Z. M. Wilmot

Z. M. Wilmot was born in Rockville, Maryland, but grew up in Carlisle, Massachusetts. He started writing seriously around the age of fourteen, primarily in the form of fan fiction set in the Warhammer Universe. In September 2009, Zachary (Zack) began working on his own universe, what he has dubbed the “Juxian Mythos.” In November of that same year, for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), he wrote the introduction to this universe, The Loneliness of Stars, his first novel. He is also a huge wargamer, roleplayer, budding esoteric, browncoat, GIRophile, and all-around geek.

Major influences on his writing are H. P. Lovecraft (and his circle), J. R. R. Tolkien, David Brin, Dan Simmons, Vernor Vinge, and Lois McMaster Bujold. Other writers I enjoy include Tamora Pierce, Brian Jacques, George R. R. Martin, Scott Westerfeld, Orson Scott Card, and Terry Pratchett.

Z. M. Wilmot listens to metal (Hammerfall, Nightwish, Avantasia, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Turisas, Lordi, In Extremo, Eluveitie, Rammstein, Rhapsody of Fire, Luca Turilli, Apocalyptica, Sirenia, HolyHell), progressive and older rock (Rush, Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult, Supertramp, Jethro Tull), Irish folk (Lunasa, Solas, Gaelic Storm, The Chieftains, Bothy Band, Cherish the Ladies), and Nox Arcana when he writes. He himself plays percussion (mostly drum set), tin whistle, and bodhran.

He also is a fan of Firefly, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Bones, BBC’s Robin Hood, Invader Zim, Trapdoor, Murder, She Wrote, and Phineas and Ferb.

He likes tacos.

Website: http://zmwilmot.com/books
Twitter: @ZMWilmot
Facebook: Facebook profile
Blog: http://zmwilmot.com

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004QSTKVM

alien    aliens    ambassador    apocalypse    banditry    collection    disturbing    engine    genesis    gods    horrere    horror    intrigue    jak    jakken    jakken trilogy    jux    juxian mythos    philosophy    politics    psy    short stories    shortel    space opera    space travel    thyrak    weird fiction   

• Trafficked! on June 04, 2013
  
  John Peace's "Trafficked" is a very quick read, and manages to connect a future where aliens essentially control the Earth to modern-day issues of trafficking, in which those with money and power can treat other sentient beings like animals. The story is very moving and the narrator Rashad and his best friend Hany are believable and likeable characters. Mr. Peace does a wonderful job bringing them to life, and makes you feel great sympathy with both of them. I was unconditionally rooting for their victory the entire time, and the ending was just satisfying enough to both pose a philosophical question while bringing the characters' struggles to a conclusion. One thing I wish there had been more of was dialogue; the novella was almost entirely devoid of it, and Mr. Peace preferred to summarize conversations rather than go through them line by line. This made for a very fast-paced and action-filled book that both kept you reading, but also hungering for more character interaction. The world Mr. Peace described in his novella was fascinating, and I wish he had written more to fully explore it. The novella does a marvelous job of illustrating the theme of trafficking, but in the process he leaves other aspects of the supremely interesting future he has envisioned underdeveloped, such as the almost-occupation of earth by aliens, and I think developing that background more would have helped illustrate the theme even better. Overall, well worth the read and the price; a fast-paced and intelligent look at trafficking in an alien-dominated future.