Mostly Void, Partially Stars by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor
- Jul 7, 2018
- 3 min read
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Title: Mostly Void, Partially Stars
Author: Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
Synopsis:
A friendly desert community, where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and the mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep.
Welcome to Night Vale.
In June 2012, the creators of Welcome to Night Vale began airing twice-monthly podcasts about a fictional town in the American Southwest where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all commonplace parts of day-to-day life. Mostly Void, Partially Stars contains the first year of episodes from the podcast that would become a worldwide sensation.
Offering both an entertaining reading experience as well as a valuable reference guide to past episodes, Mostly Void, Partially Stars features a foreword by Cory Doctorow, an introduction by creator and co-writer Joseph Fink, behind-the-scenes commentary and guest introductions by both authors as well as podcast performers and collaborators including Cecil Baldwin (Cecil), Dylan Marron (Carlos), and Kevin R. Free (Kevin), among others. Also here is the full script from the first Welcome to Night Vale live show, “Condos.” Beautiful illustrations by series artist Jessica Hayworth accompany each episode.
Mostly Void, Partially Stars is an absolute must-have whether you’re a fan of the podcast or discovering for the first time the wonderful world of Night Vale.
Don’t miss The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe, featuring the second year of episodes from the Welcome to Night Vale podcast!
Initial thoughts:
Before the book was released, I was (and am still) a huge Welcome to Night Vale fan. The podcast on itunes was so creepy and wonderfully weird that when the book that transcribed all of the episodes together, I had to get it. I also got the second volume of the book when it was released and found myself once more drawn into episodes I had experienced before, but in a new and inviting way.
Plot:
What I liked:
I loved how there was added information that had been cut out or had been somewhat difficult to hear at times. I also found that certain things were less distracting when reading the book than when it is spoken (however I do recommend listening to it simply for Cecil). The illustrations, though sparsely put within the book, were fantastic and well constructed and the information about each episode was refreshing to get a look and see why the writers did what they did.
What I didn't like:
To be honest, there isn’t much I have to say negatively about this book. The story is scattered much like how a radio show would, but I find it endearing. I loved how the readers get to see how things change in Night Vale from one episode to the next and it all translated well into the book format.
Characters:
Cecil Palmer: He is the host of the show and I seriously love him. He goes through the show explaining what is happening in Night Vale, like what you should avoid and what new thing has suddenly popped up.
Kevin: The radio personality for the Desert Bluffs (the rival town) radio station. I have mixed feelings about Kevin, but I recommend listening to the podcast for his story.
Carlos the Scientist: I love this guy and his perfect hair! He is in charge of doing research on the abnormalities of Night Vale and will tell the residence of what is happening.
Characters that show the show’s abnormalities:
Khoskekh: Khoshekh is a floating cat in the men’s bathroom at the radio station.
Hiram McDaniels: A five headed dragon. So what?
The Glow Cloud (All Hail): A glow cloud who is school board president.
Hooded Figures: You will probably find them by the dog park, which doesn’t exist so you should forget about it.
And many many others (don’t get too attached to anyone. Someone who is there one day might disappear the next).
Overall:
To be honest, I believe that I actually enjoyed the script of this book more so than the actual podcast. It was a lot easier for me to take everything in as I read the book rather than listened to it. I did read this book along with listening to the podcast at the same time and I found that an enjoyable experience as well. Welcome to Night Vale is one of those stories that I recommend to those who enjoy the weird and the absurd. Fans of Gravity Falls, I believe, would really enjoy this series of podcasts and coupled transcribed books.
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