I read a short interview with Neil Gaiman, and I thought I’d pass it along. I think I’m the only Sandman fan here at iFanboy, but that’s only because neither of the others read it. I’ve yet to meet anyone who didn’t like Sandman if they read it, comic book fans or otherwise.
I liked 1602 pretty well, I guess. And I’m sure those Miracleman trades will be out any day now!
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
I can’t believe the other 2 members of this site have not read Sandman.
I mean come on…
N
My only defense is… well, I have no defense.
It’s too bad Christmas has come and gone…
Neil Gaiman is still one of the two people I fangirl about.
Thanks for the link!
ok, I’ll bite, who is the other person?
Neil Gaiman has probably overcome Terry Pratchett as my favorite author, just for his versitality.
Seriously, I would argue that people who really like not only comics, but mythology, religion, even new age-ness, weould really appreciate The Sandman, The Dreaming, and the original Books of Magic.
Sandman #31 is one of may favorites. His Imperial Majesty Emporer Norton I of The United States of America.
Michael (Welcome!) , do you read Lucifer? I think out of all the current comics, and spin offs from Sandman, it’s the closest thing in quality, if not somewhat tone, to Gaiman’s Sandman. It’s highly recommended.
You’re right though, the theme that runs through almost all of Gaiman’s work is the mythology/religion of various cultures, usually coming together in his stories. He must have done 3-4 versions of Thor by now. I love his big dumb Thor in Sandman.
You know, I’ve never read any Pratchett except for Good Omens, which he wrote with Gaiman. And that’s my favorite Gaiman novel by far. It felt a little like Douglas Adams.
Also, I saw Conor put Sandman book 1 in his Amazon wishlist. (A list I might add that has NEVER been culled.)
Oh, it’s been culled. Only a few things here and there, though. Everything on there I’d like to have, to varying degrees. Otherwise, why put it on the list?
Hey, Michael! Did you know they’re republishing GOOD OMENS in HC?
Oh yeah. In fact, Good Omens is how I got introduced to Neil Gaiman. I was a huge Terry Pratchett fan from way back (and yeah, he is like a fantasy based Douglas Adams), and learned a bit here and there about Gaiman.
Book-wise, American Gods is still one of my favs by Gaiman.
Josh, I have read a BIT of Lucifer, but I just reread the 4th Sandman trade, wherein Lucifer gives up Hell to Morpheus, and I really want to start picking up those trades.
Oh, and guys, I LOVE the podcast and the site. Thanks for taking the time out of your schedules to do this.
Thanks, Michael!
I fully plan on getting into SANDMAN and LUCIFER, but that’s a major undertaking and I’m not sure if I’m ready yet.
Stick a pin in our frappr map if you get a chance.
So what would be a good Pratchett novel to read to start with? That sounds like I’d like more.
Granted, I’m in no position to add more books to my “books to be read” pile.
And Lucifer, in trade form, is pure excellence.
Josh, check out http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/index.html
It’s one of the biggest Pratchett sites out there, focusing mainly on his Discworld novels, which consist of the majority of his work.
The reading guides give you a good idea on which books are considered starter books.
Of the starter books, I would recommend either Pyramids, Moving Pictures, or Guards! Guards!. If you remember the first Discworld computer/Playstaton game, the major points of the plot were based off of G!G!.
Conor, I hope you eventually make the plunge. I’ve yet to make it on Lucifer, but I want to complete my Sandman collection first.
And, again, I really appreciate the fact that you all read these posts and actively respond. This is seriously one of the best comic discussion sites I’ve been on.
The iFanboy Fanboy.
Okay, okay, okay.
The next time I make a swing through Amazon, I’ll pick up Volume 1.
I found Sandman to be really good, but also a bit inconsistent. When it’s good, it’s amazing. But in the later books, I got the feeling that Gaiman was on autopilot. He’s a really inventive writer, but sometimes I’m just not a fan of his stuff. Didn’t care for Neverwhere, and REALLY didn’t care for American Gods, either. He’s just one of those writers that I feel I should like more than I actually do.
Lucifer is just awesome. I think I might prefer it to Sandman, if only because Carey seems less beholden to classic myths and fairytales than Gaiman. His stories have a more spontaneous and unpredictable vibe to them. And I guess the whole passed-down-by-generations feeling of Gaiman’s stories is what appeals to so many people, but I prefer Carey’s more contemporary take.
I just picked up the latest Lucifer trade, but I need to go back and reread the last one before I dive in.
Did you read his latest, Anansi Boys?
It’s such a joy to read. I love it. And you really don’t even need to have read American Gods to understand or enjoy it.
I really liked Anansi boys as well.
The whole character of Mr. Nancy/Anansi, and his relation to other trickster gods, is a very fun one to explore.
I loved the duality of the two main characters, while still being connected by very strong ties.
I really don’t understand how Gaiman’s head doesn’t explode. The knowledge that his brain must store, most of it which could never be relevant in anyone else’s everyday life, is staggering.