Crossover: A Novel of Horror

by Greg Stumbo

An important mission to save people on Earth. A cargo ship making record time. A two hundred percent bonus on the line. The crew is working together to make the almost impossible happen. That is, until the ship's AI gets a copy of Alice in Wonderland. An interstellar cargo vessel was never designed to be controlled by a mad hatter or a white rabbit. But, perhaps the on board psychiatric program – the Cognitive Anonymous Therapist can help the crew in more ways than therapy. In Wonderland, nonsense is fun and the norm. On a ship, it proves more deadly as the horrors come from unexpected angles, and a deadly game of croquet is worse than a tea party with the Red Queen. Can the crew of the Crossover save their ship and complete the mission to save millions of lives on Earth, or will they perish in a terrible precursor to disaster back home?

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 21, 2022

About the author

Greg Stumbo writes along the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. Well, not actually along the coast, since the tide would wash it away. You get the idea. His writing had previously been interrupted by becoming other things such as a father to two amazing boys, a veteran of Army Rangers, a plumber, a musician, a business owner and comedian, to name a few. Most days now are spent entertaining people with witty banter and stupid jokes in whatever form is handy at the moment. Regardless of where it is – in a book, in a bar, or a porch – he's keeping someone somewhere entertained in some fashion. Even if it's just to see what crazy thing comes next!

Reviews

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leave your expectations at the loading dock. This sci fi horror story is probably going to be different than you expect. A trip that requires precision and cooperation, turns into an unpredictable trip to doomsville. The characters are well written, especially Mar and the curious artificial intelligent computer, Sam. It is easy to imagine their settings and their plight. There is tension and some gore, and it's just a great captivating adventure.

[Tasha Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice in Wonderland just so happens to be one of my obsessions (as proved by the amount of money I've spent on the ink on my arm), and I never in a million years imagined a hybrid Alice in Space. Crossover* absolutely doesn't disappoint. What it does do, is shock, horrify, and amaze!

My favorite take on Alice is Tim Burton's, so even knowing this was a horror novel, Greg blows me away with his take on it. As a fan, it's a blast to pick out the particular pieces I recognize from the original story, when I'm not being distracted by the brutal mayhem taking place on the ship. All hell breaks loose, in the best way possible!

Whereas a lot of sci-fi novels easily utilize the unknown and the environment as elements for establishing the eerie mood, Greg takes that a step further by turning a normally reliable ally (AI technology providing life support) into an unpredictable/unexpected enemy.

Puzzles and riddles are hurled at the crew in the midst of already dangerous maneuvers undertaken for the sake of saving millions of lives on Earth, and you're an innocent bystander waiting to see what will happen to those trapped with no escape. You can't help but pull for all the likeable members of the crew and the mission they're trying to accomplish, while wondering how much will be left standing once the devastation is done.