Screams From Outer Space

by Heather Ann Larson (Editor), L.M. Kaplin, Blaine Daigle

During a routine scan of deep space, our sensors uncovered fifteen cosmic nightmares from the furthest reaches of the galaxy. We have assembled them in this anthology for review along with a foreword by S.A. Barnes.

Proceed with Caution. This volume collects the final moments of doomed crews as they encounter critical system failures, extraterrestrial horrors, and the madness that awaits when humanity dares to venture too far from home.

This anthology includes brand-new stories
Blaine Daigle
M Ennenbach
Ben Farthing
C S Jones
LM Kaplin
Leigh Kenny
Heather Ann Larson
Aaron Lebold
Sean McDonough
Joseph Murnane
Andrew Najberg
Steven Pajak
RJ Roles
Megan Stockton
Derek Thomas

Genres: Short Stories

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2025

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I picked up the signal, I knew I had to investigate. What I found beggars belief. Let me remove this damn helmet, and I'll tell you all about it.

The signal came in fifteen short bursts, all originating from Broken Brain Books, and had an encrypted foreword by none other than S.A. Barnes! Took me a while to decrypt it, and got this nugget of wisdom: space "functions as a character in the story, a predator of opportunity"! Wow, what a great simile. Certainly, in the signals I stumbled upon, space was noone's friend - but neither were the spaceships! Take LM Kaplin's "The Long Sleep," for example - how do you deal with the flawless logic of a ship's AI, when the fate of your entire species is at stake? And yet I say that AI was evil. Thankfully, the shocking twist in the end brought some much-needed relief! Or M Ennenbach's "Death of a Distant Star," where alien artifacts and ghost ships (amid talks about giant t*rds lol) turn a crew's day into a non-stop nightmare (though it was a bit jarring to read about shockwaves in space - ah, well!). Or the ship in Aaron Lebold's "The Last Aristocrats," host to the richest people after the destruction of Earth, their numbers slowly dwindling as they escape to a new planet in the one available escape pod - no, that's no ship you'd catch me in!

The signal had a great opening: Joseph Murnane's "Lunika," about the horror of sending animals in space... and what they bring back! A few of the signal's parts talked of space breeding self-doubting and isolation-anxiety, to the point of madness: two stories I'd have enjoyed more if I hadn't just read a similar Jed Kent short, were Leigh Kenny's "Space Oddity" and Megan Stockton's "Voidborn," spectacular takes on the impact of isolation, anxiety-inducing in themselves, with predictably cruel endings. CS Jones brings the urban legend of the Philadephia Experiment to space with "Eldridge"; and Heather Ann Larson treated me to some time jumps due to space travel with the titular "Screams From Outer Space," each jump bringing me closer to that tentacled monster everyone should avoid when travelling in a spacesuit!

The signal surprised me when Derek Thomas' "Enceladus" came up: this was such a weird story, blending space and folk horror to create a new mythology for the entire solar system. You'll be equally surprised when you realize what (or is it who?) lives in this small moon of Saturn! And you'll be pleasantly entertained by Sean McDonough's "Rarified-Air," a blend of murder mystery aboard a spacecraft and sci-fi horror comedy - the ending is really well-done! Then there's Ben Farthing's "The Asteroid Miners," a story with a message, about a standard rescue mission going to pick up miners, at a time when big corporations abandoning their workers is legit; though just wait till you see what the poor people found. Another wildly inventive story, almost exploding the trope of isolation-anxiety in space, was Steven Pajak's "In Space, Noone Can Hear You Become" - a nice reversal on the isolation trope in the end!

The ones that really got to me were Andrew Najberg's "Chrysalis Chamber" and Blaine Daigle's "Skin": those two really nailed it with the body horror and the many sci-fi horror tropes the employed, including everything from Alien to Event Horizon. Both stories should be experienced blind.

The closing story by RJ Roles, appropriately titled "Last Transmission," puts the final nail in the coffin: literally about a mysterious signal driving people on a spaceship insane (and one of them had been listening to it for fifty years!), it shows how even the best of humanity's inventiveness may not be enough.

And that's how the signal ended. Almost on a cliffhanger. Of course I wanted more. I still do! Sci-fi horror can easily turn into an obsession. If you feel the craving as strong as I do, then "Screams From Outer Space" will scratch that itch and keep going till it hits bone: among so many space horror anthologies out there, it stands out due to its exceptional quality and its insistence to connect with readers on an emotional level. No jargon or second-hand ideas here. An anthology I eagerly and highly recommend!

[Hayley Bernard-Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Screams from Outer Space” is a must-have collection of short stories for space horror fans!

