The Pain Colony

Not a bad read - particularly in the early chapters, there are some really spooky elements. I feel like that mood is somewhat undermined later when events feel rather contrived to allow a neat ending that answers all questions and wraps up the story in a nice little bow.

Also, I felt like the male characters were given the great bulk of the point of view, with the female characters more often functioning as objects to drive the action of the male protagonists. That started to grate as I got into the second half of the book.

Having read two of Cottam's novels, I think I'll seek out any shorter fiction he's done. I think he could maintain a creepy mood better over a short story, and perhaps that form would also be more amenable to an ambiguous conclusion?