P.L. McMillan's Blog, page 4

Edenville: Novel Review

Howdy, dear reader!

Before diving into my review, just wanted to remind you that The Darkness Beyond The Stars — the space horror anthology I edited — is out now!

Everyone needs more space horror in their life, trust me on that and grab your copy here:

Much space! Much horror! The Author

Sam Rebelein holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College (with a focus on Horror and Memoir), a certificate of graduation from the Lubbock Area Square & Round Dance Federation, and that one trophy in The Last of Us Part II for when you beat the game on the hardest difficulty. Hard to say which of these is his greatest accomplishment. Sam's work has appeared in a number of speculative fiction publications, including Bourbon Penn, Coffin Bell Journal, The Dread Machine, Press Pause Press, Ellen Datlow's Best Horror of the Year, and elsewhere. His award-nominated story "Black Fanged Thing" was listed as a stand-out piece of 2018 on Barnes & Noble's "Sci-fi & Fantasy Blog."

HarperCollins' horror and crime imprint William Morrow is publishing Sam's debut horror novel EDENVILLE. His follow-up collection of stories set in the same universe, THE POORLY MADE AND OTHER THINGS, is set for release in early 2025. — Rebelein’s website

You can find out more about Rebelein at his website, on Twitter, or Instagram (which also includes tons of pictures of cute dogs!)

The Novel

After publishing his debut novel, The Shattered Man, to disappointing sales and reviews, Campbell P. Marion is struggling to find inspiration for a follow-up. When Edenville College invites him to join as a writer-in-residence, he’s convinced that his bad luck has finally taken a turn. His girlfriend Quinn isn’t so sure—she grew up near Edenville and has good reasons for not wanting to move back. Cam disregards her skepticism and accepts the job, with Quinn reluctantly following along.

But there’s something wrong in Edenville. Despite the charming old ladies milling about Main Street and picturesque sunflowers dotting the sidewalks, poison lurks beneath the surface. As a series of strange and ominous events escalate among Edenville and its residents, Cam and Quinn find themselves entangled in a dark and disturbing history.

Told with equal parts horror and humor, Edenville explores the urban legends that fuel our nightmares and the ways in which ambition can overshadow our best instincts. Sam Rebelein is an exciting, sharp new voice, sure to terrify readers for years to come. — HarperCollins description

Dropping October 3rd (yes, that’s tomorrow!), Edenville explores how horror can descend through the decades, infecting everything from wood planks to sunflowers. When Campbell gets what seems to be a deal too good to be true, he ignores his girlfriend’s Quinn’s misgivings and… well… Edenville makes sure to welcome them with open tentacles arms.

The Review

I got an ARC of Edenville and absolutely loved it! It gave me vintage Goosebumps vibes, but more mature. With deliciously balanced parts of horror and humour, I couldn’t put it down and loved drowning in the vibrant lore Rebelein built around Edenville and its inhabitants.

Besides the rich atmosphere and world-building, Rebelein’s characters are very appealing and developed. I am absolutely a Quinn fan (Go Crows!) and need at least a trilogy more based on her adventures. Main characters aside, it would be a crime to not mention Rebelein’s Edenville citizens who stand alone in their eccentricities and haunted humanity. My favourites would definitely be the little librarian ladies, but I’ll say no more on those grannies.

I am also a huge fan of the urban legend themes woven throughout. As the story progresses, we learn more about the cursed wood and the Giant, of blood spilled and cursed, of watching sunflowers, and the founder of Edenville itself.

Even with all the lore, the legends, the world-building, the pacing is impeccable — slowly building up to an explosive wtf ending that left me wanting more. More Quinn, more Edenville, more Go Crows!

Honestly, this ended up being my favourite book this year and I can’t wait to read what Rebelein comes up with next (hopefully more Quinn though.)

Again, this drops tomorrow so get your copy now! Edenville is perfect for the spooky fall season! You’ll love Edenville if you’re a fellow horror kid who grew up gobbling up Goosebumps and Fear Street and are looking for that next hit! Quinn is an amazing badass female character and Edenville is definitely a place you don’t want to visit for long. So grab your copy and read it fast, before the town gets its hooks in.

10/10

x PLM

(too late, Edenville has its hooks in all of us now)

A Haunting in Venice: Movie Review

Oops a little late today but here I am, dearest reader!