The foreword by S.A. Barnes got me excited to get started!

Lunika by Joseph Murnane-
I really enjoyed this story! It’s an excellent beginning to a space horror anthology. If the other stories are as good as this one, I know I’m in for a wild ride. I don’t want to give away spoilers but I loved the lead character. Reading a story from that point of view is rare, and Joseph Murnane nailed it!

Space Oddity by Leigh Kenny-
Whoa. This was my first story by Leigh and it was fantastic. Hauntingly written. You could feel the madness and isolation on the pages. I enjoyed it very much, although I made the mistake of reading it in the middle of the night!

Voidborn by Megan Stockton-
This was a chilling story. As a reader, you ride the confusion along with the lead character while he tries to figure out what happened. Visual and well-written!

Death of a Distant Sun by M Ennebach-
This one was so intense! I loved the characters and their distinct personalities. The dialogue and banter was fantastic. After finishing this short story, I added some of M Ennebach’s books to my TBR, I like this writer’s style!

Chrysalis Chamber by Andrew Najberg-
Holy moly I have no words. One of the scariest things I’ve ever read. I’ll definitely read more from Andrew Najberg, once I recover!

Rarified Air by Sean McDonough-
This read like a mystery space story and I was into it the whole time. Intense!

The Last Aristocrats by Aaron Lebold-
Sinister and impossible to look away. I enjoyed this dark story!

Eldridge by CS Jones-
The events in this story are horrific, I for one would not want to be anywhere near the nightmare situation these poor characters find themselves dealing with! “Eldridge” is a scary page turner with awesome, disturbing visuals.

Skin by Blaine Daigle-
The more of these stories I read, the more I never EVER want to go to outer space. This was a good one. Prepare yourself before reading!

Screams from Outer Space by Heather Ann Larson-
This gripping story features a fierce alien I would definitely NEVER want to encounter!

The Long Sleep by LM Kaplin-
Wow! This story was so twisted! The ending literally caused me to gasp out loud. LM Kaplin’s stories are crazy addictive. Anytime I finish one I’m always eager to start the next!

Enceladus by Derek Thomas-
This story is different, mythological and interesting. Unique characters, be prepared for something you wouldn’t expect in a space horror story!

The Asteroid Miners by Ben Farthing-
I really liked “The Asteroid Miners”! I got sucked into this story quickly with no clue what was going to happen next.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Become by Steve Pajak-
Chilling story with great characters and dialogue. Well written and visual, I felt like I was watching this on a screen! Haunting and unforgettable.

Final Transmission by RJ Roles-
Ohh man- hang onto something. The characters in this story encounter something very unexpected when exploring deep space. Excellent story to end a fantastic collection!

Overall: I loved this anthology! If you enjoy space horror, this is absolutely not to be missed! Each story brought its own terror, and it was a blast being along for the ride. I’m relieved to be safely back home on the ground… I hope I didn’t bring anything back with me!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Broken Brain Books for providing a review copy.

Space horror is my jam, and the forward to the anthology perfectly illustrated why. Space lends itself perfectly to horror, and I enjoyed every last one of these stories. Lunika made me want to stand up and cheer, while several other stories chilled me to the bone. 4.25 stars

Lunika by Joseph Murnane ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Space Oddity by Leigh Kenny ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Voidborn by Megan Stockton ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Death of a Distant Sun by M Ennenbach ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Chrysalis Chamber by Andrew Najberg ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rarified-Air by Sean McDonough ⭐⭐⭐.5
The Last Aristocrats by Aaron Lebold ⭐⭐⭐.5
Eldridge by C S Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skin by Blaine Daigle ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Screams from Outer Space by Heather Ann Larson ⭐⭐⭐.25
The Long Sleep by LM Kaplin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enceladus by Derek Thomas ⭐⭐⭐.75
The Asteroid Miners by Ben Farthing ⭐⭐⭐.5
In Space, No One Can Hear You Become by Steven Pajak ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Final Transmission by RJ Roles ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

[Ian Gielen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space horror is one of my absolute favourite things to read and in my opinion, there can never be enough of the stories about the unknown and the scary stuff that we could encounter be it, psychological breakdowns, technology failures or undiscovered beings. This anthology covers much of that in an easy to digest short form that made me want to turn page after page to discover what happens next.

There is a veritable who's who of indie authors involved in this one and each one bring their A-game to create stories that are imaginative, scary and full of foreboding and mystery much like space exploration itself.

