Cameron D. James's Blog, page 30

Book Review: Gay Tentacle 4-Pack

Gay Tentacle 4-Pack

K. Matthew

Four titillating tails of gay tentacle bliss. Read through four separate journeys of intense alien invasions, fantastical sexual creatures, and fear inducing monsters as they plunge their tentacles deep into the holes of their helpless victims. Guaranteed to satisfy your craving for kinky tentacle mayhem. Sold separately, these stories retail for $9.96

Included in this 4 -pack are the following short stories:

Invading Breeders

Invade Me

A Boy for the Tentacle Monster

Alex and the Tentacle Monster

Content Warning: These stories contains extreme M/Monster sexual activity, including: cock milking, dubious consent, first time sex, and deep anal probing. All persons depicted are at least 18 years of age. For adults only!

INVADING BREEDERS

A large meteorite has crashed down in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Curious about the crater the meteorite left behind, a college student goes to examine the crash. When he picks up a strange-looking rock to bring home as a souvenir, little does he know that something dangerous resides within.

Approximate length: 4,200 words

INVADE ME

Terry has spent the last several years lusting after his best friend Darrel, who has been happily dating an adorable blonde bottom since before they met. When Darrel’s boyfriend is captured by alien tentacle monsters, he springs to action to save the love of his life with Terry at his side. Little do they know that the invasion will change everything.

Approximate length: 13,600 words

A BOY FOR THE TENTACLE MONSTER

It was Ian’s eighteenth birthday, and all that he wanted was to go with his father to the castle town of Gabbs. Unfortunately, the annual sacrifice to the jinn, a hideous tentacle monster, would be taking place that night, postponing their quest to seek council with the king. Forced to stay in an inn until the ritual was over, Ian left his father to go exploring the city. Little did he know that the jinn would be much more interested in him than the virgin sacrifices it had been presented with.

Approximate length: 7,800 words

ALEX AND THE TENTACLE MONSTER

Alex awoke to the cool night’s breeze, knowing that he had to press onward in his journey to meet with the Demon of Hearts. Soon, Alex stumbles upon a garden of flowers. While seemingly innocent, there’s a predator lurking within who is hungry for the pleasures of his body.

Approximate length: 3,000 words

This was my first deep probing of the tentacle genre.�� ;)

Matthew packs four diverse tentacle tales together in one box set.�� The diversity is definitely one of its strengths ��� if each tale was super similar, the unique appeal of tentacle sex could grow a little stale.

While the writing isn���t super top-notch, Matthew more than makes up for it with the quick pace of these stories and the high level of eroticism.

Tentacle erotica is a new thing to me, but it is something I���ve been interested in exploring for a little while now.�� This bundle, since it has the four diverse stories, makes a good starter pack.�� It���s easy for this newbie to see the appeal of it ��� to be so totally and completely sexed over by this monster that is able to probe and tease every orifice of a man, right down to extending micro-tentacles up the urethra and into the testicles.

Well��� I���m getting hard here in Starbucks writing about this.�� I think, in the name of decency, I should stop this review here since I have to stand up soon.�� ;)

Book Review: Wired for Story

Wired for Story

Lisa Cron

Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets–and it’s a game-changer for anyone who has ever set pen to paper.

The vast majority of writing advice focuses on “writing well” as if it were the same as telling a great story. This is exactly where many aspiring writers fail–they strive for beautiful metaphors, authentic dialogue, and interesting characters, losing sight of the one thing that every engaging story must do: ignite the brain’s hardwired desire to learn what happens next. When writers tap into the evolutionary purpose of story and electrify our curiosity, it triggers a delicious dopamine rush that tells us to pay attention. Without it, even the most perfect prose won’t hold anyone’s interest.

Backed by recent breakthroughs in neuroscience as well as examples from novels, screenplays, and short stories, Wired for Story offers a revolutionary look at story as the brain experiences it. Each chapter zeroes in on an aspect of the brain, its corresponding revelation about story, and the way to apply it to your storytelling right now.

As far as writing books go, I found this one to be quite useful.�� Rather than talking about what makes a good story, Cron talks about why these elements make a good story, rooting her argument in neuroscience.

