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Mike Russell

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.strangebooks.com

Twitter

strangebookseye

Genre

Fiction, Contemporary, Fantasy

Influences

Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Flann O'Brien, Philip K. Dick, Angela Carte ...more

Member Since

February 2015

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/strangebooks

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Mike Russell is a British author renowned for his unique, surreal short story collections and novels.
Russell's books have been praised for their originality, inventive storytelling, rich imagery and the questions they raise about the nature of reality. Russell has a distinctive narrative voice that blurs the line between reality and imagination. His work is noticeable for its minimalist style that often contrasts with the complex themes he explores.
Russell's debut Nothing Is Strange (2014) is a highly imaginative collection of short stories that introduced readers to his peculiar and mesmerising work. Each tale in the collection is a blend of the bizarre and philosophical, inviting readers to explore the deeper meanings within the stories. Mike Russell is a British author renowned for his unique, surreal short story collections and novels.
Russell's books have been praised for their originality, inventive storytelling, rich imagery and the questions they raise about the nature of reality. Russell has a distinctive narrative voice that blurs the line between reality and imagination. His work is noticeable for its minimalist style that often contrasts with the complex themes he explores.
Russell's debut Nothing Is Strange (2014) is a highly imaginative collection of short stories that introduced readers to his peculiar and mesmerising work. Each tale in the collection is a blend of the bizarre and philosophical, inviting readers to explore the deeper meanings within the stories. Russell’s subsequent short story collections Strange Medicine (2016), Strange Secrets (2018), Strange Wonders (2020) and Strange Concentrate (2023) have continued to challenge storytelling norms and question reality in a way that is as entertaining as it is unusual.
In addition to these collections, Mike Russell has authored a number of novels and novellas. Like his short story collections, these surreal and enigmatic works are characterised by their absurd humour, eccentric characters, unexpected twists and questioning of conventional thought.
Strungballs (2017) is a fantastical, dystopian, science fiction novella that delves into themes of conformity, individuality, materialism and societal structures.
The Exploding Book (2019) is a complex, surreal novel full of dark humour and astonishing imagery. It encapsulates Mike Russell's talent for crafting narratives that are as mind-bending as they are entertaining. The novel takes an unconventional form in which the reader participates by having an out of body experience, entering the story and influencing the narrative.
Magic (2020) is a magical, often comical, novel filled with the imagery of the stage magician. Told from the perspective of a young man who believes that stage magicians can perform real acts of magic, it has been praised for its unique and uplifting story, its endearing protagonist and for being entertaining and accessible at the same time as profound and unusual. In Magic, Russell’s evocative storytelling and vivid imagery create a narrative that is as touching as it is strange.
The Man Whose Wife Was the Moon (2021) is a surreal novella set during the time of the first moon landing. It exemplifies Mike Russell's skill in weaving fantastical elements with deep emotional resonance.
Mike Russell continues to live and write in England, where he remains dedicated to exploring the unusual and unknown through his uniquely strange books.

Mike Russell was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from Falmouth University and a Master of Arts from the University of Central England.

Mike Russell’s books have been described as Strange Fiction, Weird Fiction, Weird Lit, Surrealism, Fantasy Fiction… but he just likes to call them Strange Books.

“Russell’s stories are humorous, engaging and poetically direct.” Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

“Simple yet wacky, funny and charming. Mike Russell seems to have mastered the art of throwing absurdities onto paper, while keeping his writing bright and interesting at the same time.” Cultured Vultures

“I always look forward to Mike Russell’s work – he’s so out-there that it’s refreshing.” Oddly Weird Fiction ...more

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Combine Editions
Mike Russell’s books

Average rating: 3.87 · 683 ratings · 365 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	Nothing Is Strange 3.77 avg rating — 276 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Strange Medicine 4.06 avg rating — 96 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Strungballs 3.60 avg rating — 86 ratings — published 2016 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Strange Secrets 3.89 avg rating — 66 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Magic 3.85 avg rating — 55 ratings — published 2020 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Man Whose Wife Was The Moon 3.96 avg rating — 28 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Strange Wonders 4.45 avg rating — 20 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Strange Concentrate 4.42 avg rating — 19 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Exploding Book 4.10 avg rating — 20 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Singularity Magazine, Issue 1, September 2015 by Lee P. Hogg (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Andrew Wilmot (Goodreads Author), Suzanne Church (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Mike Russell's Blog

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On the www.strangebooks.com blog, you can read about my spoken word adventures in legendary Brighton arts venues and view various art inventions from my archives. And of course, purchase my strange books.
See you in my books,

Mike Russell Read more of this blog post »

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Published on March 01, 2025 04:22

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Mike Russell and 10 other people liked Briar's Reviews's review of Strange Concentrate: "If you're into the weird and wonderful, Strange Concentrate by Mike Russell is a must-read. This collection of 40 short stories takes bizarre to a whole new level. Each tale is a snapshot of something strange, unpredictable, and often surprisingly de" Read more of this review »
Aug 08, 2025 02:45AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Strange Concentrate by Mike Russell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Strange Concentrate by Mike Russell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mike Russell and 1 other person liked Steph Warren's review of Magic: "I confess I began this book wondering whether I would like it quite as much as Mike Russell’s surreal short story collections I have read previously, mainly because the unusual first-person narrative main character, Charlie, makes for difficult readi" Read more of this review »
May 11, 2025 03:52AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Magic by Mike Russell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Magic by Mike Russell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Mike Russell (?)

“Nothing Is Strange”
― Mike Russell, Nothing Is Strange

tags: magic, strange, surreal, weird

3 likes

“Dunce is completely bald and has a really pointed head so the temptation to get him paralytic on his thirtieth birthday, carry him to the tattooist’s and get a nice big ‘D’ smack bang in the middle of his forehead was too much for me. Trouble is he can’t afford to have it removed so he wears a big plaster over it. Gangs of children tease him.

‘What’s underneath the plaster, mister? Show us!’

They swear he has a third eye under there.

My name is Bill but Dunce calls me ‘Fez’ on account of my hat. I’ve known Dunce for over sixteen years.”
― Mike Russell, Nothing Is Strange

tags: flash-fiction, humor, inspirational, short-stories, urban-fantasy, weird-fiction

0 likes

“Hello. It is Monday. I live in Sun City. Sun City is a city that is entirely contained inside an enormous concrete building in the shape of a sun. Its rays house our living quarters; its circular centre is where we work and shop. No one has ever been outside of the city; it is generally suspected that the environment outside of the city is uninhabitable.”
― Mike Russell, Nothing Is Strange

tags: flash-fiction, humor, inspirational, short-stories, urban-fantasy, weird-fiction

0 likes

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