On floating cats, good boys, and Shapeshifting Zookeepers: Animals in Night Vale

Abstract

Night Vale is full of conspiracies, scientists, monsters, gods, and the people who live in the tiny city under lane 5 of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex. However, the city is also full of more familiar animals like deer, dogs, cats, and zoo animals. As is typical of Night Vale, much of the time these animals are strangely different than those we know. They may have spines, venom sacs, or float four feet above the ground. But other times, despite their weirdness, they are presented in such a way that they conform to the attitudes and prejudices that animal scientists are all too familiar with. As one of these animal scientists, I will take a look at the furred and clawed denizens of Night Vale and pick apart the weird, the not-so-weird, and the downright normal in their characters.