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Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman
Over the past twenty years, Neil Gaiman has developed into the premier fantasist of his generation, achieving that rarest of combinations—unrivaled critical respect and extraordinary commercial success. From the landmark comic book series The Sandman to novels such as the New York Times bestselling American Gods and Anansi Boys , from children’s literature like Coraline to screenplays for such films as Beowulf , Gaiman work has garnered him an enthusiastic and fiercely loyal, global following. To comic book fans, he is Zeus in the pantheon of creative gods, having changed that industry forever. For discerning readers, he bridges the vast gap that traditionally divides lovers of “literary” and “genre” fiction. Gaiman is truly a pop culture phenomenon, an artist with a magic touch whose work has won almost universal acclaim.
Now, for the first time ever, Prince of Stories chronicles the history and impact of the complete works of Neil Gaiman in film, fiction, music, comic books, and beyond. Containing hours of exclusive interviews with Gaiman and conversations with his collaborators, as well as wonderful nuggets of his work such as the beginning of an unpublished novel, a rare comic and never-before-seen essay, this is a treasure trove of all things Gaiman. In addition to providing in depth information and commentary on Gaiman’s myriad works, the book also includes rare photographs, book covers, artwork, and related trivia and minutiae, making it both an insightful introduction to his work, and a true “must-have” for his ever growing legion of fans.
Now, for the first time ever, Prince of Stories chronicles the history and impact of the complete works of Neil Gaiman in film, fiction, music, comic books, and beyond. Containing hours of exclusive interviews with Gaiman and conversations with his collaborators, as well as wonderful nuggets of his work such as the beginning of an unpublished novel, a rare comic and never-before-seen essay, this is a treasure trove of all things Gaiman. In addition to providing in depth information and commentary on Gaiman’s myriad works, the book also includes rare photographs, book covers, artwork, and related trivia and minutiae, making it both an insightful introduction to his work, and a true “must-have” for his ever growing legion of fans.
546 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2008
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3490 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
February 19, 2012
Rating: 2.5* of five
What was I thinking? I don't like the Gaiman books I've read so far, feeling like beating him with long, leathery things studded with flesh-rending hooks, because CHARACTERS HAVE TO CHANGE SOMEHOW as a result of the journey of the novel, and his don't. So far, anyway.
So why read this gushing fanboy spoiler-fest? Why inundate myself with the trivia and ejecta of the man's undeniably interesting career doing things I don't care about, like comics and graphic novels?
To see what all the fuss is about. Still don't know.
I'm just not interested in comics/graphic novels, really, and that's about 250pp of the 500pp book. Gaiman's entire ouevre is spoilerized, which I found handy since I just can't make myself read another book by him. Now I don't have to. But really, now, the mind that can conceive the fascinating, delectably textured premise for American Gods can conceive an ending for it! Having read the plot summaries of his comics work, I know he's done it before. So what was the problem?! Turns out...it was his first novel. The collaboration with Pratchett on Good Omens isn't all his. The novelization of Neverwhere isn't a novel from the ground up. The author himself says it was his first real novel.
But still! No ending! *mutters sulphrously*
Oh, anyway, I gave this book 2-1/2 stars because it's a breathless, giddy, golly-gee convention panel brochure (that Stephen could have written, poor man's on the Gaiman train) that got delusions of grandeur. Don't read it unless you're a) sleepy yet can't fall asleep, b) a Gaiman fanatic AND under 24, or c) *desperate* to know what you're missing that everyone else is getting from this pop-culture phenom. (Nothing, the emperor's nekkid, but keep it quiet 'cause they're fun to watch.)
This review is Stephen's Christmas present. He hates Gaiman as much as I do.
What was I thinking? I don't like the Gaiman books I've read so far, feeling like beating him with long, leathery things studded with flesh-rending hooks, because CHARACTERS HAVE TO CHANGE SOMEHOW as a result of the journey of the novel, and his don't. So far, anyway.
So why read this gushing fanboy spoiler-fest? Why inundate myself with the trivia and ejecta of the man's undeniably interesting career doing things I don't care about, like comics and graphic novels?
To see what all the fuss is about. Still don't know.
I'm just not interested in comics/graphic novels, really, and that's about 250pp of the 500pp book. Gaiman's entire ouevre is spoilerized, which I found handy since I just can't make myself read another book by him. Now I don't have to. But really, now, the mind that can conceive the fascinating, delectably textured premise for American Gods can conceive an ending for it! Having read the plot summaries of his comics work, I know he's done it before. So what was the problem?! Turns out...it was his first novel. The collaboration with Pratchett on Good Omens isn't all his. The novelization of Neverwhere isn't a novel from the ground up. The author himself says it was his first real novel.
