Review: The Abyss by Nicholas Binge

  

Abyss by Nicholas Binge
Tor Nightfire

Publication Date: March 12th, 2026
Hardcover. 160 pages.

About Abyss:

"Severance meets Lovecraft in this surreal tale of corporate horror and existential dread.

Joe always had potential, but he doesn't expect much, and he hopes that his new job as an admin assistant won't expect much of him. But when he enters the offices of Ponos—a company he's never heard of and knows nothing about—he discovers that potential is exactly what they want from him.

A feverish dive into the inhumanity of both late-stage capitalism and the crippling anxieties of modern life, Abyss adds a new level of meaning to 'wage slave'."

I've opted for a mini review format for Abyss in order to keep things as vague as possible because I don't want to give anything at all away.

What I liked: Abyss hooked me almost immediately. I was completely sold on the mysterious atmosphere and felt that need to know what was going to happy from page one. There was something about the protagonist that was weirdly relatable in the beginning of the book, his thought process really reminded me of myself in certain ways that added an unexpected layer of intrigue to this one. Abyss is very much a "concept horror" type of story--especially in the latter half--but it works well because the atmosphere is so intense. I really loved exploring this strange and eerie office building  as our protagonist did, and honestly, I feel like I could've spent much longer just going through some of the areas of this building before getting into... other things. There's something about a mix of the mundane and the eerie that is just perfect together and creates the perfect unsettling feeling. Abyss really hits that note when something seems boring and innocuous on the surface, but very clearly is not.

What I didn't like: I do think there's a version of this story that could have been expanded further. While I liked the novella format overall, part of me wanted either a little more development in certain areas or for a few elements to be trimmed back slightly. At the same time, though, I think this story works best when you know as little as possible, so the shorter format ultimately is the right choice. The pacing also jumped around a bit near the ending for me and left feeling slightly less satisfied than the beginning, but I still really enjoyed the experience overall.

*I received a copy of Abyss courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Abyss by Nicholas Binge, The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos, Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

Abyss by Nicholas Binge

Publication: May 12th, 2026

Tor Nightfire

Hardcover. 160 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"Severance meets Lovecraft in this surreal tale of corporate horror and existential dread.

Joe always had potential, but he doesn't expect much, and he hopes that his new job as an admin assistant won't expect much of him. But when he enters the offices of Ponos―a company he's never heard of and knows nothing about―he discovers that potential is exactly what they want from him.

A feverish dive into the inhumanity of both late-stage capitalism and the crippling anxieties of modern life, Abyss adds a new level of meaning to 'wage slave'."

The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos by Kendra Langford Shaw

Publication: May 12th, 2026

Pantheon

Hardcover. 304 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"For readers of Karen Russell, Maggie Shipstead, and Eowyn Ivey, an exuberant, highly imaginative epic about a family that settles, against all odds, in the far reaches of the Arctic and the unexpected industry that keeps them afloat for generations.

In the far reaches of the Territory of the Arctic, the Spahr family lives on a fjord accessible only by kayak and float plane, in a landscape rapidly changing as glaciers melt and sea levels rise. Their home is Jubilation House, aptly they are a family of free spirit and full-hearted love, descendants of the homesteaders who came to this place in a reckless scheme to civilize the Glacial Front. They live off the grid in a converted fisherman's shack, selling pickled octopus and sea crops, barely scraping by. With every day, their livelihood seems ever more precarious.

Then one of their few neighbors dredges up a centuries-old piano, a vestige from the original homesteading expedition, when every family was required to haul a six-hundred-pound instrument as a sign of mannerly society—almost none made it to their final destination. Now, this intricately carved beauty has emerged, perfectly preserved from the frigid Arctic waters, and the antique treasure becomes a priceless collectors’ item. A new economic boom seizes the territory—piano hunting—and the Spahrs throw themselves into the quest with full-throated aplomb. But the costs of their possible salvation soon begin to mount.

The Pillagers' Guide to Arctic Pianos travels through generations, backward to the Spahrs’ homesteader origins and forward to their descendants, eccentrics and optimists all. In a voice as buoyant and vibrant as the characters themselves, Kendra Langford Shaw gives us an unforgettable and inventive ode to the abiding love of family and pull of home, even as the home we love becomes ever more challenging to inhabit."

Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey

Publication: May 12th, 2026

Tor Books

Hardcover. 432 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"You were pure once. You can be made pure again.

Celia is so tired of being alone. All she wants is to have a family―to belong to someone. That's why she's going to Kindred Cove for the annual Salt Festival held by the secluded community that lives there. They promise that healing is possible. They promise that transformation is inevitable. There is no grief at Kindred Cove, because there is no suffering. Nothing is ever lost.

Celia knows that, at that mysterious island surrounded by that impossible, ever-growing reef -- she will find herself. She’s ready to be healed.

She’s ready to be transformed.

She's ready to believe."