The discoveries of science can be wondrous and inspiring. Many of them have driven humanity forward, helping us eradicate disease, while technology has made life easier than ever before. These advancements have fueled the imaginations of science fiction writers for decades, taking us into the edges of the universe and back through their stories.
But for all the good science can create, there’s always a dark side. An unintended consequence. An unforeseen evolution. Dinosaurs can take over an island, viruses meant to heal can mutilate and transform, and alien technology can bring our worst nightmares to life. These are the stories that keep us awake reading all night long, clinging to our flashlights under the covers.
If you’re looking for some spooky science fiction this Halloween, we’ve got you covered. Here are seven chilling sci-fi novels that will haunt you long after you finish the last page.
Lakewood
When Lena Johnson’s grandmother dies, she finds out that her family is in significant debt. No longer able to justify or afford college, she drops out to help support them. So, when a job in mysterious Lakewood, Michigan, makes her an offer too good to be true, she takes it.
After all, it covers her room and board and provides all-expenses-paid medical coverage. All she has to do is not disclose the secret experiments she’s agreeing to. Experiments that can change the world, or so she’s told. But when the consequences of these procedures are revealed, Lena has to decide exactly how much she’s willing to sacrifice for her family.
Dead Lines
Peter Russell’s ten-year-old daughter was murdered two years ago. He’s been mourning ever since. Divorced, in a stagnant career, after his best friend has a fatal heart attack, it’s another devastating blow that pushes him to his lowest point. When an upstart telecom company offers him a position on the team set to release a new phone that could spark a technology revolution, it’s a golden opportunity.
But just as his life is seemingly turning around, he starts to lose his mind. Apparitions appear, and after Peter experiences a particularly chilling encounter with his own dead child, he realizes it’s the device. The phone taps into a frequency that gives the dead access to the living. And if Peter can’t stop it, the nightmare he’s living might become permanent for everyone.
The Burning Dark
Captain Cleveland once led a battle against a machine capable of destroying entire worlds. In the process, he was injured, winning not accolades, but exile in a remote quadrant of Fleetspace. And things are dreary there. The Commander is absent, the crew is surly, and the entire station is plagued with malfunctioning equipment.
Isolated and alone, Cleveland finds himself connecting to a strange, enigmatic signal from a woman on an old space radio. But is it a random transmission or a warning of something Cleveland has yet to comprehend?
Dead Silence
Days from losing her salvaging contract, Claire Kovalik picks up a distress beacon in the far reaches of space. With nothing to lose, they decide to investigate, hoping they might find something to salvage before being forced to return to Earth. They never expected to see the Aurora, a famous luxury liner that vanished on its maiden launch.
This discovery could set the entire crew up for life. But it doesn’t take long for Claire and the crew to realize that something is horribly wrong. And if they aren’t careful, their fate might be the same as those ill-fated passengers all those years ago.
The Luminous Dead
Gyre Price will do anything to get off-planet and on the trail of her mother. Including lying to get onto an expedition mapping mineral deposits in exchange for a fat paycheck. How dangerous can it be? There will be a skilled crew and advanced equipment.
She never imagined that one of them would know Gyre’s secrets and use them against her. Missing supplies, last-minute changes, and subtle manipulations leave Gyre increasingly lost and disoriented. To survive, she has to do more than navigate the dangerous terrain; she has to confront the voices in her head.
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Blindsight
Two months ago, 65,000 alien objects circled Earth before they were burned in the atmosphere. Now, a derelict space probe outside of Neptune is picking up a faint signal on the edge of the solar system. It’s unclear what the signal might be. A distant planet? Or something else?
To find out, a team of modified freaks and monsters is assembled to investigate. The hope is that this group is more alien than whatever is out there. The truth is far, far worse than anyone ever imagined.
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The Strain
When a Boeing 777 stops dead on the tarmac after it arrives at JFK airport, Dr. Ephraim Goodweather from the CDC is called. There is no communication coming from the aircraft, all the window shades are pulled down, and there are no lights on. Suspecting a biological threat, Eph and his rapid response team board the plane.
What they discover horrifies them. A vampiric virus has been unleashed and begins to infect New York City. As Eph and his team recruit more to their aid, they all work together to try to stop the spread of the contagion before it’s too late.
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