It���s a really useful exploration into storytelling since it takes that different approach.�� There are many myths about writing I believed to be true, such as holding back on knowledge to surprise the reader, but are in fact counter-productive when you consider how the brains of the readers operate.

This is a really useful read for writers of any genre.�� I think erotica often comes across as a slap-dash effort that takes minimal skill.�� Unfortunately, there are some writers who approach this genre (and, really, any genre) with that attitude, and it shows.�� A good writer doesn���t have to write perfectly.�� A good writer is someone who constantly strives to improve their craft.�� This should be one of the required readings for any writer learning the craft or pursuing improvement.

Book Review: Leviathan Wakes

Leviathan Wakes

James S.A. Corey

The first novel in James S.A. Corey’s SF New York Times bestselling Expanse series.

Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, The Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to The Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations – and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

Though I am a huge sci-fi fan, this is really the first non-Star Trek sci-fi book I���ve read in more than a year.�� I have to admit that I have really specific tastes when it comes to sci-fi, which is why I don���t expand much beyond my comfort zone.�� I prefer space opera, so I don���t care for military sci-fi, hard sci-fi, or anything that is focussed on killing all the aliens.�� I prefer stuff that has real quality characters, no cardboard cutouts, please.�� And I prefer something that is pretty quick-paced and engaging.

The last thing that truly fit my narrow liking was Orphan���s Triumph by Robert Buettner, which was so superb that I think I held all other sci-fi books up to it and they all paled in comparison.�� Really, that book was so good that I wasn���t ready for something that would end up as just mediocre in my mind.

So, I was beyond pleasantly surprised when I started reading Leviathan Wakes and falling so completely in love with it.�� It���s a space opera with a galaxy-spanning plot (even though it takes place all within our solar system), has compelling characters, and sometimes reads more like a thriller than sci-fi.�� I loved it.

Miller and Holden are both likeable characters who have been thrown into something they are wholly unprepared for.�� But with the skills they have and the help they receive, they are able to get to engage the onslaught of disaster.�� The ending, like any really good book, was completely unpredictable, but made perfect sense in hindsight.�� I like books like that.�� :)

I will be picking up book two soon and look forward to continuing the adventure.�� In Googling it, I see that there is a SyFy series adaptation of the book coming this year ��� I���m really looking forward to that!

Book Review: Alpha Rising

Alpha Rising (Duke, Book 1)

Scavola

An erotic drama, with laughter and tears, his story will touch you, and have you touching yourself.

Two worlds collide as Duke has to tell his boyfriend Mike his secret, that not only can he change into a black German Shepherd, but also that the Irish Setter he brought home from his family vacation is actually his lover Rourke.

Rourke, a ‘purist’, his primitive people brutalized him for being gay. By becoming his ‘Alpha’, Duke rescued him, but to remain an ‘Alpha’ Duke has to lead a pack. The machinations of the ‘purists’ not only lead Duke to gather a pack, but also to take action that will have far-reaching ramifications.

For Rourke’s sake, Duke has to tell Mike his secret, to do so, they have to mate. Their love on the line, the real threat comes from within, as another competes for Duke’s affection.

Animal experimentation, a knife-wielding homophobe, the local whore, and an ailing grandparent, who has to pass along his gift of ‘change’, add to his troubles, but a hundred year old tortoise with a secret saves the day.

This is most certainly the deepest I���ve gone into the world of shifter erotica.�� (I previously read Within the Mists by Jude Johnson and Mind Magic��by Poppy Dennison, but Alpha Rising certainly goes further in the shifter capacity and further in the shifter/non-shifter sex.)

Duke, the narrator, has a casual and light-hearted approach, which makes this an easy-to-get-into novel.�� Quite a bit is explained about shifters to allow a genre-newbie to catch up, but the explanations would not be intrusive for the die-hard shifter fan.�� The erotic scenes are frequent and intense, adding a fun heat to the novel.