But still! No ending! *mutters sulphrously*
Oh, anyway, I gave this book 2-1/2 stars because it's a breathless, giddy, golly-gee convention panel brochure (that Stephen could have written, poor man's on the Gaiman train) that got delusions of grandeur. Don't read it unless you're a) sleepy yet can't fall asleep, b) a Gaiman fanatic AND under 24, or c) *desperate* to know what you're missing that everyone else is getting from this pop-culture phenom. (Nothing, the emperor's nekkid, but keep it quiet 'cause they're fun to watch.)
This review is Stephen's Christmas present. He hates Gaiman as much as I do.
February 20, 2016
A treasure of a book. This is recommended reading for Neil Gaiman fans old and new.
This is an excellent resource for synopses and trivia on his varied work from comic books, novels and short stories. A rare and unpublished Gaiman comic book story appears in print for the first time here as well.
This is an excellent resource for synopses and trivia on his varied work from comic books, novels and short stories. A rare and unpublished Gaiman comic book story appears in print for the first time here as well.
June 10, 2025
This tome contains a bio, everything written by Gaiman into 2008, numerous photos, book covers, interviews, and other information. I actually met Gaiman twice. Once at a library conference I attended and another time at a book reading promoting The Ocean at the End of the Lane which was in 2013 so five years after this book came out.
April 22, 2012
I am a biased reviewer, I admit to it. I dig deep into the writings of most authors and make observations on them. But when it comes to Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, I tend to drool and be led by the nose to wherever they lead me to. There is this zone of comfort which I have built around these two authors and I am rather lost at trying to play critic to what they write. I wanted a detailed look at Gaiman's literary oeuvre and chanced upon this title. The reason I wanted this was that I would not be able to find in India, a majority of the work Gaiman did in the field of Comics. What I wanted was wholesome and detailed view on the writer, his tone & style and a whole canon of literature he influenced. What I found was a book length fanboy work !
To the credit of the writers, they have come up with the details of almost every other piece of material Gaiman has ever created. There are articles and essays he has written, there are interviews with the artists he collaborated with, there is a detailed interview with him which is the best part of the book. I distinctly remember reading Gaiman's works and write glowing reviews about them, then I read all these amazing reviews other readers have come up with. Then I think Damn, how did I miss that part ? It never lessens my liking for his work but these occurences have made me realize that I would not probably be a good person to review his work. There was in me the need for reading a good dissection of his tales and which said what was good and what was bad. Unfortunately, I did not find it here.
If you are fan of the author, try it out. Be warned that there are plot spoilers for almost every single piece of his tales here. This book was created for his serious fan but I do not think I have reached those levels & I never probably will.
One and half stars for the massive amounts of research and detail that have been poured in & one and half stars for the interview with Gaiman. ( I have started explaining the rationale for my rating system !! What's next in line ? )
To the credit of the writers, they have come up with the details of almost every other piece of material Gaiman has ever created. There are articles and essays he has written, there are interviews with the artists he collaborated with, there is a detailed interview with him which is the best part of the book. I distinctly remember reading Gaiman's works and write glowing reviews about them, then I read all these amazing reviews other readers have come up with. Then I think Damn, how did I miss that part ? It never lessens my liking for his work but these occurences have made me realize that I would not probably be a good person to review his work. There was in me the need for reading a good dissection of his tales and which said what was good and what was bad. Unfortunately, I did not find it here.
If you are fan of the author, try it out. Be warned that there are plot spoilers for almost every single piece of his tales here. This book was created for his serious fan but I do not think I have reached those levels & I never probably will.
One and half stars for the massive amounts of research and detail that have been poured in & one and half stars for the interview with Gaiman. ( I have started explaining the rationale for my rating system !! What's next in line ? )
April 2, 2011
No one is more a fan of Neil Gaiman than I. He's a literary hero to me, on a par with Tolkien and Zelazny. Maybe because of that, this book really didn't work for me. I hoped to learn more about Neil by reading this book, but didn't. There’s unfortunately little about Gaiman’s personal life, his writing processes, or his inspirations. The exception, is a lengthy interview with the man himself, published at the end of the book. There’s not much new in the rest of the book for anyone who’s fairly acquainted with Gaiman’s work. For someone like me, there's really nothing new to be learned here. Another disappoint is the tone of the book. The authors continually fawn over the genius of Gaiman’s work. Now I don’t necessarily disagree with them, but I wish there was more meat, more substance, to this thick tome.
