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inaraexplains's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
karenu's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
beammey's review against another edition
5.0
It shouldn't come as a surprise that I absolutely loved this and can't wait to start on volume II. My only experience with WTNV prior to reading this was reading the actual novel that was published. This book makes me want to listen to the podcast so badly. The behind the scenes things were a great addition and the illustrations were wonderful. I would recommend this book and series. It's so freaking amazing. 5 out of 5 stars.
ezrasupremacy's review against another edition
4.0
I have read this with absolutely zero previous experience of listening to the podcast (because I unfortunately hate listening to podcasts) and I have nonetheless enjoyed it greatly, and am very much planning to read the next books in this series and then attempt to follow the remaining episodes by listening to them like a normal human being. Godspeed.
aceinit's review against another edition
2.0
This is the most I have ever debated with myself on a book rating, and in the end I took a coward’s way out and chose the middle option. This is a 5-star book. This is a 1-star book. I really do not know what to do with it.
On one hand: The entire first year of Welcome to Night Vale is contained in these pages. WtNV is a phenomenal podcast about a very strange desert town where every conspiracy theory ever is just another normal day. I once saw it described as “Lovecraft, Stephen King and Neil Gaiman create a SIMS town, then just leave it alone for a few years and let it evolve as it will.” That’s Night Vale. It’s weird and it’s touching and it’s glorious and it’s creepy and it is never, ever boring.
On the other hand: This book is a script collection, and though all the basic content is here, it is missing out on the lifeblood of Night Vale: the rich, soothing, voice of its narrator, community radio host Cecil Palmer. Cecil, voiced by Cecil Baldwin, is the heart and soul of Night Vale, and I absolutely cannot recommend *reading* these scripts as an introduction to the series. You have to hear it. You *have* to. And without Cecil along to guide us through our yearlong journey, one of the most vital components of the Night Vale experience is absent.
On one hand: It’s a script book! All the Night Vale scripts from year one are in one place for quick and easy reference! It’s searchable! Huzzah!
On the other hand: It’s a script book. There is very little new content being offered here. It’s searchable, but that’s about all it really has to offer. Yes, there are illustrations, one per episode in most cases, but, to be completely honest, most of Night Vale’s merch artists don’t do a lot for my personal tastes. Yes, there is an introduction prior to each script, but there’s not a lot of insight into the creative process, just some train of thought stuff you can take or leave.
And this part gets another paragraph because, honestly, this is my biggest gripe with the book. I wanted more content. I wanted thoughtful creator commentary and annotations and footnotes and running observations about the entire creative process that went into making WtNV the success that it is. I wanted to *know* things. New things. Fun things. Potentially dangerous things. And in this regard, the small previews before each episode were an abyssal disappointment. Give me something new. Something interesting. Something I can’t already get on the podcast. Give me a reason to devote my already-at-capacity shelf space to you, book.
On one hand: There’s no weather! Now, for those not in the loop, Night Vale’s “weather” forecast is a song inserted in the final third of each episode. The musical contributions range from quirky, to powerful, to waitin' for the bus in the rain in the rain, wait-waitin' for the bus in the rain. You will love the weather. You will hate it. You will be confused by it. You will spend entirely too long trying to analyze its deeper meaning. Like Cecil’s voice, the weather is an essential component of the full Night Vale experience, and its absence here (the song title and artist are given, along with a wink/wink nudge/nudge to go look it up if you want to) is very noticeable and detracts from the overall immersion.
On the other hand: There’s no weather! Come on, you know you usually give it a little bit to hook you then skip over it anyway.
So, with all that said, I shall stand firm on my decision to split the difference between my two opinions and settle on 2.5 stars, rounded down since, in Goodreads terms, 2 stars is “It was ok.” And, ultimately, that’s what this book was. Okay. Not good. Not great. Not terrible. Not even “Neat!” Just...okay. And I'm not rating the podcast (which is a solid 5-Star experience, seriously, go listen to it now). I have to keep that in mind. I am rating the book.
I won’t be picking up installment 2 of the Night Vale scripts, and, to be frank, I’m glad the copy I read of this installment is a loaner.
This is the first time I’ve really been disappointed with a component of the Night Vale experience, and that is the most disappointing part of all.
On one hand: The entire first year of Welcome to Night Vale is contained in these pages. WtNV is a phenomenal podcast about a very strange desert town where every conspiracy theory ever is just another normal day. I once saw it described as “Lovecraft, Stephen King and Neil Gaiman create a SIMS town, then just leave it alone for a few years and let it evolve as it will.” That’s Night Vale. It’s weird and it’s touching and it’s glorious and it’s creepy and it is never, ever boring.
On the other hand: This book is a script collection, and though all the basic content is here, it is missing out on the lifeblood of Night Vale: the rich, soothing, voice of its narrator, community radio host Cecil Palmer. Cecil, voiced by Cecil Baldwin, is the heart and soul of Night Vale, and I absolutely cannot recommend *reading* these scripts as an introduction to the series. You have to hear it. You *have* to. And without Cecil along to guide us through our yearlong journey, one of the most vital components of the Night Vale experience is absent.
On one hand: It’s a script book! All the Night Vale scripts from year one are in one place for quick and easy reference! It’s searchable! Huzzah!
On the other hand: It’s a script book. There is very little new content being offered here. It’s searchable, but that’s about all it really has to offer. Yes, there are illustrations, one per episode in most cases, but, to be completely honest, most of Night Vale’s merch artists don’t do a lot for my personal tastes. Yes, there is an introduction prior to each script, but there’s not a lot of insight into the creative process, just some train of thought stuff you can take or leave.
