Short Fiction · Character

Herrell McCray

A navigator stranded over five hundred light-years from his starship, trusting instruments over common sense while chlorine eats his lungs.

major

Also known as McCray, Hurriedly McCray, Stolidly McCray

First appearance: asteroid of the damned

As a major figure in Short Fiction, Herrell McCray is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The protagonist of the chapter, a ship's navigator who is mysteriously transported to a strange room and cannot see his own body.

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Herrell McCray is a navigator aboard the faster-than-light Jodrell Bank, a man trained to trust mathematics over the lies of common sense, now sealed in a space suit in a warm room on an unknown planet. The hours-long radio lag tells him he is impossibly far from home, and the halogen stench in the air tells him he cannot breathe here long. His methodical report and sour grin establish the story's blend of hard-SF problem-solving and mounting isolation.

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See Herrell McCray in asteroid of the damned

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how Herrell McCray sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Other

Character groups

Narrator and Ancient
Medical and Minor
Authority and Protagonist

+5 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because Roget Germyn’s psychological certainty—that his wife is a rational…

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Relationships

Hatcher
friendship · positive
Hatcher and Herrell McCray are close allies, possibly sharing a history of mutual support… How this plays out →
Hatcher
friendship · positive
Hatcher and Herrell McCray are close allies, possibly sharing a history of mutual support… How this plays out →
Hatcher
friendship · positive
Hatcher and Herrell McCray are close allies, possibly sharing a history of mutual support… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Herrell McCray in asteroid of the damned

In the story

Herrell McCray appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

I
The protagonist of the chapter, a ship's navigator who is mysteriously transported to a strange room and cannot see his own body.
II
Earthman under observation by Hatcher's probe team; described as using physical contact and generating paranormal electromagnetic forces.
III
Navigator stranded on an unknown planet, struggling to survive in a toxic, heated room and attempting to communicate with Jodrell Bank.
IV
The prime subject; survives the first test, finds the unconscious female, communicates with Jodrell Bank, and learns he has been kidnapped a thousand light-years away.
V
Returns to the Jodrell Bank after his mind journey, recounts his experiences, and resolves to teach humanity to become gods.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Herrell McCray unlock in the free preview.

See Herrell McCray in asteroid of the damned

See Herrell McCray in I