of their situation.
I liked the frequent movie Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the book, especially the Firefly reference.
It would be unfair to make this book 2 stars because it is competent but my reading experience was not pleasant enough to warrant 3 stars. Therefore I’m giving it 2.5 stars and rounding up to 3.
April 12, 2026
If you’re a fan of sci-fi horror or space disaster thrillers, definitely give this one a look. It’s structured like a classic robot-goes-berserk B-movie, but author Kim Aaron has layered it with relatable characters, plausible tech and very convincing scientific and military-adjacent terminology. It feels authentic, even if the supernatural question is never fully resolved.
Shackleton Moon Base is part of an established multinational colony on our Moon. It caters for obscenely rich tourists, and powers an industrial mining operation. Remote-piloted robots perform most of the manual work. When one of the operators accidentally drops her mystical necklace inside one of the robots during a routine maintenance check, it appears to precipitate a shocking sequence of events. That machine goes on a murderous rampage, threatening the lives of everyone on the Moon. But has the person remote-operating it really turned homicidal, or is there an even more chilling explanation?
The hero and heroine are a likeable couple with an entertaining rapport. Supporting characters are nicely individualized with either physical traits or attitudes conveyed through dialogue. The little girl is cute and precocious, but some of her mature dialogue doesn’t quite ring true. After the first few chapters introducing the base and the main characters, it’s mostly plot-driven, with lots of well-described procedural passages used to ramp up the tension. I like that approach. It adds authenticity and grounds the story in what comes across as hard sci-fi.
The horror scenes are swift and brutal. It isn’t simply a robot hunting and killing people one by one; its destruction is strategic and systematic, including the disabling of life support. I enjoyed the various twists in the battle of wits that develops as the professionals must try to save as many lives as possible while figuring out how to beat an out-of-control enemy.
It’s good fun, a pacy read with brains and all the sci-fi trimmings you could ask for. I’ll look forward to the sequel.
Shackleton Moon Base is part of an established multinational colony on our Moon. It caters for obscenely rich tourists, and powers an industrial mining operation. Remote-piloted robots perform most of the manual work. When one of the operators accidentally drops her mystical necklace inside one of the robots during a routine maintenance check, it appears to precipitate a shocking sequence of events. That machine goes on a murderous rampage, threatening the lives of everyone on the Moon. But has the person remote-operating it really turned homicidal, or is there an even more chilling explanation?
The hero and heroine are a likeable couple with an entertaining rapport. Supporting characters are nicely individualized with either physical traits or attitudes conveyed through dialogue. The little girl is cute and precocious, but some of her mature dialogue doesn’t quite ring true. After the first few chapters introducing the base and the main characters, it’s mostly plot-driven, with lots of well-described procedural passages used to ramp up the tension. I like that approach. It adds authenticity and grounds the story in what comes across as hard sci-fi.
The horror scenes are swift and brutal. It isn’t simply a robot hunting and killing people one by one; its destruction is strategic and systematic, including the disabling of life support. I enjoyed the various twists in the battle of wits that develops as the professionals must try to save as many lives as possible while figuring out how to beat an out-of-control enemy.
It’s good fun, a pacy read with brains and all the sci-fi trimmings you could ask for. I’ll look forward to the sequel.
April 12, 2026
Kim Aaron sets his thriller on the Shackleton moon base, where a mining machine begins behaving in ways its programming cannot explain — turning a controlled lunar environment into a pressure cooker of paranoia and pursuit. The premise borrows its name from the golem of Jewish myth, though the novel treats the legend more as atmospheric shorthand than as a theme to be genuinely excavated. What Aaron delivers instead is a brisk, gadget-driven mystery under low gravity: cat and mouse through dust-covered corridors, equipment failing at the worst possible moments, and a rogue machine fast enough to turn every open stretch of regolith into a killing field.
The pacing is the book's clearest strength — tight, forward-leaning, easy to follow — and the set pieces move with cinematic efficiency. The writing is clean, the technical elements accessible without condescension, and scattered film references add a playful texture for attentive readers. Where the novel shows its limits is in depth. The characters remain functional rather than fully inhabited, introduced through dialogue before the reader has reason to care about them. The moon base itself, while conceptually appealing — hotels, tourist buses, gardens — never quite achieves the lived-in texture that would make its dangers feel visceral rather than mechanical. One wants to smell the recycled air, to feel the claustrophobia of a community that exists only because engineering permits it. A more patient hand with setting and character would transform a competent thriller into a memorable one. Still, for readers seeking fast, contained science fiction with a strong central conceit and steady momentum, *Golem* delivers exactly what it promises — no more, no less.
*A machine wakes on the moon with purposes its creators never programmed. The question is not whether it can be stopped, but whether anyone up there understands what it has become.*
The pacing is the book's clearest strength — tight, forward-leaning, easy to follow — and the set pieces move with cinematic efficiency. The writing is clean, the technical elements accessible without condescension, and scattered film references add a playful texture for attentive readers. Where the novel shows its limits is in depth. The characters remain functional rather than fully inhabited, introduced through dialogue before the reader has reason to care about them. The moon base itself, while conceptually appealing — hotels, tourist buses, gardens — never quite achieves the lived-in texture that would make its dangers feel visceral rather than mechanical. One wants to smell the recycled air, to feel the claustrophobia of a community that exists only because engineering permits it. A more patient hand with setting and character would transform a competent thriller into a memorable one. Still, for readers seeking fast, contained science fiction with a strong central conceit and steady momentum, *Golem* delivers exactly what it promises — no more, no less.
