Spread Me is exactly the kind of weird psychological sci-fi horror I needed at the moment, what you’d expect from Sarah Gailey. It’s like John Carpenter‘s The Thing, but with a thought-provoking take shame and sexual desire. Something I wasn’t urning for, but somehow needed right now.
Kinsey has the perfect job as the team lead in a remote research outpost. She loves the isolation and the way the desert keeps temptations from the civilian world far out of reach.
When her crew discovers a mysterious specimen buried deep in the sand, Kinsey breaks quarantine and brings it inside. But the longer it’s there, the more her carefully controlled life begins to unravel. Temptation has found her after all, and it can’t be ignored any longer.
One by one, Kinsey’s team realizes the thing they’re studying is in search of a new host―and one of them is the perfect candidate….
Too long to be a novella, yet too short to be a full novel, Spread Me was the perfect length. The tale rides the fine like between straight science fiction and horror, at times terrifying, but mostly a seductive, unsettling sci-fi tale. Weird in the best possible way. While I don’t usually go for seductive stories, even when horror and sci-fi at its core. But something about Gailey’s writing and the breathy narration by Xe Sands in the audiobook made this one impossible to put down. It’s a truly unique blend of genres and the perfect length for a quick, enjoyable read.
Like any great sci-fi tale built around isolation, Gailey’s strength lies in the characters, a flawed, well-crafted group that adds real tension and depth. Despite being shorter in length, the character development is strong, and makes for great depth in the story.
Spread Me is exactly what the title suggests, an erotic sci-fi horror. Sarah Gailey excels at crafting a unique and thought-provoking tale with a perfectly paced length. The audiobook narration by Xe Sands added another layer to the story, making for an even better reading experience. Looking for something different, try Spread Me.
Spread Me hits bookstores everywhere on September 23, 2025 from Tor Nightfire. The audiobook, narrated by Xe Sands, is available for preorder via Libro.fm!