What I found perhaps most interesting in Alpha Rising is the fluidity of love, sex, and affection.�� At the core is Duke and Mike, a couple who have been together for years and years, but there are a handful of other guys thrown into the, *ahem*, dogpile.�� :)�� Perhaps this is a trait that carries over from most of the characters being dogs in their animal states ��� all of the male characters sleep together like a litter of puppies.�� As such, with that closeness, there are numerous touches, caresses, and, well, dirtier things too.�� It was really nice to read about a fluidity of affection that didn���t incite jealousy and drama.

The story Scavola is large and complex, but the easy-flowing narrative and likeable characters make the read an enjoyable diversion to my day.

Book Review: Glamourpuss

Glamourpuss

Christian McLaughlin

One of the funniest, freshest new voices in gay fiction, Christian McLaughlin tunes into the world of a handsome young actor who is about to break new ground in daytime soaps and stumble into unfamiliar territory in his own true-life dramas of sex and the single man. This delightful novel is the true confessions of Alex Young, a cute, twenty something Hollywood actor with a juicy role on the popular daytime soap Hearts Crossing. It’s big money and a major career move, but Alex just can’t seem to forget a first love he’s left behind in Texas.

When Alex is outed by a national tabloid, chaotic complications ensue, as his career in daytime drama and his relationship with an acerbic pretty-boy starlet are jolted by comic aftershocks. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose and he’s being bombarded by betrayed fans, stalked by a self-professed warlock, and attacked by homophobes who want him off the show. Now the suds in this soap star’s life really start to bubble over, and he is left wondering if the glamour of Hollywood is worth all the trouble and heartache.

This was a truly enjoyable book. ��Each chapter is split in three. ��The first half-ish of each chapter takes place in Alex’s past, in the time leading up to his move to Hollywood. ��We see him meet and fall in love with his first love (alluded to in the first paragraph of the blurb above) and the struggles that entails. ��Alex and his love have multiple discreet encounters, but they cannot be together as a couple. ��The middle of each chapter features a brief fan letter Alex receives as part of his present-day life as a soap star. ��Whether or not these are reflective of actual letters soap stars receive, I don’t know, but these provide little comic moments that fortify public stereotypes of soap viewers. ��And the last half-ish of each chapter follows Alex in his present-day life with his pretty-boy starlet boyfriend and all the comedic fallout from being outed in a tabloid.

Very rarely do I actually find a comedic novel to be funny. ��But Glamourpuss was one of those few rarities. ��I may not have actually chuckled out loud, but the engaging narration and quick-moving plot kept me up way past my normal bed time for several nights in a row.

As this is a mainstream-published gay romance (as in, not by one of the smaller e-presses), the romance aspect is pretty clean and the sex scenes are mostly fade-to-black. ��However, I think the novel gains something by not showing the sex — it would certainly have lost its lighthearted appeal if it got all serious and erotic. ��And Glamourpuss is still sexy, even without detailed sex scenes.

Promo: Desert Heat by Lucy Felthouse

Blurb:

Their love is forbidden by rules, religion and risk. Yet still they can���t resist.

Captain Hugh Wilkes is on his last tour of duty in Afghanistan. The British Army is withdrawing, and Wilkes expects his posting to be event-free. That is, until he meets his Afghan interpreter, Rustam Balkhi, who awakens desires in Wilkes that he���d almost forgotten about, and that won���t be ignored.

Please note: this book was previously published as part of the Unconditional Surrender bundle.

Buy links:

Amazon UK��|��Amazon US��|��Amazon AU��|��Amazon CA��|��All Romance eBooks��|��Barnes & Noble��|��iBooks UK��|��iBooks US��|��Kobo��|��Smashwords

Excerpt:

Captain Hugh Wilkes sucked in a deep breath, steeling himself for the heat he was about to be subjected to, though he already knew all the deep breaths in the world wouldn���t help. Darkness had fallen on Camp Bastion, in the notorious Helmand Province of Afghanistan, but there would still be residual warmth left to seep away throughout the small hours. Then the sun would rise, and it would start all over again. It was a damn desert, after all. But, all being well, it would be his last ever tour of the godforsaken place. The British Army was already preparing to pull out. The manpower had been reduced drastically over the previous months. It was time to leave the Afghans to get on with it. They weren���t being abandoned���far from it���they would still receive aid, training and money for years to come. But the British Army was no longer needed, apparently. It was still a volatile place, which would no doubt be monitored very closely, in case strategies needed to be reconsidered.

