What do you think?
Rate this book
Station 3
When Shin-Sho has a problem, EETs are the answer.
Zilfaquir is having a bad day. Shin-Sho Corporation dispatched his Emergency Engineering Team (EET) to the remote ice planet Xiao 2 to investigate a communications blackout. The Xiao 2 facility, composed of three subsurface ocean stations, awaits his team below hundreds of meters of ice and kilometers underwater.
Upon arrival, he discovers the Xiao 2 facility has experienced an epidemic leaving most of the station’s personnel either dead or dying. Or transforming. Worse, the stations are in danger of imploding due to sabotage.
Armed with formidable mechanical suits, arrays of tools, weapons, and explosives, an EET is a force to be reckoned with. Whether a mission requires construction, destruction, hostage rescues, or repairing nuclear reactors, EETs always succeed. But what Zilf and his team find below the ice is more than any EET can handle.
From Paul E Cooley, Parsec Award Winning author “The Black” and “The Derelict Saga,” “Station 3” is a sci-fi/survival/horror thriller in the spirit of the Dead Space™ and Alien™ franchises.
Some mysteries shouldn’t be solved.
Zilfaquir is having a bad day. Shin-Sho Corporation dispatched his Emergency Engineering Team (EET) to the remote ice planet Xiao 2 to investigate a communications blackout. The Xiao 2 facility, composed of three subsurface ocean stations, awaits his team below hundreds of meters of ice and kilometers underwater.
Upon arrival, he discovers the Xiao 2 facility has experienced an epidemic leaving most of the station’s personnel either dead or dying. Or transforming. Worse, the stations are in danger of imploding due to sabotage.
Armed with formidable mechanical suits, arrays of tools, weapons, and explosives, an EET is a force to be reckoned with. Whether a mission requires construction, destruction, hostage rescues, or repairing nuclear reactors, EETs always succeed. But what Zilf and his team find below the ice is more than any EET can handle.
From Paul E Cooley, Parsec Award Winning author “The Black” and “The Derelict Saga,” “Station 3” is a sci-fi/survival/horror thriller in the spirit of the Dead Space™ and Alien™ franchises.
Some mysteries shouldn’t be solved.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2022
94 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Paul Elard Cooley
34 books249 followersPaul E Cooley is a full-time writer and Parsec Award Winning podcaster from Houston, Texas. In 2009, he began producing free psychological thriller and horror podcasts, essays, and reviews available from Shadowpublications.com and iTunes.
His stories have been listened to by thousands and he has been a guest on such notable podcasts as Podioracket, John Mierau‘s “Podcast Teardown,” Geek Out with Mainframe, Shadowcast Audio, and Vertigo Radio Live. In 2010, his short story Canvas and novella Tattoo were nominated for Parsec Awards. Tattoo became a Parsec Award finalist. He has collaborated with New York Times Bestselling author Scott Sigler on the series “The Crypt” and co-wrote the novella “The Rider” (projected to release in 2014). In addition to his writing, Paul has contributed his voice talents to a number of podiofiction productions.
He has two Amazon best-selling series: The Black and The Derelict Saga.
He is also a co-host on the renown Dead Robots’ Society writing podcast.
His stories have been listened to by thousands and he has been a guest on such notable podcasts as Podioracket, John Mierau‘s “Podcast Teardown,” Geek Out with Mainframe, Shadowcast Audio, and Vertigo Radio Live. In 2010, his short story Canvas and novella Tattoo were nominated for Parsec Awards. Tattoo became a Parsec Award finalist. He has collaborated with New York Times Bestselling author Scott Sigler on the series “The Crypt” and co-wrote the novella “The Rider” (projected to release in 2014). In addition to his writing, Paul has contributed his voice talents to a number of podiofiction productions.
He has two Amazon best-selling series: The Black and The Derelict Saga.
He is also a co-host on the renown Dead Robots’ Society writing podcast.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 5, 2022
Excellent monster novel
A true "the monster is not who you think it is" novel. Excellent action, moving forward with breakneck speed, makes this book very difficult to put down. The characters are interesting and with very individual distinct voices. A new take on the hunted house horror, recommended for both horror and science fiction fans. Very good over all.
