First published 2024
The biologist crosses into Area X with three other women scientists as part of the twelfth expedition. The psychologist leads their team. The anthropologist and surveyor complete their group. Previous expeditions met terrible fates. The first team reported an untouched paradise. The second expedition committed mass suicide. The third expedition turned violent and killed each other. The eleventh expedition returned changed and died of cancer within weeks. The biologist's team must map the terrain and document everything they observe. They must avoid contamination by Area X itself. Nature has reclaimed this cut-off region for decades. The team discovers a massive geographical anomaly and incomprehensible life forms. But the secrets each woman hides from the others prove more dangerous than the mysteries of Area X. The surprises they brought with them across the border change everything about their mission.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, alternate-universe, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Area X
Period: 21st-century
208 pages · ebook · FSG Originals
Content warnings: body-horror, death, graphic-violence