I saw A Haunting in Venice last weekend as a little treat to myself since I have been really enjoying that line of Agatha Christi adaptations (the first two being Murder On The Orient Express and Death On The Nile) and this one seemed perfect for the upcoming spooky season! Don’t worry, dearest reader, I kept the review spoiler-free since it’s just come out.

Onwards!

The Movie

Based on the Christi novel, Hallowe’en Party, A Haunting in Venice is a 2023 American mystery movie that was directed by Kenneth Branaugh and stars Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh.

This acts as a sequel to Death on the Nile (2022) and is the third film in the Branaugh movie series.

In post-World War II Venice, Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer. — IMdB description

The film opens on the lovely detective living in Venice, having retired from solving crimes due to the horror and toll it took on him. He gets an unexpected visit from a friend, a female author, who convinces him to go to a Hallowe’en party to debunk a famous psychic who is planning on hosting a séance. Poor Poirot is forced back on the case in a haunted, dilapidated Venice house as a storm rages on outside, cutting them off from help.

The Review

I know I didn’t review the first two movies in this series, mainly because they were pure mysteries while this one had a more horror lean to it. Simply put, as I said above, I have really enjoyed all of them. A Haunting in Venice is my favourite, Murder on the Orient Express is my second favourite, while Death On The Nile comes in third. Just so you know. I know you were wondering. PLM, tell us, rank the movies, we need to know. Well, there ya go.

Right away, I was swept away in the beautiful cinematography, as the camera sweeps over the Venice landscape (Venetian-scape?) and we find Poirot avoiding everyone as he indulges in baked goods. What a vibe.

One thing this movie has in spades is atmosphere, especially once we follow the detective to the eerie Orphans’ Ball held in a house purported to be haunted by dead kids. Wow, nice. Way to support those kids’ mental health.

The movie hit predictable plot points — the séance hinting that the ghost didn’t die of natural causes, murder, suspicions, the eventual reveal — but I still had a lot of fun! I did manage to guess a certain part of the plot earlier on and I was a smug little goat when it was confirmed, but I didn’t manage to guess the murderer(s).

So high points: atmosphere, all-star cast, fun spooks, decadent settings, and a clean little mystery! I personally didn’t find any downsides, I just went in wanting to have fun and I did. I have seen reviews stating that the start was slow or it didn’t hit as well with them, but I really enjoyed it. I think it’s a great flick to watch for the season and it has just the right amount of suspense and mystery to hold you hooked until the end.

9/10

If you end up watching the movie, let me know what you think!

Until next week,

x PLM

Pre-Approved for Haunting: Collection Review

Howdy, dearest reader!

Weather is cooling, pumpkins are disintegrating into lattes, the season of spooks is coming. Make sure you get your prompts ready because October means the annual PLM Writing Challenge has arrived! For seven days leading up to Halloween, I write a terrifying tale each day based on your prompts! Make sure to follow me on social media or check in here to share your prompt with me when its time — it might get picked up and turned into a story! Can’t wait!

Now onto the spoiler-free review!

The Author

You might recognize this guy! (hint, I’ve reviewed his stuff before!)

Patrick Barb is an author of weird, dark, and spooky stories, hailing from the southern United States and currently living (and trying not to freeze to death) with his wife two kids, and a naughty (but lovable) puppy in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As a writer, his short fiction appears in The Dread Machine, Boneyard Soup Magazine, and Cosmic Horror Magazine, among other publications. His longer works include the novellas Gargantuana’s Ghost (Grey Matter Press), Turn (Alien Buddha Press), and The Nut House (serialized in Cosmic Horror Monthly), along with the novelette Helicopter Parenting in the Age of Drone Warfare (Spooky House Press). His debut dark fiction collection Pre-Approved for Haunting is due from Keylight Books/Turner Publishing on September 26, 2023. Barb is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association and a Full Member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. — Barb’s bio from his website

Check him out on his website or Twitter!

The Collection

A collection of weird, dark stories and millennial anxieties.

In this new collection, Patrick Barb explores themes of family found and lost, media consumption and the dangers of runaway nostalgia, the supernatural in our lives, and the impact of violence in both the long- and short-term.

A young couple is reunited with their lost son whose favorite fuzzy bear suit connects him to the ghost of a vengeful mama bear while he's alone in the forest.

A jaded screenwriter can’t escape the haunted screenplay that’s ruined his career.

A man returns to his small hometown, where the people are gone and the trees have taken over.

A Slasher and Final Girl brother-sister duo match wits and blades against a sentient, dimension-hopping apocalypse at a never-ending summer camp.

From rural backwoods to Park Slope brownstones, Barb's characters face impossible, awful situations, testing their inner strength and understanding of reality. Covering quiet horror, weird fiction, supernatural horror, slasher horror, topical dark fiction, and more, these stories spotlight supposedly familiar terrors and fears in new and unexpected ways. — Amazon description

Releasing September 26, 2023 through Keylight Books, Pre-Approved For Haunting is Barb’s debut collection featuring 18 tales of horror and a foreword by Richard Thomas.

The table of contents includes:

Lost Boy Found In His Bear Suit

A Portrait Of The Artist As An Angry God (In Landscape)

Casual

Rose From The Ashes

Have You Seen My Missing Pet?

And Our Next Guest…

I Will Not Read Your Haunted Script

The Other Half Of The Battle

Pre-Approved For Haunting

The Crack In The Ceiling

Return To Voodoo Village

Putting Down Roots

Melvin And The Murder Crayon

There Is No Bunk #7

Iggy Crane And The Headless Horse Girl

The Decimations Of Corn-Silk Sally

Shattered

The Giallo Kid In The Cataclysm’s Campgrounds

The Review

Before I forget to mention, be sure to listen to the Dead Languages Podcast episode featuring Patrick Barb and the topic of collections! My cohost, Carson Winter, and I grill Barb on everything that went into creating this collection so be sure to check it out. It drops this Wednesday!

Onward to the review. Again, since this isn’t out until the 26th, I am keeping this review spoiler-free so get your pre-orders in for Pre-Approved For Haunting!

I absolutely loved this collection! Barb’s writing is always so clean and effective, his tales unique and chilling, I ended up reading this all in one day.

Here are my favourites:

“A Portrait Of The Artist As An Angry God (In Landscape)”: a young man feels overshadowed by his father’s career and does little acts of vandalism to assert himself — yet envy and anger have ways of twisting themselves into something wholly out of control.

“I Will Not Read Your Haunted Script”: a narrator explains why he’s tired of people sending him their supposed haunted scripts and how it ties to his own cursed past.

“Pre-Approved For Haunting”: a house not haunted and yet…

“There Is No Bunk #7”: classic campfire tale vibes about the nonexistent bunk #7.

“The Decimations of Corn-Silk Sally”: the birth of a ghoulish spectre, revenge, death, and all the right slasher vibes a la PBarb (this one was my number one favourite.)

In the end, I liked all the stories though the ones above were the standouts for me. Even the stories that weren’t my favs were enjoyable because of Barb’s skill in storytelling and prose.

It’s clear that Barb puts a lot of care in every tale, in the table of contents order, and themes throughout creating a delicious shivery read for the coming spooky season.

A lot of the stories deal with family, anxieties, and classic slasher tropes. Due to the care in TOC order, the stories lead into each other in a way that feels organic and artistic.

I would definitely recommend this collection for horror fans. Barb is an amazing storyteller and you won’t be disappointed in the stories you’ll find within Pre-Approved For Haunting.

10/10

x PLM

Werewolves Within: Movie Review

Hey cutie, welcome back! It’s time for another movie review!

Before that, look to the stars — errr, to The Darkness Beyond The Stars that is! The space horror anthology I edited and which came out this past August 31st.

Beyond this rock we call home, horror awaits. Meteors slash through the sky, illuminating terrors beyond our wildest imagination. In the furthest reaches of the coldest cosmic expanse, there are things waiting, whose very existence our minds are not equipped to comprehend.

Can you survive the final frontier? 

Featuring 15 stories from some of the best up-and-coming talents in the genre, The Darkness Beyond The Stars is an anthology of space-themed horror that seeks to twist humanity’s greatest aspirations into our greatest fears. This intergalactic collection of terror includes: alien flora threatening homesteaders, survivors of a psychic war facing a reckoning aboard a ship escaping Venus, a traitorous scientist is launched from an airlock but doesn’t die, a woman waking from hypersleep with no memory—but a very real sense of looming danger, and more.

Editor and author P.L. McMillan invites you to blast off with a collection of short stories that’ll teach you to fear the carnage of the cosmos. 