A true "the monster is not who you think it is" novel. Excellent action, moving forward with breakneck speed, makes this book very difficult to put down. The characters are interesting and with very individual distinct voices. A new take on the hunted house horror, recommended for both horror and science fiction fans. Very good over all.
May 4, 2024
This is the book that i haven't been able to put down for the last week or so!
Station 3 by Paul E Cooley is the sci-fi horror you need if you love the Alien franchise or Dead Space. Only, dare i say it, it's even better...
Relentless cosmic horror with hundreds of pages of full blown claustrophobia with the worst and most dangerous creatures imaginable.
A scientific underwater facility on a distant ice planet goes dark and an emergency engineering team with some really high tech armour is sent to investigate. In no time at all, all hell breaks loose.
There was some complex high tech jargon in the beginning i struggled with but my favourite thing was that the team was militantly efficient and competent: in most sci-fi the characters are emotional and can barely follow orders, so this was an absolute pleasure to read.
This book is the highlight of my year's reads so far!
Station 3 by Paul E Cooley is the sci-fi horror you need if you love the Alien franchise or Dead Space. Only, dare i say it, it's even better...
Relentless cosmic horror with hundreds of pages of full blown claustrophobia with the worst and most dangerous creatures imaginable.
A scientific underwater facility on a distant ice planet goes dark and an emergency engineering team with some really high tech armour is sent to investigate. In no time at all, all hell breaks loose.
There was some complex high tech jargon in the beginning i struggled with but my favourite thing was that the team was militantly efficient and competent: in most sci-fi the characters are emotional and can barely follow orders, so this was an absolute pleasure to read.
This book is the highlight of my year's reads so far!
April 14, 2023
Typical plot by Cooley, someone's in trouble someone escapes trouble someone's in trouble someone escapes trouble. He does add a really good main character and some fun gadgets. Would have been a five if not for the ending and some of the repetitiveness of the story. But well worth your time.
August 11, 2022
Station 3, written and narrated by Paul E. Cooley is a book that I probably should have read instead of listened to. I truly feel that had I read the book, I would have liked it more. Cooley shouldn’t have read hs book; he gave the book no life whatsoever!
So Shin-Sho Corporation has a station, Station 3, that has been infected. I can’t quite tell you with what, because I’m not sure, but it’s caused chaos on the station and the team of EET’s are the ones called in to resolve it. The problem is, the team didn’t get anything done. Everything was left to one man, and I’m sorry but the guy was annoying as all get out. With his mentioning of ‘shark’s gotta eat’ and ‘Shark swims’ and blah blah blah… I was so annoyed I don’t even remember what happed.
Copley’s voice was monotones and carried nothing that made the book interesting. I didn’t care for any of the characters and I found the author’s voice a drone that I probably couldn’t tell you what happed to the rest of his team. They suddenly disappeared, other than Uri. I remember him because Cooley gave him a funny Russian accent. He was interesting, but he died. Oh- sorry.
Anyway. I will probably get the ebook. Maybe I’ll like it better if I don’t hear Copley’s hum in my ear.
So Shin-Sho Corporation has a station, Station 3, that has been infected. I can’t quite tell you with what, because I’m not sure, but it’s caused chaos on the station and the team of EET’s are the ones called in to resolve it. The problem is, the team didn’t get anything done. Everything was left to one man, and I’m sorry but the guy was annoying as all get out. With his mentioning of ‘shark’s gotta eat’ and ‘Shark swims’ and blah blah blah… I was so annoyed I don’t even remember what happed.
Copley’s voice was monotones and carried nothing that made the book interesting. I didn’t care for any of the characters and I found the author’s voice a drone that I probably couldn’t tell you what happed to the rest of his team. They suddenly disappeared, other than Uri. I remember him because Cooley gave him a funny Russian accent. He was interesting, but he died. Oh- sorry.
Anyway. I will probably get the ebook. Maybe I’ll like it better if I don’t hear Copley’s hum in my ear.
