Reading Notes: The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud

I know it’s too early to declare a favorite book for 2026, but I loved my last one. I read it in a few big, cabin-bound gulps. The Strange, by Nathan Ballingrud, is a moody space western set on Mars in the late 1800s. That’s more of a conceptual stretch than some folks want to make, but if you’re game, this is a great read.

It’s got the heart and story spine of True Grit, set in a poignant, weird take on frontier life on the red planet. Sci-fi nerds (like me) will enjoy the Asimov, Bradbury, and Herbert influences Ballingrud weaves in and makes fresh. But even non-nerds will find the story engrossing. Characters you care about. Action. Big feels, including some real father daughter stuff. Highly recommend.