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Welcome to Night Vale Episodes #3
The Buying of Lot 37
From the authors of the New York Times bestselling novels It Devours! and Welcome to Night Vale and the creators of the #1 international podcast of the same name, comes a collection of episodes from Season Three of their hit podcast, featuring an introduction by the authors, a foreword by Dessa, behind-the-scenes commentary, and original illustrations.
In June of 2012, the creators of Welcome to Night Vale began airing twice-monthly podcasts, hoping to be heard by anyone outside their close circles. They never had any idea just how much the podcast would take off, and by the anniversary show a year later, the fanbase had wildly exploded, vaulting the podcast into the #1 spot on iTunes. Since then, its popularity has grown by epic proportions, hitting more than 100 million downloads, and Night Vale has expanded to a successful live multi-cast international touring stage show and two New York Times bestselling novels (Welcome to Night Vale and It Devours!), and a new podcast network Night Vale Presents. Now the second two seasons are available as books, offering a valuable reference guide to past episodes.
The Buying of Lot 37 brings Season Three of the podcast to book form. With foreword by recording artist and author Dessa, introductions by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, insightful behind-the-scenes commentary by cast members and supporters, and beautiful illustrations by series artist Jessica Hayworth accompanying each episode, this book is both an entertaining reading experience and an absolute must-have for any fan of the podcast.
In June of 2012, the creators of Welcome to Night Vale began airing twice-monthly podcasts, hoping to be heard by anyone outside their close circles. They never had any idea just how much the podcast would take off, and by the anniversary show a year later, the fanbase had wildly exploded, vaulting the podcast into the #1 spot on iTunes. Since then, its popularity has grown by epic proportions, hitting more than 100 million downloads, and Night Vale has expanded to a successful live multi-cast international touring stage show and two New York Times bestselling novels (Welcome to Night Vale and It Devours!), and a new podcast network Night Vale Presents. Now the second two seasons are available as books, offering a valuable reference guide to past episodes.
The Buying of Lot 37 brings Season Three of the podcast to book form. With foreword by recording artist and author Dessa, introductions by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, insightful behind-the-scenes commentary by cast members and supporters, and beautiful illustrations by series artist Jessica Hayworth accompanying each episode, this book is both an entertaining reading experience and an absolute must-have for any fan of the podcast.
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2019
69 people are currently reading
2495 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Fink
22 books2,561 followersJoseph Fink is the creator of the Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn't Dead podcasts, and the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Welcome to Night Vale, It Devours!, and The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home (all written with Jeffrey Cranor) and Alice Isn’t Dead. He is also the author of the children’s novel, The Halloween Moon. He and his wife, Meg Bashwiner have written the memoir, The First Ten Years. They live together in the Hudson River Valley.
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October 31, 2022I don't like to listen to the Night Vale podcast because that's how lazy psychic earworms burrow in and take over. I just read the books because the extra text filter means only the strongest and fittest of psychic worm friends can make it thruh*(survIve to (make it throu/)take h
Ooh, this one's got pictures!
4 stars.
Ooh, this one's got pictures!
4 stars.
May 2, 2019
After reading and loving the first two books, there was no way I was missing this next set.
The snippets before each chapter are definitely the best parts. I especially loved reading how Joseph and Jeffrey can turn one sentence or even a phrase into an entire episode. Getting to see behind the curtain is fantastic and I’m eager to dive into the next collection.
**Huge thanks to Harper Perennial for providing the arc free of charge**
The snippets before each chapter are definitely the best parts. I especially loved reading how Joseph and Jeffrey can turn one sentence or even a phrase into an entire episode. Getting to see behind the curtain is fantastic and I’m eager to dive into the next collection.
**Huge thanks to Harper Perennial for providing the arc free of charge**
September 30, 2023
PROVERB: [the sound of static, rising in volume and suddenly cutting off]
Hello, dear listeners, today I will tell you about Daria!
She is 26 years old, has no money and no prospects. She is already a burden to her parents and she is frightened. Right now her mental well-being solely depends on the love life of two middle-aged gays. Or I guess they would be middle-aged if the time in the Night Vale worked in any way.
Oh, would you look at that! It's me and my wonderful boyfriend Carlos! He is a handsome scientist (and I love him). He also has great hair. And I know you would love to hear more about my, oh, the beautiful Carlos, but let's go back to Daria.
She is currently crying and typing angrily on her phone. In the background, you can hear episode 70a of our show playing. Daria is also mumbling something about "it being her villain origin"? Sorry, dear listeners, I don't understand the slang of teenage girls in their 20s.
Oh, dear listeners, something unexpected happened! She suddenly disappeared and now there is a knock coming from somewhere! I think there is something in the walls! I really hope it's not Daria on her recently discovered villain agenda.
This is Cecil, generally, speaking to you, metaphorically, for Night Vale Goodreads Community, and I would like to say, in the most nebulous terms possible, and with no real-world implications or insinuations of objective meaning, goodnight, listeners. Goodnight.
Hello, dear listeners, today I will tell you about Daria!
She is 26 years old, has no money and no prospects. She is already a burden to her parents and she is frightened. Right now her mental well-being solely depends on the love life of two middle-aged gays. Or I guess they would be middle-aged if the time in the Night Vale worked in any way.
Oh, would you look at that! It's me and my wonderful boyfriend Carlos! He is a handsome scientist (and I love him). He also has great hair. And I know you would love to hear more about my, oh, the beautiful Carlos, but let's go back to Daria.