June 9, 2022
Another creature feature by Cooley. Too long, needlessly confusing, and a meandering plot mar what could have been a suspenseful, scary monster story set on a distant alien planet.
May 18, 2022
A deliciously horrifying* and claustrophic adventure!
Aside: I did google this. Both of the following are valid so take your pick: "Horrifying" is a present participle used as an adjective, and as such it means inducing horror, filling [someone] with horror. "Horrific" does not mean directly causing horror; it means full of horror.
Wow, that was fun! Paul E. Cooley's*** "Station 3" really nails the whole "spooky horror in space" vibe that I was looking for with this selection. The author never tries to do too much with his story but it definitely kept me glued to my Kindle throughout! And although I am typically loathe to do these kind of comparisons, this was a true combination of stories like "Alien" and even John Carpenter's immortal "The Thing", all written if you will by someone that will definitely join the ranks of Joe Hill and Hunter Shea as my go-to horror providers! Oh and if you're sitting there in Hollywood wondering how to spend some of your hard-earned (ahem) cash, well, I could definitely see this being made into the kind of film I simply LOVE watching! You know, for example, like the great classics of our age, namely, "Resident Evil" (pick a number) or even "Lockout" that for whatever odd reason you only see on late Fridays - though I've seen them all a dozen times each. Just perfect entertainment for those hours when cable TV stops trying to draw in viewers with weak rom-coms and gives way instead to films that actually risk a little bit in their story-telling!
PEC's writing is certainly crisp and the editing is outstanding! I loved that Cooley also uses a few excellent - well, not tricks but let's call them devices - to push the depth of his characters a little more than a lot of stories like this one do (or really have time for). In particular, the constant "memories" that Zilf (what a great name!) runs through in terms of lessons imparted by his father (shark swims, turtle thinks!) work to perfection! And even though the story relies somewhat on one of the most overused scifi tropes of our time - namely a big evil galactic corporation being behind so much! (or were they?) - we're not slapped around with any unneeded details about same, which I very much appreciated! So check, check and check again for what I was looking for in this read!
I can only finish by saying this will definitely not be my last Cooley read (*** IMPORTANT: if you are looking for more titles by this author, please look under PAUL ELARD COOLEY)! I'm glad I saw the promo blurb on Twitter! Great stuff!
Aside: I did google this. Both of the following are valid so take your pick: "Horrifying" is a present participle used as an adjective, and as such it means inducing horror, filling [someone] with horror. "Horrific" does not mean directly causing horror; it means full of horror.
Wow, that was fun! Paul E. Cooley's*** "Station 3" really nails the whole "spooky horror in space" vibe that I was looking for with this selection. The author never tries to do too much with his story but it definitely kept me glued to my Kindle throughout! And although I am typically loathe to do these kind of comparisons, this was a true combination of stories like "Alien" and even John Carpenter's immortal "The Thing", all written if you will by someone that will definitely join the ranks of Joe Hill and Hunter Shea as my go-to horror providers! Oh and if you're sitting there in Hollywood wondering how to spend some of your hard-earned (ahem) cash, well, I could definitely see this being made into the kind of film I simply LOVE watching! You know, for example, like the great classics of our age, namely, "Resident Evil" (pick a number) or even "Lockout" that for whatever odd reason you only see on late Fridays - though I've seen them all a dozen times each. Just perfect entertainment for those hours when cable TV stops trying to draw in viewers with weak rom-coms and gives way instead to films that actually risk a little bit in their story-telling!
PEC's writing is certainly crisp and the editing is outstanding! I loved that Cooley also uses a few excellent - well, not tricks but let's call them devices - to push the depth of his characters a little more than a lot of stories like this one do (or really have time for). In particular, the constant "memories" that Zilf (what a great name!) runs through in terms of lessons imparted by his father (shark swims, turtle thinks!) work to perfection! And even though the story relies somewhat on one of the most overused scifi tropes of our time - namely a big evil galactic corporation being behind so much! (or were they?) - we're not slapped around with any unneeded details about same, which I very much appreciated! So check, check and check again for what I was looking for in this read!
