Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

In “Cold Eternity,” the latest space horror offering from S.A. Barnes, readers are thrust into a claustrophobic nightmare aboard the Elysian Fields—a massive space vessel housing cryogenically frozen bodies from over a century ago. Barnes, known for her previous cosmic horror hits “Dead Silence” and “Ghost Station,” continues to demonstrate her mastery of isolation-induced terror in space settings, delivering a story that brilliantly combines political intrigue with body horror and existential dread.

The novel follows Halley Zwick—actually Katerina Weiller, a political staffer on the run after discovering election tampering orchestrated by her boss and mentor. Hiding her identity on the desolate EnExx17 station, she takes a job as a caretaker on the Elysian Fields, an ancient vessel housing the cryogenically preserved wealthy, hoping to remain invisible until the scandal blows over. But the decrepit vessel holds deeper, more terrifying secrets than Katerina could have imagined, including a sinister alien entity that has been feasting on humans for generations.

Strengths: Political Intrigue Meets Cosmic Horror

Compelling Character Development

At the heart of “Cold Eternity” is Katerina’s journey from a disillusioned political staffer to someone willing to sacrifice everything to protect others. Her gradual transformation feels authentic, as Barnes expertly depicts her internal struggle between self-preservation and responsibility. The character bears the weight of her past decisions while trying to navigate the immediate dangers around her.

Particularly effective is how Barnes portrays Katerina’s complicated relationship with her former mentor, Niina. Their dynamic highlights the novel’s exploration of power, loyalty, and betrayal. When Niina eventually reappears in the final act, their confrontation carries emotional weight because their relationship has been so thoroughly established.

Immersive World-Building

Barnes excels at creating a believable future society with detailed political systems, social hierarchies, and technological advancements. The United Nation of Colonies (UNOC), with its complex political landscape and corruption, serves as more than mere backdrop—it’s an integral part of the story’s themes.

The Elysian Fields itself is masterfully rendered, with Barnes using all senses to build a decaying, once-luxurious tomb in space:

The air is worse, thicker somehow, like I can feel particulates lodging themselves in my lungs.

The descriptions of the ship’s deterioration mirror Katerina’s psychological state, creating an atmosphere of increasing claustrophobia and dread.

The Horror Elements

Barnes delivers visceral terror through multiple avenues. The initial isolation horror builds gradually, with Katerina first dismissing strange sounds and movements as her imagination. When the truth about “Behloth”—the alien entity possessing the ship’s founder Zale Winfeld—is revealed, the novel shifts into body horror territory that rivals the best of the genre.

The descriptions of Behloth’s feeding habits and physical transformation are genuinely disturbing:

At her torso, in her belly, something is moving, digging.

My mind can’t parse it at first, make it make sense. At first I see it all as part of her body, as if she has a growth of some sort emerging from her abdomen, shaking and trembling.

These moments of pure horror are made more effective by Barnes’ restraint in other sections, allowing tension to build naturally.

The Aleyk Connection

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the unusual relationship between Katerina and Aleyk Winfeld, son of the ship’s founder, whose consciousness has been uploaded into the ship’s systems. Their connection transcends the typical romance, creating a unique bond between a living woman and a digital consciousness. Their interactions provide the emotional core of the story while exploring philosophical questions about consciousness and existence.

Weaknesses: A Few Rough Edges

Uneven Pacing

While Barnes creates excellent tension throughout most of the novel, the pacing occasionally falters. The middle section, with Katerina performing repetitive “rounds” and pressing a security button every three hours, creates a realistic sense of monotony but occasionally tests the reader’s patience. Some scenes of Katerina exploring the ship could have been condensed without losing the building sense of dread.

Underdeveloped Secondary Characters

Aside from Aleyk and Niina, most supporting characters lack depth. Karl, the engineer who hires Katerina, initially presents as an intriguing morally gray character but gradually becomes a more one-dimensional villain. Jahn, an enforcer working for Katerina’s former employers, similarly lacks dimension despite his importance to the plot.