Order Now! The Movie

Directed by Josh Ruben from a screenplay by Mishna Wolff, based on the video game of the same name from Red Storm Entertainment, Werewolves Within is a 2021 American mystery comedy horror film, starring Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, George Basil, Sarah Burns, Michael Chernus, Catherine Curtin, Wayne Duvall, Harvey Guillén, Rebecca Henderson, Cheyenne Jackson, Michaela Watkins, and Glenn Fleshler.

Werewolves Within is the rare horror comedy that offers equal helpings of either genre -- and adds up to a whole lot of fun in the bargain.

— Rotten Tomatoes blurb

Werewolves Within follows forest ranger Finn Wheeler as he moves to the quaint little town of Beaverfield, where every resident is super quirky. As he gets to know the residents, we learn they are divided over a pipeline that has been proposed. One night, there’s a blizzard and the power is knocked out, forcing everyone to shelter in a lodge. At that point, the mystery takes off as the bodies begin to pile up like the snow outside.

The Review

This movie will make you howl — with laughter that is.

Okay I’ll show myself out.

I had no idea this was based on a video game until I was doing my usual research for my review, which I thought was pretty neat.

I really enjoyed all the weird characters and the clever dialogue — gotta love all the fun one-liners from postlady Cecily. I just felt like the characters had the right amount of goof without being too over the top, if that makes sense. In addition to the excellent acting, I really had fun with how crazy the ending got. Did I manage to guess who was a werewolf? Yes. I am excellent at my job.

My only thing was that I felt like the horror and comedy was a little underdone. It didn’t make me laugh out loud, though I was amused at many scenes, nor did the horror give me any chills. So I guess it wasn’t that amazing of a whodunnit, but it was still a fun movie to have for a night in. So if you’re looking for a decent popcorn flick with werewolves, why not check out Werewolves Within and let me know what you think?

6/10

x PLM

p.s. don’t forget all about my free to read page, where you can read some PLM stories when you get that hunger for horror.

Talk To Me: Movie Review

Oh whoa! Look! I came back!

I know you were worried, since my schedule has been a bit chaotic lately and I appreciate your patience.

I appreciate you, reader.

You hear me?

I appreciate you. The Movie

Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou and written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman — Talk to Me is an Australian supernatural horror film, starring Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, and Alexandria Steffensen. Talk to Me premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival on October 30th, 2022, then was released in Australia in July of 2023.

When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. — IMDb description

The movie centers on teenager Mia, who is struggling with the second anniversary of her mom’s death. Desperate to get her mind off it, she and her friend (and friend’s little brother) go to a house party where the kids are going nutty for the next new thing — talking to the dead using a creepy disembodied hand! Wowzer. These kids are just crazy.

These youths take turns holding the creepy hand and saying “talk to me”, while the other kids film (and assumedly post to their tiktaks or blue birds apps).

Of course, if you mess with ghosts, you might end up toast…s.s… ?

This is a horror movie, of course, so horrible things happen.

The Review

I actually went to see this in theatre. The closest cinema only had a showing at 10:30pm, which I didn’t appreciate. I mean, I love getting spooked but I am not a fan of empty, dark parking lots at midnight. Oh well, I survived (assumedly, since I wrote this review).

This movie gave me It Follows vibes and I really enjoyed it. I will preface that to say, if you watch this, you should expect a popcorn horror flick. It’s a pretty standard possession movie with the unique aspect in how the possession is delivered (the creepy hand).

The characters are compelling — the main character, Mia, has a lot of depth though I didn’t exactly find her very likeable. She does a lot of destructive things, which of course, can be tied back to her grief and trauma, but that doesn’t mean I have to like her. Ya know?

On top of the good acting and well-rounded characters, I felt like the plot was well paced, the atmosphere/suspense well done, and the gore effective. I was entertained the whole film and left really happy, so I definitely would recommend this film to my fellow horror fans.

Again, don’t go into it expecting the next Hereditary or Midsommar, but it’s a fun movie for sure.

8/10

x PLM

p.s. Also, the Gravely Serious podcast did a in-depth review of the movie if you want more. Just beware that they do have spoilers near the end of the episode.

Talk To Me — Movie Review

Oh whoa! Look! I came back!

I know you were worried, since my schedule has been a bit chaotic lately and I appreciate your patience.

I appreciate you, reader.

You hear me?

I appreciate you. The Movie

Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou and written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman — Talk to Me is an Australian supernatural horror film, starring Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, and Alexandria Steffensen. Talk to Me premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival on October 30th, 2022, then was released in Australia in July of 2023.

When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. — IMDb description

The movie centers on teenager Mia, who is struggling with the second anniversary of her mom’s death. Desperate to get her mind off it, she and her friend (and friend’s little brother) go to a house party where the kids are going nutty for the next new thing — talking to the dead using a creepy disembodied hand! Wowzer. These kids are just crazy.

These youths take turns holding the creepy hand and saying “talk to me”, while the other kids film (and assumedly post to their tiktaks or blue birds apps).

Of course, if you mess with ghosts, you might end up toast…s.s… ?

This is a horror movie, of course, so horrible things happen.

The Review

I actually went to see this in theatre. The closest cinema only had a showing at 10:30pm, which I didn’t appreciate. I mean, I love getting spooked but I am not a fan of empty, dark parking lots at midnight. Oh well, I survived (assumedly, since I wrote this review).

This movie gave me It Follows vibes and I really enjoyed it. I will preface that to say, if you watch this, you should expect a popcorn horror flick. It’s a pretty standard possession movie with the unique aspect in how the possession is delivered (the creepy hand).

The characters are compelling — the main character, Mia, has a lot of depth though I didn’t exactly find her very likeable. She does a lot of destructive things, which of course, can be tied back to her grief and trauma, but that doesn’t mean I have to like her. Ya know?

On top of the good acting and well-rounded characters, I felt like the plot was well paced, the atmosphere/suspense well done, and the gore effective. I was entertained the whole film and left really happy, so I definitely would recommend this film to my fellow horror fans.

Again, don’t go into it expecting the next Hereditary or Midsommar, but it’s a fun movie for sure.

8/10

x PLM

p.s. Also, the Gravely Serious podcast did a in-depth review of the movie if you want more. Just beware that they do have spoilers near the end of the episode.

Happy bookday!

It’s here!

It’s today!

The space horror anthology, The Darkness Beyond The Stars, is out now!

“The old tagline claims that in space, no one can hear you scream. The stories here offer plenty of far-flung screams in a chorus of voices and cadences. Exploration, the future, the stars, the cold of the cosmos — these are all lonely concepts that are wide open to the power of horror, and this selection of familiar indie horror names and new favorites sets the coordinates of the genre to new frontiers.”

✩ Michael Wehunt, author of Greener Pastures and The Inconsolables

"The void beckons and these authors have answered forcefully, their volatile transmissions filtered through the cold unknown, burning right through the page before impact."

✩ Andrew F. Sullivan, author of The Marigold and The Handyman Method

“The Darkness Beyond The Stars forces us to confront the lull of the unknown, emphasizing both its dangers and allure—of wanting to know yet being afraid to know. The stories are at times claustrophobic and suffocating, yet they can also bring comfort through unease in the unfamiliar. The anthology holds tales of isolation that fester darkness within the mind and take you on journeys of which you are unsure if you might return—if you even desire return upon its conclusion.”

✩ Ai Jiang, Nebula finalist and author of Linghun and I AM AI

“Eerie, thought-provoking, and dynamically sequenced, this anthology of space horror travels light-years ahead of its time. From investigations of the liminal to the limitless, from near-Earth to far-flung exoplanets, these stories chart new courses in terror for those bold enough to go not only to the stars, but also beyond-where the edge of sanity lies.”

✩ TJ Price, author of The Disappearance of Tom Nero

"Killer aliens, strange frequencies, and murderous space plants, oh my! This anthology is packed with unique, skin-crawly horror that'll make you yearn for solid ground and open air. The Darkness Beyond The Stars is a brilliant rendering of the lonely unknown waiting in the black vacuum outside our world. But it's also an exploration inward, toward the even colder, darker unknown waiting in all of our hearts. Don't miss it! It's out of this world (sorry not sorry)."

✩ Sam Rebelein, author of Edenville

Get your copy

Beyond this rock we call home, horror awaits. Meteors slash through the sky, illuminating terrors beyond our wildest imagination. In the furthest reaches of the coldest cosmic expanse, there are things waiting, whose very existence our minds are not equipped to comprehend.

Can you survive the final frontier? 

Featuring 15 stories from some of the best up-and-coming talents in the genre, The Darkness Beyond The Stars is an anthology of space-themed horror that seeks to twist humanity’s greatest aspirations into our greatest fears. This intergalactic collection of terror includes: alien flora threatening homesteaders, survivors of a psychic war facing a reckoning aboard a ship escaping Venus, a traitorous scientist is launched from an airlock but doesn’t die, a woman waking from hypersleep with no memory—but a very real sense of looming danger, and more.

Editor and author P.L. McMillan invites you to blast off with a collection of short stories that’ll teach you to fear the carnage of the cosmos. 

Get your copy now!

The Last Astronaut: Book Review

Welcome back, dear reader. Now, now, there’s no need to get so excited. I know you’ve been eagerly waiting for my lovely reviews and regular content to start back up but the screaming is a bit much.

Before I dive right into the review, just wanted to remind you that the space horror anthology I curated and edited, The Darkness Beyond The Stars, comes out August 31st! That’s right, this Thursday! Grab your pre-orders here:

Pre-order!

Additionally, I also hosted a special book launch event this past Saturday. If you missed it, don’t cry. You can watch the recording here:

Now onto the review! Today’s theme is space horror after all so I’ll be reviewing The Last Astronaut! Don’t worry, I kept this review spoiler-free!

The Author

David Wellington, aka D. Nolan Clark, aka David Chandler is the author of twenty-two novels of action, suspense, and drama. He got his start in 2003 with the online serialization of Monster Island. He has also worked in comic books and video games and has published dozens of short stories in a wide range of anthologies. His novel, The Last Astronaut, was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke award. Visit him at his website or follow him on Twitter!

He was also kind enough to write a brilliant foreword for The Darkness Beyond The Stars!

The Book

Mission Commander Sally Jansen is Earth’s last astronaut–and last hope–in this gripping near-future thriller where a mission to make first contact becomes a terrifying struggle for survival in the depths of space.

Sally Jansen was NASA’s leading astronaut, until a mission to Mars ended in disaster. Haunted by her failure, she lives in quiet anonymity, convinced her days in space are over.

She’s wrong.

A large alien object has entered the solar system on a straight course toward Earth. It has made no attempt to communicate and is ignoring all incoming transmissions.

Out of time and out of options, NASA turns to Jansen. For all the dangers of the mission, it’s the shot at redemption she always longed for.

But as the object slowly begins to reveal its secrets, one thing becomes horribly clear: the future of humanity lies in Jansen’s hands.

— The Last Astronaut Amazon landing page

Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2020, The Last Astronaut is a space horror novel set in the future, which follows astronaut Sally Jansen whose disastrous last mission saw the end of human-operated space missions. Until a monstrous alien object appears and is flying straight for a collision course to Earth. Jansen gets a second chance to lead a mission. Her teammates have no experience with space travel and the alien object is host to bizarre dangers, Jansen has her work cut out for her, indeed.

The Review

Okay, let’s lay it out:

strong female lead

space horror

cosmic horror

massive creepy alien object

The Last Astronaut has everything I love in a space horror novel and I enjoyed every page of it. Sally Jansen is a really compelling character. After a disastrous mission to Mars, she is blacklisted from the industry and works in salvage, until an old colleague reaches back out to her. Classic. They need her help. I love Jansen as a character. Equal parts strong and flawed, Jansen drives the reader further and further in the dark interior of the alien object, lost in its shrouded halls as well as her own mental struggles. I was cheering her on, feeling her pain and frustration and fear as things got more and more twisted.

The Last Astronaut starts very sci-fi and, when the crew reaches the object, quickly veers into cosmic/weird horror territory —- much to my delight!

Wellington’s prose is very direct and compelling, his characters are diverse, his scenes cinematic, and the horror within the alien object? Well, I won’t spoil anything. I will say that the suspense/horror ramp up at light-speed, culminating in an deliciously insane ending.

One fun thing to note is that David Wellington actually interviewed astronauts as part of his research into this novel! It absolutely shows as the portrayal of NASA feels really authentic.

This is definitely one of my favourite books ever.

10/10

x PLM

The Last Astronaut — Book Review

Welcome back, dear reader. Now, now, there’s no need to get so excited. I know you’ve been eagerly waiting for my lovely reviews and regular content to start back up but the screaming is a bit much.

Before I dive right into the review, just wanted to remind you that the space horror anthology I curated and edited, The Darkness Beyond The Stars, comes out August 31st! That’s right, this Thursday! Grab your pre-orders here:

Pre-order!

