Jeffrey Cranor celebrates his 46th birthday on May 28th. You most likely know Cranor as the guy who co-created, Welcome to Night Vale, a podcast featuring a town where literally anything can happen, and the several books from that world. The podcast and its accompanying books tell of different residents of Night Vale and the strange things that happen to them. If you enjoy his work, you know he’s a master of surreal mystery and absurdly mundane horror. If his unusual writing style appeals to you, you’re sure to love these six novels.
John Dies At The End by David Wong
Much like Night Vale, this book uses absurdism to create a story that is both thrilling and funny, while making you a feel a range of other emotions too. Wong weaves a tale in which midwestern slackers face unimaginable horrors that are just as absurd as the citizens of Night Vale. And yes, the title of the book is a spoiler.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
This book is a classic, in part because of the fact that two legends collaborated to write it. Gaiman and Pratchett are both considered experts when it comes to dark surrealism. Good Omens much like Cranor’s best works is hilarious and witty with supernatural elements. It follows an angel and a demon with a friendship that spans millennia as they get into all kinds of hijinks. If you love the humor of Cranor, you’ll love this.
HorrorStör by Grady Hendrix
Cranor’s podcast is told through fictional news reports, helping to cast a dark shadow through a mundane lens. HorrorStör does something similar, a horror story told through another meta narrative. The book is structured like a furniture catalogue. A furniture catalogue that’s a bit.. off. Underneath this untraditional story medium lies a truly sinister, as well as comical, haunted house story.
Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink
Joseph Fink is actually the co-creator of Night Vale as well as a close friend of Cranor. In his book, you’ll see elements of those stories strewn throughout. Fink’s novel is a horror story about grief. After a woman loses her wife, she begins to see her in the background of various news broadcasts leading her to travel around as a trucker looking for her missing wife. She runs into numerous colorful characters and supernatural happenings on her voyage. The lively cast of characters is perfect for anyone whose favorite part of Night Vale is the colorful towns folk.
The Orange Eats Creeps by Grace Krilanovich
This book too features a strange town with unusual supernatural characters. Unlike Night Vale though, this story is not funny. Instead, it’s dark, gritty and disturbing. In this story, gang of drug addicted vampires roam the streets and wreak havoc. Approach this book cautiously, as it isn’t for the feint of heart.
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
Lovecraft is so iconic that he birthed his own genre. Much of Cranor’s work, as well as the other stories listed here, were probably in some way inspired by him. This book is a collection of his most surreal horrors, including the infamous Cthulhu. If the surreal, cosmic creatures of Night Vale appealed to your sense of dread, you’ll definitely enjoy this!
I hope you enjoy all of these strange and twisted stories. Remember to wish Jeffrey Cranor a happy birthday!