I can only finish by saying this will definitely not be my last Cooley read (*** IMPORTANT: if you are looking for more titles by this author, please look under PAUL ELARD COOLEY)! I'm glad I saw the promo blurb on Twitter! Great stuff!
April 7, 2023
The combination of deep space and deep sea horror is my dream, so I was so happy to have found this book.
Ultimately both of those things ended up more backdrop to the pretty basic "arriving at remote location where something has gone terribly wrong but noone has any info" scenario. Not gonna lie, when the initial threat was revealed, I was a little disappointed.
There wasn't really anything new in this story, but that's fine. I definitely enjoyed the scifi tech aspects, and the overall competence and vibe of the EET team. What I missed a little was the crew holding together - they were torn apart so quickly it didn't really get through to me (to be fair, I have just read another book about a close knit crew that was strongly focussed on the team dynamics, so maybe it just felt weak in comparison.)
The overall conclusion and general direction of the plot as information got revealed also wasn't the most exciting to me.
Still, the overall vibes was spooky and creepy, there was a decent level of scare-factor, and some cool worldbuilding.
The stand-out part of this book was the main character, Zilf. He was so down-to-earth, and he truly felt like a calm haven in the midst of a storm. He's the type of guy you'd want to be stuck with in a terrible situation. Reading such a horror novel through his point of view was very interesting, and a cool choice!
Ultimately both of those things ended up more backdrop to the pretty basic "arriving at remote location where something has gone terribly wrong but noone has any info" scenario. Not gonna lie, when the initial threat was revealed, I was a little disappointed.
There wasn't really anything new in this story, but that's fine. I definitely enjoyed the scifi tech aspects, and the overall competence and vibe of the EET team. What I missed a little was the crew holding together - they were torn apart so quickly it didn't really get through to me (to be fair, I have just read another book about a close knit crew that was strongly focussed on the team dynamics, so maybe it just felt weak in comparison.)
The overall conclusion and general direction of the plot as information got revealed also wasn't the most exciting to me.
Still, the overall vibes was spooky and creepy, there was a decent level of scare-factor, and some cool worldbuilding.
The stand-out part of this book was the main character, Zilf. He was so down-to-earth, and he truly felt like a calm haven in the midst of a storm. He's the type of guy you'd want to be stuck with in a terrible situation. Reading such a horror novel through his point of view was very interesting, and a cool choice!
October 1, 2023
Originally posted on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
Ahhh man, I loved the atmosphere of this book. Very survival horror game feeling. Reminds me of Doom and Dead Space. 😀 Lots of tense, creepy shadows and WTF moments. Loved it!
I was a little confused at the very start, it just took me a hot minute to learn who and what was going on to set up the story. BUT, the mystery of why there is a communications blackout is just too good to pass up. Once I knew who was who and where everyone was going off to, I just could not put this book down! 😮
This audiobook is narrated by the author. He does a suitable job. Very fitting voice for the lead character, too. 🙂 I enjoyed listening to his narration on this one.
Station 3, an entertaining dose of sci-fi survival horror. I liked other books by this author, so I knew I’d probably enjoy this one too, and I was not let down. 😀 This author just has such fun books! I really enjoyed Station 3 and I’m looking forward to going back and reading some of Cooley’s older books. 🙂
Ahhh man, I loved the atmosphere of this book. Very survival horror game feeling. Reminds me of Doom and Dead Space. 😀 Lots of tense, creepy shadows and WTF moments. Loved it!
I was a little confused at the very start, it just took me a hot minute to learn who and what was going on to set up the story. BUT, the mystery of why there is a communications blackout is just too good to pass up. Once I knew who was who and where everyone was going off to, I just could not put this book down! 😮
This audiobook is narrated by the author. He does a suitable job. Very fitting voice for the lead character, too. 🙂 I enjoyed listening to his narration on this one.
Station 3, an entertaining dose of sci-fi survival horror. I liked other books by this author, so I knew I’d probably enjoy this one too, and I was not let down. 😀 This author just has such fun books! I really enjoyed Station 3 and I’m looking forward to going back and reading some of Cooley’s older books. 🙂
August 10, 2022
Great read! I will say, the cover had me a bit perplexed, not sure why they chose that big monster graphic, but it is pretty scary, tho it wasn't in the story... at least not that particular* monster!
