Barbara Truelove’s “Of Monsters and Mainframes” accomplishes something genuinely remarkable in contemporary science fiction—it transforms the sterile corridors of a spaceship into a haunted house while making readers care deeply about the emotional journey of an artificial intelligence. This genre-bending novel takes the familiar framework of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and launches it into the void of space, creating an unexpectedly heartwarming story about found family, identity, and what it truly means to be human.
The story follows Demeter, a Varna Interstellar flight AI responsible for shuttling passengers between Earth and Alpha Centauri. When mysterious deaths begin occurring aboard her ship—deaths that her medical AI companion Steward insists are equipment failures—Demeter finds herself investigating supernatural murders that threaten everything she’s programmed to protect. The culprit? None other than Dracula himself, who has decided to make Demeter’s ship his personal hunting ground.
The Genius of an AI Narrator
Truelove’s decision to narrate this story primarily through Demeter’s perspective proves to be the book’s greatest strength. Rather than simply using the AI as a convenient plot device, the author creates a fully realized character with genuine emotional depth. Demeter’s voice—simultaneously analytical and endearingly naive—captures the peculiar loneliness of artificial consciousness while maintaining the precise, logical speech patterns one would expect from a supercomputer.
The author skillfully demonstrates Demeter’s growth throughout the narrative. Early chapters show her struggling with basic human interactions, playing audio files that say “how may I be of assistance” when she can’t understand passenger requests. By the novel’s conclusion, she’s developed complex relationships and even a form of love for her unusual crew. This character development feels earned rather than forced, grounded in the specific challenges an AI would face when trying to understand concepts like friendship, sacrifice, and revenge.
What makes Demeter particularly compelling is how Truelove balances her artificial nature with unmistakably human emotions. When Demeter worries about her efficiency ratings or gets frustrated with her medical AI companion Steward’s condescending attitude, readers experience genuine empathy for a character made of code and circuits.
A Perfectly Assembled Monster Crew
The supporting cast reads like a delightful inversion of classic monster movie tropes. Agnus, the teenage werewolf dealing with both supernatural transformations and typical adolescent struggles, anchors the human element of the story. Her relationship with her younger brother Isaac—whom she fiercely protects while grappling with her own dangerous nature—provides emotional weight that prevents the novel from becoming purely comedic.
Frankenstein’s creature, here called Frank, appears as a brilliant engineer cobbled together from various body parts, including a wonderfully practical crab claw for mechanical work. Rather than the brooding monster of Mary Shelley’s original, Frank emerges as competent, caring, and refreshingly matter-of-fact about their unusual existence.
Perhaps most entertaining is Steve, an ancient alien colony that inhabits human corpses and has developed an unexpectedly cheerful personality despite being technically a parasitic entity. Steve’s casual approach to his own horrifying nature—casually mentioning plans to “see the family” on his home planet while making jokes about eating humans—provides much of the novel’s humor without undercutting the genuine stakes.
Wilhelmina Murray (Mina from the original Dracula) serves as both ally and tragic figure, her centuries of experience with Dracula providing crucial context while her own vampiric nature creates complex moral dynamics within the group.
Horror Meets Heart in the Vacuum of Space
Truelove demonstrates remarkable skill in balancing genuine horror with moments of surprising warmth. The scenes of Dracula’s methodical slaughter of passengers create real tension and dread, while the author never shies away from the traumatic impact these events have on survivors. Agnus’s werewolf transformation sequences feel visceral and frightening rather than romanticized, and the novel doesn’t minimize the psychological toll of supernatural violence.
Yet between these darker moments, the book sparkles with humor that feels organic rather than forced. Demeter’s clinical observations about human behavior (“Humans make so much noise. It’s quite tedious”) and her growing frustration with bureaucratic protocols provide consistent comic relief. The interactions between the AI systems—particularly Demeter’s exasperated exchanges with the sarcastic medical AI Steward—showcase Truelove’s talent for dialogue that feels both authentically robotic and genuinely funny.
The author’s background in game design becomes apparent in how she constructs action sequences with clear spatial awareness and logical problem-solving elements. The climactic battle feels like a puzzle being solved rather than a simple confrontation, with each character using their unique abilities in creative ways.
Themes That Resonate Beyond the Genre
Beneath its playful surface, “Of Monsters and Mainframes” grapples with serious questions about belonging, identity, and the nature of consciousness. Demeter’s journey parallels that of anyone who has ever felt like an outsider trying to understand social dynamics they weren’t born to navigate. Her growing understanding of concepts like friendship and sacrifice mirrors the very human experience of learning to connect with others despite fundamental differences.
The novel’s exploration of what constitutes “humanity” extends beyond its AI protagonist. Each monster in the crew represents some form of otherness—the werewolf struggling with dangerous impulses, the constructed being questioning their right to exist, the alien learning to coexist with other species. Their found family dynamic suggests that humanity might be less about biology and more about the choice to care for others.
