First Spotlight Read: Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale Vol. 1

"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."

I have to admit, this feels like I cheated for my first book choice. I'm a huge fan of the WTNV podcast, even had the pleasure of meeting Cecil Baldwin, Joseph Fink, and Jeffrey Cranor at Emerald City Comicon a few years ago. This book is the transcript of those episodes, laid out in paragraph form with unique illustrations inspired by the world of Night Vale scattered throughout, and insights between chapters from the writers.

I'm going to try very hard not to just gush about the genius of the writers in crafting an entirely unique, yet somehow bizarrely plausible universe where there's both an eerie light hovering above the Arby's and a spectral cat levitating in the men's room. Not to mention Steve Carlsberg, who is just the absolute worst. One of the highlights for each of the episodes in the podcast is "The Weather", which happens to be a song by independent artist. Most of the songs are incredibly odd, definitely not something you'd hear on the usual popular FM stations. Yet somehow, in the transition between Cecil's melodious voice, the segue into a musical interlude feels so natural and it simply fits. Of course, the book cannot have the song playing at the end of every chapter, although such a thing could feasibly occur if one were actually in Night Vale, but they do list the name and artist that did occur in the episode.

I was worried that reading the words of episode I'd already listened to would just feel unnecessarily repetitive and there really wouldn't be anything to gain from such a thing. I did find myself, right from the start, reading the book in Cecil's voice, something I'm not at all surprised about as our narrator Cecil, voiced by Cecil Baldwin, is really what makes the entertainment unique. I would make a habit each night of listening to an episode before bed each night and Cecil's voice began to feel like my own personal lullaby.

"If you are near the library, be warned that these digs are dangerous. Also be warned that penalties for overdue books have skyrocketed to fifty cents per day, and after thirty days, jaw mutilation."

p.86

Okay, I said I wouldn't gush about how much I love the podcast; this blog is for books. Seeing the words from some of my favorite episodes typed out on a page somehow brought a new appreciation to the production as a whole. Hearing the insights from the writers between each chapter was a delightful treat as well. For the first time, I was seeing how they felt about their process, the world they were creating, and simple human feelings like doubt that they audience would respond as positively as they did to the characters. I thought it was especially fun to know that the mention of the "Fanny Brice Approximation Syndrome", something that sounds quite ominous, was actually named after a dog of a friend of theirs, appropriately named Fanny Brice. A few times, readers also hear what Cecil Baldwin, voice of Night Vale's Cecil, and the voice of that beautiful, perfect scientist, Carlos, have to say about their roles.

"Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Show them pictures of cows when they're young and administer brief electric shocks."

p. 235

This was an incredible fun read. I can see folks enjoying it whether or not they've heard the podcast if they're in the mood for a Twin Peaks meets Twilight Zone vibe. Listeners will find themselves reading the text in Cecil's voice, which is to be expected because there simply is no Night Vale without Cecil. I'm glad I chose this as a kick-off for my reading challenge; I feel a little more at ease in expressing whatever joys/melancholy/angst I might feel with the future reads.

All hail the Glow Cloud.