Additionally, I also hosted a special book launch event this past Saturday. If you missed it, don’t cry. You can watch the recording here:

Now onto the review! Today’s theme is space horror after all so I’ll be reviewing The Last Astronaut! Don’t worry, I kept this review spoiler-free!

The Author

David Wellington, aka D. Nolan Clark, aka David Chandler is the author of twenty-two novels of action, suspense, and drama. He got his start in 2003 with the online serialization of Monster Island. He has also worked in comic books and video games and has published dozens of short stories in a wide range of anthologies. His novel, The Last Astronaut, was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke award. Visit him at his website or follow him on Twitter!

He was also kind enough to write a brilliant foreword for The Darkness Beyond The Stars!

The Book

Mission Commander Sally Jansen is Earth’s last astronaut–and last hope–in this gripping near-future thriller where a mission to make first contact becomes a terrifying struggle for survival in the depths of space.

Sally Jansen was NASA’s leading astronaut, until a mission to Mars ended in disaster. Haunted by her failure, she lives in quiet anonymity, convinced her days in space are over.

She’s wrong.

A large alien object has entered the solar system on a straight course toward Earth. It has made no attempt to communicate and is ignoring all incoming transmissions.

Out of time and out of options, NASA turns to Jansen. For all the dangers of the mission, it’s the shot at redemption she always longed for.

But as the object slowly begins to reveal its secrets, one thing becomes horribly clear: the future of humanity lies in Jansen’s hands.

— The Last Astronaut Amazon landing page

Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2020, The Last Astronaut is a space horror novel set in the future, which follows astronaut Sally Jansen whose disastrous last mission saw the end of human-operated space missions. Until a monstrous alien object appears and is flying straight for a collision course to Earth. Jansen gets a second chance to lead a mission. Her teammates have no experience with space travel and the alien object is host to bizarre dangers, Jansen has her work cut out for her, indeed.

The Review

Okay, let’s lay it out:

strong female lead

space horror

cosmic horror

massive creepy alien object

The Last Astronaut has everything I love in a space horror novel and I enjoyed every page of it. Sally Jansen is a really compelling character. After a disastrous mission to Mars, she is blacklisted from the industry and works in salvage, until an old colleague reaches back out to her. Classic. They need her help. I love Jansen as a character. Equal parts strong and flawed, Jansen drives the reader further and further in the dark interior of the alien object, lost in its shrouded halls as well as her own mental struggles. I was cheering her on, feeling her pain and frustration and fear as things got more and more twisted.

The Last Astronaut starts very sci-fi and, when the crew reaches the object, quickly veers into cosmic/weird horror territory —- much to my delight!

Wellington’s prose is very direct and compelling, his characters are diverse, his scenes cinematic, and the horror within the alien object? Well, I won’t spoil anything. I will say that the suspense/horror ramp up at light-speed, culminating in an deliciously insane ending.

One fun thing to note is that David Wellington actually interviewed astronauts as part of his research into this novel! It absolutely shows as the portrayal of NASA feels really authentic.

This is definitely one of my favourite books ever.

10/10

x PLM

Party With Me This Saturday!

Come hang out with me this Saturday! I’m hosting a free 90 minute event for the launch of the space horror anthology I edited! This event will feature:

Live readings

Three giveaways

Q&As

The Darkness Beyond The StarsAn Anthology of Space Horroredited by P.L. McMillanwith a foreword by David Wellington

Featuring 15 stories from some of the best up-and-coming talents in the genre, The Darkness Beyond The Stars is an anthology of space-themed horror that seeks to twist humanity’s greatest aspirations into our greatest fears. This intergalactic collection of terror includes: alien flora threatening homesteaders, survivors of a psychic war facing a reckoning aboard a ship escaping Venus, a traitorous scientist is launched from an airlock but doesn’t die, a woman waking from hypersleep with no memory—but a very real sense of looming danger, and more.

Readings

This event will feature readings by:

"Red Rovers" - Patrick Barb

"The Vela Remnant" - David Worn

"The Trocophore" - Rachel Searcey

"Last Transmission from the FedComm Sargasso" - Bridget D. Brave

"Locked Out" - Joseph Andre Thomas

Giveaways

There will be three giveaways during the event! You, yes you, will have a chance to win:

Limited edition sticker bundle

Limited edition space print

Bookmark

Paperback copy of The Darkness Beyond The Stars

*USA shipping only

So don’t wait! Reserve your free ticket today!

Reserve today!

Can’t wait to see you there!

x PLM