The first thing that strikes me about this novel is how well Starling imbues a claustrophobic atmosphere in this story. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive-she must confront the ghosts in her own head.īut how come she can’t shake the feeling she’s being followed? Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. Īs Gyre descends, little inconsistencies-missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations-drive her out of her depths. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash-and a lash. Keeping her sane.Įm sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. She also thought that the fat paycheck-enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother-meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. So what we have here is part science fiction, part survival horror surrounding a whole lot of character interplay.Ī thrilling, atmospheric debut with the intensive drive of The Martian and Gravity and the creeping dread of Annihilation, in which a caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival. Spelunking in Space! That could be a cheesy tagline for Caitlin Starling’s claustrophobic debut, The Luminous Dead, in which a young cave diver maneuvers through the subterranean mining pathways of an alien world named Cassandra-V.

The luminous dead caitlin starling