The Truth Is the Most Dangerous Weapon in the Sci-Fi Horror Thriller Salvation Day
The truth can be just as much of a weapon as anything—and true power often lies with those who control the flow of information. While the main characters of Kali Wallace’s tense sci-fi horror novel Salvation Day might be fighting for their lives against a derelict ship full of long-dormant dangers, not to mention a terrifying virus, they are often more endangered by what they don’t know because those in charge of the official record didn’t want them to. It’s an added layer that turns a twisty, moody sci-fi thriller into something grander, deeper, and more timely than it might otherwise appear.
Salvation Day
Hardcover $26.00
Salvation Day
By Kali Wallace
In Stock Online
Hardcover $26.00
The House of Wisdom was supposed to be the United Councils’ masterpiece, a grand experiment in space travel and scientific research destined to take humanity beyond the stars. Instead, a deranged crewmember released a bioweapon that killed everyone onboard save for 11-year-old Jaswinder “Jas” Bhattacharyya, who jettisoned in an experimental shuttle. Years later, a group of religious extremists launch a plot to hijack a student transport bound for the moon and claim House of Wisdom as their refuge in the stars. They kidnap Jas and others and hold them hostage, intending to use them to bypass the ship’s sophisticated security grid. But when they arrive, they find House of Wisdom is far from silent, empty, or unwatched. As the Lightists and government square off over the ghost ship, House of Wisdom itself finally decides to wake up, plunging terrorists and hostages alike into a struggle for which no one is prepared.
The House of Wisdom was supposed to be the United Councils’ masterpiece, a grand experiment in space travel and scientific research destined to take humanity beyond the stars. Instead, a deranged crewmember released a bioweapon that killed everyone onboard save for 11-year-old Jaswinder “Jas” Bhattacharyya, who jettisoned in an experimental shuttle. Years later, a group of religious extremists launch a plot to hijack a student transport bound for the moon and claim House of Wisdom as their refuge in the stars. They kidnap Jas and others and hold them hostage, intending to use them to bypass the ship’s sophisticated security grid. But when they arrive, they find House of Wisdom is far from silent, empty, or unwatched. As the Lightists and government square off over the ghost ship, House of Wisdom itself finally decides to wake up, plunging terrorists and hostages alike into a struggle for which no one is prepared.
Wallace elevates a familiar premise—a group of explorers on a big, scary old ship full of danger—with strong characterization and tense plotting; there are interpersonal conflicts and flaring tempers aplenty, and things only get more complicated as both the terrorists and the government agents arrive on House of Wisdom. But the real danger is what each of the factions is hiding: the book begins with the “official” version of events, but chapter by chapter, it slowly fills in what actually happened onboard, and delves into the extensive coverup. It’s all about the manipulation of information, from the way the parties involved are forced to lie about what he witnessed, to the way terrorist leader Adam’s murderous plans begin to grow increasingly byzantine, to the way the Jas tries to outwit the terrorists by playing on their fears of the unknown. Each new revelation changes the context of events, shifting enemies into allies, as all the while a virus unleashed onboard the ship acts as kind of a wildcard. Wallace even weaponizes our expectations: the “approved” account ticks off all the tropes of sci-fi survival horror, only for the real version to contradict them at every turn.
Each twist of the plot splinters the competing factions further, as secrets are revealed about their true motivations, the horrifying past of the House of Wisdom massacre, and the origins of the virus, which seems to be actively hunting them throughout the ship. The tension builds to an explosive climax and lingers in the aftermath, as all the secrets finally come spilling out, lending the novel a greater resonance in our Fake News era. It’s a contemplation of the power of information, of the duty of governments, and of the horrifying things those on top will do to those beneath them in pursuit of selfish ends. Kali Wallace has delivered a wild sci-fi suspense ride concealing a deeply important message about the danger of blindly trusting in what the powerful want you to believe.