My only complaint is the ending. I really wanted Zilf to make it thru. I kept hoping against hope he'd make it out somehow! But alas, twas not to be. At least we got some satisfaction that he doesn't die, well, not exactly*, and he gets some much enjoyed revenge... We think? Would have been nice to have some more closure, but not every story can end with a nice little bow :-)
This hit all the right buttons for sci Fi horror for me: likeable characters/main character in this case, science and experimentation on humans, mech suits (yaaaaassss), alien-monster-human hybrids jump-scares, and tension to the end.
My only complaint is the ending. I really wanted Zilf to make it thru. I kept hoping against hope he'd make it out somehow! But alas, twas not to be. At least we got some satisfaction that he doesn't die, well, not exactly*, and he gets some much enjoyed revenge... We think? Would have been nice to have some more closure, but not every story can end with a nice little bow :-)
This hit all the right buttons for sci Fi horror for me: likeable characters/main character in this case, science and experimentation on humans, mech suits (yaaaaassss), alien-monster-human hybrids jump-scares, and tension to the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2023
It's Dead Space but underwater and not as good.
I love me some science and I love me some monsters hence why Alien is my favorite film of all time so when something has both I'm more likely going to read it. I really enjoyed Paul E Cooley The Black series so thought I'd give some of his earlier works a go.
The first 50% of this book is all exploring and setting a scene, which after half the book you wonder if anything was going to happen, was ready to call it a day when the first monster attacked but I had already lost interest in the book by then so I just skimmed it till the end.
Monsters were fine and the story over all was fine but the long wait till anything happened killed it for me.
I love me some science and I love me some monsters hence why Alien is my favorite film of all time so when something has both I'm more likely going to read it. I really enjoyed Paul E Cooley The Black series so thought I'd give some of his earlier works a go.
The first 50% of this book is all exploring and setting a scene, which after half the book you wonder if anything was going to happen, was ready to call it a day when the first monster attacked but I had already lost interest in the book by then so I just skimmed it till the end.
Monsters were fine and the story over all was fine but the long wait till anything happened killed it for me.
Read
September 7, 2024Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
This may be a great horror novel that has both deep sea and space horror in one, but I’ll never know.
I simply cannot get passed, first, how the main character describes the state of his balls in regards to being scared at least three times in the first ten minutes.
And then also the weird way the author kept referring to unknown characters. First it was something like “The voice sounded feminine, but was definitely biologically male.” And then another time a bit later where a “biologically male” body was inspected.
After that second time I was done.
This may be a great horror novel that has both deep sea and space horror in one, but I’ll never know.
I simply cannot get passed, first, how the main character describes the state of his balls in regards to being scared at least three times in the first ten minutes.
And then also the weird way the author kept referring to unknown characters. First it was something like “The voice sounded feminine, but was definitely biologically male.” And then another time a bit later where a “biologically male” body was inspected.
After that second time I was done.
September 28, 2024
A creature feature but the creatures are mutants. The book plods along slowly with a few moments of action. It mainly focuses on one male character who has very little interaction with the other characters. It was a bit of a slog to get through and it didn't keep my attention. I read it through to the end just to see if there would be a good ending, but it was anticlimactic. The book cover is also misleading as the story is based on a station (think Aliens but in the sea). At no time do they walk across snowy ice plains with creatures attacking them from underneath the surface. There are lots of similarities with Aliens, but not in a good way.
March 19, 2023
Book cover deceiving
The cover art for station 3 shows 3 people walking on ice with a big toothy thing coming up from the water with its mouth open like its going to come thru the ice and get them.
This picture has nothing to do with the story. It all takes place in an under water scientific structure. No alligators in the story.
I found it a little tedious as the rescue group keeps having to fight the monsters the scientists created. Over and over again same monsters attack them. It went on too long.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
The cover art for station 3 shows 3 people walking on ice with a big toothy thing coming up from the water with its mouth open like its going to come thru the ice and get them.
This picture has nothing to do with the story. It all takes place in an under water scientific structure. No alligators in the story.