September 24, 2021
4/5 Stars (%83/100)
Since I planned to use the book for my thesis, the most important thing for me was its usefulness. Indeed, I found most of the chapters in the book useful and relevant to my argument, especially regarding American Gods and Anansi Boys. However, this is a very long book compared to other anthologies about Gaiman. This is why I felt lost from time to time and would have preferred if some parts were shorter. Also, there were some chapters that were not useful to me. Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it to people who plan to study or research Gaiman. There are, arguably, better books to be familiar with Gaiman's style and works. This one is not for everyone.
Since I planned to use the book for my thesis, the most important thing for me was its usefulness. Indeed, I found most of the chapters in the book useful and relevant to my argument, especially regarding American Gods and Anansi Boys. However, this is a very long book compared to other anthologies about Gaiman. This is why I felt lost from time to time and would have preferred if some parts were shorter. Also, there were some chapters that were not useful to me. Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it to people who plan to study or research Gaiman. There are, arguably, better books to be familiar with Gaiman's style and works. This one is not for everyone.
December 30, 2008
Reviewed by Christina Tsichlis for TeensReadToo.com
PRINCE OF STORIES: THE MANY WORLDS OF NEIL GAIMAN is a wonderful book for any fan of Neil Gaiman. It is an overview of his work as well as his life. It is clearly a book written by friends of the man himself and has a jovial feel to it, almost like friends telling stories about one of their own to one of their own. As a reader, one feels almost included in the circle of friendship that clearly helped to generate this book.
Virtually everything a Gaiman fan could want is included in this book, from a list of websites to discussions on characters, from family photos to cover art, and from interviews to journal entries. Gaiman's amazing accomplishments in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, and Film worlds come to life through the anecdotes and commentary in this book.
A reader comes away feeling like they have known the man for years. It is not simply a cut-and-dried look at Gaiman's amazing accomplishments or life. It carries in it the liveliness all of Gaiman's own works include.
While there is nothing that a parent of a younger child would particularly object to, this is a book written for older readers, for people who have already read Gaiman's work. If one has not read his books yet, it would be giving away some of the most wonderful joys and secret pleasures of reading books written by a master.
Gaiman is THE fantasist of our time, and his ability to shift between mediums is amazing. Considering that this book covers all of his work, some even that have not yet been published, it would be a shame to read this book before you have read or watched what Gaiman himself has created.
PRINCE OF STORIES: THE MANY WORLDS OF NEIL GAIMAN is a wonderful book for any fan of Neil Gaiman. It is an overview of his work as well as his life. It is clearly a book written by friends of the man himself and has a jovial feel to it, almost like friends telling stories about one of their own to one of their own. As a reader, one feels almost included in the circle of friendship that clearly helped to generate this book.
Virtually everything a Gaiman fan could want is included in this book, from a list of websites to discussions on characters, from family photos to cover art, and from interviews to journal entries. Gaiman's amazing accomplishments in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, and Film worlds come to life through the anecdotes and commentary in this book.
A reader comes away feeling like they have known the man for years. It is not simply a cut-and-dried look at Gaiman's amazing accomplishments or life. It carries in it the liveliness all of Gaiman's own works include.
While there is nothing that a parent of a younger child would particularly object to, this is a book written for older readers, for people who have already read Gaiman's work. If one has not read his books yet, it would be giving away some of the most wonderful joys and secret pleasures of reading books written by a master.
Gaiman is THE fantasist of our time, and his ability to shift between mediums is amazing. Considering that this book covers all of his work, some even that have not yet been published, it would be a shame to read this book before you have read or watched what Gaiman himself has created.
May 31, 2013
Excelente livro sobre esse (maravilhoso) autor, de quem eu sou fã, então essa resenha vai ser uma rasgação de seda: leia por sua conta e risco.
Esse livro é um compêndio da obra de Neil Gaiman, analisando e discutindo os seus feitos em quadrinhos, romances, livros infantis, poemas, canções, roteiros de cinema. Percorre a obra até 2008, por isso não é completo, já que de lá até aqui Neil Gaiman já publicou muita coisa, inclusive o melhor livro dele, na minha opinião, The Graveyard Book, ou O Livro do Cemitério, que acaba de ser lançado pela Rocco em português.
Esse livro faz mais do que analisar a sua obra, também tem, no final, uma entrevista com ele, que é sensacional, e todo fã deve ler, talvez até o não-fã, para conhecê-lo melhor.