Some of my favourites were:

Chrysalis Chamber by Andrew Najberg
The Last Aristocrats by Aaron Lebold
Skin by Blaine Daigle
The Asteroid Miners by Ben Farthing
The Last Transmission by RJ Roles

These were a great mix of alien and body horror (Chrysalis Chamber, Skin, The Asteroid Miners), one with a great twist (The Last Aristocrats) and one that was haunting and steeped in mystery until the very end where questions were answered.

I could happily read these types of stories every day. Even now I yearn for more but I'm grateful that such a fantastic anthology as this exists. Now, how about Volume 2?

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

After horror sci-fi is my second favourite genre so these were a joy to read. Like all anthologies some hit better than others but all of them were cosmic horror nightmares of the highest calibre. Combining horror and the fear and isolation of space and what lurks there in a multitude of twisted ways!

There are test subjects, extraterrestrial beings, sentient aliens, spaceships, madness, paranoia, abandoned starships, alien tech, intelligent life forms, vengeful victims, creatures from the end of the universe, space time experiments, corrupt organisations, terrifying AI, new worlds and frontiers to explore.

Horror as the universe swallows us whole and spits out the unwary and arrogant. Fantastic!

[Ellen TK · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel extremely lucky that I got to read this anthology. These talented authors crafted a seamless blend of sci-fi and horror elements. I haven’t encountered too many space horror fictions - but these stories had me on edge. Outer space itself already terrifies me because of the “unknown” and deadly environment….coupled with things trying to kill you, brings an excellent concoction of dread and suspense in these tales.

It’s hard to pick the best one because I truly enjoyed each story, but the ones that really stood out were Lunika by Joseph Murnane and Death of a Distant Sun by M Ennenbach.

Excellent read, and highly recommend!

[Magpie Cleaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive this book as an ARC. I was so excited because, in my opinion, sci-fi horror is grossly underrated and there needs to be much more of it!

This was *incredible*. Un-put-downable.

Every single story packed one punch after the next. Each concept as unique as the last. At times I found myself needing to look away and process what I had just read, not because of the horror or gore but the realisations in some of these stories, the “oh my god” moments.
This anthology showcased not just sci-fi horror but the horrors of humanity, technology and more.

If you haven’t read anything before by any of these authors, this anthology gives you a wonderful opportunity to sample their work, and I promise you that you will be itching for more from each and every one.

The stories that really stood out to me were:
Death of a Distant Sun by M Ennenbach
Chrysalis Chamber by Andrew Najberg
The Last Aristocrats by Aaron Lebold
The Long Sleep by L M Kaplin

This is the first anthology I’ve tried from Broken Brain Books, but it most certainly will not be the last!

[Flutter By Night · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space Horror is my absolute sweet tooth. As far as I’m concerned, there needs to be gobs more of this well-written stuff floating around the galaxy to terrify me. Often I see readers complaining about being annoyed by shorts and novellas. Not me. I guess I’m in the minority, because I adore well-done short stories in all their forms, and there are many forms. Short fiction is what I’m reaching for with my morning coffee to start my day right. Screams from Outer Space is fantastic!! There’s such talent, fresh spins and angles, with damn good execution throughout. When I went back through the anthology to contemplate my faves, I ended up reading almost all of them again!!

A few highlights for me were:

Lunika by Joseph Murnane
Space Oddity by Leigh Kenny
Death of a Distant Sun by M Ennebach
Chrysalis Chamber by Andrew Najberg
The Last Aristocrats by Aaron Lebold
Skin by Blaine Daigle
Screams from Outer Space by Heather Anne Larson
The Long Sleep by LM Kaplan
Enceladus by Derek Thomas

The entire collection hit the spot 5/5. Check it out.

[Alison Faichney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a dope read! Space horror has always been my vibe so I was pretty excited for this anthology. The indie lineup is fantastic so I knew at a minimum I’d enjoy most of the stories. After rating the first few stories all 5 stars I quickly realized this anthology is solid.

SA Barnes does the foreword and she mentions how horrific space is simply on its own. The immensity terrifies me inherently and combine that with the terrors of space travel and we’re already rolling. I enjoyed all the stories and now have a few new authors I need to check out.

My favorites (listed not by preference but just the order I read them in) were:

Lunnika by Joseph Murnane
Space Oddity by Leigh Kenny
Voidburn by Megan Stockton
Death of a Distant Star by M Ennenbach
The Long Sleep by LM Kaplin
The Final Transmission by RJ Roles

But again, this is a spectacular collection and I imagine most readers will really enjoy this one. If you enjoy space horror then don’t sleep on Broken Brains latest anthology.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I freaking loved this and I could go on and on about it, but then what would you read?

