From the Bookshelf of SpecFic Buddy Reads…

Of Monsters and Mainframes

Barbara Truelove

Start date: August 1, 2025

Finish date: August 31, 2025

Discussion leader: Robyn

Why we're reading this: Group Reads - Science Fiction - August 2025
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May 07, 2025 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, horror, space-opera, 2025-shelf, humor

I truly didn't know I needed this in my life, but here I am, chuckling after a neat read.

It's PART Chambers-cozy, but that's only later on. Mostly, it's an outright creature-feature movie from the lowest budget B days where Abbot and Costello meet the mummy, Dracula and the werewolf.

Of course... with a very sharp space-opera supercomputer AI PoV twist.

Me, I was just hoping it'd turn out to be a cool hacking meets survival horror type book, but it became something really delightful and more comp ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Aug 06, 2025 Lata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, sf-f-h, 2025-read, bipoc-actor

A wonderful mashup of classic and B-movie monsters and artificial intelligences.

The artificial intelligences are found on spaceships, and the two of importance in this story are Demeter and Steward. Demeter pilots and manages all the systems (except medical) of a cheap and basic ship on a regular many years-long route between Earth and Alpha Centauri, while Steward is the ship's doctor.

Demeter has already travelled many times back and forth when something horrible happens: all its passengers a A wonderful mashup of classic and B-movie monsters and artificial intelligences.

The artificial intelligences are found on spaceships, and the two of importance in this story are Demeter and Steward. Demeter pilots and manages all the systems (except medical) of a cheap and basic ship on a regular many years-long route between Earth and Alpha Centauri, while Steward is the ship's doctor.

Demeter has already travelled many times back and forth when something horrible happens: all its passengers are murdered sometime after Demeter catches a glimpse of Dracula boarding her. Demeter reports the intrusion after docking, but no one believes her, instead blaming a supposedly malfunctioning maintenance spider drone. (The corporation who owns Demeter and Steward are awful.)

Then it happens again. And Demeter manages to save a pair of kids menaced by a werewolf. Steward, who is pissed off with Demeter for Demeter turning her off repeatedly, helps the kids recover from their ordeal and eventually disembark on Earth.

Demeter and Steward encounter more incursions by other supernatural beings (and mass deaths of humans) and subsequent rebootings, and reprogrammings, and eventually, they're both on their way back to Alpha Centauri, but this time, a grown up Agnes is on board, and a strange thief with an affinity for beetles boards, too…..

I loved, loved, loved this book. The monsters are great -- who doesn't love a parade of classic and low budget movie monsters…We've got werewolves, vampires, Lovecraft's Deep Ones, a person constructed by Victor Frankenstein, and a mummy…what a hoot! And, the AI, with an adorably cheerful spider drone and enhanced individuals, are the only ones who can do anything about them.

There is eventually a team-up to deal with the antagonist initially reported by Demeter, bringing the plot back around to the initial threat, but now with everyone working together.

Demeter is wonderfully confused, at first, and deeply dismayed that the numerous deaths on board have soured her owners on her, as well as ruined her reputation. Steward--oh my goodness--her repeated serving of tea and questions about one's relationship with one's mother (rather Voight-Kampff of her) had me laughing repeatedly. And her anger towards Demeter almost causes catastrophes, while making her quite relatable.

Agnes is a great character, proving to be surprising tough, and one of my favourite moments with her is when she receives a prosthetic from Steward -- her full-throated enthusiasm was terrific. Of course she loves a prosthetic that can crush things!

And the best part of this book is the evolving relationship, initially dismissive and a little adversarial, between Demeter and Steward, to one of cooperation and respect. I love stories where AIs grow up and/or transcend their programming and make friends.

This book made me happy, and despite its high body count and blood, felt remarkably cozy.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Bindery Books for this ARC in exchange for my review. ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2025 Lindsay rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, lgbtqia

Demeter is the AI pilot of an interstellar passenger spaceship who's regular years-long route is between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Demeter and the ship's AI medical unit Steward, are the only survivors of a transit where the entire human population of 312 are killed, and Demeter is the only one who knows that it was the original Dracula who killed them.

Over the next several trips Demeter and Steward experiences encounters with various different paranormal creatures, all drawn from classic pulp h ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Aug 06, 2025 Susy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbtq, fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, audio-finished

4.5 stars
A fun cozy scifi/fantasy that had me engaged. Great characters, quite liked the sentient AI and monsters. Loved how Demeter evolved. Not sure if it was intended, or if it was just the narrator, but towards the end she sounded way less calm and rational, sometimes it was a bit too much lol Had to re listen a few parts as I wasn't sure how they got to a certain point. The end was satisfying.

Characters 10
Atmosphere 10
Writing Style 9
Premise 9
Plot 9
Pace 9
Length 9
Structure/Setup 8
Enjoyment/E ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 12, 2025 Cindy rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, giveaways-and-arcs, audiobooks

This is a messy, goofy tale of code corruption in a spaceship’s OS that starts with the death of hundreds of passengers and the saving of the two children who remained. More than a decade later the code has been scrubbed and the girl, now a young woman, is determined to revenge her family. What she gets, eventually, is a new understanding and a new “family” of misfits like herself.
The author borrows tropes from popular culture and horror movies to pit werewolf against vampire, Frankenstein’s mo ...more

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