None of that was down to Wilkes, though. He was here with his platoon for six months, doing whatever they were ordered to do by their Company Commander, Major Hunter. It was unlikely they���d be doing any fighting���they weren���t here for offensive operations. More probably they���d be accompanying their vehicles, weapons and ammunition across the country as it was transported to the air base to be sent back home, or patrolling towns and villages as a show of presence, to reassure and protect the inhabitants.

There was only one way to find out. Grabbing his kit, he headed toward the ramp of the huge C17 aircraft with his colleagues, and followed them out onto the airstrip. Immediately, he was hit by the overwhelming smell of aviation fuel. As he moved away from the airplane this was replaced by the dry atmosphere.

Wilkes imagined he could feel the grains of sand coating his throat and tongue. He���d soon get used to it���he always did. Plus, on the bright side, he���d end up with a nice tan at the end of his deployment. Mentally, he crossed his fingers for a nice, event-free tour of duty. Letting his guard down wasn���t going to happen, naturally, he just hoped it wasn���t necessary. Hoped the insurgents would play nicely. The country was completely different to how it had been when Allied forces had gone in after 9/11. Some fantastic progress had been made, but it still wasn���t completely safe. But then, where was? People died in picturesque villages in the English countryside���though generally not courtesy of IEDs, AK-47s or suicide bombers.

Author Bio:

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women’s Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house. She owns Erotica For All, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

NEW RELEASE: Boys in Heat

Go-Go Boys of Club 21 #3
Boys in Heat
Cameron D. James

The newest entry in the Go-Go Boys of Club 21 is now out! ��Check out the blurb below:

One week ago, Liam’s lover Ryan had to fly back home to L.A.�� Before he left, he asked Liam to come with him, move into his mansion, be his boyfriend…and become a star for Ryan’s porn company. Liam doesn’t want to leave his dancing life in New York, but as the week winds on, he feels empty. Worse, last weekend Lance finally took his crush on Liam to another level when they shared a passionate kiss. Liam wants to forget, but the excitement of it haunts him.

Lance, however, is sure there were sparks in his kiss with Liam, and with Ryan now out of the picture, Lance figures it’s only a matter of time before Liam realizes how good his life would be with Lance. Lance is on the hunt, but will his persistence break through and win him the boy of his dreams, or only drive him away?

Enter the hot, sexy world of Liam, Lance and Ken as another Saturday night comes to Club 21. When the boys are in heat, anything can happen, be that surprises or dreams come true.

Click here to find out where to purchase your copy!

(And if you haven’t read parts 1 or 2 of the Go-Go Boys of Club 21, then click here for part 1 and click here for part 2.)

And if you’d like to read the excerpt, click on the “Read More” button…

Fuck, why did I have to jerk off? Yanking my cock meant I was now late for work. I tried not to shove people aside as I charged down the sidewalk and through the intersection.

I stepped off the curb and a taxi blared its horn at me, nearly taking my knees out. Shit! I slammed my fist on the trunk of the cab as it zipped past me. The cabbie flipped me the bird, hand sailing through the air. Another car honked and whizzed by and I nearly lost it with him too. What was wrong with these assholes? I looked up at the lights, then saw the cars had right of way.

That didn���t make me feel any less angry. I swore under my breath and avoided eye contact with a nearby grandma glaring at me.

My phone chirped. I pulled it out and read the message from Ken.��You coming, man?

I texted back that I was almost there. God damn it, I���ve never been late for a shift at the club before. I was supposed to be in the back room ten minutes ago.

This was all Ryan���s fault. I met him two weeks ago at the club���a former porn star and now a porn director���and we hit it off immediately. We fucked, every night for a week. It was intense. We had something real…something hot. But then he flew back to L.A. Before he left, he asked me to move in with him, to abandon everything here in New York and fly across the country. More than that, he wanted me to star in some of his porn vids. I was tempted, so fucking tempted.

