Neil Gaiman - all hat, no cattle?

[The_Punkyova]

@Lamia

Something I don’t think anyone else has mentioned yet about Neil Gaiman fandom is that it is to some extent about Neil Gaiman as a personality and not just Neil Gaiman’s work. Gaiman was blogging before blogging was cool, and this has helped make his fans feel like they know him. He also does a lot of public appearances – readings and signings to promote his new books, charity events, book festivals, library conferences, etc. – and comes across as very charming and likable. It probably doesn’t hurt that Gaiman is, while no movie star, not bad looking for a writer. If people didn’t like his work then none of this would matter, but there are reasons why Gaiman is more beloved than other writers who one might consider just as good.

I strongly agree with this. I used to be in this camp. He lives near me, so I saw him a lot, and he does come across as charming and likable. I bought most of his stuff sight unseen, based on his personality.

Then I found out that he’s a Scientologist, a serious one. (That’s what he sees in Amanda Palmer.) I realize this is my own personal issue, but I haven’t been able to read his work since.

I haven’t read Stardust, but I saw the movie. Again, my issues, but it struck me as an add for domestic violence. (Kidnap the girl, keep her locked up, and she’ll fall in love with you!) That just deepened my sense of betrayal, and now I actively avoid his stuff.

[Lamia]

@The_Punkyova

Then I found out that he’s a Scientologist, a serious one. (That’s what he sees in Amanda Palmer.) I realize this is my own personal issue, but I haven’t been able to read his work since.

I don’t think this is exactly true. Gaiman comes from a family of fairly prominent Scientologists and was raised as a Scientologist, but he doesn’t bring this up and when asked says he is not a Scientologist himself. (See for instance this New Yorker piece.) It doesn’t take much searching on the Web to find people claiming that he’s lying and really is an active Scientologist, but I’m not sure why he would lie about that as there are plenty of people who are a lot more famous and successful than Gaiman who are “out” Scientologists. In any event, he doesn’t seem to be promoting Scientology through his work or public appearances.

[Electric_Warrior]

Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors. I do agree that there seems to be a little something missing from all of his work, but it doesn’t really bother me that much, because the subject matter and imagery he deals in is so interesting to me. I would say that Good Omens is my personal favorite book. I’ve now attempted to read plenty of Terry Pratchett’s stuff, because it came so highly recommended from so many people, and I found it really lacking and trite.

[Malleus_Incus_Stapes]

YMMV, but I didn’t finds the ending of American Gods to be a cop-out. Now that I hear other people complaining about it, I can see why some people wouldn’t like it. But I feel it fits with the backstory of the book.

Loki and Wednesday’s war (up until Wednesday’s death, anyway) seems to be a mostly a war of words. They convince both sides they need to fight, but L and W themselves stand on the sidelines and watch everyone else kill each other. Shadow gives them an alternative narrative to “let’s him and you fight”- it’s now his words against Wednesday’s. W/L’s words work best when the listeners are all frenzied and fearful and not stopping to think about things. (Even so, they’re still having second thoughts, according to Technical Boy). It’s words all the way.