I'm not really sure what I read in this book, so I read it again. Still don't know what I read, but I enjoyed it, so there's that. This is the epitome of a book not everyone will like, but if you like weird stuff that won't get you answers to all your questions but will make you feel like you've been having fever dreams all morning, this is your book! I'm not gonna try to give a synopsis because I wouldn't even know where to begin, but my fellow odd ducks, you should give this book a shot. It's kinda nice floating from one dream to the next!

#SpaceStation #NetGalley

Thank you BookGoSocial for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Oh, I enjoyed this story. There were chapters that were a bit of a fever dream but it was highly enjoyable, it expanded my consciousness and made comments on humanity and society. Really glad to have picked it up and will keep an eye out for Gadeken future books.

Space Station is one of the more interesting novellas I’ve read in a while. To try and explain it feels futile. The best synopsis I can provide is that someone goes to a space station to begin a process of change. What that means to them is anyone’s guess and I think K.R. Gadeken is aiming for that nebulousness. Told from the first person perspective, it follows someone wandering around a space station they know nothing about. It opens with a disclaimer about the type of journey you are about to go on, filled with footnotes in a sort of legalese. The main thing you’re not allowed to do? Stop the process.

Part of the excitement for this novella is it’s set up almost in a dystopian manner. The art for the cover has a retro-futuristic vibe smashed with bright, bold colors. The aforementioned disclaimer sets a haunting tone. The first chapter however dispels the dystopian feel. I don’t really want to get into specifics because I think what Space Station offers first and foremost is an experience. The book carefully captures the weirdness and strangeness of entering into a contract proposed by the disclaimer. Its first-person perspective serves to envelop the reader into the journey. The protagonist remains nameless, genderless and the baggage they carry is unnamed. If you buy into it, Space Station takes you on the journey.

Gadeken’s writing fits well with the themes she explores. There aren’t any grand ideas explored here, and the book is not subtle about what its digging into. The opening chapters mirror the Garden of Eden, a sort of state of innocence. Since this is a place to experience emotional and psychological change, it casts you out into the maze and collection of spheres that constitute the space station. You wander its halls, encountering rooms that hold secrets and, on the surface, indecipherable oddities. Where it succeeds is Gadeken writes with a light hand when it comes to the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings. They come through sparingly, allowing the sights, sounds and experience to speak to the reader and give them an opportunity to interact with them on their own terms.

I might just be in a place where Space Station speaks to me. I’m open to what the world is trying to tell me. I feel the need to change how I conduct myself in the times that we are living in. The world is a scary place, and the snakes have pushed us out of the garden. We’re naked, we feel alone, and we’re all lost because we’ve been funneled into societal roles that are beginning to look more and more useless. Change is coming whether we like it or not. Space Station is an opportunity to explore these feelings through a character that is formless in the best way. As the reader you can experience the joys and dangers that come from an internal journey.

The book is light, and some might even say it’s cozy, despite my trepidation around that term. You’ll get out of it what you put into it, which I think is true for most books, but it feels extra pertinent to point out here. Space Station doesn’t overstay its welcome and is crystal clear in its priorities. Change can be hard, and while the world will change without you, you still have the choice to make changes within yourself. Structures exist and will push you around, but you still have some agency. Seize it.

I really enjoyed this as a sci-fi novel and thought this was a strong concept and was glad everything worked well overall. It uses the space station element perfectly and thought the idea of memories worked well overall. K.R. Gadeken wrote this strongly and enjoyed how they created a character development. I'm excited to read the next book from K.R. Gadeken, as this was really well done.

I was not going to write a review for this book, since I didn't like the story, despite giving it several chances... (you know, something like "I'll read another chapter, in case the plot miraculously becomes interesting"), but opportunities aren't as endless as space.
Well, I deleted the book from my Kindle, yes, I went straight to my digital content and the whole process, and deleted it... or at least that's what I thought, because despite searching for it in my library and Kindle telling me it doesn't exist in my library, the d**n book keeps appearing among my downloaded books over and over again! It seems that instead of being a book, it's a f***ing virus!

Trippy and felt like a fever dream - hard to say what I read, what happened, what was going on, although I *think* I enjoyed it? I think this is a good read for those that don’t mind unanswered questions and loose ends.

"Life shouldnt stop just when it's getting started"

[ "Paradise grew from simple dust. From the destruction of the old came new life and new opportunities, yet everything was still made of the same base elements.
I was me, yet now I was beyond me" I loved this little quote and the fact each sphere represented a new emotion to accept and overcome. (hide spoiler)]
This is a nice little mindfuck of a book at the start, and then you kinda catch on to what the point of it is and I really liked that, it gives the same vibe as you and the mc both finding out at the same time the purpose of the spheres. Yea I really liked it, the end left me with a little bounce in my step however I half of the important things probably went over my head but that's okay I still enjoyed it. I also really enjoyed the writing and pacing, it was confusing also clear enough at the same time that I wasn't absolutely dreading the next page. ALSO love the sassy tulip omg so unexpected but I loved him.
Thank you NetGalley and K.R. Gadeken for the ARC!!!