The need to be with Ryan had me aching in my bones and made my cock permanently hard. I spent the past week alternating between missing him and masturbating over him. I jacked off this afternoon and then fell asleep, and then before I left for work I had to jack off one more time���and now I was running late.

Finally, I rounded the last corner and Club 21 came into view. There was a small line-up across the front of the building. Max, the bouncer, stood at the head of the line with his arms across his chest. He was so massive. No one fucked with Max.

When he saw me running up, Max grinned and held the door open. It must have been an enviable sight to those wannabe daddies in the crowd watching how we smiled at each other, but make no mistake���Max was straight. ���Have a good night, Liam,��� he said as I rushed past him. Before I was out of reach, he gave my bum a quick grope. Okay, so he was mostly straight; even the straight daddies liked a firm twink bum now and then.

Inside the club, it was dark, hot, and the music was already thumping. The crowd was a little thin, but the line outside promised a crowded night. I bit my lip as I passed the pool tables, the place where I first spotted Ryan two weeks ago.

���Liam, you���re late.��� Rachel���s voice pulled me out of my disjointed thoughts. Somehow, I had come up right beside her and not even noticed.

I nodded. ���I���m sorry. I really am. I���ve just been having a bad week.���

Rachel smiled. I suspected she knew bits and pieces of what had happened between Ryan and I. ���That���s okay,��� she said. ���I���ll let you off the hook this time. Try to shake it out of your system tonight and just have fun, okay?���

I gave her a weak smile. ���I���ll try. Thanks.���

She gave me another smile and nodded toward the back of the club. I rushed around the dance floor and past the bar, toward the back. I took a deep breath before opening the door to the back room. There was a second reason I was late, and it was to avoid who was waiting inside.

Lance. He���d kissed me last weekend. To my surprise���shock, confusion���I kissed back and…I liked it. But I was with Ryan. My future was with Ryan, if I could just grow some balls and take what the man was offering me. I was on the cusp of finally doing something with my life and then Lance went and made a move on me. Fuck.

I pushed the door open and plastered a smile on my face. Both Lance and Ken were facing each other wearing only their dancing shorts, which were hooked under their balls.

���Perfect timing,��� Ken said, holding his cock in his hand. ���We were just about to start.���

Hope you enjoyed that little taste! ��Click here to find out where to get your copy!

Still Reading Smut

Just wanted to point out that, despite my numerous sci-fi and thriller book reviews lately, I’m still reading smut!

I picked up these fine dirty books in the discard bin at my local LGBT library. ��I’ve started reading Glamourpuss (second row on the left) and it’ll show up here in a couple weeks.

So if you follow me for dirty book recommendations, don’t worry, they’re coming back ASAP!

Book Review: Blue Labyrinth

Blue Labyrinth

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

A long-buried family secret has come back to haunt Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast…

It begins with murder. One of Pendergast’s most implacable, most feared enemies is found on his doorstep, dead. Pendergast has no idea who is responsible for the killing, or why the body was brought to his home. The mystery has all the hallmarks of the perfect crime, save for an enigmatic clue: a piece of turquoise lodged in the stomach of the deceased.

The gem leads Pendergast to an abandoned mine on the shore of California’s Salton Sea, which in turn propels him on a journey of discovery deep into his own family’s sinister past.

But Pendergast learns there is more at work than a ghastly episode of family history: he is being stalked by a subtle killer bent on vengeance over an ancient transgression. And he soon becomes caught in a wickedly clever plot, which leaves him stricken in mind and body, and propels him toward a reckoning beyond anything he could ever have imagined…

I’ve long been a fan of Preston and Child’s books — and this one is no exception.

For readers not familiar with Preston and Child, their Pendergast novels often have a supernatural element that is later revealed by Pendergast to be a trick, designed by a diabolical killer. ��Sometimes it’s some scientific abnormality that on the surface appears to be supernatural. ��Some plots have been a little of a stretch over the years and others have come together quite well.

There are a few��aspects that set this apart from their previous Pendergast novels.

