Neil Gaiman

The Official Neil Gaiman Homepage

Okay, what's disgustingly charismatic, overwhelmingly talented and nicer than the average person walking down the street? No, it's not a riddle; it's actually a partial description of Neil Gaiman. Neil is a genuinely nice person, and he is also phenomenally talented.

A lot of people might not know some of Neil's earlier works, as they discard things like Miracle Man and The Sandman from DC Comics as "funny books" or, Heaven help us all, children's fare. There was nothing remotely designed for children to read in Neil Gaiman's interpretation of the Sandman. There were a few times I found the artwork wanting in the works, but I never, ever had a problem with the writing. And, frankly, I was willing to overlook the occasional mediocre aspects of the visuals to savor the words that seemed so deliciously sublime.

Gaiman's stories were poignant, beautiful, tragic, filled with wonder, horrifying, terrifying in their implications, profound and often funny. The stories revolved around Morpheus, the Sandman, or, as he seemed to prefer in some cases, Dream. One of seven powerful entities that don't quite fit into god status, but certainly not because they didn't have the power. The story starts with him being captured by a slightly power hungry cult leader who was trying to hold Death hostage. Instead, he got Death's little brother, Dream. From there a good deal of the next dozen or so issues dealt with what Morpheus had to do to recover his position and restore the order to the world of dreams. Visits to Hell, battles with villains from the DC Universe, conversations with Death; all of these followed and none of the stories was ever exactly what I expected. That, friends and neighbors, is a rare and precious treat in and of itself. I was a little distressed when Gaiman decided to leave the Sandman behind. I had grown comfortable with my monthly visitations into the world that Gaiman let everyone share. He made up for it.

 

He's been a busy man, Mister Gaiman. He's been writing children's books, like the amazing Coraline and the delightful The Wolves in the Walls. He took the time to write American Gods, which rapidly hit my top ten books list. And before he managed that there was Neverwhere; his collection of stories, Smoke and Mirrors, the novel Stardust and the kids' book, The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish. Every one of the aforementioned is, simply put, powerful, magical stuff. Neil Gaiman writes with the same alchemical strength as Ray Bradbury, but the voice he uses is distinctly his own.

But don't take my word for it. Go out there and learn for yourself. If you read anthologies, the odds are fairly decent you've already run across at least a few of his pieces; he tends to have a pretty solid output for a man who can fill stadiums when it comes to people who want an autograph.

Did I mention he's a nice guy? He is. I mean that. If he wasn't, I might have to hate him for being so damned talented.

 

Editor's Note: If you are interested, Neil keeps a BLOG on his page. Check it out. Get your daily dose of Neil's humor, charm and wit. I've rarely seen an author who is so very kind about writing back to his fans and answering questions, even during the midst of a huge big signing tour. If you are a Live Journal user, you can get Neil's BLOG as a daily feed to your friend's list. Thank you Neil for the several times you have so nicely signed books for me and for adding a perk to my morning coffee. ~ Wissago

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