She is currently crying and typing angrily on her phone. In the background, you can hear episode 70a of our show playing. Daria is also mumbling something about "it being her villain origin"? Sorry, dear listeners, I don't understand the slang of teenage girls in their 20s.
Oh, dear listeners, something unexpected happened! She suddenly disappeared and now there is a knock coming from somewhere! I think there is something in the walls! I really hope it's not Daria on her recently discovered villain agenda.
This is Cecil, generally, speaking to you, metaphorically, for Night Vale Goodreads Community, and I would like to say, in the most nebulous terms possible, and with no real-world implications or insinuations of objective meaning, goodnight, listeners. Goodnight.
May 6, 2024
The Buying of Lot 37, just like its predecessors:
Mostly Void, Partially Stars
, and
The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe
recounts another year’s worth of Welcome to Night Vale episode scripts with introductions added by the creative team behind the show’s creation and direction. In my review of The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe I remarked that it suffers from the common sophomore slump that many creative projects do. Their attempts at writing a multi-episode, season long arc, didn’t quite work, which also led to a degree of awkwardness in the standalone episodes since they still had to reference the greater narrative that was trying to find its footing within what was previously a standalone, serialized format. In short, the creators bit off more than they could chew.
It seems that Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor recognized this as well. Season three of Welcome to Night Vale makes another attempt at telling overarching stories, but this time they’re scaled down to a human level, choosing to focus on the impacts that certain events have on one of two characters rather than attempting to put the whole town through a situation of great peril. Even smarter though, is that Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor connect at least one of these season long narratives back to the events of the previous season, which proves to be an action that keeps their prior attempt relevant to the audience rather than simply trying to sweep it all under the rug.
This is actually preferable from a storytelling perspective, as it gives the reader a reason to actually care about the history of what’s happened, even if it wasn’t presented in a particularly coherent way. Strexcorp’s attempt to buy the city is no longer that confusing event that was resolved too quickly, now it’s the inciting incident that leads Carlos and Cecil to be separated from one another for a whole year. It’s a remarkably mature storytelling decision from two writers who are still, as the introductory passages to each episode indicate, figuring out exactly what they’ve created.
However, structure isn’t the only leap forward from season two to three. Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor’s abilities at character writing and drama have also taken a great leap forward as well. Each evolution of the drama in the relationship between the principal characters of Night Vale is handled supremely well. Beginning from the initial stages of a cute attempt at long distance, to the fights about how long Carlos has been gone and Cecil’s feelings of rejection and alienation, which are made all the more relevant by the secondary story of Cecil being purchased at auction, you feel for these characters in a way that most audio dramas like Welcome to Night Vale have not been nearly as successful at doing.
Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor's abilities in this regard aren't just due to their own talents as writers, though that certainly helps. It's really owed to the power of the genre that they exist in. New Weird, as a concept, gives its writer a supreme amount of freedom in presentation and context to help portray the inner feelings of their characters in the world around them. If you’ve ever lived through a relationship that suddenly went from close proximity to long distance, then you know exactly how strange and mentally difficult that is to go through. It’s like your entire world is suddenly rearranged, you begin by turning aspects of it into a game, or an opportunity to explore something else that you and your partner have not, but that can’t last forever. Eventually the separation becomes almost too much to bear.
These stages of a long-distance relationship are all portrayed to devastating accuracy within the pages of this collection, but it’s the circumstance that makes it worse. Carlos isn’t just in a different state, he’s in a different world. He’s surrounded by faceless, masked warriors, time is different there, and Cecil is completely cut out from what’s going on outside of periodic updates delivered to him mostly by voicemails left on his cell phone. This all seems strange and otherworldly on its face but when you examine it further, it’s not so far-fetched in the abstract. When your partner moves, they often are in a different time zone. Communication patterns and methods have to be switched, and you end up playing catch up more often than not. Your partner will make new friends that you will never see, but you’ll hear about them, they might as well be faceless.
When one looks deeper, we can easily see that what Cecil is experiencing is how we all feel. Except he has to go through it in reality, and we go through it internally. This is what critics of New Weird do not seem to understand. All the tentacles, void spaces, and huddling in the hole in the vacant lot out back of the Ralph’s is meant a surreal depiction of life as a human being in the modern world, and there are few who do it better at this point than the writers who’ve created this strange little desert community.
Outside of the primary season-long story, The Buying of Lot 37 provides a lot to love in the stand-alone episodes as well. The Retirement of Pamela Winchell, The September Monologues, Homecoming, Monolith, Hatchets, and Faceless Old Women are all standouts in this season that longtime fans of the show return to often. Additionally, one of my personal favorite subplots is the introduction of Earl Harlan, it takes a while to build beyond his presence in season 3, but his relationship with Cecil, his family, and the greater mythology of Night Vale are excellent.
My only substantial complaint with this collection of episodes is that the storyline revolving Cecil being purchased at auction isn’t brought to much of a satisfying conclusion. There’s a lot of great tension being built throughout the season around who bought him, and for what purpose, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the eventual reveal. In my opinion, the motivation for the purchase just doesn’t hold enough water to justify its inclusion in the narrative. Nor does the character who purchased Cecil show much remorse, or even understanding, that what they did was morally abhorrent. Not only that, but it seems very out of character for what we’ve come to know of the person who did this to Cecil. It’s not a completely wasted plotline, but it definitely feels like it needed more time in the oven before it was included.
Overall, The Buying of Lot 37 represents a massive step forward for the world of Night Vale, and the storytelling abilities of its creators. In fact, there is a part of me that wonders if this wouldn’t be a better starting place for the uninitiated than Mostly Void, Partially Stars. I love the first collection, there are some absolutely unmissable episodes produced in that first year, but its season 3 where Welcome to Night Vale really steps into its own as a creative force distinct from its inspirations and shows exactly what it will be up until this very day.
It seems that Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor recognized this as well. Season three of Welcome to Night Vale makes another attempt at telling overarching stories, but this time they’re scaled down to a human level, choosing to focus on the impacts that certain events have on one of two characters rather than attempting to put the whole town through a situation of great peril. Even smarter though, is that Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor connect at least one of these season long narratives back to the events of the previous season, which proves to be an action that keeps their prior attempt relevant to the audience rather than simply trying to sweep it all under the rug.
This is actually preferable from a storytelling perspective, as it gives the reader a reason to actually care about the history of what’s happened, even if it wasn’t presented in a particularly coherent way. Strexcorp’s attempt to buy the city is no longer that confusing event that was resolved too quickly, now it’s the inciting incident that leads Carlos and Cecil to be separated from one another for a whole year. It’s a remarkably mature storytelling decision from two writers who are still, as the introductory passages to each episode indicate, figuring out exactly what they’ve created.
However, structure isn’t the only leap forward from season two to three. Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor’s abilities at character writing and drama have also taken a great leap forward as well. Each evolution of the drama in the relationship between the principal characters of Night Vale is handled supremely well. Beginning from the initial stages of a cute attempt at long distance, to the fights about how long Carlos has been gone and Cecil’s feelings of rejection and alienation, which are made all the more relevant by the secondary story of Cecil being purchased at auction, you feel for these characters in a way that most audio dramas like Welcome to Night Vale have not been nearly as successful at doing.
Mr. Fink and Mr. Cranor's abilities in this regard aren't just due to their own talents as writers, though that certainly helps. It's really owed to the power of the genre that they exist in. New Weird, as a concept, gives its writer a supreme amount of freedom in presentation and context to help portray the inner feelings of their characters in the world around them. If you’ve ever lived through a relationship that suddenly went from close proximity to long distance, then you know exactly how strange and mentally difficult that is to go through. It’s like your entire world is suddenly rearranged, you begin by turning aspects of it into a game, or an opportunity to explore something else that you and your partner have not, but that can’t last forever. Eventually the separation becomes almost too much to bear.
These stages of a long-distance relationship are all portrayed to devastating accuracy within the pages of this collection, but it’s the circumstance that makes it worse. Carlos isn’t just in a different state, he’s in a different world. He’s surrounded by faceless, masked warriors, time is different there, and Cecil is completely cut out from what’s going on outside of periodic updates delivered to him mostly by voicemails left on his cell phone. This all seems strange and otherworldly on its face but when you examine it further, it’s not so far-fetched in the abstract. When your partner moves, they often are in a different time zone. Communication patterns and methods have to be switched, and you end up playing catch up more often than not. Your partner will make new friends that you will never see, but you’ll hear about them, they might as well be faceless.
When one looks deeper, we can easily see that what Cecil is experiencing is how we all feel. Except he has to go through it in reality, and we go through it internally. This is what critics of New Weird do not seem to understand. All the tentacles, void spaces, and huddling in the hole in the vacant lot out back of the Ralph’s is meant a surreal depiction of life as a human being in the modern world, and there are few who do it better at this point than the writers who’ve created this strange little desert community.
Outside of the primary season-long story, The Buying of Lot 37 provides a lot to love in the stand-alone episodes as well. The Retirement of Pamela Winchell, The September Monologues, Homecoming, Monolith, Hatchets, and Faceless Old Women are all standouts in this season that longtime fans of the show return to often. Additionally, one of my personal favorite subplots is the introduction of Earl Harlan, it takes a while to build beyond his presence in season 3, but his relationship with Cecil, his family, and the greater mythology of Night Vale are excellent.
My only substantial complaint with this collection of episodes is that the storyline revolving Cecil being purchased at auction isn’t brought to much of a satisfying conclusion. There’s a lot of great tension being built throughout the season around who bought him, and for what purpose, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the eventual reveal. In my opinion, the motivation for the purchase just doesn’t hold enough water to justify its inclusion in the narrative. Nor does the character who purchased Cecil show much remorse, or even understanding, that what they did was morally abhorrent. Not only that, but it seems very out of character for what we’ve come to know of the person who did this to Cecil. It’s not a completely wasted plotline, but it definitely feels like it needed more time in the oven before it was included.
Overall, The Buying of Lot 37 represents a massive step forward for the world of Night Vale, and the storytelling abilities of its creators. In fact, there is a part of me that wonders if this wouldn’t be a better starting place for the uninitiated than Mostly Void, Partially Stars. I love the first collection, there are some absolutely unmissable episodes produced in that first year, but its season 3 where Welcome to Night Vale really steps into its own as a creative force distinct from its inspirations and shows exactly what it will be up until this very day.
May 12, 2019
In case it isn't clear, I love Welcome to Night Vale. I love the novels, I love the live shows, I love the podcast, and I love these script books, too. I always have trouble focusing on audio-only stories, so I find that having the scripts for podcasts such as Welcome to Night Vale really helps me follow the podcast and understand all that is going on within it. Add to these extremely useful scripts a bunch of illustrations and a whole lot of behind the scenes tidbits, and you've got a collection of published scripts that any Night Vale fan would love. This proved true for the first two volumes of script books and it absolutely proves true for this new set, too.
In The Buying of Lot 37, Cecil deals with the stress put on his relationship with Carlos by Carlos being trapped in a desert otherworld and the fear and anger that comes from being used against his will to repeatedly save Mayor Dana Cardinal. Who bought Lot 37 and is controlling Cecil? Who keeps attacking the mayor? When will Carlos come home?
So, for me, season three is one of those seasons that starts off slow, but once it gains momentum, it travels like an unstoppable freight train. The first half of the season, or so, consist mainly of stand-alone episodes. There's a reference or two to the ongoing plotline (and as I've picked up on in this re-read, quite a few hints for things that will happen in the Welcome to Night Vale novel; The Man in the Tan Jacket makes appearances throughout the season where he's trying to show people where he's from and tries to give Cecil a piece of paper with something written on it) scattered throughout those first several episodes, but for the most part they're pretty stand-alone.
That's not to say they're bad episodes, though! On the contrary, one of my favorite episodes of the entire podcast happens early on in the season. The September Monologues is this experimental episode that consists of three monologues from different characters, and I adore it. I wish it was longer than the 20-some minutes it is. I just found that expanded look at the universe of Night Vale to be so interesting and exciting. Season 4 later does something similar with The April Monologues, and I hope that Fink and Cranor continue doing these episodes from time to time. It's a nice way to learn more about other citizens in Night Vale, and it also kinda breaks up the monotony of the format of the show. It's a good format, but you gotta change it up a bit here and there so the audience appreciates just how good the regular format is.
As for this season's overall arc, it's interesting. Probably the most introspective of all the Night Vale arcs thus far. I particularly like how Cecil struggles with his love for his town and his love for Carlos and all the things that he's dealing with throughout the season. For the first two seasons, Cecil's pretty much been the strong constant throughout everything, so seeing him vulnerable like this and questioning things he believes in makes for interesting drama. I appreciated the mostly positive depiction of long distance relationships that they do with Cecil and Carlos in this episode. Sure, most people in long distance relationships aren't living in two different realities, but still. That's what Night Vale does best; it takes a relatable concept and tangles it up in fantastical elements. So, yeah, Carlos is trapped in a desert otherworld, but the audience can empathize with the very realistic struggles he and Cecil have to go through in order to make their relationship work with these new constraints.
The finale itself is really strong. In particular, the bit where Carlos explains to Cecil that "Night Vale" is just a name for the place where all of Cecil's loved ones are. So wherever those loved ones are is where Cecil's home is. Yeah, it's basically a take on the "home is where the heart is" cliche, but it's true. Very rarely is home a set of walls; it's a place where you feel safe and supported and loved. And that's the point of this season. Cecil and Carlos both have to learn where their home is, and by the end of the season, they've learned it.
As for the whole business with Lot 37 and Hiram McDaniels and the Faceless Old Woman's campaign to kill Dana, that's almost a subplot to the Cecil/Carlos storyline. Much of what happens in the Lot 37 storyline impacts the Cecil/Carlos one, but the more interesting and impactful story is the Cecil/Carlos one. That being said, I did love the twist on who bought Lot 37. It was a fun twist I didn't see coming on my first listen, but when I read it here, again, I was able to pick up on the clues that were left throughout the season. It's always fun when you have the answer to a whodunnit to be able to go back and spot the clues that would've led you to that answer had you noticed them in the first place.
These script books feature some great illustrations from frequent Night Vale artist, Jessica Hayworth. Her art perfectly captures the surreal, cosmic horror that is frequently found in the Night Vale world. She sticks to the motto of never really showing what any of the main characters or locations look like, choosing instead to illustrated some of the horrors that get described in each episodes. Every episode has at least one illustration from Hayworth - though, often, there end up being multiple illustrations per episode. Her illustrations, however, are not the only new material that can be found in these script books. Each episode features an introduction by someone involved with the making of that episode. Whether it's one of the main writers - Joseph Fink or Jeffrey Cranor, a guest writer, or an actor/performer, each episode features insight from someone involved in the creation of it and that insight is just as valuable to fans of the podcast as the scripts themselves will be. I always find it massively interesting hearing from the people who made a work of art what was going through their heads as they made it. Their opinions might not influence my interpretation of their art, but it is always nice to hear from them and these behind the scenes insights are every bit as good as you'd want them to be.
All in all, The Buying of Lot 37 is a great addition to the growing library of Night Vale books. The scripts contained within the book showcase the massive amount of experimentation that happened within the third year of the podcast, allowing fans old and new access to this wonderful year's worth of stories while providing older fans with lots of new material to sink their teeth into. I love Night Vale and I love these script books and I hope that HarperCollins continues publishing them.
In The Buying of Lot 37, Cecil deals with the stress put on his relationship with Carlos by Carlos being trapped in a desert otherworld and the fear and anger that comes from being used against his will to repeatedly save Mayor Dana Cardinal. Who bought Lot 37 and is controlling Cecil? Who keeps attacking the mayor? When will Carlos come home?
So, for me, season three is one of those seasons that starts off slow, but once it gains momentum, it travels like an unstoppable freight train. The first half of the season, or so, consist mainly of stand-alone episodes. There's a reference or two to the ongoing plotline (and as I've picked up on in this re-read, quite a few hints for things that will happen in the Welcome to Night Vale novel; The Man in the Tan Jacket makes appearances throughout the season where he's trying to show people where he's from and tries to give Cecil a piece of paper with something written on it) scattered throughout those first several episodes, but for the most part they're pretty stand-alone.
That's not to say they're bad episodes, though! On the contrary, one of my favorite episodes of the entire podcast happens early on in the season. The September Monologues is this experimental episode that consists of three monologues from different characters, and I adore it. I wish it was longer than the 20-some minutes it is. I just found that expanded look at the universe of Night Vale to be so interesting and exciting. Season 4 later does something similar with The April Monologues, and I hope that Fink and Cranor continue doing these episodes from time to time. It's a nice way to learn more about other citizens in Night Vale, and it also kinda breaks up the monotony of the format of the show. It's a good format, but you gotta change it up a bit here and there so the audience appreciates just how good the regular format is.
As for this season's overall arc, it's interesting. Probably the most introspective of all the Night Vale arcs thus far. I particularly like how Cecil struggles with his love for his town and his love for Carlos and all the things that he's dealing with throughout the season. For the first two seasons, Cecil's pretty much been the strong constant throughout everything, so seeing him vulnerable like this and questioning things he believes in makes for interesting drama. I appreciated the mostly positive depiction of long distance relationships that they do with Cecil and Carlos in this episode. Sure, most people in long distance relationships aren't living in two different realities, but still. That's what Night Vale does best; it takes a relatable concept and tangles it up in fantastical elements. So, yeah, Carlos is trapped in a desert otherworld, but the audience can empathize with the very realistic struggles he and Cecil have to go through in order to make their relationship work with these new constraints.
The finale itself is really strong. In particular, the bit where Carlos explains to Cecil that "Night Vale" is just a name for the place where all of Cecil's loved ones are. So wherever those loved ones are is where Cecil's home is. Yeah, it's basically a take on the "home is where the heart is" cliche, but it's true. Very rarely is home a set of walls; it's a place where you feel safe and supported and loved. And that's the point of this season. Cecil and Carlos both have to learn where their home is, and by the end of the season, they've learned it.
As for the whole business with Lot 37 and Hiram McDaniels and the Faceless Old Woman's campaign to kill Dana, that's almost a subplot to the Cecil/Carlos storyline. Much of what happens in the Lot 37 storyline impacts the Cecil/Carlos one, but the more interesting and impactful story is the Cecil/Carlos one. That being said, I did love the twist on who bought Lot 37. It was a fun twist I didn't see coming on my first listen, but when I read it here, again, I was able to pick up on the clues that were left throughout the season. It's always fun when you have the answer to a whodunnit to be able to go back and spot the clues that would've led you to that answer had you noticed them in the first place.
These script books feature some great illustrations from frequent Night Vale artist, Jessica Hayworth. Her art perfectly captures the surreal, cosmic horror that is frequently found in the Night Vale world. She sticks to the motto of never really showing what any of the main characters or locations look like, choosing instead to illustrated some of the horrors that get described in each episodes. Every episode has at least one illustration from Hayworth - though, often, there end up being multiple illustrations per episode. Her illustrations, however, are not the only new material that can be found in these script books. Each episode features an introduction by someone involved with the making of that episode. Whether it's one of the main writers - Joseph Fink or Jeffrey Cranor, a guest writer, or an actor/performer, each episode features insight from someone involved in the creation of it and that insight is just as valuable to fans of the podcast as the scripts themselves will be. I always find it massively interesting hearing from the people who made a work of art what was going through their heads as they made it. Their opinions might not influence my interpretation of their art, but it is always nice to hear from them and these behind the scenes insights are every bit as good as you'd want them to be.
All in all, The Buying of Lot 37 is a great addition to the growing library of Night Vale books. The scripts contained within the book showcase the massive amount of experimentation that happened within the third year of the podcast, allowing fans old and new access to this wonderful year's worth of stories while providing older fans with lots of new material to sink their teeth into. I love Night Vale and I love these script books and I hope that HarperCollins continues publishing them.
March 24, 2020
Again, these are pretty much just interesting supplemental material and I definitely wouldn't recommend this be your introduction to the world of Night Vale. Night Vale the podcast is 5 stars easily, these books hover around 3. There are lots of interesting anecdotes, but I do still wish the art popped a little bit more overall. Also I am living for Cecil calling out people for drawing his character with such good fashion when he canonically wears ponchos and furry pants ;)
May 18, 2023
I'm reading the script books to refresh my memory before I continue listening to Season 5. There's some commentary about the episodes before each transcript. I enjoyed reading these scripts, but I'll probably have more to say about the commentary in the first two books when I write reviews for those. My favorite episode from Season 3 is probably "The September Monologues" but I also loved the finale, which is the two-part episode "Taking Off" and "Review." Each of the script books has a script for one of the live shows at the end (which otherwise is only available on Bandcamp, I think). This one is The Librarian. I enjoyed it but it wasn't quite as good as the ones in volumes 1 & 2, which I will review soon.
July 11, 2020
I mean - I’m on book 3 of a podcast script. Obviously I like it. Nightvale never fails to make me laugh.
December 14, 2023
'Tis the season to mark my current re-listen of one of my favourite podcasts as books read this year.
January 12, 2024
Still love this weird little podcast
July 25, 2019
That story arc though! I laughed, I cried, I loathed Kevin, I collapsed under the realization of my fragile existence—it moved me Bob!
April 24, 2023
if you know me you know I love welcome to night vale <3
January 8, 2021
English / Español
So these are the scripts for the third season of the podcast Welcome to Nightvale, alongside some commentary by the authors and voice actors. I won't talk about the plot, because A) spoilers B) It's REALLY HARD to explain a Nightvale plot lol.
I do have to say that during this season, I wanted to just forget about Nightvale, while it was airing. The show changed so much from the first two seasons, and it stopped having a focus on "horror" and moving more towards dark fantasy. Also, there was a heavy focus on romantic relationships and friendships. At the time I almost gave up cause those themes weren't the reason I joined the story. Reading it now I like it more, but it's still my least favorite Nightvale season.
On the positive side, this story arc makes a really good exploration of long-distance relationships, with their main queer couple, friendships, and self-identity. I think the message is great, and it's nice to have it there.
Overall, the comments by the cast were great, and if you're a Nightvale fan this collection of scripts is a must have.
______________________________________________
Español
Estos son los guiones para la tercer temporada del podcast Welcome to Nightvale (WTNV), junto con comentarios por los creadores y cast de actores de voz. No hablaré sobre la trama porque A) spoilers y B) ES MUY DIFÍCIL describir una trama de WTNV jaja.
Esta temporada es aquella que casi me hace abandonar WTNV, mientras escuchaba el show al mismo tiempo que iba saliendo. El show cambió mucho en comparación con las dos temporadas anteriores, y cambió fu enfoque de "terror" por otro más parecido a "dark fantasy" y comedian, que aunque no está mal no es la razón por la que escuchaba. En ese entonces casi renuncio al podcast, pero ahora releyendo disfruté más de estas historias. Aún así, sigue siendo mi temporada menos favorita de WTNV.
En el lado positivo, me parece que esta temporada explora de una manera muy chida y abierta las relaciones a distancia, en especial en una relación queer, junto con relaciones de amistad y sentido de identidad propia. Todos son buenos temas.
Los comentarios del cast y creadores agregan mucho al texto, y me parece que cualquier fan del podcast debe tener estas colecciones de guiones.
So these are the scripts for the third season of the podcast Welcome to Nightvale, alongside some commentary by the authors and voice actors. I won't talk about the plot, because A) spoilers B) It's REALLY HARD to explain a Nightvale plot lol.
I do have to say that during this season, I wanted to just forget about Nightvale, while it was airing. The show changed so much from the first two seasons, and it stopped having a focus on "horror" and moving more towards dark fantasy. Also, there was a heavy focus on romantic relationships and friendships. At the time I almost gave up cause those themes weren't the reason I joined the story. Reading it now I like it more, but it's still my least favorite Nightvale season.
On the positive side, this story arc makes a really good exploration of long-distance relationships, with their main queer couple, friendships, and self-identity. I think the message is great, and it's nice to have it there.
Overall, the comments by the cast were great, and if you're a Nightvale fan this collection of scripts is a must have.
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Estos son los guiones para la tercer temporada del podcast Welcome to Nightvale (WTNV), junto con comentarios por los creadores y cast de actores de voz. No hablaré sobre la trama porque A) spoilers y B) ES MUY DIFÍCIL describir una trama de WTNV jaja.
Esta temporada es aquella que casi me hace abandonar WTNV, mientras escuchaba el show al mismo tiempo que iba saliendo. El show cambió mucho en comparación con las dos temporadas anteriores, y cambió fu enfoque de "terror" por otro más parecido a "dark fantasy" y comedian, que aunque no está mal no es la razón por la que escuchaba. En ese entonces casi renuncio al podcast, pero ahora releyendo disfruté más de estas historias. Aún así, sigue siendo mi temporada menos favorita de WTNV.
En el lado positivo, me parece que esta temporada explora de una manera muy chida y abierta las relaciones a distancia, en especial en una relación queer, junto con relaciones de amistad y sentido de identidad propia. Todos son buenos temas.
Los comentarios del cast y creadores agregan mucho al texto, y me parece que cualquier fan del podcast debe tener estas colecciones de guiones.
June 6, 2020
Brilliant once again! While this was certainly not my favorite season or arc of the show, it still had its magic moments.
Volume 3 brings us up to episode 70B of the podcast with the ramifications of the finale of last season. Carlos is still stuck in the desert Other World and most of this volume sees Cecil coping or moping over it. Dana Cardinal is now the official Mayor of Night Vale but has made enemies of Hiram and the Faceless Old Woman. Cecil was the object of Lot 37 and the owner is now using him to defend the Mayor against uncouth attacks from her former opponents. Also, Steve Carlsburg makes delicious scones, sometimes with orange zest.
Again, the forewords before every episode paint a wonderful picture of the artistry and thought put into each episode, how one liners become plot points, how actors develop their characters. Kevin R. Freed and his thoughts on Kevin were particularly interesting to see how he comes up with "what if" scenarios for his character...and Hal's thoughts on Steve were beautiful.
So overall, another decent collection. Again, not a favorite arc/season for me but I liked seeing where the characters headed this time round; how they've grown in the time since they've been introduce. It's a unique world Joseph and Jeffrey have created and they definitely have fun in their sandbox with this group!
Volume 3 brings us up to episode 70B of the podcast with the ramifications of the finale of last season. Carlos is still stuck in the desert Other World and most of this volume sees Cecil coping or moping over it. Dana Cardinal is now the official Mayor of Night Vale but has made enemies of Hiram and the Faceless Old Woman. Cecil was the object of Lot 37 and the owner is now using him to defend the Mayor against uncouth attacks from her former opponents. Also, Steve Carlsburg makes delicious scones, sometimes with orange zest.
