Cold Eternity - by S a Barnes (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth's most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago... The cryo program, created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld, is long defunct, and the AI hologram "hosts," ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld's three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there's a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents. It's not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from..."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"You'll want to read this one with the lights on."--Katee Robert, New York Times bestselling author

Cold Eternity is the instant USA Today bestselling space horror from S.A. Barnes, perfect for fans of Severance, where desperation for eternal life leads to a fate worse than death...

Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth's most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago...

The cryo program, created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld, is long defunct, and the AI hologram "hosts," ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld's three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there's a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents.

It's not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from....

Also by S.A. Barnes:
Dead Silence
Ghost Station

Review Quotes

A LibraryReads Pick!

"You'll want to read this one with the lights on. Terrifying and lonesome with a heroine who you'll root for, S.A. Barnes has quickly become one of my go-to horror authors!"
--Katee Robert, New York Times bestselling author

"Cold Eternity is the S.A. Barnes Creature Feature we've all been waiting for! Tense, nasty, and melancholic. The perfect combination of sleep deprivation and a space station monster!"
--Caitlin Starling, author of The Starving Saints

"So well done and creepy, with a twist that will shock you!"
--Hildur Knútsdóttir, author of The Night Guest

"A timely exploration of ethics and the power of an individual to shape the future. Space horror at its most entertaining. Fans of Caitlin Starling and Jo Kaplan will love the atmospheric chills and visceral horrors of one of literature's creepiest horror settings."
--Library Journal (STARRED review)

"Cold Eternity cements S.A. Barnes's already impressive reputation as Queen of Space Horror. So engrossing, I read it in one straight sitting. With an intoxicating blend of cosmic, existential indifference and grounded, startlingly visceral body horror, there's plenty to get your teeth into. I just can't wait to see what Barnes does next--she's the real deal."
--Ally Wilkes, author of Where the Dead Wait

"This chilling blend of science fiction and horror from Barnes explores ethical questions about whistleblowing against the eerie backdrop of a spectral spaceship full of cryogenically preserved corpses...It's not for the faint of heart."
--Publishers Weekly

"Readers won't want to put down Barnes' latest (after Ghost Station, 2024) sf-horror hybrid."
--Booklist

"Barnes is now on her third book of really fun, truly creepy space horror. ...In the vast emptiness of space, nothing is emptier than an abandoned ship or planet or space station, and those spaces are exactly where S. A. Barnes thrives."
--Reactor

About the Author

S.A. BARNES works in a high school library by day, recommending reads, talking with students, and removing the occasional forgotten cheese stick as bookmark. She is the author of Goodreads Choice finalist Dead Silence, Ghost Station, and Cold Eternity, and she has published numerous novels across different genres. Barnes lives in Illinois with more dogs and books than is advisable and a very patient spouse.