Books Like Contagion

The sheer immensity of space and the extremely hostile conditions for humans have made it a favorite setting for horror stories. Of course, a lot about space is still unknown, but horror authors have wasted no time coming up with their own ideas for what could be awaiting anyone foolish enough to venture away from Earth. From derelict space stations to abandoned ships and mysterious planets, there are plenty of spooky locations for authors to populate with all kinds of horrors. For example, in Contagion by Erin Bowman, a skeleton crew is sent into deep space to perform a search-and-rescue mission on a distant planet. However, upon arrival, they find the whole place decimated and realize that the drill team they were sent to rescue might have dug up something best left buried. For more books where science fiction meets horror in space, check out the following books like Contagion.

Dead Silence

By S. A. Barnes

Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes is set aboard a famous luxury spaceliner called the Aurora. The ship vanished on its maiden solar system tour, and it was not until twenty years later that Claire Kovalik and her beacon repair crew picked up its distress signal. Since they are all days away from being unemployed, Claire decides that there’s nothing to lose by investigating the Aurora. Unfortunately, their dreams of a salvage claim that could set them up for life are dashed when they conduct a quick search of the ship. The footage they find appears to show the passengers and crew violently attacking each other, and soon Claire and her team begin to see disturbing hallucinations. 

Toxic

by Lydia Kang

Toxic by Lydia Kang is set aboard a bioship called the Cyclo, where a girl named Hanna wakes up only to find that her mother, along with the entire crew, is gone. Her mother, the ship’s reproductive engineer, ensured Cyclo’s population stayed ready and functional. Although only the leaders of the ship could decide when new embryos could be created, Hanna was made in secret and kept hidden from everyone else by her mother. Hanna is unwilling to believe that her mother would abandon her and leave her on Cyclo to die. However, while the original crew is missing, a man named Fenn and a team of hired mercenaries show up on a suicide mission. Their job is to monitor Cyclo as she expires, but after meeting Hanna, Fenn tries to save them. Unfortunately, he has no idea how to do it as Cyclo grows sicker and more secrets about the ship and crew are uncovered.

The Burning Dark

by Adam Christopher

The Burning Dark is the first book in the Spider War series by Adam Christopher. The protagonist, Captain Abraham Idaho Cleveland, once led the Fleet into battle against a machine intelligence enemy that could devour entire worlds. Although he was able to save a plant, Cleveland ended up injured and fitted with a robot knee in the process. Afterward, he was relegated to one of the most remote backwaters in Fleetspace, tasked with overseeing the decommissioning of a semi-deserted space station. Unfortunately, none of his fellow crew members believes that he is the hero he claims to be, leaving Cleveland feeling isolated and friendless. Things get even worse when he builds an old-fashioned space radio and picks up a disturbing transmission about the dangers lurking on the station. 

Parasite

by Darcy Coates

Parasite by Darcy Coates is split into five stories chronicling how an unusual lifeform is discovered on a remote moon outpost and how it spreads from there. In the opening story, the guard who discovers the lifeform disregards protocol to investigate what it is, only to end up in isolation with the parasitic creature. The terrifying creature is able to not only wear its victim’s skins but also adopt their personalities. Since it mimics everything about its victim, it’s the perfect disguise and quickly begins to set humanity on a path toward extinction. Each story in Parasite is set on a different station that is reached by the parasites. 

The Luminous Dead

by Caitlin Starling

Gyre Price, the protagonist of The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling, would do anything to get off the planet Cassandra-V. The easiest solution appears to be lying her way into a caving expedition on another planet. It’s a dangerous job but would pay enough to get her off-planet. Unfortunately for Gyre, the job doesn’t turn out like she expected it would. Instead of a skilled surface team keeping her safe and monitoring her suit and environment, she gets a woman named Em. Not only has Em have no qualms controlling Gyre’s body with drugs, but she also knows about her falsified credentials, which she doesn’t hesitate to use as a leash. Even worse, the deeper Gyre descends, the more she feels her sense of control slipping as paranoia and anger seeps in. 

Salvation Day

by Kali Wallace

In Salvation Day by Kali Wallace, it has been a decade since the government of Earth abandoned a massive exploration vessel named House of Wisdom. The reason for this is a deadly virus that broke out and killed everyone aboard in a matter of hours. Only one person, Jaswinder Bhattacharya, survived the tragedy, and he is the last person whose genetic signature would allow entry to the spaceship. Jas still has nightmares about the day his mother saved his life by launching him out of the doomed ship aboard one of her experimental spacecraft. Unfortunately for him, a group of separatists hijacks his shuttle with the intention of using his biometrics and knowledge to claim House of Wisdom for themselves. Little do they know that all waiting for them on the ship is a terrifying secret buried by the government.