I found it a little tedious as the rescue group keeps having to fight the monsters the scientists created. Over and over again same monsters attack them. It went on too long.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
May 21, 2022
Awesome story. I was so spellbound with the beginning and loved the location and characters. There was so much suspense about what was going to happen, and it played out like a wonderful movie. My only negative is that it took a little too long to get to the real action (about 50% through), it was still good, but once the real confrontations began, I was revitalized again. I didn't expect the ending, which I really liked as well. A must read for sci fi horror fans.
August 18, 2022
Ever played Dead space or Project Callisto? Love being traumatised by Event Horizon; well you'll love this. The Emergency Engineering Team enter a situation to try and save people but quickly realise how there is no fixing this problem. On top of an epidemic, there's sabotage, and they are miles below the ice with no backup in sight.
February 18, 2023
It had a slow start and I wasn't keen on the main character but by the end I was happy. The main character starts to grow on you as the story plays out. It was kinda boring at first but the craziness ramps up after a little while. I almost quit on it. Glad I didn't. Excellent ending.
September 13, 2025
I actually read this via a podcast - a new experience for me - narrated by the author who did a pretty good job. The story can be described as a SF horror, I enjoyed the story but didn't "feel" the claustrophobia, tension or horror that the scenario here must surely bring.
July 11, 2022
Ok
Unfortunately, not his best work. Needed less action and more character development. The repetitive action never allowed the reader time to rest and experience the isolation.
Unfortunately, not his best work. Needed less action and more character development. The repetitive action never allowed the reader time to rest and experience the isolation.
December 27, 2022
could not finish
March 29, 2023
"Don't judge a book by it's cover"
Don't be mistaken like I was and think this is a space horror with creature feature. It is not. Good book though.
Don't be mistaken like I was and think this is a space horror with creature feature. It is not. Good book though.
July 10, 2023
Excellent Action Story
Great, fun read. Could have cut the action down a bit. Good character development and story arc. Ending a little expected.
Great, fun read. Could have cut the action down a bit. Good character development and story arc. Ending a little expected.
July 21, 2023
So the start is a little slow, and I was even a little bored.
But the last 30% really had me glued to the pages and the ending really made it go from 3* to 4*
But the last 30% really had me glued to the pages and the ending really made it go from 3* to 4*
August 9, 2023
Resident Evil in Space
March 17, 2024
Very slow to get into but glad I stuck with it
August 12, 2024
Exciting and fast-paced, this novel definitely gives off deep water Alien vibes. My first foray into sci-fi did not disappoint!
December 7, 2024
Give it 8/10. It was a good mix of zombie and creature feature that created what I think was a pretty unique monster. Cooley (like me) seems to have an affinity of ocean-based monsters.
July 22, 2022
Awesome read for fans of science fiction horror!
The Thing meets Dead Space!! For any fans of science fiction horror, this read is a real treat! I could easily see this being turned into a great movie (animated or live!)
The Thing meets Dead Space!! For any fans of science fiction horror, this read is a real treat! I could easily see this being turned into a great movie (animated or live!)
December 24, 2022
Cooley’s Station 3 is a perfect cosmic horror creature feature brought to life. It feels a lot like a B movie, but in the best ways.
He struggles at times with descriptive prose but excels at action prose. Which leaves the reader unsure of their surroundings but thoroughly enthralled with the sequences. I also tired of his “shark and turtle” refrain.
Overall, a fun piece of writing that any sci-fi horror fan should check out.
He struggles at times with descriptive prose but excels at action prose. Which leaves the reader unsure of their surroundings but thoroughly enthralled with the sequences. I also tired of his “shark and turtle” refrain.
Overall, a fun piece of writing that any sci-fi horror fan should check out.
September 28, 2022
Not Paul's strongest work. Unfortunately, the main character was unlikeable for me, and that is one of the biggest turn-offs for a novel. I found the station design and the monsters to be an interesting idea. I wish we'd had more time to develop a team dynamic before shit-hits-the-fan, because once it does, I didn't care who lived or died because they were lifeless cardboard cutouts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews