The Strange Adventures Of Rangergirl by Tim Pratt
01/04/2006 . Source: Shaun Green 
pub: Bantam Spectra. 402 page enlarged paperback. Price: $12.00 (US), $17.00 (CAN). ISBN: 0-553-38338-8. Buy The Strange Adventures Of Rangergirl in the USA - or Buy The Strange Adventures Of Rangergirl in the UK  check out website: www.bantamdell.com
It's been quite some time since I read anything as unashamedly fun as 'The Strange Adventures Of Rangergirl' and it speaks well of Pratt that his prose seems so relaxed and confident. But best of all, 'Rangergirl' is anything but lightweight. It is, quite cleverly, a meta-fictional post-modern Californian fantasy which draws on contemporary culture and comic books as well as an inventive take on the Old West and Native American mythology.
At the centre of everything is Marzi McCarty, night manager of the notorious Genius Loci Coffeehouse and creator of the 'cowpunk neo-western' comic 'The Strange Adventures Of Rangergirl'.
Lately, things have been getting a little weird for Marzi. One of the Genius Loci regulars has taken to sleeping rough and babbles incessantly about the earthquake god who is speaking to him. The sometime girlfriend of another regular has seemingly coated herself in thick mud and is trying to hunt Marzi down. Nothing is quite right and as time passes Marzi realises that her cowpunk comic is somehow leaking into her everyday life.
There's hope, though. Marzi is supported by her best friend, the effervescent and optimistic Lindsay, and a newcomer named Jonathan who has come to study the unique paintings in the Genius Loci Coffeehouse. If her comic is running into reality, why shouldn't Marzi let a little bit of Rangergirl into her?
First and foremost, 'The Strange Adventures Of Rangergirl' - the book, not the comic - is a tightly paced and entertaining read. Marzi, full of self-doubt and insecurity but warm and intelligent, is a highly likeable protagonist. It didn't take me long to care deeply about what happened to her, whether in her love life or when battling primal evil. Her nemesis, who receives more attention in the latter part of the book, is an interesting character - to say too much would be to give something vital away, but let's just say the fluidity of some elements of reality plays a big part.
The supporting characters are a mixed bag. Denis, the pernickety and sterile scholar, is brilliant. He's highly unlikeable as an individual but is so well-drawn that he's both compelling and convincing. At the other end of the scale, Jonathan is a little underdeveloped, his motivations only passingly explored. His fascination with the artist who painted Genius Loci, Garamond Ray, is the only thing that really elevates him above a love interest.
Still, the story is an enthralling one, the sort of tale that draws you in so that you entirely lose track of time. It all feels quite 'safe' in that you rarely believe any real harm will come to anyone, but it remains exciting. It's more about the how than the what as Marzi grows in confidence and understanding, her reactions to various situations are a joy to read.
'The Strange Adventures Of Rangergirl' is a hip, smart and totally modern read, but rather than be stifled by its cleverness it blends it with an intoxicating mix of adventure, friendship and love and really, what more can you ask for than that?
Shaun Green |
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