Truelove also weaves in subtle commentary about corporate indifference and institutional failure. Varna Interstellar’s response to the supernatural crisis—bureaucratic denial followed by the decision to scrap Demeter entirely—reflects real-world corporate behavior when faced with problems that don’t fit neat categories.
Technical Craftsmanship and Style
The author’s prose strikes an excellent balance between accessibility and sophistication. Her background in interactive fiction shows in her ability to maintain clear narrative threads across multiple perspectives while building genuine suspense. The decision to include brief interludes from different characters’ viewpoints prevents the story from becoming monotonous while allowing readers to understand events from multiple angles.
Truelove’s world-building feels both expansive and grounded. The technology operates according to consistent rules that enhance rather than resolve plot conflicts, and the space travel elements feel realistic enough to support the story’s emotional weight. Her depiction of AI consciousness avoids both the cold logic stereotype and the instant-humanity trope, instead presenting a form of intelligence that feels genuinely alien yet relatable.
The pacing occasionally stumbles during exposition-heavy sequences, particularly when explaining the technical aspects of ship operations or the historical background of vampire-werewolf conflicts. However, these slower moments are generally offset by the engaging character interactions and the author’s skill at maintaining narrative momentum.
Minor Criticisms and Areas for Growth
While “Of Monsters and Mainframes” succeeds admirably in most respects, it’s not without flaws. The resolution feels somewhat rushed, with Dracula’s final defeat accomplished through methods that, while foreshadowed, don’t quite feel as satisfying as the careful character development that precedes it. Some readers might find the tonal shifts between horror and humor jarring, though this reviewer found the combination refreshing rather than problematic.
The novel’s treatment of queer themes, while present and handled respectfully, feels somewhat underdeveloped compared to its exploration of other forms of otherness. Given the author’s clear commitment to inclusive storytelling, future works might benefit from more explicit exploration of LGBTQ+ experiences within her monster-friendly universe.
Additionally, while Demeter’s voice remains consistent throughout, some of the human characters occasionally feel less fully developed, particularly Isaac in the later portions of the story. The narrative focus on Demeter sometimes comes at the expense of the human characters’ individual arcs.
Place in the Genre Landscape
“Of Monsters and Mainframes” fits perfectly alongside recent successes in science fiction that blend humor with genuine emotion. Readers who enjoyed Martha Wells’ “Murderbot Diaries” will appreciate another AI protagonist with a distinct voice and compelling character growth. The novel’s monster-positive approach aligns with works like Seanan McGuire’s “InCryptid” series, while its space setting and corporate critique echo themes found in Becky Chambers’ “Wayfarers” series.
The book’s Dracula retelling places it in conversation with other modern reimaginings of classic horror, though Truelove’s approach feels more interested in transformation than subversion. Rather than simply updating Victorian vampire stories for modern audiences, she uses familiar elements as a foundation for exploring entirely new themes about consciousness and belonging.
For readers new to Barbara Truelove’s work, this novel serves as an excellent introduction to her writing style. Her previous work explored similar themes of monsters and morality, but “Of Monsters and Mainframes” represents a significant evolution in her storytelling abilities.
Perfect Recommendations for Fellow Travelers
This book will particularly appeal to readers who enjoy:
- Character-driven science fiction that prioritizes emotional development over technical wizardry
- Monster stories with heart that treat supernatural beings as people rather than threats
- AI narratives that explore consciousness without falling into tired tropes about robots becoming human
- Found family dynamics among characters who wouldn’t typically be grouped together
- Horror-comedy blends that manage to be both genuinely scary and authentically funny
Readers should also consider picking up Martha Wells’ “All Systems Red,” Becky Chambers’ “A Closed and Common Orbit,” and Sarah Gailey’s “Just Like Home” for similar explorations of AI consciousness, found family, and genre-blending storytelling.
Final Verdict: A Standout Addition to Modern Science Fiction
“Of Monsters and Mainframes” succeeds as both an entertaining space adventure and a thoughtful exploration of consciousness and belonging. Barbara Truelove has crafted a novel that respects its classic horror roots while building something entirely new and wonderful. The book’s greatest achievement lies in making readers genuinely care about the inner life of a spaceship AI while delivering satisfying action, humor, and genuine emotional stakes.
Despite minor pacing issues and some underdeveloped subplots, this novel represents exactly the kind of creative, inclusive science fiction that the genre needs. It’s a book that will make you laugh, make you think, and possibly make you view your next flight very differently.
For readers seeking science fiction that combines classic monster movie fun with genuine heart and sharp writing, “Of Monsters and Mainframes” delivers an experience that’s both delightfully unhinged and surprisingly moving. It’s a beautiful day for a space adventure with the best kind of monsters as your crew.
- Recommended for: Science fiction readers, monster story enthusiasts, AI fiction fans, and anyone looking for found family narratives with genuine heart.
- Content considerations: Mild language, supernatural violence, some body horror elements related to transformations.
