This lack of other characters adds considerably to the sense of claustrophobia. Em is the one paying her to explore, and while most mining consortiums have teams working on these situations, Em works alone. She does have constant communication with Em, her handler, who communicates to her through her exosuit. The reason for why Tunnelers attack groups but not solitary miners is left as a mystery for most of the novel, but the explanation given at the end is the only logical one. Multiple people seem to draw the attention of an undescribed alien life form known as a Tunneler, while lone people seem able to traverse the mines with far more success. WhatвЂ™s more, there are no other characters in the tunnel besides Gyre. The Luminous Dead takes place entirely in these tunnels. Gyre has grown up on this planet, and knows about the caves, but sheвЂ™s never been bound into an exosuit which controls all of her bodily functions before while doing it. Most mining consortiums do this to discover ore deposits, but the one Gyre is working in is being more secretive about their reasons. Gyre gets hired for a huge payout to explore some of the deep tunnels beneath the planet. Being alone is the only way to prevent attacks from Tunnelers, an undescribed alien life form that inhabits the caves of this planet. Mining in The Luminous Dead must go down alone in robotic exosuits. On an impoverished mining planet with no hope for a better life, Gyre Price decides to fake her credentials and act as if she is an experienced miner. The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a claustrophobic hybrid of horror and science fiction. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive-she must confront the ghosts in her own head.Д«ut how come she canвЂ™t shake the feeling sheвЂ™s being followed? My Thoughts

Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger.

ДЄs Gyre descends, little inconsistencies-missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in EmвЂ™s motivations-drive her out of her depths. Em knows all about GyreвЂ™s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash-and a lash. Keeping her sane.Д®m sees nothing wrong with controlling GyreвЂ™s body with drugs or withholding critical information to вЂњensure the smooth operationвЂќ of her expedition. She also thought that the fat paycheck-enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother-meant sheвЂ™d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought sheвЂ™d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. What else would I have said?вЂќ вЂњYou said time to climb back down.вЂќвЂ• Caitlin Starling, The Luminous Dead About A thrilling, atmospheric debut with the intensive drive of The MartianВ and GravityВ and the creeping dread of Annihilation,В in which a caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival.

To the surface?вЂќ вЂњThatвЂ™s not what you said.вЂќ Gyre stopped, listening to the water sliding from her suit, pattering against the shallow pool she stood in. вЂњTime to climb back up,вЂќ she said, and began walking. Book Reviews A Claustrophobic Hybrid of Science Fiction and Horror

The luminous dead