Um detalhe ótimo desse livro é que apresenta declaraçôes de pessoas que trabalharam com Neil: editores, desenhistas, outros escritores, e uma entrevista com sua assistente, Lorraine Garland, ou Fabulous Lorraine.
Uma das melhores coisas desse livro é o prefácio, escrito por Terry Pratchett, sensacional.
Depois de ler esse livro, eu fiquei muito triste; triste porque realisticamente sei que nunca vou conhecê-lo pessoalmente, e Neil é uma daquelas pessoas que eu gostaria de ter como amigo, uma pessoa boníssima e muito inteligente, com quem eu gostaria muito de sentar em um barzinho, tomar guaraná e jogar conversa fora. E é isso que me deixa triste, o fato de saber que nunca acontecerá.
Esse livro merece 5 estrelas e merece ser lido por todos.
Esse livro é um compêndio da obra de Neil Gaiman, analisando e discutindo os seus feitos em quadrinhos, romances, livros infantis, poemas, canções, roteiros de cinema. Percorre a obra até 2008, por isso não é completo, já que de lá até aqui Neil Gaiman já publicou muita coisa, inclusive o melhor livro dele, na minha opinião, The Graveyard Book, ou O Livro do Cemitério, que acaba de ser lançado pela Rocco em português.
Esse livro faz mais do que analisar a sua obra, também tem, no final, uma entrevista com ele, que é sensacional, e todo fã deve ler, talvez até o não-fã, para conhecê-lo melhor.
Um detalhe ótimo desse livro é que apresenta declaraçôes de pessoas que trabalharam com Neil: editores, desenhistas, outros escritores, e uma entrevista com sua assistente, Lorraine Garland, ou Fabulous Lorraine.
Uma das melhores coisas desse livro é o prefácio, escrito por Terry Pratchett, sensacional.
Depois de ler esse livro, eu fiquei muito triste; triste porque realisticamente sei que nunca vou conhecê-lo pessoalmente, e Neil é uma daquelas pessoas que eu gostaria de ter como amigo, uma pessoa boníssima e muito inteligente, com quem eu gostaria muito de sentar em um barzinho, tomar guaraná e jogar conversa fora. E é isso que me deixa triste, o fato de saber que nunca acontecerá.
Esse livro merece 5 estrelas e merece ser lido por todos.
November 7, 2011
Even though I consider myself a fan of Neil Gaiman, I never realized the amount of work he produced that I didn't know about. I am thankful for finding this book which was printed in 2008.
Pretty much the entire book is a listing of Neil's work with some behind the scenes information and background from artists and other writers. I am a huge fan of his Sandman series and really enjoyed finding out some tidbits that I missed as I've read the comics over and over.
The last quarter of the book is a detailed interview with Neil that pretty much covers everything you would want to know about him and his work. I think the only thing I didn't discover was what his favorite color was, though I'm guessing it's black.
In the end, I would definitely recommend this book to readers who have experienced some of his different works and would like to know more about where his ideas come from. This is not a book for someone looking for a biography or to learn how to write from Neil.
All in all, I'm really happy I found it.
Pretty much the entire book is a listing of Neil's work with some behind the scenes information and background from artists and other writers. I am a huge fan of his Sandman series and really enjoyed finding out some tidbits that I missed as I've read the comics over and over.
The last quarter of the book is a detailed interview with Neil that pretty much covers everything you would want to know about him and his work. I think the only thing I didn't discover was what his favorite color was, though I'm guessing it's black.
In the end, I would definitely recommend this book to readers who have experienced some of his different works and would like to know more about where his ideas come from. This is not a book for someone looking for a biography or to learn how to write from Neil.
All in all, I'm really happy I found it.
May 18, 2009
I can't really recommend this for anyone who isn't a diehard Gaiman fan. With that said, there's a good bit of information here that I was delighted to find -- it's nice to have a summary of all Gaiman's works in one spot, divided by genre/type, along with character summaries, bits of trivia, and more. However, there was a lot that I skimmed, just because it's so darn long (and because it could've used a better editor, and heck, better writers). I enjoyed the interview too, but aside from those things, there's not much here that would interest the casual reader, I think.
November 21, 2008
So far I've learned that Gaiman "takes the view that mornings happen to other people". :) I think we're kindred souls.
Update:
I really enjoyed the interviews in this book, and the scattered quotes by Neil Gaiman. I had to skip a lot of the rest; the authors give detailed break-downs of his books, and as I'm still reading most of them, I didn't want to get spoiled! I look forward to picking it up again, after I've finished a few more of his works.
