Ship of Fools

Not what I was expecting at all, but super pleasantly surprised. Found this one in an r/horrorlit thread asking for books similar to the film Event Horizon. What I was expecting? The Hellbound Heart in space. What I got? Thought provoking philosophical cosmic horror about God, organized religion, zealotry and the means of control, the unknown and the terror of the unknowable.

I can understand some of the reviewers who complained about nothing really happening. Going into this book thinking it's pulpy space horror about a spooky alien ship and then getting bait and switched into slow low-action creeping philosophical horror might not be everyone's cup of tea. It is mine though.

My biggest complaint is probably that it was a little bit too predictable. Not very twisty or revelatory, once it gets in swing there aren't a lot of surprises. The methods of how it gets to where it's going are fun and interesting, but where it's going doesn't veer too far off the map. Also the writing is a bit flat and boring. Procedural and perfunctory. Adequate and clean, but completely devoid of any sort of flourish or authorial voice.