*A machine wakes on the moon with purposes its creators never programmed. The question is not whether it can be stopped, but whether anyone up there understands what it has become.*
April 6, 2026
Kim Aaron’s Golem is a vivid sci‑fi adventure set at Shackleton Moon Base in the not‑too‑distant future, where Earth has colonized the Moon and turned it into a high‑priced tourist frontier. The story follows Jay, a Guest Relations officer, and Heda, an engineer, whose jobs in a bustling lunar hotel give us a panoramic look at off‑world tourism—from incoming spacecraft to the eye‑watering cost of a “once‑in‑a‑lifetime” lunar stay.
Aaron’s world‑building is outstanding. The underground lodgings, transit systems, and remotely operated Manikins patrolling the surface feel sharply imagined and eerily plausible. Even the scientific touches—like the behavior of moon dust—are rendered with such confidence you stop questioning what’s real and simply enjoy the ride.
Jay and Heda’s relationship is saucy, warm, and entirely believable, adding a welcome human spark to the technical setting. And the setup for the titular golem is terrific: when Heda falls from the metal ceiling, magnetic boots failing, we already sense her mysterious pendant has slipped into the Manikin’s mechanism. It’s the wildest plot device in the book, but it fuels a rip‑roaring tale.
I loved Golem, and I’m not even much of a sci‑fi fan.
Kudos to Kim Aaron—five stars
Aaron’s world‑building is outstanding. The underground lodgings, transit systems, and remotely operated Manikins patrolling the surface feel sharply imagined and eerily plausible. Even the scientific touches—like the behavior of moon dust—are rendered with such confidence you stop questioning what’s real and simply enjoy the ride.
Jay and Heda’s relationship is saucy, warm, and entirely believable, adding a welcome human spark to the technical setting. And the setup for the titular golem is terrific: when Heda falls from the metal ceiling, magnetic boots failing, we already sense her mysterious pendant has slipped into the Manikin’s mechanism. It’s the wildest plot device in the book, but it fuels a rip‑roaring tale.
I loved Golem, and I’m not even much of a sci‑fi fan.
Kudos to Kim Aaron—five stars
April 8, 2026
This was a strong four star read for me, and very close to a five.
The book delivers well on its core idea. The concept of machines becoming dangerous and unpredictable in a controlled environment is handled clearly and effectively. The writing is easy to follow, and the worldbuilding is presented in a way that never feels confusing. It is clear the author knows exactly what kind of story they want to tell, and they execute that vision with confidence.
I also appreciated how accessible it is. The technical elements are explained in a straightforward way, and the setting feels believable without becoming overwhelming. It works well as a sci fi thriller that focuses on concept and readability.
Where it didn’t fully reach a five for me was in the pacing and tension in some sections. There were moments, especially early on, where it felt more like setup than real urgency. It reads smoothly, but it does not always feel as intense as the premise suggests.
That said, it absolutely succeeds at what it sets out to do. It is a solid, well executed story with a clear direction and a strong central idea.
If you enjoy accessible sci fi with a focus on technology and contained environments, this is definitely worth checking out.
The book delivers well on its core idea. The concept of machines becoming dangerous and unpredictable in a controlled environment is handled clearly and effectively. The writing is easy to follow, and the worldbuilding is presented in a way that never feels confusing. It is clear the author knows exactly what kind of story they want to tell, and they execute that vision with confidence.
I also appreciated how accessible it is. The technical elements are explained in a straightforward way, and the setting feels believable without becoming overwhelming. It works well as a sci fi thriller that focuses on concept and readability.
Where it didn’t fully reach a five for me was in the pacing and tension in some sections. There were moments, especially early on, where it felt more like setup than real urgency. It reads smoothly, but it does not always feel as intense as the premise suggests.
That said, it absolutely succeeds at what it sets out to do. It is a solid, well executed story with a clear direction and a strong central idea.
If you enjoy accessible sci fi with a focus on technology and contained environments, this is definitely worth checking out.
April 13, 2026
Trouble on the moon?
Golem is a fast‑moving sci‑fi thriller built around a strong central idea: a supposedly controlled machine turning lethal inside a lunar base. The author clearly understands the story she wants to tell, and the novel’s biggest strength is how confidently that concept is executed. The action sequences are cleanly written, the pacing is brisk, and the technical elements are accessible even for readers who don’t usually gravitate toward hard sci‑fi. The book is easy to follow, and the threat at the heart of the plot is presented with clarity and momentum.
Where the novel is less even is its worldbuilding and character depth. The moon base is an intriguing setting, but it doesn’t always feel fully realised; the infrastructure and community haven't quite achieved the sense of scale or believability that the premise invites. Likewise, with a large cast and minimal character development, some scenes lose emotional impact because the reader hasn’t had enough time to connect with the characters.
