*Honest review given in exchange for book.*
There’s a medicine for almost everything these days. Colds, headaches, that ugly heavy feeling of guilt after polishing off an entire bag of doughnuts to yourself. I believe it’s known as a diet or detox? (Wouldn’t honestly know that feeling as I have never had it, I could eat doughnuts forever.) But if you are in need of some meds I strongly prescribe 8 spoonfuls of Mike Russell’s Strange Medicine. A required taste that you won’t find it in your local pharmacy. For this you need to open up your mind and question everything you thought you once knew.
Have you ever wanted to go beyond the universe, travel though matter and become reality? Yes? Then Strange Medicine is definitely worth investigating. 8 short stories that take up residence beneath your skin, (lets call them Shish) and set up a home within your mind. By the end of their tenancy you will be sad to say goodbye and be begging them to keep the deposit.
Once again Russell has literally captured my breath. He has stored it in a little jar for safe keeping that sits neatly with others on a shelf to coexist together in that single moment. The moment that the reader finally sees the bizarre beauty of Russell’s creations. The moment that we realise that our existence is but a single raindrop in the storm that is yet to descend upon us.
My appetite for such creativity these days has been starved. But since I have discovered the strange and wonderful world of Russell I have had to invest in a new pair of scales. Each story is creatively woven together, a true artist with words. Extremely good needlework that I haven’t seen in a while. The characters and their stories make you realise that there is so much more to life, the world, the universe in fact than we dare to imagine. We are so scared of questioning further and exploring the unknown that we limit ourselves as humans and what we are fully capable of. The strange is not so strange when you realise it’s the normal. The normal is the strange and something that people tend to be blinded by thinking it’s the norm, when in reality: Nothing is normal. It’s all precursors to what we believe should be normal. Let’s put it this way, everything is strange when you don’t understand or are afraid of it. Now imagine if everything was flipped to an alternate reality. The norm is the strange and the strange is the normal. Doesn’t seem so strange does it? Well, to the people in the alternate reality it’s completely normal. And to them, we are strange. Have I mind bloopered you yet? Good! It’s healthy to keep an active mind!
To truly appreciate Strange Medicine you have to be willing to expect the unexpected and take a path you would have feared before. Once you get past your expectations of what a story should tell, then you will see and feel differently. In a cliché sense, you will be looking at the world with new eyes, new feelings and thoughts. Your mind will go into overdrive at discovering sensations you never thought possible. It’s definitely a mind trip but one I happily volunteer to take. You with me? Then let’s go!
I give Strange Medicine a four out of five paw rating.
My reasons why are simple. I want more! Greedy I know but once I have tasted good food, I yearn for more until I can no longer move. What can I say, I love my food!
Hop hop wiggle wiggle.
I can’t thank the wonderful people at StrangeBooks enough for giving me another opportunity to review Mike Russell’s work. Thank you! Links below! Check them out, you won’t regret it. Grab a copy for only £5.99!
Bunny’s Pause 
Reblogged this on Examining the Odd.