Something Rich and Strange
#7963.83 adjusted 3.89 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1994 Reading commitment Low Patricia A. McKillip Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Something Rich and Strange is a standalone fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip, first published by Bantam Spectra in November 1994. It was written for Brian Froud's Faerielands project and takes its inspiration from Froud's artwork. The story is set in a modern coastal community in the Pacific Northwest. Megan, an artist who draws tidepools and sea life, and Jonah, who keeps a curio shop, are a couple whose ordinary life is disturbed when visitors from Faerie draw them toward an underwater world. The book is a single self-contained novel with no sequels, and it is not set in the world of McKillip's other fantasy series.
Urban fantasy, Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Something Rich and Strange Patricia A. McKillip
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Something Rich and Strange; Written for Brian Froud's Faerielands project; reprinted in the collection Dreams of Distant Shores (2016). | 1994 | 1 | core | 3.83 (875 ratings) |
A standalone modern fantasy about a couple lured into an underwater Faerie world.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Something Rich and Strange? Something Rich and Strange's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Something Rich and Strange finished? Complete (1994).
- How much reading does Something Rich and Strange take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is Something Rich and Strange ranked? #796 in this site's official ranking, based on 875 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #796?
Ranked #796 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.83 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (875 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #795, Ariosto (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 875 ratings · Ranks #796 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 1995: won: Something Rich and Strange
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Suggestions computed from what Something Rich and Strange and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- The Sandsea Trilogy Epic fantasy / Mythic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 3.97
- In the Forests of Serre Fairy-tale retelling / Mythic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.97
- Greenhollow Duology Mythic fantasy / Romantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.96
- Cygnet Mythic fantasy / Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.95
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.83 across 875 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 27 universes; 5 candidates ruled out; older open items closed accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = Something Rich and Strange (1994).