Again, the forewords before every episode paint a wonderful picture of the artistry and thought put into each episode, how one liners become plot points, how actors develop their characters. Kevin R. Freed and his thoughts on Kevin were particularly interesting to see how he comes up with "what if" scenarios for his character...and Hal's thoughts on Steve were beautiful.
So overall, another decent collection. Again, not a favorite arc/season for me but I liked seeing where the characters headed this time round; how they've grown in the time since they've been introduce. It's a unique world Joseph and Jeffrey have created and they definitely have fun in their sandbox with this group!
July 15, 2019
Wow. Just when I thought I couldn't love "Welcome to Night Vale" anymore... Season 3 (collected here in book form, along with art and mini-essays by the creators) hit me like a brick of emotion to the face. Everything that I loved from Seasons 1 and 2 was here, but with the addition of more character-building moments that makes this into a solid 5 star read for me. Everything was perfect, from Cecil and Carlos' developing long term-relationship, to the complexities of Hiram McDaniels, to Mayor Dana's new rule over the town, to catching up with the ever-tragic Kevin. The final episode of this season was actual perfection (Josie's opera house opening at last! The reveal of who bought Cecil at the auction back in Season 2!), while leaving enough unanswered questions for me to be excited about Season 4. The magic of Night Vale is in how it mixes the humorous and supernatural with deep meditations on humanity, and Season 3 delivered on all of that in spades. An absolutely phenomenal read that left me dying for the next installment!
August 13, 2020
The book was written by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor. The total number of pages is 310. The genre is fiction and the book in part of a continuing series. My best guess for reading level would be Teens.
This book contains the podcast episodes of welcome to Night Vale, volume 3. Here is a summary: Cecil is broadcasting as a host on Night Vale radio. He tells us the normal life in Night Vale. From the dog park no one is allowed in, to the desert other world that is an ongoing endless loop. All of Night Vale may seem strange to an interloper like you (someone who is new) but these citizens are living life as they normally would. Some cool features in the show are, the weather, horoscopes, guests coming onto the show, kid’s fun fact science corner, traffic, sponsors, and more! Just remember, mountains... they don’t exist.
I really liked the cover; it was cool to see Night Vale with some art! This is book 3 in a continuing series. I would rate this a 5, because I couldn’t imagine anything better.
This book contains the podcast episodes of welcome to Night Vale, volume 3. Here is a summary: Cecil is broadcasting as a host on Night Vale radio. He tells us the normal life in Night Vale. From the dog park no one is allowed in, to the desert other world that is an ongoing endless loop. All of Night Vale may seem strange to an interloper like you (someone who is new) but these citizens are living life as they normally would. Some cool features in the show are, the weather, horoscopes, guests coming onto the show, kid’s fun fact science corner, traffic, sponsors, and more! Just remember, mountains... they don’t exist.
I really liked the cover; it was cool to see Night Vale with some art! This is book 3 in a continuing series. I would rate this a 5, because I couldn’t imagine anything better.
February 14, 2022
The Buying of Lot 37 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor “The power of books is that they teach you how to destroy what is but should not be. The power of books is that they show you what it might be like to think as someone other than this person that you are stuck being. The power of books is poisonous gases and spring traps. Nothing is more powerful than a book. A larger book is slightly more powerful than a smaller book, because it can also be used to hit your enemies. Smaller paperbacks are terrible for that.” -Tamika Flynn
I still love Welcome to Night Vale a lot, so I already knew this book would be amazing. But I was amazed at how early we start hearing about Chad (who is, of course, the cause of contention on the next book, “Who’s a Good Boy?”). Admittedly, I suck at listening to the podcast. I love the podcast, but I suck at listening because I get distracted. My brain tunes out, and I miss things. So I looooved reading about Chad and his beagle as minor background characters before they become extremely relevant. Love it. Love it all. All hail.
I still love Welcome to Night Vale a lot, so I already knew this book would be amazing. But I was amazed at how early we start hearing about Chad (who is, of course, the cause of contention on the next book, “Who’s a Good Boy?”). Admittedly, I suck at listening to the podcast. I love the podcast, but I suck at listening because I get distracted. My brain tunes out, and I miss things. So I looooved reading about Chad and his beagle as minor background characters before they become extremely relevant. Love it. Love it all. All hail.
May 24, 2024
There is something special about being able to read the transcripts for a beloved podcast that just brings joy.
This collection follows the third year of episodes from the Welcome to Night Vale podcast - continuing the journey of Cecil, Carlos and the other loved (or not so loved - Carl) characters of the town.
My favourite part reading these is experiencing how much influence the voice actors have on the script, how they shape and bring to life the story through their telling. On this read-through I tried something new, and played the weather songs while reading the episode - it's an interesting experiment to see how it plays with the tone of the story.
If you are a fan of Night Vale, or just want to see what it's about without listening, I highly recommend giving these transcripts a read.
#indigoemployee
This collection follows the third year of episodes from the Welcome to Night Vale podcast - continuing the journey of Cecil, Carlos and the other loved (or not so loved - Carl) characters of the town.
My favourite part reading these is experiencing how much influence the voice actors have on the script, how they shape and bring to life the story through their telling. On this read-through I tried something new, and played the weather songs while reading the episode - it's an interesting experiment to see how it plays with the tone of the story.
If you are a fan of Night Vale, or just want to see what it's about without listening, I highly recommend giving these transcripts a read.
