Title: Welcome to Night Vale
Author: Joseph Fink
First published October 20, 2015
401 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780062351425 (ISBN10: 0062351427)
Rating: 3.83
Overview
Joseph Fink’s Welcome to Night Vale, a novel inspired by the popular podcast, is a gripping tale of the strange and unusual. Night Vale is a town in the middle of the desert where the impossible is just another day.
Government conspiracies, ghosts, aliens, and angels are all everyday occurrences. In this mysterious town, two women, Jackie Fierro and Diane Crayton, both have their own enigmas to solve.
Jackie is given a paper by a man who no one can remember. The paper is marked “King City,” and it won’t leave Jackie’s hand.
Diane, on the other hand, is the Night Vale PTA treasurer and has a moody, shape-shifting son. She’s also convinced she’s seeing her son’s father, who left when they were teenagers, everywhere she goes.
As Jackie and Diane search for answers, they find themselves drawn to the same two words: “King City.” Will they be able to uncover the truth about their own mysteries and King City before it’s too late? Welcome to Night Vale is a fascinating and poignant story about the search for identity in a world where anything is possible.
About the Author
Meet Joseph Fink – the mastermind behind the popular podcasts Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead, as well as several New York Times best-selling novels including Welcome to Night Vale, It Devours!, and The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home (co-written with Jeffrey Cranor) and Alice Isn’t Dead. He’s also the author of a children’s book called The Halloween Moon.
Joseph and his wife, Meg Bashwiner, teamed up to write a memoir called The First Ten Years. Together, they reside in the scenic Hudson River Valley.
Editoral Review
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink is a unique creative work that blends several genres, including horror, science fiction, and humor. The book is based on the popular podcast of the same name, which Fink co-created with Jeffrey Cranor.
The podcast is an ongoing serial that explores the happenings in the fictional town of Night Vale, a strange and supernatural place full of bizarre occurrences. In the book version, Fink and Cranor expand on the world-building of Night Vale to create a more complex and detailed narrative.
The story centers on two main characters, Jackie and Diane, who work at the Night Vale Community Radio Station. Jackie is a single mother struggling to provide for her teenage son, while Diane is a scientist investigating a mysterious substance that has suddenly appeared in Night Vale.
The plot of Welcome to Night Vale is full of strange twists and turns, with unpredictable surprises at every turn. The book is written in a whimsical and humorous tone, but it also has moments of genuine terror and suspense.
The themes explored in the book are complex, ranging from the nature of reality to the role of government in society. One of the strengths of the book is its characterization.
Jackie and Diane are both complex and fully realized characters with their own motivations and backstories. The book is also populated with a rich cast of secondary characters who are all distinct and memorable.
The pacing of the book is also well-done. Fink is able to keep the reader engaged and entertained throughout the entire story.
The structure of the book is also well-organized, with each chapter building upon the previous ones to create a cohesive narrative. One weakness of the book is that it may be confusing for readers unfamiliar with the podcast.
The story assumes a certain level of knowledge about the world of Night Vale, which may alienate some readers. Overall, Welcome to Night Vale is a highly enjoyable and creative work that explores the boundaries of several genres.
Fans of the podcast will love the expanded world-building and the new characters introduced in the book. Those unfamiliar with the podcast should give it a chance, as it is a highly entertaining and thought-provoking story.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in horror, science fiction, or humor. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
