Neil Gaiman
American Gods (2001)
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Horror (Storyteller/Old Ones)
Plot Summary:
As Shadow is soon to be released from prison he is eager to begin his life again with his beloved wife Laura, but her unexpected death changes his plans and he is subsequently enlisted to work for Mr. Wednesday, a trickster god, in the coming war between the old gods and the new gods. While working for Wednesday, Shadow is introduced to the old Gods living among us, but throughout most of the story Shadow is kept in the dark as to what purpose his duties under Wednesday serve. Shadow goes through a search for his own identity as the corpse of his deceased wife visits him. Even more troubling for Shadow is that he also finds his wife had been unfaithful to him. Laura wishes for Shadow to bring her back to life. Shadow learns that the new gods of industrial, technological and corporational culture are at war with the old gods who represent older myths of nature and antiquity. SPOILER: Shadow finds the reason Wednesday has sought out his services is that Wednesday is his father. Wednesday is also known as "The All Father" (aka Odin) who is the leader of all the old gods. After Wednesday is killed, Shadow holds vigil for him by having himself tied to a tree for 9 days, as is tradition. He has a sort of vision quest in which at one point he is taken on a journey through his own past. It is through this journey that he discovers the All Father is his father. During his nine day vigil Shadow dies and is resurrected by the goddess Easter.
Geographical Setting: Various locations across the United States, with emphasis on small towns and roadside attractions (e.g. House on the Rock, Rock City) in the Midwest and South.
Time Period: Present day (2001)
Appeal Characteristics:
More of a dark fantasy than a horror novel. The tone is dark and nightmarish. Nothing is what it seems on the surface, but it’s mainly creepy and skin-crawling rather than gory. The pacing is erratic – descriptive, dream-like passages are followed by bursts of action and unforeseen plot twist. There are many flashbacks that explain how the gods were created and how they came to America. The most obvious appeal factor is the heavy emphasis on mythology especially the Norse, Native American and Egyptian pantheons. It is mainly character driven, and the cast of secondary characters is vast and detailed–all the pantheons of the old countries plus fantastical creatures like leprechauns, piskies, trolls and dwarves. The characterization of each is really fascinating, especially how they manage to blend in to modern society and the back stories of how they came to this country. It is especially intriguing to try to guess the identity of a god before it is revealed.
Read-alikes: There is no shortage of further material from or about Gaiman. He has written several novels, graphic novels, screenplays, prose, short stories, and he is apparently the inspiration for some of Tori Amos' music. However, after reading American Gods, the best place to start would be some of his other novels, and more specifically, Neverwhere or Anansi Boys, Which have a similar fantasy/history context. Once the reader wishes to move beyond Gaiman's own works, one of the first authors that the Reader may enjoy is Terry Pratchett, known for his Discworld series. Pratchett is typically known for using more humor, but Pratchett and Gaiman have done some collaborative work and so could be a suggested author to follow Gaiman. A reader looking for novels involving legendary/historical entities may also enjoy The Age of Unreason series by Gregory Keys (book one of this series is Newton's Cannon. The story involves real people who have become legends in American society though in an alternate, fantasy/history. Christopher Moore's Coyote Blue would be appealing to those who like trickster mythology and the humor of American Gods. Charles De Lint's Someplace to Be Flying involves the investigation of "gods" among us and would interest those who enjoy urban fantasy and the mythology of Native Americans and trickers. Another such suggestion could be the title Black Thorn, White Rose which is a collection of various authors' short stories featuring fairy-tail/legendary characters. Another suggestion could be
a title by William Gibson such as Neuromancer or Pattern Recognition. Gibson typically writes what many readers refer to as "Cyberpunk," his novels have a similar pacing and a similar sense of modern fantasy. Lastly, one might suggest a book by Emma Bull, another of Gaiman's favorite authors. A title like War for the Oaks would be a similar "mortal caught in a war between mythical/legendary forces" title.
Red Flags: Scenes of graphic sex (hetero, homo & animal), graphic violence and murder - sometimes all three at once. Scenes of children being sacrificed might be especially disturbing to some. Bursts of profanity. Implication that human beings create their gods.
Anansi Boys (2005)
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy (Urban)
Plot Summary:
When Fat Charlie's father dies, Charlie doesn't feel much more than embarassment regarding the manner in which his father died. His father always had been an embarrassment to Charlie, and because of this, Charlie had never felt close to his father. Nevertheless, Charlie leaves his fiance, Rosie, behind in London and flies home to Florida to attend his father's funeral. It is at this funeral that Charlie learns from his former neighbor, Mrs. Higgler, that his father was a god and that Charlie has a brother out there somewhere; one who has inherited their father's powers. Naturally, Charlie, who has always been ordinary, finds the idea difficult to accept. However, under the influence of a bottle of white wine, Charlie follows Mrs. Higgler's directions for contacting his brother and talks to a spider. He never expects anything to come of it; but, unfortunately for Charlie, his brother, Spider, arrives on his doorstep and proceeds to wreak havoc on Charlie's orderly, normal life. Spider takes up residence in Charlie's flat, masquerades as Charlie and proceeds to seduce Charlie's fiance away from him. Not only that, but as a result of Spider's masquerade, Grahame Coats, Charlie's boss, decides to use Charlie as a scapegoat for the embezzlement scheme Coats has been running. Charlie goes to Mrs. Higgler and her friends, Mrs. Dunwiddy, Miss Noles and Mrs. Bustamonte, for a way to get rid of his unwanted houseguest, who has decided he likes Charlie's fiance and wants to stay right where he is. Mrs. Dunwiddy says she has already done all that she can, having sent away Charlie's brother when they were children. She offers Charlie a way to get in contact with other gods who might be willing to help Charlie. Charlie makes a deal with the Bird Woman, but soon comes to regret it, as his deal promised her Anansi's bloodline, which includes Charlie, himself. Spider's charade falls apart during this time, since he has decided that he wants Rosie to love him, rather than Charlie. Rosie responds by dumping both of the brothers. Spider is taken prisoner by the Bird Woman, and although Charlie asks the her to reverse their deal, she informs Charlie that she will not because she is under an obligation to another. Charlie goes back to Florida to find the feather the Bird Woman gave him to seal their deal, hoping to force her to take it back (and their deal along with it). He learns from Mrs. Dunwiddy that Spider is actually the mischievious and tricksy parts of Charlie's personality, broken away from Charlie during his childhood as a result of Mrs. Dunwiddy's spell. She tells Charlie that Mrs. Higgler has the feather, and she has gone to St. Andrews. SPOILERSo Charlie goes to St. Andrews, not realizing that Rosie, Rosie's mother and Charlie's crooked boss, Grahame Coats, have all traveled to St. Andrews for their own reasons, thus setting the stage for the final confrontation. Coats meets up with Rosie and her mother, taking them prisoner because he thinks they are here to expose him. Charlie meets up with Daisy, a London cop working on the Coats embezzlement case. Both are almost taken prisoner when Coats happens upon them, but Charlie finds the courage to foil Coats' plan with a karaoke machine and a spontaneous wedding proposal, and Coats disappears in the crowd that forms. Following this, Charlie finds Mrs. Higgler, who returns the feather and helps him find the spirit world again, where Charlie finds and speaks with his father. His father tells Charlie that he's begun to figure out his own power, and Charlie finds his brother, who has been imprisoned in a cave in the spirit world. The brothers learn they are up against Tiger, who holds a grudge against Anansi. Tiger has posessed Grahame Coats, but Rosie and her mother manage to drive him away during their escape from Coats' house. However, Rosie's mother is terribly injured in the escape, and Tiger is still not completely defeated, so the brothers return to the spirit world. There, Charlie discovers his songs have the power to fix the "web" of the world, saving Rosie's mother and vanquishing Tiger. He and Spider return, Spider stays with Rosie, Charlie marries Daisy, and they all live happily ever after.
Geographical Setting: London (England), Florida (USA), Saint Andrews
Time Period: Present (2005)
Series: Companion novel to American Gods
Appeal Characteristics:
The book's pacing is relaxed and easy because the reader is slowly introduced to the characters and to the mythology of Anansi. There is slightly more description than dialog. The pattern of the pacing starts out slowly, building in intensity toward the end of the story. The characters are well defined, eccentric and quirky, with the main characters showing more developed personalities. Charlie is endearingly awkward, and over the course of the book, he begins to discover his confidence and place in the world. Spider, on the other hand is sly and clever, and he becomes someone the reader can identify with as his human yearnings develop. Some of the secondary characters, Mrs. Higgler and Mrs. Dunwiddy in particular, are more typecast, but they serve to forward the development of the main character. Watching how the characters respond to events is probably the most important appeal element to this book. The storyline has a folk tale feel complete with happily resolved ending. The author's intent seems to be to craft a humorous look at how mythology and modern world might collide. The frame is urban and contemporary in the "real world" parts but exotic and surreal in the "spirit world" sections of the story. The parts of the story anchored in the "real world" are described very clearly. The "spirit world" sections are described in a much more vague fashion, and the magic performed is more instinct than formula. The tone is full of humor because of the contrast between Charlie's dry, straight-man observations of life and the absurd situations he is placed in by his father and Spider. The style of writing is colorful and homespun. Characters speak in dialects and use colorful phrasing. Anansi stories told in a traditional fashion also add to this.
Read-alikes: Readers who enjoyed the humorous tone and quirky characters of Anansi Boys will likely enjoy Good Omens, a book co-authored by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. This is the story of an angel and a demon who are not exactly typical of their respective kinds. They have lived among humans since the beginning of time and are more friends than adversaries. They enjoy the way things are, so when the apocalypse threatens, the two find themselves trying to stop it. Dragonhaven, by Robin McKinley, is the story of a boy named Jake Mendoza, who lives in the Smokehill National Park. He becomes surrogate parent to an orphaned baby dragon and eventually attempts to return her to her own species. The book has well developed characters and a similar pace to Anansi Boys. Fair Peril, by Nancy Springer, is the story of a forty-something woman named Buffy Murphy who discovers a frog prince but is unwilling to kiss him. Her daughter, however, is not so reluctant, and once he is transformed, the two run away to the land of Fair Peril, where they are caught by the queen who first made the prince a frog. Buffy must use her gift of storytelling (the key to power in the land of faerie) to save her daughter. This urban fantasy has a humorous tone and well developed, quirky characters similar to Anansi Boys. You Suck: A Love Story, by Christopher Moore, is a good book for readers who enjoyed the offbeat, quirky characters, somewhat absurd humor and the urban frame of Anansi Boys. However, this book will probably be a faster read, due to the larger amount of dialog between characters. You Suck is about Tommy, a 19 year old Indiana boy who finds himself unexpectedly turned into a vampire by his girlfriend. He's upset at first, but the two of them gradually learn how to manage life as the undead. Fans of Anansi Boys folktale style storyline and dry humor might appreciate Lud-in-the-Mist, by Hope Mirrlees. It's the story of a town mayor who finds himself reluctantly in the center of a controversy when fairy fruit mysteriously begins appearing from the land of Faerie (a place the villagers insist can't exist). Solstice Wood, by Patricia McKillip, is similar in pace and frame, though the tone is more serious than Anansi Boys. It is the story of Sylvia Lynn, who, when she comes home to attend her grandfather's funeral, learns that the sewing circle in which her grandmother participates is actually a coven of witches who use their sewing to weave protections to keep those in the Otherworld away. But the question Sylvia soon confronts is, are the beings kept in the Otherworld by the coven's magic actually evil or did someone generations ago make a mistake?
Red Flags: mild cussing, violence
Coraline (2002)
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy (Light tone)
Plot Summary:
Coraline is the only child of two working parents, who spends quite a bit of time alone and overlooked. She is an explorer and on a rainy afternoon she discovers a door in her house that is bricked over. But one evening she discovers the bricks are gone and she steps through it. On the other side, is her other family: one that is seemingly more loving and attentive but with shiny black buttons for eyes. Coraline decided to return to her own home, but a day later her parents are missing. Realizing that her mom and dad were kidnapped by her other mother, she must go back to the other side to rescue them. SPOILER: Coraline rescues her mom and dad and destroys her other mother by drowning her in a well.
Geographical Setting: England
Time Period: Contemporary (2002)
Series: None
Appeal Characteristics:
Like many of Gaiman's works, there is a irreverent tone even in tense situations. This novel is set in an unknown location in England, and those who enjoy British humor might enjoy this work. Many readers might like the fast pace and the shortness of the book. Good trumps evil in this story which might appeal to some readers. Some readers might like the strong, smart female lead character. Coraline's character really drives the plot.
Read-alikes: Many critics likened Coraline to Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll in part to the young female main character, as well as similar plot devices. Gaiman has also written other YA and children's fantasy: Stardust is one his shorter works told in the manner of a fairy tale and easier to follow than some of his longer adult fiction. Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is also tol
d in the manner of a fairy tale and contains some of the same humor found in Coraline. If a reader enjoys female protagonists, Blue Girl by Charles de Lint uses them in this urban fantasy. Coraline was the 2003 Hugo Award winner in Novellas, so those who prefer shorter works might consider reading more from this list.
Red Flags: None.
Stardust (1998)
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy (Faerie/Secondary Worlds)
Plot Summary:
Stardust is a delightful tale of faerie, romance, and adventure. Tristran Thorn is a simple farmer who lives in the town of Wall which borders the land of Faerie. He falls in love with the prettiest girl in "all the world" and as they witness a falling star together one evening Tristran promises to retrieve the star if only she'll marry him. When she agrees he sets out on a fantastical and dangerous journey where he meets at times humorous and at times horrific characters of all shapes and sizes. SPOILER: With the help of a hairy friend, Tristran does find the star who, in Faerie, takes the form of a beautiful and fiery blonde. Together they battle witches, greedy lords, and deadly trees in order to fulfill Tristran quest. But as the star and Tristran finally reach Wall, there is no denying that in the course of their journey they have formed an unbreakable bond of friendship and love. Elegantly illustrated by Charles Vess, this Gaiman tale is a true delight.
Geographical Setting: the town of Wall in England and the vast land of Faerie
Time Period: End of the Victorian era
Appeal Characteristics:
Gaiman's Stardust is a compellingly paced fairy tale set towards the end of the Victorian era which continues to excite the reader with new intriguing secondary characters like the fair star, Yvaine, who eats nothing but remains bright. It is a folksy tale of mythic proportions with an episodic storyline which focuses on one year of Tristran Thorn's life but carries the reader from his birth until his old age and eventual death. The novel is darker in tone while remaining at times humorous and romantic. It is framed with a few historical details while remaining fantastic. Written in the classic fairy tale style Gaiman's story and Vess' colorful and descriptive illustrations are sure to please.
Read-alikes: If you love Vess' colorfully descriptive illustrations and folksy Victorian faerie lands try The Book of Ballads illustrated and compiled by Charles Vess. It is a compilation of Victorian ballads re-told by famed fantasy writers and fully illustrated by Vess. If intriguing secondary characters written in the classic fairy tale style are what you most enjoyed and you would not mind more humor try The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It is the adventure and romance-rich tale of Buttercup, a princess to be, who believed she lost her true love until he reappears on the eve of her wedding to a horrid prince. If you enjoyed the compelling pace and episodic story line of Stardust try The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. The story is soon to become a trilogy beginning with this novel about Kvothe, a notorious wizard disguised as an innkeeper as his tells his tale in a land of magic and mystery. If you savored Vess' Victorian-esque illustrations and the folksy tale of faerie you may also enjoy The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen Edited by Maria Tatar. This compilation of famously fantastic stories including Thumbelina, The Nightingale and The Princess and the Pea takes a deeper look into the beloved tales with annotations and original Victorian art and is sure to please. If you like doses of humor with your fantasy in a classic fairy tale style try Hope Mirrlees. Gaiman says that Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist is his "favorite fairy tale/detective novel/history/fantasy" about another town which borders the land of Faerie and a son of a lord who dares to eat a forbidden fairy fruit and the lord's quest to save him.
Red Flags: pre-marital sex, violence, and witches
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