A New Scientist best new science-fiction book of April 2026

'Truly un-put-downable in its purest sense' Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights
'The ultimate haunted house story, in space' Alma Katsu, author of The Deep and The Hunger
'This story slides and slithers from creepy and atmospheric to skin-crawling, edge-of-your-seat terror' T. Kingfisher, author of The Hollow Places
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A GHOST SHIP. A SALVAGE CREW. UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS.

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed - and made obsolete - when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.

What they find at the other end of the signal is a shock: the Aurora, a famous luxury space-liner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick trip through the Aurora reveals something isn't right.

Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Words scrawled in blood. Claire must fight to hold onto her sanity and find out what really happened on the Aurora, before she and her crew meet the same ghastly fate.