Fantasy Book Critic: Book Review: Stringers by Chris Panatier

AUTHOR INFO: Chris Panatier lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, daughter, and a fluctuating herd of animals resembling dogs (one is almost certainly a goat). He writes short stories and novels, “plays” the drums, and draws album covers for metal bands. Plays himself on twitter @chrisjpanatier.

Publisher: Angry Robot (April 12, 2022 Length: 656 pages Cover art:

STRINGERS is quick, witty, and exuberant. Ben possesses useless but vast knowledge about animals and wristwatches. He knows A LOT; he just can't explain how he knows any of it. Do you want to discover the mating habits of Brazilian bark lice? He's your guy? Wanna learn about butterfly's toothed vaginas? He's your guy. Or about creatures that eat and defecate through the same orifice? Yeah, you guessed it. Ben's your guy.

He also knows about the Chime. He can't tell you what it is or why it's important, but the fact that he knows gets him in trouble. I'll be more specific - a trash-talking alien bounty hunter abducts Ben and his best friend, Patton. And so the adventure begins.

Panatier's sense of humor won't appeal to everyone. Gross facts about insects' intimate lives and fart jokes appear on almost every page. I found them tiring but, to be fair, Panatier's writing is intelligent and the pacing excellent. His extraterrestrials are varied and extraordinary, and the story is engaging. So, if you like your stories on the wild side, you'll probably love this heartfelt cosmic romp. On the other hand, if stories driven by manic energy and dozens of unfocused asides tend to tire you, you might want to skip this one.

What else? There are footnotes here. Mostly funny and interesting. But they're LEGION, and exhausting. They fit the whimsical and wild narrative. They contain a lot of cool facts. For me, though, there are just too many and I felt they distracted me from the flow of the story. The world-building goes in-depth and is fascinating, and the changes in a tone fit the story well.

All in all, STRINGERS is an entertaining book, but not for everyone. I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to readers looking for something fast, wild, and surprising. Fans of odd wristwatches and insect trivia will also be delighted.