Heat Factor: The title says “invasion” but it was extremely consensual
Character Chemistry: Not sure chemistry is altogether necessary if you’re the only two people on the whole planet
Plot: Man is left behind alone on terraforming experiment planet due to budget cuts, finds sentient dinosaur who also thought he was alone to hang out with
Overall: There are several excellent zingers in this short story.
What’s one key piece of information you think a reader should know before getting Space Raptor Butt Invasion?
Erin: It’s actually a slow burn.
Ingrid: In 33 pages.
Erin: They don’t actually have sex until the last couple pages. I would say this is the most “romance” title of the books we read.
Holly: This was the least absurdist of the three we read, and I thought it was a pretty standard, classic sci-fi setup for the velociraptor pounding that eventually happened.
Ingrid: I can see why this is the one that got the award, because in a short amount of time you go from space set-up, to “of course there’s a velociraptor in space,” to of course they’re romantically attached. It was skillfully done and brought me along with the story. The raptor didn’t phase me, because the buy-in worked; I was just like, “Ok, this is what we’re reading now. There are raptors in space that talk and have red penises.” If you’re going to try a Chuck Tingle, this would be a great one to start with.
Holly: It didn’t actually win an award, it was nominated for an award as a joke as a part of a campaign because the Hugo awards were getting too “woke.”
Ingrid: I still approve.
Holly: But I do agree with what you said. I totally bought what was happening with the story.
What did you enjoy about this book?
Ingrid: I thought it was just fun. The way that it was set up and unfolds and some of the goings-on during the sex part. It’s playful and funny. I was so curious about how Chuck Tingle’s voice and verbage was going to be and I was so surprised to find that it was…normal.
The title makes it sound like it’s a joke, that there’s no book behind it, but there was a book behind it and it was actually well-written. And it’s funny and absurd. It was refreshing and hilarious and unexpected.
Erin: I agree with Ingrid, but what I’ll say here is that I liked the satire components; they really tickled me. In queer romance there’s always such an earnest effort to make sure that readers know that everyone agrees that you can’t get turned gay. But here, Lance is like, “Did the space raptor turn me gay?” The satire is just perfect.
Ingrid: That’s the playful part. It’s such a short book, but every single choice is playful. You can tell that the author is having fun writing.
Holly: I would add that I thought the sex negotiation in this book was kind of interesting because Lance and Orion are both like, “Well, I wouldn’t have inter-species sex, and I’m not gay, but maybe it it’s actually with a dinosaur then it’s not gay.” And then Orion’s like, “Well if I did it, then the raptor would have to be dominant.” It was just such an interesting negotiation of how we have consent before the butt invasion happens.
What questions do you have now?
Erin: I want to know how they had sex with no lube, and it was pleasurable for Lance. But Chuck Tingle gets into that in our Friday book, so…
Ingrid: I had a really hard time because I kept picturing little T-Rex hands, and I kept wondering how he was positioning himself over this guy with his little T-Rex hands. I just wondered how the actual mechanics of it would work. Once the sex started it was really like human sex just with dinosaur words thrown in for effect. I had to think, “Maybe this raptor has longer arms…”
Holly: So, Erin said that this was the most romance-y of the books we picked, and I agree. Chuck Tingle wrote two sequels to this (“Space Raptor Butt Redemption” and “Space Raptor Butt Ascension”), so I am a little curious to see if Lance and Orion end up with a happily ever after with a space raptor and space human. But I don’t know if I’m curious enough to go buy the books.
Erin: I mean, they’re not expensive and they’re short, so it seems like it wouldn’t be too difficult.
What about the bonus story?
Erin: It was amazing.
Ingrid: I didn’t know there was a bonus story so I didn’t read it.
Holly: Ok, so. Ingrid. The bonus story is “Turned Gay by the Living Alpha Diner.”
Erin: It’s a roadside diner. You’re really missing out, Ingrid.
Holly: It’s the only one with an “I love you” scene in it. It’s also the only one where the narrator both pounds and is pounded. And I think he receives a blow job instead of just giving one.
Erin: I think he just gets one. He goes to the roof and gives a bj, then he goes to the basement and gets pounded, and then he goes outside and pounds the diner.
Holly: He was moving all over the building to have sex. It was a very weird story.
Erin: This story was amazing for the sex components. The thought that went into the mechanics was fantastic. But I also liked that Chuck Tingle didn’t shy away from this guy cheating on his girlfriend, which is so taboo in romance. He’s a long-haul trucker who’s in a long-term relationship that’s not great; he knows it’s going to end it but he hasn’t technically ended it. And then he decides to give up his whole life to be with this diner. It’s very weird.
Ingrid: Can people go inside and eat food?
Erin: Yes! There are people inside the whole time. He’s being served by a waitress while the diner is feeling him up with the booth bench.
Ingrid: Wow. This is someone who has a lot of time to daydream, I think.
Final Thoughts:
Erin: This book was 100% worthwhile just for the fun factor.
Holly: Agreed.
Ingrid: This is a low-risk, high-reward experiment for reading. It’s short so there’s a low investment and it’s ridiculous so you don’t have to take it too seriously. I can see why people are so smitten with Tinglers.
Buy Now: Amazon (or here’s the whole trilogy!)
Looking for something similar?
The Smut Report 