Still, Golem succeeds as a concept‑driven thriller. If you enjoy contained‑environment sci‑fi, rogue‑technology narratives, and stories that prioritise tension and readability over dense exposition, this is a solid, engaging read with a compelling hook.
Golem is a fast‑moving sci‑fi thriller built around a strong central idea: a supposedly controlled machine turning lethal inside a lunar base. The author clearly understands the story she wants to tell, and the novel’s biggest strength is how confidently that concept is executed. The action sequences are cleanly written, the pacing is brisk, and the technical elements are accessible even for readers who don’t usually gravitate toward hard sci‑fi. The book is easy to follow, and the threat at the heart of the plot is presented with clarity and momentum.
Where the novel is less even is its worldbuilding and character depth. The moon base is an intriguing setting, but it doesn’t always feel fully realised; the infrastructure and community haven't quite achieved the sense of scale or believability that the premise invites. Likewise, with a large cast and minimal character development, some scenes lose emotional impact because the reader hasn’t had enough time to connect with the characters.
Still, Golem succeeds as a concept‑driven thriller. If you enjoy contained‑environment sci‑fi, rogue‑technology narratives, and stories that prioritise tension and readability over dense exposition, this is a solid, engaging read with a compelling hook.
April 7, 2026
At Shackleton Moon Base, a future lunar settlement that's been fully industrialized and opened to tourists, crew members are being hunted and killed, and mining operations systematically destroyed. All evidence points to an engineer who's snapped, using a remote-controlled robot to go on a murderous rampage. But as every plan to stop him fails, the crew is forced to ask a more unsettling question.
Kim Aaron's premise is inventive, transplanting the mythical animated protector from Jewish folklore into a science fiction setting. The “Aliens”-style siege momentum keeps the pages turning. The pacing is confident and the action sequences are energetically constructed. The golem mythology is largely decorative rather than meaningfully explored, which may turn off some readers, and character development is occasionally too thin for all the deaths to land with equal weight. “Golem” is well-conceived and hits the right hard sci-fi notes.
Kim Aaron's premise is inventive, transplanting the mythical animated protector from Jewish folklore into a science fiction setting. The “Aliens”-style siege momentum keeps the pages turning. The pacing is confident and the action sequences are energetically constructed. The golem mythology is largely decorative rather than meaningfully explored, which may turn off some readers, and character development is occasionally too thin for all the deaths to land with equal weight. “Golem” is well-conceived and hits the right hard sci-fi notes.
April 5, 2021
The crew of the Shackleton moon base are going about their normal daily routine when one of the engineers is murdered. We join the protagonists as they try to uncover the mystery whilst dealing with problems that could only occur in the low-gravity environment of the Moon.
This book is as much about human drama as it is about sci-fi. The narrative is split between a handful of protagonists, and we get to see the mystery unfold from multiple perspectives. The story is steady-paced yet gripping with enough action to keep things moving but enough personality to keep it from being dry.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
This book is as much about human drama as it is about sci-fi. The narrative is split between a handful of protagonists, and we get to see the mystery unfold from multiple perspectives. The story is steady-paced yet gripping with enough action to keep things moving but enough personality to keep it from being dry.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
November 6, 2025
Golem is a brisk moon base thriller that plays like a whodunit under low gravity, with mining rigs, dust, and a runaway machine turning Shackleton Station into a pressure cooker. The cat and mouse setup works, the set pieces move quickly, and the nods to classic sci fi are fun. The tradeoff is thin character depth and a lunar settlement that can feel more sketched than lived in, plus the story leans on the golem idea without digging into the myth itself. If you want a fast, gadget driven mystery with a neat premise and steady momentum, this scratches the itch.
November 19, 2025
I went into Golem without big expectations, but it grabbed me right away. The setup on the Shackleton moon base is tense, and the whole “killer robot or something else?” angle keeps the story moving fast. It reads like a tight mix of mystery and classic sci-fi, easy to follow and never slow. Short book, good pacing, and a few twists that make it worth the ride. Really enjoyed it.
April 26, 2026
Few books seize your attention as instantly as Golem. It is a captivating journey through a relentless, supernatural nightmare on the lunar surface. While I’ve always been curious about the shadows of space, this story proves that the most terrifying encounters are those that defy human logic.
The plot is a refreshing take on sci-fi, focusing on professional solidarity rather than betrayal. The crew of Shackleton Base works together with remarkable resilience against a brutal supernatural force that has seized their machinery. While suspicion initially falls on an engineer—simply because a human culprit seemed more plausible—the team eventually realizes no human could be capable of such calculated destruction.
The plot is a refreshing take on sci-fi, focusing on professional solidarity rather than betrayal. The crew of Shackleton Base works together with remarkable resilience against a brutal supernatural force that has seized their machinery. While suspicion initially falls on an engineer—simply because a human culprit seemed more plausible—the team eventually realizes no human could be capable of such calculated destruction.
October 26, 2025
I didn’t expect to be pulled into the story so quickly, but “Golem” surprised me. The pace is intense and the world-building feels fresh and original. I really enjoyed how the author mixed action
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews