Nigel Edwards

I'd like to give 3,5 stars

this is a really weird book, consisting mainly of short stories about the happenings in the small town of Badger's Waddle. It is a weird mixture of SF, Fantasy, Horror, twisted humour, ...
I especially liked the chapters about the tourists and the figure of Egon. I could have done without the birth-stories, it was a bit much for my taste.
Some parts reminded me of the Pythons, some of Christopher Moore, and probably some others.
But all in all I enjoyed reading it… (more)

Disclosure: I won a copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers programme.

Badger's Waddle is one of those books that just cannot be classified. A small village unaffected by the rest of the world but thanklessly protects Earth from whatever might come through an otherworldly portal at the end of the garden. However, it's not just about this, in fact, that is but a morsel of what Edwards offers.

This book is replete with quirky characters who go about their day as if there is nothing unusual. To them, this is probably true; but to us, it is a bizarre way of life. Procreation is not dependent on love, emotion, choice of genetic preferences or even a normal gestation period. Heavy artillery is accepted as a necessity for defence of small cottages where the locals visit for tea.

Yet despite its peculiarities, Badger's Waddle is a quintessentially British village, with a bit of Torchwood added to the mix. It's a place where waste management is the purview of one individual and apathy can be used to empower.

While I enjoyed this bit of curiosity, it is not for everyone. Some of the notions of progress might be a bit much for some readers to accept, and the first few chapters seem disconnected but all make sense by the end. Therefore the slow burn effect might not wet everyone's appetite.… (more)