#indigoemployee
December 16, 2021
Trigger Warnings for specific episodes can be found on the Night Vale Wiki
So, interestingly enough, I don't think I ever listened to these episodes. Which is a shame because some really good stuff happened here. I loved so much of Cecil and Carlos's relationship and how they handled being long-distance. There also is the fantastic quote of Carlos knowing two things that I have read before but loved seeing in context. I am sure there is plenty of nuisance that is missed when reading instead of listening but as this is much quicker I do appreciate it to help me catch up. Still really loving these collected volumes and can't wait to read the next.
So, interestingly enough, I don't think I ever listened to these episodes. Which is a shame because some really good stuff happened here. I loved so much of Cecil and Carlos's relationship and how they handled being long-distance. There also is the fantastic quote of Carlos knowing two things that I have read before but loved seeing in context. I am sure there is plenty of nuisance that is missed when reading instead of listening but as this is much quicker I do appreciate it to help me catch up. Still really loving these collected volumes and can't wait to read the next.
March 16, 2019
I received this book from Edelweiss is exchange for an honest review.
This book is exactly what it says it is: the transcripts for season 3 of Welcome to Night Vale. A good read for a fan of the show, though I definitely recommend listening to the podcast so that you can get a good feel for the tone of the season. Each episode has a nice little intro written about it, which sometimes helps explain the episode and sometimes just sounds a little pompous. Regardless, a good read for a fan.
This book is exactly what it says it is: the transcripts for season 3 of Welcome to Night Vale. A good read for a fan of the show, though I definitely recommend listening to the podcast so that you can get a good feel for the tone of the season. Each episode has a nice little intro written about it, which sometimes helps explain the episode and sometimes just sounds a little pompous. Regardless, a good read for a fan.
May 31, 2019
Night Vale does creepy like no one else. Night Vale also does romance like no one else (and it's beautiful).
I mean, there's still one volume to finish reading and review, so I better use my compliments sparingly but... I love this so much. It's so well written, so well planned (even when some of that planning is retroactive, it's amazingly done). The sheer poetry of it, of those words that line up perfectly to display the sheer horror of the mundane - and not-so-mundane.
I wouldn't want to live in Night Vale. But visit it, through Cecil's radio ? Now that's what I call an experience.
I mean, there's still one volume to finish reading and review, so I better use my compliments sparingly but... I love this so much. It's so well written, so well planned (even when some of that planning is retroactive, it's amazingly done). The sheer poetry of it, of those words that line up perfectly to display the sheer horror of the mundane - and not-so-mundane.
I wouldn't want to live in Night Vale. But visit it, through Cecil's radio ? Now that's what I call an experience.
July 25, 2019
I love the audio podcast with all my heart, but there are some times when it just works better as a book of extended narrative prose/prose-poetry. Volume 3 is one of those times. As Season 3 was when the plots of the podcast's overarching story arc began to intertwine, foreshadowing long before they came to fruition, reading them on a page, physically recognizing certain phrases which one might be lulled to overlook by the podcast's ASMR quality, really pulls everything together. Who knew the Beagle Puppy arc began as early as it did here?
July 26, 2021
have i mentioned that i would die for cecil palmer? cuz i would. i love him and his silly little outfits and his funny little radio show. my love also does extend to carlos and khoshekh and The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home (my home? your home? idk.)
the one liners in this book are perfect and so are the longer story arcs. this is the perfect comfort book and i love reading it before i go to sleep. cannot wait for the next one.
the one liners in this book are perfect and so are the longer story arcs. this is the perfect comfort book and i love reading it before i go to sleep. cannot wait for the next one.
May 16, 2019
Not much to say about a script book. It’s nice having the podcast in physical form (though I’m not really a fan of the art) and it’s nice to read the commentary before each episode. My one complaint is that my favorite episode of this season doesn’t have commentary from the writers. It’s from the voice actor who ends up shilling his own podcast. Very disappointing.
February 14, 2020
Third book/season in the series. I liked this one a whole lot better than the second book, which I found flat. This again is a lot stronger. If you are into the absurd this is for you. Not necessarily funny, but a lot of strange ideas, snd play with language set in a fictional town. I quite like it, but still it has to heard not read to be fully appreciated.
September 18, 2020
Personally, I think that the previous was better, but I’m not sure. Maybe I should reread/relisten to it (wow, me? Willingly rereading a book I enjoyed? Shocking), just to remember what happened, or why I hated Kevin. I definitely still hate Kevin. I am definitely not sympathizing with Kevin.
February 18, 2022
It's a real joy to read these scripts (and their conspiratorial forewords) because the language evokes terror, surrealism, absurdity, hilarity, and even poignance. Familiarity with the podcast helps here, sure, but like any inimitable and amazing writing it's all about finding the right gateway for yourself.
April 10, 2025
"Cecil, I have to go. Be patient with me. We have our phones, we have our voices, and you have the best voice of them all."
"Proverb: Everything that happens happens for a reason. Except ostriches. What the hell, man?"
"Stay tuned next for the sound of future becoming the present becoming the past in no time at all."
"Proverb: Everything that happens happens for a reason. Except ostriches. What the hell, man?"
"Stay tuned next for the sound of future becoming the present becoming the past in no time at all."
June 6, 2019
Yes, of course something will be different when you put something that was meant to be heard into something meant to be read, but I really loved getting insights into the episodes and I appreciate how much this cast seems to love and respect each other.
June 12, 2019
As usual Welcome to Night Vale delivers it's usual mix of existential dread and sometimes profound wisdom and insight. I'd fallen very behind on the podcast so this was a perfect reason to start catching up again. Looking forward to reading/listening to vol 4.
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