I picked up Inner Space on Audio from my library mostly because of my 2026 Outer Space reading theme. I can say.. this was a VERY good read.
This fit nicely into so many of my goals as a piece of translated fiction, so I dove in immediately.
For me this qualifies as Hard Sci-fi with a slice of messy relationships. Please do not mistake that for this novel being some sort of romance. There are relationships, some romance and sex, but if you are looking for a happy ending, a couple rediscovering that each is their North Star, or that sort of novel, this will not hit the mark.
If, however, you are looking for an intense, broody, slow burn/build thriller type novel with a side of horror, and human psychology-you will want this to earn a place on the TBR.
No Spoilers Summary- because they are simply dreadful.
In one of the final joint travel missions to the ISS American and Russian Astro/Cosmonauts head to the International Space Station. At the start, things feel awkward. The crew is known to be somewhat poorly matched. Once established on the station, an ammonia leak is noted. While not dangerous, the inability of the crew to locate and repair the leak leads to an increase in the already brewing tension. Soon, everyone is suspect. The location creates a bit of a unique huis clos - or closed door mystery situation. For me I felt the ISS itself became somewhat of a character itself, as all it's nooks, crannies and oddities are explored and exploited- ratcheting the tension up even more. As the crew commander investigates, directives are hurled into space from various parties and readers are invited to both explore the realities of life in space, human nature and tendencies, and solve a perplexing mystery.
Szamalek and translator Beresford clearly know their Space details, and I found the descriptions of life aboard the space station to be particularly fascinating. Indeed when I tune in to ISS news, the astronauts always look cheerful, and excited to be participating in their mission activities- but we can never really know their inner thoughts, frustrations and triumphs. Szamalek takes us into this mindset with interesting perspectives and through processes about motivation, dedication and exploration. I admit, as a superfan of the Space Based Romance...the author's very well researched descriptions of life aboard the ISS have dampened my desire for my own space based romance, and I'm starting to believe all Space based romance should be reclassified as "Fantasy" rather than Sci Fi! In a way, it makes me appreciate the romance all the more as I can now see how otherworldly it really is.
Overall, I highly recommend. Szamalek tread a thin line- creating a thriller that engages, in a hyper realistic situation with extremely relatable characters. The afternote from Kasia Beresford the translator was additionally very interesting as the background work to fully translate this novel is made clear for all readers.
I hope more readers pick this up- as I want to talk about it more!
STATS
First Published 7/2025
Pages: 352
Available as an Audio Book : Yes
Trigger Warnings: violence, homophobia, descriptions of blood, bodily fluids, intense isolation, misogyny, psychological distress, hostile situations
(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
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