The Alien Explanation

The revelation about Behloth’s origins sometimes veers into territory that may strain credibility even for cosmic horror. While the concept of an ancient alien parasite is compelling, its connections to biblical mythology feel somewhat forced and unnecessary, potentially pulling readers out of an otherwise immersive experience.

The Writing Style: Immersive and Claustrophobic

Barnes employs first-person present tense narration that creates immediacy and increases tension. Readers experience Katerina’s mounting paranoia and fear in real time, making the horror more visceral. The prose is economical but effective, focusing on sensory details that enhance the claustrophobic atmosphere:

A chill slithers down my spine and across my skin. The presentation was creepy enough when the lights were on and people were everywhere. Now, in the dim corridor, I can’t help but imagine those blank-faced holos of Winfeld’s children, still on stage, projecting brightly artificial smiles toward rows and rows of empty seats.

Barnes skillfully balances expository passages with taut action sequences, particularly in the novel’s final third when the threat becomes explicit. The narrative voice remains consistent throughout, grounding readers in Katerina’s perspective even as reality becomes increasingly unstable around her.

Thematic Depth: More Than Just Scares

“Cold Eternity” explores several compelling themes beyond its surface-level horror:

1. The price of immortality – Through Zale Winfeld’s desperate measures to cheat death, Barnes examines how the human fear of mortality can lead to monstrous acts.
2. The corruption of power – Katerina’s political backstory reinforces how systems designed to help people can be manipulated by the self-serving.
3. The nature of identity – Through Aleyk’s digital existence and Katerina’s assumed identity, the novel questions what makes us who we are.
4. Responsibility versus self-preservation – Katerina’s character arc centers on her journey from fleeing responsibility to embracing it, even at great personal cost.

These layers of meaning elevate “Cold Eternity” beyond typical genre fare, giving readers much to contemplate after the final page.

Comparisons Within the Genre

Fans of sci-fi horror will find familiar elements from classics like “Alien” and “Event Horizon” in Barnes’ work, but with a fresh political dimension. The novel’s exploration of artificial consciousness recalls Philip K. Dick’s questions about identity and reality, while the body horror aspects evoke early David Cronenberg films.

Barnes’ previous novels, “Dead Silence” and “Ghost Station,” share thematic concerns with isolation and psychological horror in space settings, but “Cold Eternity” feels more politically charged and contemporary in its examination of power dynamics and information manipulation.

Final Assessment: A Worthwhile Journey into Darkness

“Cold Eternity” successfully combines political thriller elements with cosmic horror, creating a uniquely unsettling reading experience. Despite some pacing issues and occasional stretches of credibility, the novel delivers effective scares while exploring substantive themes.

Barnes has crafted a protagonist whose moral journey feels authentic, surrounded by a well-realized future society and a genuinely terrifying threat. The emotional connection between Katerina and Aleyk provides unexpected heart in a story otherwise focused on betrayal and survival.

Strengths:

• Immersive atmosphere and setting
• Strong character development for the protagonist
• Effective horror elements
• Thoughtful exploration of complex themes

Weaknesses:

• Occasional pacing issues
• Some underdeveloped supporting characters
• Elements of the alien mythology strain credibility

Recommended For:

“Cold Eternity” will appeal to readers who enjoy:

• Political intrigue mixed with horror
• Slow-burn cosmic terror
• Morally complex protagonists
• Space-based isolation horror
• Body horror and existential dread

Fans of “Dead Silence” will certainly enjoy this latest offering from Barnes, as will readers of Emma Newman’s Planetfall series, Tade Thompson’s Rosewater trilogy, and Mur Lafferty’s “Six Wakes.” The novel’s exploration of politics and power dynamics will also attract readers of more mainstream political thrillers looking for something with a darker, more speculative edge.

With “Cold Eternity,” S.A. Barnes confirms her place as a significant voice in contemporary science fiction horror, delivering a thought-provoking and genuinely chilling tale of survival against cosmic forces beyond human understanding.