Update:
I really enjoyed the interviews in this book, and the scattered quotes by Neil Gaiman. I had to skip a lot of the rest; the authors give detailed break-downs of his books, and as I'm still reading most of them, I didn't want to get spoiled! I look forward to picking it up again, after I've finished a few more of his works.
March 9, 2009
Picked this up when I needed to grab something to read while waiting for the talk at the venue next door to start.
If you want a synopsis of everything Gaiman's ever written, here you go. A wee bit gushy at times (layered meanings behind names were of course deliberately done by a writer of Gaiman's caliber, etc.), but otherwise fairly insightful.
If you want a synopsis of everything Gaiman's ever written, here you go. A wee bit gushy at times (layered meanings behind names were of course deliberately done by a writer of Gaiman's caliber, etc.), but otherwise fairly insightful.
December 29, 2008
Good overview of Gaiman's work across all media, though a lot of page count is synopses (so if you've read a lot of his work, it goes quickly).
January 1, 2025
Ik kreeg dit boek toen ik nog echt middenin mijn Gaiman-hype zat, maar inmiddels is dat afgezwakt en is dit boek uit 2008 wat gedateerd (om een boek over het oeuvre en de persoon van een schrijver te maken terwijl die nog erg actief is, is wellicht sowieso niet zo handig). Nog steeds vind ik de meeste van Neil Gaimans strips, met name Sandman, erg goed - net als zijn romans 'American Gods', 'Anansi Boys' en het kinderboek 'Coraline'; maar vooral zijn latere werk vind ik zelf wat minder. Ook zijn korte verhalen vind ik over het algemeen minder sterk, wellicht door hun lengte.
Dit boek - Prince of Stories - heb ik gebruikt om elk werk (tot 2008) dat werd besproken te (her)lezen, voor zover ik ze kon vinden, tot het hele boek uit was. Na het deel over zijn oeuvre volgen nog een lang interview en nog wat bijlagen, maar die vond ik zelf niet zo interessant.
Er staan foto's in het boek, wat wel leuk is, en sommige trivia en besprekingen zijn interessant, maar over het algemeen is dit meer een 'opsommend' boek met informatie die je wellicht ook makkelijk op internet kunt vinden. Boeken die via essays en/of artikelen dieper ingaan op Gaimans werk, vind ik interessanter (zoals 'The Sandman Papers).
Dit boek - Prince of Stories - heb ik gebruikt om elk werk (tot 2008) dat werd besproken te (her)lezen, voor zover ik ze kon vinden, tot het hele boek uit was. Na het deel over zijn oeuvre volgen nog een lang interview en nog wat bijlagen, maar die vond ik zelf niet zo interessant.
Er staan foto's in het boek, wat wel leuk is, en sommige trivia en besprekingen zijn interessant, maar over het algemeen is dit meer een 'opsommend' boek met informatie die je wellicht ook makkelijk op internet kunt vinden. Boeken die via essays en/of artikelen dieper ingaan op Gaimans werk, vind ik interessanter (zoals 'The Sandman Papers).
October 14, 2017
This is an essential book for all Neil Gaiman fans. It lists all book and stories along with synopses, character profiles and Neil's comments. The graphic and comic medium does not interest me so I just skimmed it. I have read most of Neils other stuff but this has listed books that I was not previously aware of. There are also audio versions that i look forward to.
August 18, 2018
I've loved everything I've read by Gaiman but this book is intended for Gaiman Geeks - and I'm not quite there. It supposedly 'chronicles the history and impact' of his complete works. I'm sure there are people out there who would really love this - I'm just not one of them. I'd rather just read one of his novels.
January 21, 2018
Well written and very informative, this is a nice recap of everything Gaiman... I did skip any parts which spoiled any stories I haven't yet read...
January 29, 2019
This book isn't just a research product by these authors. It's a love letter to the author and his ability to create beautiful enchanting haunting lovely worlds. 😊
July 10, 2022
Gaiman is my favorite author so it was interesting to learn more about him and a break down of all his work which has led me to some of his older works that I need to go read
March 29, 2023
3.5 stars
May 5, 2012
It would not be difficult to argue that Neil Gaiman is one of the premier fantasy writers of our day. He is certainly prolific, and his works have gained critical acclaim as well as popularity. Wagner, Golden and Bissette have attempted to delineate, catalog, and comment on the totality of Gaiman’s writings to date (and even some that have yet to be written).