Blue Labyrinth is the first in a long time that doesn’t seem to have a supernatural element to it. ��(Perhaps it’s the first Pendergast novel without a supernatural element — I really don’t remember another one.) ��However, this book does not lack for want of the supernatural. ��Preston and Child have once again crafted an interesting and intriguing book.

Blue Labyrinth is also the first in a long time (or perhaps first ever) that doesn’t rely on Pendergast solving the mystery and saving the day. ��The subtle killer mentioned in the blurb above acts against Pendergast and renders him useless in the final chapters of the book. ��This allows for the other lead characters, as well as some secondary characters, to shine. ��Constance, D’Agosta, and Dr. Green all manage to piece the antagonist’s plans together resolve the plot.

However, the one thing that is��not��different is the somewhat overly complicated plot. ��The complex mysteries of the Pendergast novels often turn the books into page-turners — as this one truly was. ��But as I finished the book and closed the cover, I began to wonder if the plot was needlessly complex. ��I recall feeling that way about the previous book (White Fire). ��The plot (in both this book and White Fire) was tied up nicely at the end with a thrilling resolution, but there are little pieces that, in hindsight, make me wonder if everything was really necessary. ��The above blurb mentions a gem in the stomach of the deceased — it was an interesting plot development that led Pendergast to some intriguing places… but having finished the book and knowing how the pieces fit together, I wonder if it was really necessary to do all that… or if there would have been a way to make the book just as interesting and complex, but with all the parts making sense.

Still, though, it was a great read — and I’m already looking forward to their next Pendergast novel.

Book Review: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Missing

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Missing

Una McCormack

The entire sector is waiting to see what the newly reopened��Bajoran wormhole��will mean for the shifting political landscape in the��Alpha Quadrant. On��Deep Space 9, Captain��Ro Laren��is suddenly drawn into the affairs of the People of the Open Sky, who have come to the station in search of sanctuary. Despite the opposition of the station’s security officer, Jefferson Blackmer, Ro Laren and Deep Space 9’s new CMO, Doctor��Beverly Crusher, offer the People aid. But when Dr. Crusher���s highly secure files are accessed without permission���the same files that hold the secrets of the Shedai, a race whose powerful but half-understood scientific secrets solved the Andorian catastrophe���the People seem the likeliest suspects.

As tensions rise on the station, the science vessel��Athene Donaldarrives as part of its journey of exploration. The brainchild of Doctor��Katherine Pulaski, this ship is crewed by different species from the Khitomer Accords and the Typhon Pact. Pulaski’s hope is that science will do what diplomacy has not: help the great powers put aside their hostilities and work together. But when the��Athene Donald��is summarily stopped in her voyage by the powerful vessel of a hitherto unknown species, Pulaski begins to wonder���will this first contact bring her crew together or tear them all apart?

Una McCormack brings something to the Star Trek universe that is sorely missing — strong female-led stories. ��For all of its talk of equality, the world of Star Trek is still a very male-led universe. ��(I have vague recollections of an interview with a Star Trek producer, commenting on the launch of Star Trek: Enterprise. ��He said something like, “Finally, we have a male back in the captain’s chair.” ��For some people, apparently, one female captain was one too many.) ��The Missing focussed on Ro, Crusher, Pulaski, and a small handful of strong female characters of McCormack’s creation.

The other thing that McCormack brings to the Star Trek universe that many other writers don’t is a strong capability for world building. ��McCormack has written previously (and extensively) of Cardassia and has really enriched my understanding and appreciation of that world. ��In her previous book, McCormack explored the Tzenkethi homeward, creating a richly detailed and quite unique alien world. ��McCormack has skills in world building that I don’t see elsewhere.

However, I find the writing itself to be just a touch weak and the characterizations to be just a touch off. ��McCormack’s tendency to use parentheses and dialogue heavy prose in The Missing were a little distracting. ��That being said, McCormack’s unique style and particular strengths, as noted above, easily more than make up for any weaknesses. ��The Missing is an enjoyable read and spends considerable time exploring the more “human” side of Star Trek. ��We’ve had a lot of darkness and action and war lately — and while McCormack has that too, she does it through relatable characters living lives we care about.