In roughly just two decades, author Neil Gaiman has carved out a remarkable body of work, among several media, worthy of serious study. You’ll get just that in PRINCE OF STORIES: THE MANY WORLDS OF NEIL GAIMAN, a hefty hardback companion to the comic book writer/novelist/screenwriter/jack of all trades, compiled by Hank Wagner, Christopher Golden and Stephen R. Bissette.
The book is broken up among media, except that his revolutionary work on THE SANDMAN gets a portion all its own — about 130 pages’ worth — away from his many other graphic novels. With brief profiles of the characters and interesting bits of trivia, the authors take you on an issue-by-issue exploration of one of the very few comic series truly deserving of such consideration.
But first, there’s a glimpse of his early years, from his upbringing to his getting into writing via reviews (he fawned over FRIGHT NIGHT, which he now sheepishly regrets), eventually leading to his first published book: a work on Duran Duran!
We know Gaiman not for that, of course, but for THE SANDMAN, for modern-day fairy tales like CORALINE, for challenging novels like AMERICAN GODS, for films like BEOWULF . Even the most arcane of oddities — from a never-before-published essay of a fantasy convention to limited-edition Christmas cards and poems — don’t escape the critical eyes of the Wagner/Golden/Bissette trio.
There are interviews with frequent collaborators like Dave McKean (who provides the wonderful cover) and Charles Vess, as well as Gaiman’s assistant and, most importantly, Gaiman himself. He’s the subject of an extensive and revealing Q&A, in which he explains why the current 20th anniversary of THE SANDMAN is going on without a new SANDMAN work. It has to do with a rather miserly DC Comics not willing to grant him a measly two more percentage points on royalties.
Luckily, you’ll find no such stinginess on behalf of PRINCE OF STORIES. Gaiman’s fans — and let’s be clear that this book isn’t intended for newbies — will find plenty of goods to harvest, including several pages of photos, including a complete four-page comic called “Blood Monster” he wrote for the small-press anthology TABOO. This reference is as close a companion there is to palling around with Gaiman himself. —Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF NEIL GAIMAN:
• ANANSI BOYS by Neil Gaiman
• FRAGILE THINGS: SHORT FICTIONS AND WONDERS by Neil Gaiman
• THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN:
• BLOODSTAINED OZ by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore
• FOUR DARK NIGHTS by Bentley Little, Douglas Clegg, Christopher Golden and Tom Piccirilli
• HELLBOY: ODDEST JOBS edited by Christopher Golden
• THE HISS OF ESCAPING AIR by Christopher Golden
• THE MYTH HUNTERS: BOOK ONE OF THE VEIL by Christopher Golden
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Thank you so much for posting this!
Why would any sane individual regret fawning over Fright Night? It’s only the best vampire movie the 80s produced! (You heard me Near Dark! You too, The Lost Boys!) I have to say that my estimation of Mr. Gaiman has been slightly diminished by this revelation.