Mustafa A. Nejem’s Abyssal Echoes is a sci-fi horror epic set in the crushing blackness of Earth’s deepest ocean trenches. It follows the crew of the submarine Pacifica on a research expedition that quickly spirals into a confrontation with ancient ruins, alien technology, and horrors not of this world. What begins as a scientific survey becomes a descent into madness, mystery, and metaphysical dread, as the crew uncovers evidence of an extinct, hyper-advanced underwater civilization and awakens dormant forces that seem bent on rewriting evolution, and maybe even reality itself.

The writing is brisk and cinematic, and Nejem has a knack for making even the most impossible sci-fi ideas feel grounded. I was hooked from the first dive into the hadal trenches. There’s a real sense of awe and dread that reminded me of the first time I watched Alien or The Abyss. The science fiction is chewy enough to be thought-provoking but never gets bogged down in tech speak. And the horror is not cheap scares. It creeps up on you. The chapters unravel like found footage or a lost logbook, giving the whole thing an eerie realism I didn’t expect.

But what I really liked was the way the book handles its ideas. There’s something ancient and cosmic at play, something that brushes against theology and philosophy without being preachy. The alien race, the Aen’Bri, aren’t just another version of us, they’re genuinely other, and their technology is so advanced it borders on magic. There’s a grim warning running through the whole book: that curiosity has a cost, and that some doors, once opened, can’t be shut. That theme, of knowledge becoming its own curse, resonated with me. I didn’t always love the pacing; a few segments toward the middle got repetitive with rescue missions and creature encounters. But those were small bumps in a book that otherwise kept me fascinated and creeped out in the best way.

Abyssal Echoes is perfect for readers who enjoy sci-fi that leans into horror. Think Event Horizon, The Thing, or Annihilation. If you like stories about the unknown, especially the unknowable, this book is for you. I’d especially recommend it to fans of deep-sea horror, cosmic dread, or anyone who enjoys fiction that makes them feel both tiny and terrified in the face of the universe.

Pages: 159 | ASIN : B0CQFP6WB5