The result is a hefty volume that satisfactorily achieves the authors' purpose. Divided into sections on the Sandman material, other comics, other graphic novels, prose novels, short stories, poems & lyrics, film/TV scripts, and miscellaneous writings, the book covers Gaiman's wide range of output in a methodical manner.
Most of the longer stories are recapped not by plot summaries, but by descriptions of the characters and settings; this frequently result in the plots being described anyway, but provides a more diverse (and to my mind, complete) viewpoint. For items that I had already read, the recaps provided a good memory jog. For stories that were new to me, most of the descriptions gave enough information to give me a sense of the story without spoiling the whole thing.
There is also a lengthy interview with Gaiman, a shorter interview with his assistant Lorraine Garland, and a multitude of quotes from Gaiman and others scattered throughout the book. Also included are two separate chunks of color plates, containing images of book covers, photos of Neil with family and friends, a complete 4-page graphic story reprinted from Taboo #6, and more.
For Gaiman fans, the book is worth it for the interview alone. For scholars, the annotated-bibliography aspect of the book would be invaluable. For those who have only a limited contact with the works of Neil Gaiman, this is a reliable resource for deciding what to read next.
The result is a hefty volume that satisfactorily achieves the authors' purpose. Divided into sections on the Sandman material, other comics, other graphic novels, prose novels, short stories, poems & lyrics, film/TV scripts, and miscellaneous writings, the book covers Gaiman's wide range of output in a methodical manner.
Most of the longer stories are recapped not by plot summaries, but by descriptions of the characters and settings; this frequently result in the plots being described anyway, but provides a more diverse (and to my mind, complete) viewpoint. For items that I had already read, the recaps provided a good memory jog. For stories that were new to me, most of the descriptions gave enough information to give me a sense of the story without spoiling the whole thing.
There is also a lengthy interview with Gaiman, a shorter interview with his assistant Lorraine Garland, and a multitude of quotes from Gaiman and others scattered throughout the book. Also included are two separate chunks of color plates, containing images of book covers, photos of Neil with family and friends, a complete 4-page graphic story reprinted from Taboo #6, and more.
For Gaiman fans, the book is worth it for the interview alone. For scholars, the annotated-bibliography aspect of the book would be invaluable. For those who have only a limited contact with the works of Neil Gaiman, this is a reliable resource for deciding what to read next.
July 30, 2009
I skimmed through this, but there's some fun stuff in it, including an excellent interview and some interesting trivia. I couldn't help feeling that it could be a little better - that they could have gotten the rights to reproduce a lost story, or at least found some more esoteric trivia and insight than explaining the dedications, which is what was resorted to for some of the books.
Also, discussing "A Game of You", they write "A careful reader cannot fail to notice Gaiman's thank-you to Jonathan Carroll...the novelist - whose first novel, The Land of Laughs covered similar territory - apparently encouraged Gaiman to forge ahead with plans for A Game of You." It wasn't The Land of Laughs - it was Bones of the Moon - and I think 'covered similar territory' does a disservice to the discussion, since they were nearly identical in many ways. I don't often read books about books, so I don't know if maybe some other analysis of the Sandman has covered that, but I felt like more needed to be said.
In any case, my favorite parts of this book were the passages about the writing of various works: the initial idea, the process, the difficulties, and just the writer-on-writing bits. For example, on American Gods: "Gaiman wrote the first draft in fountain pen, in several five-hundred-page leather-bound sketchbooks that he purchased in a close-out sale. "I really wanted a second draft," says the author. "It's my experience with computers that they do not give you a second draft. Computers give you an ongoing, ever-improving first draft."
Anyway, this is a fun skim if you've read a fair amount of Gaiman's work.
Also, discussing "A Game of You", they write "A careful reader cannot fail to notice Gaiman's thank-you to Jonathan Carroll...the novelist - whose first novel, The Land of Laughs covered similar territory - apparently encouraged Gaiman to forge ahead with plans for A Game of You." It wasn't The Land of Laughs - it was Bones of the Moon - and I think 'covered similar territory' does a disservice to the discussion, since they were nearly identical in many ways. I don't often read books about books, so I don't know if maybe some other analysis of the Sandman has covered that, but I felt like more needed to be said.
In any case, my favorite parts of this book were the passages about the writing of various works: the initial idea, the process, the difficulties, and just the writer-on-writing bits. For example, on American Gods: "Gaiman wrote the first draft in fountain pen, in several five-hundred-page leather-bound sketchbooks that he purchased in a close-out sale. "I really wanted a second draft," says the author. "It's my experience with computers that they do not give you a second draft. Computers give you an ongoing, ever-improving first draft."
