# Neil Gaiman! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029 "2003-08-09T15:05:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Abby215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a4c791/32.png) [@Abby215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby215)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/1 "2003-08-09T15:05:44Z")
You know who I mean…the coolest author on earth! Well yesterday he had a book signing at Borders in NYC. And of cousre I went or else I wouldn’t be making this post. Anyway, I’m aware that none of you know who I am, but that’s ok because I’m very excited and need to tell EVERYONE about yesterday. So I went to the book signing with my friend Missy. When we got there you got to write down any questions on blue index cards and he might answer them later. I asked if I could write, “Can I give you a hug?” and Missy said, “Can you ask if ‘WE can give you a hug’ ?” So I did. After Neil Gaiman got there, he introduced himself and read Wolves in the Walls. Then it was time for Q&A. He got my question and I was a little excited and a little embarrassed. He read it and then said, “Sorry, not right now.” After that was time for the book signing and after about three hours of waiting (which included a rather vigorous game of Coraline racquet ball, that is that me and my friend used our Coraline books to hit a rubber ball back and forth which annoyed the hell out of everyone else one line, but kept us busy) we finally got to go up. Missy said, “We’re the people who asked for a hug” Then Neil Gaiman surpised us and said, “Well I did say yes, didn’t I? Would you like those hugs individually or together?” Both of us didn’t know what to say so he said, “I think individually would be better.” and So we each got a picture hugging Neil Gaiman! Wheeee! And I’m just so excited that I got to hug Neil Gaiman b/c he’s my favorite author and thought that lots of people should know! ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/2 "2003-08-09T18:01:22Z")
I recently read his Sandman book “Preludes & Nocturnes”. I can see why he’s your favorite author. One down and nine more of his books in this series to go. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/3 "2003-08-09T18:20:15Z")
I’ve met Gaiman in person twice, now, and both times I’ve been impressed with how personable and agreeable his is with his fans. No topic is really off-limits to talk about, and he’ll do most anything for his fans, many of whom are very… _dedicated_. On top of that, he’s a wonderful reader, and hearing him read his own work is an absolute joy. He really knows how to work an audience, whether it’s a dozen people or 500. **jeanster** , they just get better from there. Just wait until _Brief Lives_, or even _Dream Country_. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/4 "2003-08-09T19:20:59Z")
Heh…I just started reading Neverwhere - I’m only about 100 pages in, but it is good. I haven’t read anything else by Gaiman, but I thought it was kind of funny that there’s thread about him just as I peek into Cafe Society before heading off to the balcony to read! My brother owns hundreds of books - surely several by Gaiman. I might end up reading them if I get the chance to search his personal library 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/5 "2003-08-09T19:29:47Z")
He really is an abnormally personable and friendly guy. For a while before the WWW really took off, I was a member of a BBS service called GEnie, and the message boards there had a fan forum for Gaiman’s work, _Sandman_ in particular. Even though the WWW hadn’t taken off yet, there were still rabid fan enclaves all over the place, so a fan forum for a writer or comic book wasn’t that unusual itself, but Gaiman was _really_ involved with it. He’d respond to all the threads, not just the terse responses you expect to get from The Object of Affection of a message board, but detailed answers, chit-chat, whatever. This was back when I was shameless, so I sent him a really long-winded, gushing fan letter over e-mail, and he sent me a much more detailed and interesting response than the message deserved to get, talking about everything from _The Sandman_ to The Pogues. I was extremely impressed. And of course his writing is pretty good too. His prose stuff doesn’t impress me all that much, but he’s one of, if not the master of intelligent comic book writing. Dripping with ideas, extremely well-read, but more importantly, able to understand exactly how to combine sources and inspirations and come up with something cool out of it. And he’s got the perfect tone, too – not so serious to be dry and overly cerebral like Alan Moore tends to be, dark where it’s appropriate but not revelling in senseless “grim-n-gritty” stuff like everybody else tends to be, and not so goofy as to be completely trivial. Plus _Good Omens_ is one of my favorite books ever. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/6 "2003-08-09T20:21:23Z")
I envy you jeanster. That is one fantastic series: deep and bittersweet and… whimsical. Reading it for the first time is quite an experience, and I hope you don’t get spoiled for anything that happens (cordon yourself off!) ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/7 "2003-08-09T21:08:26Z")
Just wanted to chime in and say if you think he’s personable in person (I haven’t had the honor of finding out myself), you should check out [his blog](http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/journal.asp). Fun stuff. 'Specially his LotR fanfic parody thing (just a few paragraphs) that should be in the archives somewhere. He also has a short story on the [whatisthamatrix.com](http://whatisthamatrix.com) website that is great. Some googling with his name and The Matrix oughta find it for you. ---
