Neil Gaiman has been someone I look up to as both a writer and a reader. He spins fantastic stories with rich worlds and fascinating characters. I was first introduced to Neil Gaiman’s works with Sandman by a friend when I was staying with him. He had a number of the comics and graphic novels and I tore through them, enthralled.
We all know it is popular to take written works and turn them into movies and show series. Mr. Gaiman has quite q few of his library turned put on the screen. He has also written episodes for popular TV Shows such as Babylon 5. I am not including those today. There are entries in this list that I had never heard of and others that I loved.
I enjoy reading the Sandman novels but I did not enjoy reading American Gods. My sister-in-law has read more of his books and says they are the same writing style so she didn’t finish the books. The adapted works though, have allowed me to experience his worlds in a way I would enjoy.
Neverwhere (book 1996, show 1996)- Richard Mayhew performs an act of kindness and is taken to a whole new world in London called Neverwhere that includes angels, knights, monsters, and a girl named Door. When he is brought to Neverwhere, it takes away his ordered predictable life and he must learn to navigate this new world. I haven’t read the book or watched the movie.
Mirrormask (graphic novel 2005, movie 2005)- Being raised in a circus family, a fifteen-year-old wants a more normal life. Haunting music leads her to another realm and a runaway from that realm switches lives with her. She is brought into a realm of chaos and it is up to her to find the mirrormask, save the realm, and get home. I have not read the book nor watched the movie.
Stardust (book 1997, movie 2007)- A young man named Tristan is desperate to win a woman’s heart, Victoria. She says she wants the fallen star they just saw and Tristan goes over the wall to find it and bring it back. A witch, however, wants that same fallen star to regain her youth and beauty. Tristain finds the star first and it isn’t what he expected. I have not read the book but I have watched the movie and it was fantastic.
Good Omens with Terry Pratchett (book 1990, show 2019-)- The end of the world is nigh and the four horsemen marking the End of Days have appeared. An angel and a demon don’t want the world to end and so they work together to stop it as well as the descendant of Agnes Nutter, the prophetess that foretold this event. I watched the first episode of the show and it wasn’t for me. My colleague, Natalie, enjoyed it, though.
American Gods (book 2001, show 2017-2021)- American Gods have the Old Gods from the old countries brought to America by their believers leaving the land of their birth. As the New Gods rise: Media, Tech Boy, Mr. World, and others, Mr. Wednesday (Odin) seeks to fight them with the Old Gods and regain followers and power. Mr. Wednesday lines events up to force Shadow, a man just released from prison early because his wife died, to join him on his escapades. I have both watched the series and read the book and the show was worlds better. Even though there were stark differences between the two, it was close enough that my sister-in-law and I struggled through the book together just so we knew the end of the story since the series didn’t get there.
The Sandman (comic started 1988, show 2022-)- The Sandman, also known as Morpheus and Dream among other names. He is one of seven siblings: Dream, Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire, and Delirium. Collectively they are called The Endless. Dream is the personification of dreams. His items of power are his helmet, his bag of sand, and his ruby. Dream was trapped for seventy years by a man trying to trap his sister Death so he would never die. His absence was felt by the whole world once freed he had to collect his items and rebuild his realm. I have read some of the comics and I love them. The series on Netflix was a delight. I was in awe of the whole show.
Coraline (book 2002, movie 2009)- Coraline moves into a new house and when she unlocks a closed door in said house she goes into another world. At first, she likes it better until it becomes clear she isn’t allowed to leave. She finds the other trapped children and she must find a way to save them all including herself. I haven’t watched this but I think my oldest three kids have watched it but I haven’t taken the time to.
Anansi Boys (book 2005, series 2023)- This is a book two of American Gods of sorts. Mr. Nancy from American Gods is the main focus of this book. If you forget Mr. Nancy is the African trickster spider god and is a wonderful storyteller. I haven’t watched this, but I wonder if Orlando Jones plays Mr. Nancy like he did in American Gods.
How To Talk To Girls At Parties (graphic novel 2006, movie 2017) Enn and Vic are fifteen-year-old boys on opposite ends of the scale with girls. Enn isn’t so good with them but Vic is. Wait until they get a load of the girls at the party they crash. I haven’t read or watched this one either but maybe I will introduce it to my son.
Neil Gaiman Likely Stories (graphic novel 2018, movie 2016)- This is a collection of short stories written by Neil Gaiman. They are full of fantasy, horror, and the paranormal. The titles of a couple of them are: Looking For the Girl and Foreign Parts. I haven’t watched this.
Dead Boys Detective (graphic novel series started 2015, show 2024-) When a number of children go missing a group of young boys called the Dead Boys Detectives find a world free from adults and you never grow up. Unfortunately, their world is collapsing and they need five special children to stop it. I had never heard of either one.
Lucifer (2016-2021) The show is not specifically a book by Neil Gaiman, but the character is based on the Lucifer character from the Sandman comics. So, in a roundabout way, it is a work of Neil’s.
Have you read or watched anything on this list? What are your thoughts on them? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
