‘Furry Nation’,
Review of Joe Strike’s
Masterful Book

Furry Nation is the book on furry fandom written by greymuzzle Joe Strike, published on October 2017. Several years in the making, it is an enthusiastic, comprehensive and detailed account of customs, trends, and activities, within the fandom. As thorough as it is stylistic, it feels a joy to read from start to finish. There is an underlying approach to the narrative that’s well underlined in the preface. Joe’s first draft on a book on anthropomorphic culture, as shown to a publisher, was acceptable, but their response was, “what about you & other furries?” And so, Joe in his final published work describes the fandom through the personal experiences of other furry fans, and his own, which is an excellent choice that pays off.

It is often said that a different understanding of the fandom exists for every fan. The overall theme is the same, easily defined with the terms ‘animal anthropomorphics’, but these words often mean nothing to the newcomer who has no context. Within that theme, furry fandom is drive, is being creative, is meeting people, discovering oneself and discovering others, having new experiences, having fun! In the book, an accurate explanation seems effortless when told through the eyes of so many different people that have interesting and valid insights of their own, invariably linked to their personal life affairs, finely connected together. You get the input of aficionados, artists, fursuit makers, cartoonists, convention admins, performers, journalists…

The book manages to fit almost everything related to general furry culture I’d expect a furry fan to know, and more. Had I been given 10 years and unlimited resources to write a similar book, I wouldn’t have done it any better. It’s all-encompassing, and well researched, but not overwhelming. There’s a natural flow in the inquiries that step by step bring curious knowledge to the table. The writing is skillful, tasteful, bordering spicy a limited number of times; Joe occasionally allows himself to be slightly elegantly erotic to make for a more alluring read. His personality shines through his words, he’s a playful talented author that’s invested in the real story he’s telling. Through the development of the fandom as told by him there’s a perception of growth and maturity acquired, as chapters go by he successfully reflects the sense of constant wonder and fulfilled belonging that we longtimers have come to embrace in the fandom.

Some objected to the book being US-centric, but really there is no drawback to it. The fandom was born in the US, and the location of the narration is merely incidental. The experiences told by furry fans are universally relatable, and that’s what’s important. Furry fever is a human thing, a human-animal thing, wherever the location. The tome gets its points across; adding even more information could have made it unattractively thick. This is it, this is the book. You can recommend it to anyone either non-furry or furry, and as long as they like reading, both types of people will learn and enjoy reading Furry Nation.

There’s an English saying that goes ‘Home is where the heart is.’ Joe hasn’t just beautifully described home to anyone willing to listen. He’s also made it clear why anyone would call it their home. All that’s left, is to buy the book yourself, and read it!

You can purchase Furry Nation at several bookstores listed on its website (link⇒)