A woman wakes up alone in deep space, the sole survivor of her crew, and encounters an alien being named Dorian who offers assistance aboard his mysterious ship. As she navigates the eerie corridors and unsettling encounters, a haunting presence known as the Thrum begins to manipulate her reality, blurring the lines between truth and illusion in this atmospheric blend of horror, sci-fi, and psychological thriller.

Reader Review Summary

"Thrum" by Meg Smitherman is a magnificently chilling and atmospheric gothic sci-fi horror romance novella that takes readers on a haunting and mind-bending journey through deep space. From the very first pages, Smitherman masterfully creates a sense of dread and unease, skillfully blending elements of psychological horror with rich, sensual prose.

The premise immediately hooks the reader - Ami, the sole survivor of her crew, awakens from stasis to find herself adrift in the void of space, utterly alone until a mysterious being named Dorian answers her distress call. What follows is a deliciously eerie and unsettling exploration of isolation, desire, and the blurring of reality as Ami finds herself drawn into Dorian's strange ship.

Smitherman's exquisite descriptive talents immerse the reader in the labyrinthine, sinister confines of the spacecraft, creating a palpable sense of claustrophobia and creeping madness. The way she sculpts the atmosphere through haunting details like the omnipresent "thrum" humming through the halls is masterful. Her poetic prose drips with a lush, Gothic sensuality that enhances the simmering romantic tension between Ami and the enigmatic Dorian.

The characterization is pitch-perfect. Ami's vulnerability and yearning for connection amid the cosmic vastness is profoundly relatable, making her psychologically complex descent all the more chilling to experience. And Dorian is the quintessential gothic romantic lead - darkly alluring, his true nature obscured by equal parts seduction and menace. Their dynamic crackles with intoxicating dread and longing.

While short as a novella, "Thrum" still packs a tremendous punch in its steadily mounting tension and deeply unsettling twists. Smitherman's control of pacing is impeccable, constantly leaving the reader unmoored and guessing at what fresh horrors may manifest. The ending is a gut-punch of revelations that will linger long after the final pages.

From its evocative dark romanticism to its dizzying psychological thrills, "Thrum" is a superbly crafted and profoundly haunting work of speculative fiction. Smitherman's debut solidifies her as a bold new voice in multiple genres, blending the best of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and gothic romance into an intoxicating, mind-twisting experience that is perfectly calibrated to deliciously unsettle. Brace yourself to be enveloped in the thrumming darkness of this exquisitely disturbing gem.