Joseph Murnane's Lunika, was one of my favorites out of this, it reminded me of the creepy parts of some of my favorite scifi horror stories over the years, it had that vibe, sometimes what you send out, isn't what you get back. And that means a lot of different things but for this story, eek.

Rarified Air by Sean McDonough I loved this, it was scifi space mystery horror( oh and the usual Sean comedy)?
That I did not know was a thing, but really want more of.
Can you give us a whodunit in space but make it Clue next ???

CS Jones and his story Eldridge, was beyond creepy, and if you like stories about uh experiments that seem to have gone wrong, this is for you.

Overall this was very well done and sent me off needing more space horror!

[Dan Mckeithan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I couldn't have asked for a better anthology about space! The authors of these short stories spare no expense and there isn't one bad story in the bunch. Every one of them made me finish that story in one sitting. And the timing for the release with Alien Earth on Hulu was perfect. Nothing like reading space horror then going to watch it. Larson brought together a spectacular group that shows us aliens, creatures, isolation, strange objects, murders, AI, the whole gamut.

A few that stood out to me were:
M Ennenbach's "Death of a Distant Sun"
Leigh Kenny's "Space Oddity"
LM Kaplin's "Long Sleep"
Sean McDonough's "Rarified Air"
Andrew Najberg's "Chrysalis Chamber", which definitely made me go ahead and bite the bullet to order "Extinction" after reading him for the first time.

[Jules_withtheaxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

SciFi horror is one of my favorite subgenres and this incredible collection left me feeling that I'm glad my feet are firmly planted on Terra. The idea of being light-years from your home is frightening in itself; the isolation and loneliness, and knowing that if something goes wrong, there will be no one to save you.

There was only one or two stories that were mediocre but the rest were very strong four and five stars.
My favorite story here would have to be The Long Sleep by LM Kaplan - What would happen if the last of our species were in hypersleep, on an interstellar ship run only by AI which was programmed to ensure that "Your species must survive at all costs"?
Honorable mentions: Chrysalis Chamber by Andrew Najberg and Final Transmission by RJ Roles.

[Shanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When this transmission went out I absolutely had to latch on. Buried within were 15 stories from some big names in indie horror. Each story was engaging and absolutely, fantastically, horrifying, and made me glad I have both feet on the ground. If Space horror is your thing you're definitely gonna want to grab this.

A few of my favorites were:

Lunika by Joseph Murnane
Space Oddity by Leigh Kenny
Chrysalis Chamber by Andrew Najberg
The Last Aristocrats by Aaron Lebold
Screams from Outer Space by Heather Ann Larson
The Long Sleep by LM Kaplin
And of course the foreword by S.A. Barnes

[Jenn Benton-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fully 5 stars for me . Every story really captivated me. I love space horror. I read it anytime I can and this was some of the best short stories in this genre. Also - the cover is super cool
and I can’t stop looking at it. If you have never done space horror this is a good intro as they are short stories and really hold your interest.

[Rhonda Bobbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚Book review📚
Lm Kaplin
👩‍🚀Screams From Outer Space👨‍🚀
From creatures to killers in space,
Recolonizing new planets.
From loneliness to cannibalism this book has it all. All the space horror you will ever need. 15 fantastic stories from the beyond.
Space is lonely, do you think you could survive? I loved them and couldn't pick a favorite.

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not generally an anthology person, but I know some of these authors and knew they would bring their A game to their stories. I was right. There are some very cool and creepy stories in here that will stay with me for a long time.
Not all are to my taste, (I have really moved away from raunchy stuff lately), but there are so many that I loved.

[Wicked Habit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC of this gem and was a little worried. I am not usually an outer space horror fan but I legit may be a fan now. Every story was extremely unique and…well…out there. That’s what made it so intriguing and a real page-turner! Be on the lookout for this!

[Jen Ramsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything terrible you could ever feel about space, all contained in this wonderful volume! Each story has its own unique style- some authors I've read before and some that were new to me, and I found it unputdownable. I'm very pleased to be on solid ground!

[Dale Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Such a wide variation in stories, there's a bit of everything in here. All are well written and feel suitably claustrophobic. A couple of stories didn't quite land with me, but all the rest did.

Would definitely recommend if this is your sub genre of the horror world.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I delighted in this awesome anthology of space horror! Each author created such a unique and terrifying world. The stories that specifically stuck out for me were
Lunika by Joseph Murnane
Death of a Distant Sun by M Ennenbach
Skin by Blaine Daigle
and
The Long Sleep by LM Kaplan.
Broken Brain Books always puts out the coolest anthologies!