Strange Medicine – Mike Russell

Title: Strange Medicine

Author: Mike Russell

Favourite Story: Flock

‘We recommend the following prescription: Strange Medicine – weird and wonderful stories for all that ails you. Strange Medicine is a fantastic collection of extraordinary tales of transformation by UK weird-fiction author Mike Russell. If you love the strange, surreal and unusual or if you are just looking for something different, Strange Medicine is for you.’

Review:

First things first, I just want to say how much I LOVED this book. I’m so happy that I got the pleasure to read it. Since discovering the work of Neil Gaimen I have been on the hunt for something similar. And, by gosh, I think I’ve found it. These stories are so original, they’re something I’ve never come across. That is one of my favourite things to find in a piece of writing.

Some call it strange, I call it unique! Mike Russell has mastered the art of making this wonderfully odd short story collection so entertaining that I could barely peel myself away from it. Story after story introduced one surprise after another.

The stories are of perfect length; not too short, not too long. They also vary in length, and cover a range of topics. My personal favourite is the first one, Flock. A story about a man called Anthony Tobias Bradshaw. I really love some of the techniques used within this story, including constantly using his full name when referring to him. This helps to portray the state he is obviously in mentally. It is very clear he is unwell, and I like how the story deals with this, sometimes sensitive, topic and manages to incorporate some humour into it too.

I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat. Definitely a book for older teens – adults though because of some of the mature content!

Thank you so much to Mike Russell for writing this wonderful short story collection for us all to enjoy.

Rating: 5 stars!