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A review by beau_reads_books
The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
“‘Did you find what you were looking for?’
‘I did.’
‘Is it enough?’”
When I tell you that *immediately* I knew this would be in my top five books of the year for 2025…in January. Heart warming, heart wrenching, heart warmching. Never knew I needed a western/sci-fi/horror like this in my life and now that it’s here, I’m a little more complete. Busy concept, perfect delivery. A sharp and stubborn perspective of fairness in a traitorous reality, a family cleaved apart, a vow of vengeance, in space! No, I don’t care if we can’t breathe on Mars and I also don’t care that Ballingrud didn’t explain that whatsoever: the world building didn’t require it. I’m not gonna micromanage a science fiction story about a girl with a robot butler looking for her lost mom’s voice recorder that was stolen by a troop of DEATH CULT MEMBERS. Put a little wonder in your life, dorks.
Ending wrapped up way too quick ‘n’ pretty. Would have loved to see that drawn out a little more, pack a little flesh in. And I’d of course say that about any other story I really loved; I don’t ever want them to end! But, admittedly, it was typical of a western close. So, I’ll give him that.
4.5/5 Fingers crossed for some kind of “Strange” players cameo in the “Crypt of the Moon Spider” world.
‘I did.’
‘Is it enough?’”
When I tell you that *immediately* I knew this would be in my top five books of the year for 2025…in January. Heart warming, heart wrenching, heart warmching. Never knew I needed a western/sci-fi/horror like this in my life and now that it’s here, I’m a little more complete. Busy concept, perfect delivery. A sharp and stubborn perspective of fairness in a traitorous reality, a family cleaved apart, a vow of vengeance, in space! No, I don’t care if we can’t breathe on Mars and I also don’t care that Ballingrud didn’t explain that whatsoever: the world building didn’t require it. I’m not gonna micromanage a science fiction story about a girl with a robot butler looking for her lost mom’s voice recorder that was stolen by a troop of DEATH CULT MEMBERS. Put a little wonder in your life, dorks.
Ending wrapped up way too quick ‘n’ pretty. Would have loved to see that drawn out a little more, pack a little flesh in. And I’d of course say that about any other story I really loved; I don’t ever want them to end! But, admittedly, it was typical of a western close. So, I’ll give him that.
4.5/5 Fingers crossed for some kind of “Strange” players cameo in the “Crypt of the Moon Spider” world.