# neil gaiman recommendations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422 "2003-08-11T16:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aaaaaarrgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@aaaaaarrgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaaaaarrgg)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/1 "2003-08-11T16:52:04Z")
so i’ve decided that for all i’ve heard about neil gaiman, i should read some of his work. because it sounds fantastic. but then i looked around the internet and discovered that he’s written quite a bit. where should i start? what are the doper picks? ---
**Author:** ![haardvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@haardvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/haardvark)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/2 "2003-08-11T16:57:47Z")
Can’t say I’ve read his entire backlist but I REALLY REALLY enjoyed **American Gods**. **Neverwhere** was pretty good, too, if a bit cutesy, but AG was superlative. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/3 "2003-08-11T17:13:07Z")
Stardust! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/4 "2003-08-11T17:19:25Z")
The entire run of Sandman. 🙂 However, if you want to pick one to start, go with “Fables and Reflections” or “Dream Country.” ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/5 "2003-08-11T17:25:28Z")
_Coraline_ is his best book, in my opinion, but that comes at the top of a list of very good stuff. _The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish_ is absolutely hilarious, a picture book meant for kids, but every adult I know who has read it loved it too. _American Gods_ has already been mentioned, and that’s good stuff. _Smoke and Mirrors_ is a collection of some good short stories of Gaiman’s… “Chivalry” is especially fun, and “Murder Mysteries” may be the best short story he’s ever written (again, among some very good ones). If you’re going to read _Stardust_, which is excellent. I recommend the original graphic novel format. The story lost something in the translation to prose form (the beautiful Charles Vess illustrations, obviously, but something more than that as well). If you want to go whole-hog and just immerse yourself a week or so, there’s always the ten volumes (eleven, if you count _The Dream Hunters_) of **The Sandman**. This comic-book series is some of Gaiman’s best work in any medium, and will likely (if there is any justice) become a classic of 20th-century literature. That should get you started… there’s lots more, when you get done with those. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/6 "2003-08-11T17:35:21Z")
For your info, Gaiman is currently working on _1602_ for Marvel comics. Essentially, it’s about what would happen if the Marvel superheroes showed up 400 years ago instead of the 20th century. It possibly comes out in September, maybe October. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/7 "2003-08-11T17:46:00Z")
I’m sorry, Issue #1 comes out Wednesday August 13. [Marvel’s page on 1602](http://marvel.com/news/index.htm?page=all&article_id=135) ---
**Author:** ![Mamapotomus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mamapotomus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mamapotomus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/8 "2003-08-11T17:54:53Z")
**Wolves In The Walls** just came out recently- it’s a wonderful childrens story with amazing pictures. I bought it although Littlepotomus won’t be ready for it for a couple years. My favorites are **Sandman, Neverwhere** and **Stardust**. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/9 "2003-08-11T18:08:10Z")
Can’t go wrong with Sandman. I’d read them all. Be advised, you need to commit to two volumes. Some, myself included, have trouble getting immersed in the first volume (at least until the 24 Hours story). But it is WELL worth the cost. ---
**Author:** ![DK2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aca169/32.png) [@DK2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DK2)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/10 "2003-08-11T18:10:19Z")
Graphic Novel recommendations: The ten volumes of Sandman Black Orchid Violent Cases Death: The High Cost of Living The Books of Magic Midnight Days Novel recommendations: American Gods Neverwhere Coraline Stardust ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/11 "2003-08-11T19:45:16Z")
IMO, Sandman is easily his best work. It’s in 10 volumes (plus some side projects that you don’t need to worry about unless you find yourself enjoying the series). The first is called “Preludes & Nocturnes”, the second in “The Doll’s House.” I agree with **watsonwil** that Gaiman is still shaking out the kinks in the first half of the first volume; don’t let the incongruous Martian Manhunter appearance put you off the rest of the series which has essentially nothing to do with superheroes. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![aaaaaarrgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@aaaaaarrgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaaaaarrgg)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/12 "2003-08-11T19:49:35Z")
wow thanks everyone i just got back from the town library and they didnt seem to have any of the graphic novels … but they did have three of the novels, neverwhere, american god, and something else (i have a bad memory) so i picked up american god. i’ll let you know how it goes! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman-recommendations/194422/13 "2003-08-11T19:51:33Z")
There are two stories in _A Doll’s House_ that stand out as some of the best comics writing ever done, “Collectors” and the one about Hob Gadling. These were originally published back-to-back and the contrast between them is simply amazing. _Books of Magic_ trade paperback, too. I’m not sure how entertaining either of these will be without being preceeded by a lifetime of comic book collecting, though. No matter where you step in, there’s a hell of a lot of backstory you’re expected to know. There are hints that Morpheus’ negligence led to the destruction of Krypton and that if he lets Rose live, it’ll happen on Earth, too. But not catching that shouldn’t affect your enjoyment of the story.