Mostly Void, Partially Stars by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
Reviewed by: Carey Gibbons, Adult and Reference Services
Genre: Science Fiction
Suggested Age: Adults, Teens
What is the book about?: “A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep… Welcome to Night Vale.” This first volume of scripts covers the first year of of the wildly popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale. The authors, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor describe Night Vale as a desert town where all conspiracy theories are true. Strange lights hover over the local Arby’s, the Night Vale high school football quarterback has two heads, the sheriff’s secret police are always watching you, and no one is ever allowed into the dog park. In fact, just ignore the dog park. Every episode of WTNV is preceded by commentary from the authors or other Night Vale collaborators, such as Cecil Baldwin (voice of Cecil Palmer), Dylan Marron (voice of Carlos the Scientist), and various guest writers. Folks picking up this volume will get WTNV scripts in addition to a lot of really neat behind the scenes information.
My Review: The most important thing to know about this volume of Welcome to Night Vale (and the second, which was released at the same time) is that it is for both fans and people who have not yet listened to the podcast. As a fan of the podcast, I enjoyed this volume because I was able to read the scripts closely and pick up on small details I missed in listening. I also very much enjoyed the commentary by Fink, Cranor, et. al. They did a really great job providing background information without ruining the mystery or weirdness of the podcast. This volume is also great for people who might want to see what Welcome to Night Vale is all about but feel a bit intimidated by four years of podcast episodes to catch up on. You definitely do not have to have listened to the podcast to enjoy this book. I would recommend this to folks who like Lovecraftian horror or the television shows Eureka, Twin Peaks, or The X-Files. Also, if you’re a fan of the Netflix hit, Stranger Things, WTNV is definitely for you.
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Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!