Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove is a wildly imaginative sci-fi horror adventure that celebrates queerness, chosen family, and the beautiful chaos of found companionship.
The story follows Demeter, an artificial intelligence responsible for piloting a large passenger ship across the stars. She’s efficient, loyal, and programmed to serve. But everything changes when an ancient vampire hidden in a cargo container unleashes terror mid-flight, leaving a trail of death that Demeter is blamed for.
Demeter’s troubles don’t end there. A werewolf slaughters most of her next set of passengers, and more supernatural chaos follows. Unfortunately, the humans in charge refuse to accept the existence of monsters and conclude that Demeter’s programming is flawed. She becomes infamous, nicknamed the ghost ship, and is painfully “optimized” by the transport company that owns her.
But in the wreckage of her reputation, something meaningful begins to form. A group of strange, powerful beings slowly becomes her crew. They are flawed, funny, and fiercely loyal. Together, they hatch a plan to take down the one who started it all, non other than Dracula.
Told through multiple points of view, including two AIs, the book blends action, humor, and tenderness. The witty tone and the heartfelt relationships among the characters feel reminiscent of The Murderbot Diaries, but with a pulp horror twist. While there are high-stakes moments and intense confrontations, the emotional core of the story is filled with warmth, friendship, love, and the quiet, unexpected bonds that form between those who don’t quite fit anywhere else.
Barbara Truelove has crafted a story that is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching. Of Monsters and Mainframes is a joyful celebration of misfits, monsters, and machines, and a brilliant reminder that even in the darkest reaches of space, love and loyalty can light the way.