Unfortunately, I didn't really like this book. I was very excited by the cover and blurb, expecting science fiction, but it ended up being a mostly absurd series of events that didn't have any science or space in them. The ending ties it all together nicely, but after one third of the book I was really frustrated with it and nearly stopped reading. Maybe it's just really smart but my brain fog got me stuck at taking it all literally.

Publishing date: 12.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A collection of experiences ranging from awesome to debilitating. 3 stars, confusing af

Let me skip all of the character, story, pacing, and summary stuff. This book breaks a lot of conventions and standards simply by being the way it is. It is confusing, but at the same time you understand perfectly well what is happening. It might take you a couple of chapters before you get it though.

This is a very confusing but emotionally loaded book. I feel like it tries to explore human emotions, memories, or experiences that everyone ges through. But I am not quite sure.

Very cool concept, but something you have to experience for yourself.

This will be incredibly hit or miss. I would only recommend this to people like me who enjoy "weirder" books. New adults or adults would like it best.

I am giving this 3 stars. It wasn't amazing, it wasn't bad, but a very cool concept to explore. Glad I read it.

2.5/5 stars ⋆｡°✩

I have such mixed feelings about this novella. The concept is so interesting, and when I tell you I devoured this, I did.... aaaaaafter getting over my disappointment in the first two chapters. I enjoyed the writing style but won't lie, I sometimes had a hard time following what was happening and reread quite a few passages. Gadeken did such a fantastic job creating a unique environment in such a short time frame and I wanted this to be longer just to learn more. On the flip side, the narrator is so confusing yet somehow it works? If you like mildly confusing speculative science fiction then this is for you.

No mini playlist bc I'm still confused. Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Intriguing and very engaging at first, but the ending was a bit abrupt for my taste. It tied things up too nicely and disambiguated the prevailing confusion, which was my favorite part of the book. I was enjoying the ride and actually didn’t need a destination. This is obviously just a matter of personal preference, and I can fully see why people would actually prefer that!

With Space Station, you're in for a short and delightful fever-dream. It feels like you don't understand anything, but simultaneously, everything you'll read will bring the most vivid and lasting images to your mind. They feel distant, yet so clear, just like a dream or Alice in Wonderland. It's quirky, weird, and puzzling and that's all the most fun. K.R. Gadeken is a strong writer with a gift for descriptions. The narrator, who's also the protagonist, carries a well-defined voice that deepens the immersion. Sharing her confusion was both disconcerting but also comforting and refreshing.
I'd read more stories about the Space Station! Honestly the summary sparked my curiosity and makes me hungry for more. I think it would make a great collection of interconnected short stories/novellas.

3,25/5

I have one problem with this novella and that is that it's just a novella. The plot is too big for that format and it feels a bit scarce when reading.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such a fun read, coming together beautifully in the end. I was a bit confused in the beginning, but like the main character, I think that was the purpose. I found joy when they did, through each sphere, parts of them coming to understandings. What a fun and fast read!

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me a copy of this book!

A speculative story about an unknown narrator processing an existential crisis while travelling through pocket dimensions within a space station.

I do appreciate weird and wacky stories like this. SFF in general I feel has leaned more and more into seriousness and respectability, and I'm pleasantly surprised when a story refuses to explain itself. Yep, the flowers can talk in this dimension, what about it?

I do also enjoy the concept of different spheres, and while initially thrown into it, I felt like the basic concept was explained without too much fuss by the first few chapters.

---

In terms of things that did not work for me - this is a very lean story. I am aware that it is a novella, but I felt like the concept was too big for its medium; or at least the number of spheres and ideas that were gone through.

I also felt that there could have been more to the main character. We are given absolutely zero information about them, which I assume was an intentional choice, but I wish it wasn't a choice that was made. I appreciate a strong concrete character in an otherwise abstract and fluid setting.

The prose is a little purple, which could be ignored in a beefier story, but the lack of character writing* has me grasping for crumbs and the crumb in question is that this is a character that uses "effervescent" as if it's an ordinary part of their vocabulary.

"Hello," I began excitedly. "Do you want to know my name?"
YES!!!

Space Station is a fever dream about a character who goes to a space resort made up of self-contained spheres. The spheres each contain their own mini wonderland acid trips that dive into the human psyche and help explore insecurities, anxieties, and the human condition. To try and explain it feels futile. The book carefully captures the weirdness and strangeness of entering into a contract proposed by the disclaimer.

“* Needs are subjective and not always based on reality. Guests may obtain new perspectives, uncover emotional trauma, or develop a better outlook on life.

† Experiences may lead to altered brain chemistry, physical changes in the brain, a distortion of reality, and irrational fears. Please warn your loved ones ahead of time that you might return to them a fundamentally different person.††

†† We also advise guests to warn their loved ones that they may decide not to return. We offer generous packages for our residents that wish to remain on the Space Station indefinitely.

‡ Once on the space station, you must remain there until your journey is complete. Failure to do so may cause temporal incursions, brain damage, or fatality. The Space Station does not claim fault for any galactic or personal injuries incurred during your visit.”

The main thing you’re not allowed to do? Stop the process. Its first-person perspective serves to envelop the reader into the journey. The protagonist remains nameless, and the baggage they carry is undefined. If you buy into it, Space Station takes you on the journey. It is written stylistically to emulate a lucid dream and feels very reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. If you ever wanted to attend a therapy-themed amusement park, this might be for you.

The functional exploration of the protagonist’s mind is a bit messy. Although the writing is very evocative and pretty, it can be hard to follow, and I found myself rereading sections repeatedly to pull away the core messaging. But, the theming and setting of the story is really fun (I love the feeling of walking from sphere to sphere and was always excited to see what was behind the next door. I am a sucker for any story that feels like it transports the protagonist to a surreal city of dreams where nothing is what it seems.

Gadeken’s writing fits well with the themes she explores. No grand ideas are explored here, and the book is not subtle about what it’s digging into. The opening chapters mirror the Garden of Eden, a sort of state of innocence. Since this is a place to experience emotional and psychological change, it casts you out into the maze and collection of spheres that constitute the space station. You wander its halls, encountering rooms that hold secrets and, on the surface, indecipherable oddities. Gadeken writes with a light hand regarding the protagonist’s thoughts and feelings. They come through sparingly, allowing the sights, sounds, and experiences to speak to the reader and allow them to interact with them on their own terms. The prose enables the weirdness to feel natural, even if it’s still out of place for everyday contemporary life

I don’t have a lot more to say about Space Station as it feels like a deeply personal read that is hard to pin down. The book is light, and some might even say it’s cozy, despite my trepidation around that term. You’ll get out of it what you put into it, which I think is true for most books, but it feels extra pertinent to point out here. Space Station doesn’t overstay its welcome and is crystal clear in its priorities. The result of all of this is a quirky short book that left me feeling refreshed, even if it didn’t change my life. Space Station is fun and did a great job encapsulating what I want when I crack open a novella. Its experimental vibes and the fascinating setting were a nice break from our current reality. Change can be hard, and while the world will change without you, you still have the choice to make changes within yourself. Structures exist and will push you around, but you still have some agency. Seize it.

Excellent novella with big spacey Alice in Wonderland vibes. Very nonsense fiction, but also thought provoking. Reminds me of 50s/60s Space Age fiction. Did NOT see that ending coming.

I grabbed this book on a whim and the writing was just so easy to get lost in. I don't think I fully knew or understood what was happening, but it felt like that was intentional. As others have mentioned, it felt like a full body immersive experience. If you tend to like more structured novels and novellas this may not be for you, but if you enjoy something that is a little more different I think you'll enjoy this one.

The most interesting part of this book? The blurb. It promised something intriguing, but the actual story felt like playing one of those walking simulators - a girl stumbling through various simulated realities, solving puzzles and occasionally encountering cool imagery (shoutout to the pulsing ethereal light and the surprising tulip). The descriptions were often quite pretty and enjoyable but the ideas felt not all the way there, sprinting from place to place without fully landing. It was all one big metaphor, about life I think and perception and probably other things I didn’t pick up on after 3 cocktails. If you enjoy dreamy, abstract sci-fi, this might be for you. Personally, I was left wanting more.

This novella takes the reader on a beautifully written, existential journey following an unnamed main character who is exploring a mysterious space station. In my opinion and not going into any spoilers this story could be interpreted literally (in an absurdist Alice in Wonderland-like fever dream) or as an allegory of life itself. Although some of the experiences in the spheres are deliberately abstract, I felt the intention was for the reader to be able to incorporate and project their own experiences. I think this is one of those stories that would greatly benefit for being discussed in a group. I found the writing style extremely atmospheric, and while I would have preferred to explore this station in a longer novel, I would still recommend this to people who like a bit of a philosophical sci-fi. Also, on a personal note, I will definitely try to pick up more works by K.R Gadeken in the future.

3.5 stars

I fear at least 50% of this just went right over my head, and yes that’s probably a me problem, but what in the heck just happened?

We’re with an unnamed character, on a mysterious space station that claims to give you exactly what you need. Through a series of hallways, doors and chambers, we experience mind-bending moments, each designed to teach the protagonist an important life lesson if they can only unpick the weird and puzzle it out. Fortunately, our MC is a total oddball themselves so seems to piece most things together eventually, though we never really know whether it takes them a matter of minutes, days or years.

I’ve struggled to put my thoughts into words with this one, because my thoughts are all over the place. Some of the metaphors in this really shone and hit HARD, while I’m certain others were totally lost on me and I was sat there with a ‘huh’ face on, feeling like a dumbass.

Being in the MC’s head was honestly a little exhausting; they were just whiny and annoying most of the time, and it kinda felt like that was supposed to be a statement about human psychology. We do be moaning at the slightest inconvenience I guess.

The other characters though, I loved. Ethereal light that made no sense? Be my best friend. Sassy tulip that holds a grudge? You can sit with us.

I can’t come away from this saying I’ve learnt any major life lessons, but I had a fun time despite the constant confusion and the writing was beautiful.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this title for me to review.