And this part gets another paragraph because, honestly, this is my biggest gripe with the book. I wanted more content. I wanted thoughtful creator commentary and annotations and footnotes and running observations about the entire creative process that went into making WtNV the success that it is. I wanted to *know* things. New things. Fun things. Potentially dangerous things. And in this regard, the small previews before each episode were an abyssal disappointment. Give me something new. Something interesting. Something I can’t already get on the podcast. Give me a reason to devote my already-at-capacity shelf space to you, book.
On one hand: There’s no weather! Now, for those not in the loop, Night Vale’s “weather” forecast is a song inserted in the final third of each episode. The musical contributions range from quirky, to powerful, to waitin' for the bus in the rain in the rain, wait-waitin' for the bus in the rain. You will love the weather. You will hate it. You will be confused by it. You will spend entirely too long trying to analyze its deeper meaning. Like Cecil’s voice, the weather is an essential component of the full Night Vale experience, and its absence here (the song title and artist are given, along with a wink/wink nudge/nudge to go look it up if you want to) is very noticeable and detracts from the overall immersion.
On the other hand: There’s no weather! Come on, you know you usually give it a little bit to hook you then skip over it anyway.
So, with all that said, I shall stand firm on my decision to split the difference between my two opinions and settle on 2.5 stars, rounded down since, in Goodreads terms, 2 stars is “It was ok.” And, ultimately, that’s what this book was. Okay. Not good. Not great. Not terrible. Not even “Neat!” Just...okay. And I'm not rating the podcast (which is a solid 5-Star experience, seriously, go listen to it now). I have to keep that in mind. I am rating the book.
I won’t be picking up installment 2 of the Night Vale scripts, and, to be frank, I’m glad the copy I read of this installment is a loaner.
This is the first time I’ve really been disappointed with a component of the Night Vale experience, and that is the most disappointing part of all.
mkhare's review against another edition
5.0
I came across this book in the flesh for the first time the other day. I love the podcast, and knew of the book's existence but had never thought to seek it out. My original thought process was that I really had no need for a script of a podcast that I could listen to any time my little heart desired. Then I started to read through the episodes and a wonderful revelation struck me as I crouched on the worn book store carpet. I absolutely adore reading books aloud, and I absolutely adore listening to WtNV - here was a chance to read aloud some of the most joyful and imaginative writing I have had the pleasure to encounter. I am now very excited to get a copy of this book. Very Excited.
P.S. I'm thrilled that they chose to include the end of episode proverbs, there sure were some good ones. One that sticks in my mind is 'Ask your doctor just who he thinks he is. Say it just like that. Say, "Who do you think you are?" See if he starts crying. I know I would.'
4.5 stars
P.S. I'm thrilled that they chose to include the end of episode proverbs, there sure were some good ones. One that sticks in my mind is 'Ask your doctor just who he thinks he is. Say it just like that. Say, "Who do you think you are?" See if he starts crying. I know I would.'
4.5 stars
towelmas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
I had a lot of hope for this book because I heard soo many great things about the podcast. Being able to take in Night Vale at my own pace in my favourite form (literature) just sounded like the perfect thing for me. I turned to the first page and quickly realised I was reading an acknowledgment by the creators about the episode. I initially thought “I’ve never listened to the podcast so anything they say here will go over my head. I’ll just skip to the episodes themselves.”
I love a good fictional story. I love lore. I love world building and atmosphere. This wasn’t it. Maybe it’s because it’s the beginning of the series and the creators didn’t have their proper footing yet but oh my god was it a challenge to actually stay focused on. Everything is nonsensical on purpose but I feel as if there are better ways to express that (again, could be because it’s the beginning. Like most, if not all things begin rockier compared to the mid-end eras). Silly funny wacky characters keep getting mentioned to progress the “plot” or “joke” or whatever the theme is for the episode in question but that’s all they’re really there for. Comedic fuel for a fire that doesn’t truely burn.
Eventually I began skipping each episode and began focusing on the pre-episode acknowledgments because they were actually more interesting to learn about. Reading up on how the creators came up with the ideas for the episodes had me HOOKED, but yet that’s not the point of trying to get into the series. Swing and a miss.
I’m sure there are many people who eat this stuff up but brain-rot be damned it’s not for me.
I love a good fictional story. I love lore. I love world building and atmosphere. This wasn’t it. Maybe it’s because it’s the beginning of the series and the creators didn’t have their proper footing yet but oh my god was it a challenge to actually stay focused on. Everything is nonsensical on purpose but I feel as if there are better ways to express that (again, could be because it’s the beginning. Like most, if not all things begin rockier compared to the mid-end eras). Silly funny wacky characters keep getting mentioned to progress the “plot” or “joke” or whatever the theme is for the episode in question but that’s all they’re really there for. Comedic fuel for a fire that doesn’t truely burn.
Eventually I began skipping each episode and began focusing on the pre-episode acknowledgments because they were actually more interesting to learn about. Reading up on how the creators came up with the ideas for the episodes had me HOOKED, but yet that’s not the point of trying to get into the series. Swing and a miss.
I’m sure there are many people who eat this stuff up but brain-rot be damned it’s not for me.
benebacon's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reminds me why I am glad to have this on my shelf, even if in this case my shelf is in storage somewhere across the country.