Anyway, this is a fun skim if you've read a fair amount of Gaiman's work.
June 11, 2011
Prince of Stories: The Many Worlds of Neil Gaiman is a true-blue Gaimaniac’s ticket for a marvelous romp to the life of this literary rock star.
This is practically a complete package, a 3-in-1 if you will—a pseudo-biography, a compilation of detailed reviews, and a bibliography of his works. The readers are given glimpses of Gaiman’s life through interviews, conversations with author friends, quotable quotes, and short anecdotes of the author from being a journalist to being a novelist. There are even family pictures and artworks from some of his masterpieces. As a late bloomer in the worlds of Gaiman, I must say that this tome became such an interesting and enjoyable treat for me; I learned a lot about the Dream King.
However, there are parts that are not spoiler-free so readers who haven’t read many of Gaiman’s works should be careful. All his works—graphic novels, YA books, children’s stories—are enormously detailed in different sections, complete from plot summaries to character analyses. Aside from that, this is chock-full of fun stuff that a hardcore Gaiman fan would love. XD
This is practically a complete package, a 3-in-1 if you will—a pseudo-biography, a compilation of detailed reviews, and a bibliography of his works. The readers are given glimpses of Gaiman’s life through interviews, conversations with author friends, quotable quotes, and short anecdotes of the author from being a journalist to being a novelist. There are even family pictures and artworks from some of his masterpieces. As a late bloomer in the worlds of Gaiman, I must say that this tome became such an interesting and enjoyable treat for me; I learned a lot about the Dream King.
However, there are parts that are not spoiler-free so readers who haven’t read many of Gaiman’s works should be careful. All his works—graphic novels, YA books, children’s stories—are enormously detailed in different sections, complete from plot summaries to character analyses. Aside from that, this is chock-full of fun stuff that a hardcore Gaiman fan would love. XD
June 24, 2011
After skimming through this book, I have come to the conclusion that the only people who should buy PRINCE OF STORIES are those who want a fat, pretty, hardcover book with Neil Gaiman's name on it to sit on their bookshelf. After all, people who are not big fans of Gaiman will have no interest in the thin summaries of all of his works (which comprises the majority of this tome), and diehard fans will find that there is almost nothing new to be found here.
The only pearls of enjoyment that I found in this book were some of the interviews and "trivia" sections, although both are rather short. Also, I use the word "pearls" here because only a few of them were interesting, particularly for the trivia bits. Most of the "trivia" were obvious facts or tidbits that can be found elsewhere.
Despite all of my criticisms, though, I can't hate this book because the idea itself is pretty cool. It was nice to see attention given to Gaiman's works that are lesser known, and the photos are neat to look at. (Just don't get too excited about the "rare comic"-- it was never published for a reason.)
The only pearls of enjoyment that I found in this book were some of the interviews and "trivia" sections, although both are rather short. Also, I use the word "pearls" here because only a few of them were interesting, particularly for the trivia bits. Most of the "trivia" were obvious facts or tidbits that can be found elsewhere.
Despite all of my criticisms, though, I can't hate this book because the idea itself is pretty cool. It was nice to see attention given to Gaiman's works that are lesser known, and the photos are neat to look at. (Just don't get too excited about the "rare comic"-- it was never published for a reason.)
July 30, 2011
Pretty decent overall. Enjoy it especially for its well written summary of the Miracleman/Spawn dispute between Neil Gaiman, Todd McFarlane, and about a million other people. The rest of the info should probably already be known by real Gaiman fans, who are the ones reading the book anyways. If you've somehow stumbled upon this book before reading everything or almost everything he's ever done, consider a useful summary of where to go and what to read. It is however, as another reviewer stated, not a biography. It seems almost weird that is categorized as such. It's more a summary of what he's done, with a bit of analysis. If you're looking for a more in-depth analysis of one of his works, pick up "The Sandman Papers". As is, it's a well researched book with several interesting tidbits about Neil, and even already obsessed fans might learn something new or discover a new work by him they were previously unaware of. However, it's not a biography, and you'll be disappointed if you're looking for one.
July 6, 2010
I found this to be a rather interesting book, at least for the first half. I never knew a whole lot about the issues with Todd McFarlane as I think I had some general dislike for McFarlane by then. It was interesting to know how many vague and mostly forgotten characters Gaiman reworked and so on. So forth.
So much of the book, though, is basically an overview of all Gaiman's work so it ends, I believe, with the Graveyard Book, I believe. And while it's nice to have the summary and all the lists of characters, there's a redundancy to it if you've read most of his work. I'm sure that I'd enjoy reading the issues of Swamp Thing and all else, but that (and others) was never a series I was into.
