SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH — An eerie short holonovel by the superb horror writer Jayssi pitches an unassuming colony on its head in an intriguing case of a murdered Governor and suspicious holorecordings surface.
Invited into the tale as the Outsider, the story draws the reader in as a visiting guest of the colony’s Governor, roused from sleep in the middle of the night by the soft drip of liquid from the water reclaimer. From there, the whirlwind of narrative style and coincidental events carry the reader through the seedy underbelly of the mysterious colony, including vanishing colonists, ominous holorecordings of the Governor, a dark aftermath and continuously diaphanous links to reality.
“To believe in ‘things that go bump in the night’ at my age is illogical,” described Yarsa Imo, Bajoran literary critic after the first playthrough. “However, I have found myself unable to get to sleep without the aid of a night light since reading this spine-tingling piece of fiction- or so I hope.”
To engage readers in understanding where she comes from, Orion novelist Jayssi, notable for writing literary masterpieces within the horror genre, is candid about the inspirations for what she writes. Perceptions about the world of this Orion are still the source of rumour and speculations, brought to the forefront of news coverage in recent years after resounding success with her first novel, based on her time at Starfleet Academy.
While Jayssi is interested in helping bring the truth to light, she does not deny the conjectures are good for creating cyclones of interest around her best-sellers.
“This wasn’t some overnight success,” Jayssi recants, during an extended interview via subspace. “There are still prejudices against Orions and how we interpret the arts. I found my niche while undergoing my training at Starfleet Academy, and my life before Starfleet is a significant source of continued inspiration. There’s a love for the macabre that transcends species. The mind boggles why.”
Opening the novel with the intrigue of a pitiless murder, they pull all the stops out for the tempest that encapsulates the reader from the start. Subtle clues and convincing characters twin to bring clever twists and machinations throughout.
Fervently awaited, Dancing in Nightmares will be available within the month.
Want to Write Your Own Star Trek Stories?
The Federation News Service is written by members of StarBase 118, a Star Trek play-by-email RPG running since 1994. Join us and create your own adventures in the Star Trek universe — all you need is an email address.
Join StarBase 118 TodayStay Informed with Federation News Service
Subscribe to receive the latest updates from across the Federation.
Comments
comments