**Author:** ![Abby215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a4c791/32.png) [@Abby215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby215)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/8 "2003-08-09T23:55:00Z")
Waaay ahead of you KKBattousai! If you like listening to him read his stories you should go to [www.mousecircus.com](http://www.mousecircus.com) and you can hear him read the beginning of Coraline. Good stuff! ---
**Author:** ![cletus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@cletus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cletus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/9 "2003-08-10T03:15:41Z")
I just finished reading his story on [whatisthematrix.com](http://whatisthematrix.com). I like his interpretation of the matrix. I think I’m gonna go read _Sandman_ the next chance I get. If this story is any indication, _Sandman_ should be excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Alcibiades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Alcibiades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alcibiades)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/10 "2003-08-10T03:16:12Z")
I’m envious of any person who has the chance to read Sandman from scratch. Its a great piece of literature. I’m looking forward to is Endless Nights, too. Gaiman is supposed to be doing something called “1703” (?) for Marvel Comics involving an Elizabethan world of Marvel’s characters. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/11 "2003-08-10T05:10:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alcibiades \* > **I’m envious of any person who has the chance to read Sandman from scratch. Its a great piece of literature. I’m looking forward to is Endless Nights, too.** That, and _The Wolves in the Walls_, which just came out. I love Gaiman’s childrens’ books. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alcibiades \* > \*\*Gaiman is supposed to be doing something called “1703” (?) for Marvel Comics involving an Elizabethan world of Marvel’s characters. \*\* I heard the same thing, but I think it’s called “1602.” I don’t know much more about it than that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Alcibiades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Alcibiades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alcibiades)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/12 "2003-08-10T05:17:46Z")
Sorry, it is indeed 1602. I read recently that part of the plot is that Nicholas Fury is the head of Queen Elizabeth’s secret police, pitted against Octavius von Doom, known as The Handsome. ---
**Author:** ![DK2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aca169/32.png) [@DK2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DK2)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/13 "2003-08-10T05:36:09Z")
I’m also a huge fan of Neil Gaiman from “Black Orchid” to “Sandman” to “Good Omens”, Neil Gaiman is in my top five favorite writers today. Speaking of “1602” the first part comes out this Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![Spoooon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Spoooon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoooon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/14 "2003-08-10T13:09:19Z")
Neil Gaiman is great. American Gods is up there among my favorite books. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/15 "2003-08-10T17:54:45Z")
Neil Gaiman’s blog is the reason I found the SDMB 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/16 "2003-08-10T23:42:14Z")
So is he sexy in person? He certainly looks it in his photos. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/17 "2003-08-10T23:58:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\*So is he sexy in person? He certainly looks it in his photos. \*\* He does seem to have quite the powerful sway over many of the ladies I know. I can’t say I see it, personally. I think he’s charming and funny, and his accent is great, but I wouldn’t exactly call him “sexy.” However, many of the girls I’ve talked to at Gaiman signings think he’s pretty hot, and meeting him in person only seems to enhance that impression. I guess I’m just not part of the “target audience,” as it were. ---
**Author:** ![Alcibiades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Alcibiades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alcibiades)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/18 "2003-08-11T02:08:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spoooon \* > \*\*Neil Gaiman is great. American Gods is up there among my favorite books. \*\* Oddly, I didn’t like American Gods at all. It was something more fundamental than the concepts (much of which I thought were re-hashed from Sandman): I think I actually didn’t like his writing style. ---
**Author:** ![jeanster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jeanster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeanster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/19 "2003-09-20T01:58:17Z")
Okay, I am now up to Book 6 of the Sandman series: Fables & Reflections. Love it! Has anyone here seen the one where Abel tells the story of when Death and Morpheus were little children? I dare anyone to not go all “ooooh and awwww” from seeing them as adorable kids. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029/20 "2003-09-20T02:25:03Z")
“Preludes & Nocturnes” is actually nowhere near as genius as the rest: it feels like more of a conventional DC comic, but it leads into some really, really incredible stuff. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaiman/194029.md?page=2)