It did, of course, make me want to reread The Sandman for the upteenth time. And I'm sure I will eventually.
I'm not sure how I would recommend it. I'm glad to have it and read it, but...well, who knows.
So much of the book, though, is basically an overview of all Gaiman's work so it ends, I believe, with the Graveyard Book, I believe. And while it's nice to have the summary and all the lists of characters, there's a redundancy to it if you've read most of his work. I'm sure that I'd enjoy reading the issues of Swamp Thing and all else, but that (and others) was never a series I was into.
It did, of course, make me want to reread The Sandman for the upteenth time. And I'm sure I will eventually.
I'm not sure how I would recommend it. I'm glad to have it and read it, but...well, who knows.
February 12, 2012
Curious reading. I found I was familiar with much of it, though that isn't the book's fault, but essentially everything that was interesting I had already seen in one place or another, likely because Neil Gaiman is so internetable, thus many of the quotes and interviews and pieces of information are all all over Tumblr and so on on a fairly regular basis. I skipped the Sandman parts, as I've not yet read them, but they seemed comprehensive and interesting. In a near-academic way this book appears a fine resource and collective and that's all well and good, and had I been after that I would likely have given it five stars, but I did not, which is again, my issue, but still, this is my rating, because I meant to sit and read it, and when it came to doing that, it was, much as any such book would be, a little clunky and repetitive and didn't bring much new to me. That said, it's clearly a labour of love and very much packed with stuff and care, for which one cannot complain.
October 21, 2013
Pulling all the Sandman books for research on a desired tattoo, and I found this in the catalog. Fun.
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And then like, a year later, I picked it up to read it. I am timely.
Also, I'm accidentally picking up a hell of a lot of books that involve Christopher Golden lately. Crazy.
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I enjoyed telling people how, with 1658 books on my to-read list, I was reading a book about books. That I've already read (for the most part).
This was lovely to read, even if so much of the book is made up of comics of Mr. Gaiman's that I've never read. I WILL READ Marvel 1602 if it's the last thing I do, though.
Also, even though this was written before The Graveyard Book was published, there is a small mention of it, and I discovered that a Hempstock exists in that book. Didn't see that tie-in when reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
SO FUN.
WANT TO READ ALL THE GAIMAN AGAIN.
----
And then like, a year later, I picked it up to read it. I am timely.
Also, I'm accidentally picking up a hell of a lot of books that involve Christopher Golden lately. Crazy.
-----
I enjoyed telling people how, with 1658 books on my to-read list, I was reading a book about books. That I've already read (for the most part).
This was lovely to read, even if so much of the book is made up of comics of Mr. Gaiman's that I've never read. I WILL READ Marvel 1602 if it's the last thing I do, though.
Also, even though this was written before The Graveyard Book was published, there is a small mention of it, and I discovered that a Hempstock exists in that book. Didn't see that tie-in when reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
SO FUN.
WANT TO READ ALL THE GAIMAN AGAIN.
November 14, 2013
Meh.
For huge Gaiman fans, this book is great for the interviews and inside look on things like his Spawn lawsuit, but far too much of the book is cluttered with a synopsis of practically everything he's ever written, without telling us anything new about the process, and sometimes getting things wrong. (For example in PoS Hamnet Shakespeare is described as playing the part of a beautiful young woman in MSND, but he doesn't, he plays the Indian foundling. Which is really the only part a 10 year old kid could play. Duh.)
So, frustratingly long, and sometimes it's hard to tell where to glean some good information from the repetitive not very well written crud. The interviews are good, Neil's and Lorraine's are in the back, read those. Flip back and read the Charles Vess one. And then save yourself some time and just reread your favorite books and comics by Neil.
For huge Gaiman fans, this book is great for the interviews and inside look on things like his Spawn lawsuit, but far too much of the book is cluttered with a synopsis of practically everything he's ever written, without telling us anything new about the process, and sometimes getting things wrong. (For example in PoS Hamnet Shakespeare is described as playing the part of a beautiful young woman in MSND, but he doesn't, he plays the Indian foundling. Which is really the only part a 10 year old kid could play. Duh.)
So, frustratingly long, and sometimes it's hard to tell where to glean some good information from the repetitive not very well written crud. The interviews are good, Neil's and Lorraine's are in the back, read those. Flip back and read the Charles Vess one. And then save yourself some time and just reread your favorite books and comics by Neil.
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