[A] smart exploration of the divide—and overlap—of science and religion. . .. a thrilling adventure and a fascinating argument that science and belief aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.” — Tor.com
“Very clever.... With a gripping mystery, a very smartly built world (a place similar to our own world but at the same time distinctly other), and a cast of offbeat characters, the novel is a welcome addition.” — Booklist
“Thought-provoking . . . The relationship between science and religion is satisfyingly explored with humor and insight. Readers need not be familiar with the podcast or the previous book to enjoy this work, but fans will appreciate the cameos from well-known Night Vale residents.” — Publishers Weekly
“It Devours! is a fun, fast-paced novel full of off-the-wall humor. The characters’ struggles to find consensus in their opposing viewpoints keep the novel grounded amid the otherworldly antics.” — Yakima Herald
“If art exists to make the stone stony, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor exist to ask how the stone got there, and why is it shaped like a crocodile, and what strange and creeping threat will it eventually be used to smash.” — Patricia Lockwoood, author of Priestdaddy
“Everything Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor touch turns to gold, which then turns to gold dust, which then finds its way into every corner of your heart and never leaves—no matter how much you may want it to.” — Jonny Sun, author of everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too
“It Devours! is an extremely worthy addition to the saga of Night Vale. Witty and well-crafted, it perfectly captures the odd town and its wonderfully strange, sometimes unsettling inhabitants.” — Charles Soule, New York Times bestselling author of Death of Wolverine, She-Hulk, and The Oracle Year: A Novel
“Will be a delight for fans but also features a funny but nuanced story about the chasm between faith and science. . . A confident supernatural comedy from writers who can turn from laughter to tears on a dime.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Fans will find it refreshing to see Night Vale from different perspectives . . . but knowledge of the podcast isn’t required to follow the story. This unusual experiment in format-shifting works surprisingly well.” — Publishers Weekly
“It Devours! is different from other mystery novels. It is as captivating and light as any mystery novel can be but explores one of the most complex issues: the conflict between science and reason on the one hand and, on the other hand, religion and cult.” — Washington Book Review
“With a gripping mystery, a very smartly built world (a place similar to our own world but at the same time distinctly other), and a cast of offbeat characters, the novel is a welcome addition to any library’s SF shelf.” — Booklist
“Will be a delight for fans but also features a funny but nuanced story about the chasm between faith and science. . . . A confident supernatural comedy from writers who can turn from laughter to tears on a dime.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A lively romp in a bizarre world [and] a thoughtful, touching examination of how science and religion might coexist both in Night Vale and beyond.” — barnesandnoble.com
“A mysterious, must-read exploration of the Great Unknowns, with a touch of Carl Sagan and Agatha Christie.” —
It Devours! is different from other mystery novels. It is as captivating and light as any mystery novel can be but explores one of the most complex issues: the conflict between science and reason on the one hand and, on the other hand, religion and cult.
Very clever.... With a gripping mystery, a very smartly built world (a place similar to our own world but at the same time distinctly other), and a cast of offbeat characters, the novel is a welcome addition.
It Devours! is an extremely worthy addition to the saga of Night Vale. Witty and well-crafted, it perfectly captures the odd town and its wonderfully strange, sometimes unsettling inhabitants.
A lively romp in a bizarre world [and] a thoughtful, touching examination of how science and religion might coexist both in Night Vale and beyond.
Very clever.... With a gripping mystery, a very smartly built world (a place similar to our own world but at the same time distinctly other), and a cast of offbeat characters, the novel is a welcome addition.
Night Vale’s charm comes from the matter-of-factness with which it occupies the intersection between small-town slice-of-life and deep weirdness.
Like A Prairie Home Companion with LSD in its drinking water, this addictive, deeply weird podcast is for anyone who likes his or her quasi-radio listening with a surrealist tilt.
The book is charming and absurd—think This American Life meets Alice in Wonderland.
★ 2017-08-03
A scientist and a man of faith must find common ground to save a friendly desert community in the American Southwest.Just kidding—of course we're back in the weird town of Night Vale, where all the conspiracies you've ever heard of are true. For interlopers who haven't yet experienced Welcome to Night Vale, it started as a podcast mimicking a bizarre community radio broadcast, later became a live touring production, and lives on in a first novel by Fink and Cranor (Welcome to Night Vale, 2015, etc.). This sequel will be a delight for fans but also features a funny but nuanced story about the chasm between faith and science. Our lead character is Nilanjana Sikdar, a levelheaded scientist from Indiana who has come to work with head scientist Carlos, husband to Cecil Palmer, the voice of Night Vale. But strange things start happening when first Larry Leroy's house and later Big Rico's Pizza fall into giant sinkholes. On the trail of a suspect known as "the Wordsmith," Nilanjana meets Darryl Ramirez, a good-natured proselytizer for the Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God, a faith that believes redemption comes from being devoured by...something. The book includes whimsical pamphlets designed by Jessica Hayworth explaining the faith. While the new story is light on our friend Cecil—whose romance with Carlos is quietly breathtaking—readers spend more time with Carlos, whose story answers some lingering questions about this strange otherworld. As the Smiling God grows more dangerous, the fundamental conflict between Darryl's faith and Nilanjana's science threatens to tear the town asunder. With cameos from minor characters and the same fanciful sense of humor, the authors deliver not only a love letter to fans, but also a compelling drama that shows people coming together in a world that feels like it's coming apart—which isn't the worst message to broadcast these days. A confident supernatural comedy from writers who can turn from laughter to tears on a dime.
It Devours! is a fun, fast-paced novel full of off-the-wall humor. The characters’ struggles to find consensus in their opposing viewpoints keep the novel grounded amid the otherworldly antics.
Everything Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor touch turns to gold, which then turns to gold dust, which then finds its way into every corner of your heart and never leaves—no matter how much you may want it to.
[A] smart exploration of the divide—and overlap—of science and religion. . .. a thrilling adventure and a fascinating argument that science and belief aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.
If art exists to make the stone stony, Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor exist to ask how the stone got there, and why is it shaped like a crocodile, and what strange and creeping threat will it eventually be used to smash.
A mysterious, must-read exploration of the Great Unknowns, with a touch of Carl Sagan and Agatha Christie.
For fans of the “Welcome to Night Vale” podcast, Cecil Baldwin’s familiar voice immediately sets listeners in the mysterious desert town. Baldwin is in full command of the story—he knows these characters and this town, where secret police, killer librarians, and sentient patches of haze are part of everyday life. Even newcomers will find that Baldwin’s conviction helps them believe in the strange world authors Fink and Cranor have created. In this second Night Vale audiobook, an otherworldly danger is threatening the close-knit town and its citizens, and scientists Carlos and Nilanjana are on the case. There are moments of humor, horror, and pathos, and Baldwin evokes them all with urgency and empathy. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine