How did you discover Neil Gaiman?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — American Gods
Ranguvar18 — 9 years ago(July 27, 2016 11:59 AM)
I was just wondering how the posters on here first discovered Neil Gaiman's works.
I first discovered him when my mom bought a trade copy of Preludes and Nocturnes at a used bookstore. I loved(and still love) fantasy/horror comics, so I read it and was hooked. Sadly, I didn't find any other Sandman tales until about six years ago, but when I did it rapidly became my absolute favorite comic of all time.
Geek Girl -
glassyo — 9 years ago(July 27, 2016 01:31 PM)
I'd heard the name but never read him. Then I saw his Doctor Who episode, The Doctor's Wife and LOVED what he did with the TARDIS. I think an anniversary edition of American Gods came out around that time and I decided to read it.
Sooooooooooo, Doctor Who made me a fan. American Gods cemented it.
Actually, now that I think about it, I might have actually also seen him and his wife on some BBC America Doctor Who specials but had no idea how I should know them.
What do we want?
Time travel!
When do we want it?
It's irrelevant! -
ur53486799 — 9 years ago(July 27, 2016 04:25 PM)
I first met him in Piraeus. I wanted to take the boat for Crete and had gone down the street to the port. It was almost daybreak and raining. A strong sirocco was blowing the spray from the waves as far as the little cafe, whose glass doors were shut. The cafe reeked of brewing sage and human beings whose breath steamed the windows because of the cold outside. Five or six seamen, who had spent the night there, muffled in their brown goatskin reefer jackets, were drinking coffee or sage and gazing out of the misty windows at the sea. The fish, dazed by the blows of the raging waters, had taken refuge in the depths, where they were waiting till calm was restored above. The fishermen crowding in the cafes were also waiting for the end of the storm, when the fish, reassured, would rise to the surface after the bait. Soles, hogfish and skate were returning from their nocturnal expeditions. Day was now breaking.
And Sandman. Sandman I enjoyed. -
vanya86 — 9 years ago(July 29, 2016 03:39 PM)
I'd been a fan of Terry Pratchett for years and so my brother lent me a copy of Good Omens. Around the same time my dad was raving about Neverwhere being released on DVD so when I happened to come across the book I pretty much had to buy it. As soon as I finished it I went out and bought a copy of American Gods.
It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. -
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wakingsnowwhite — 9 years ago(July 29, 2016 05:34 PM)
I'd heard of his comic book work long before I read anything of his, shamefully. I went to see Stardust in theaters and went out and bought a copy of the book afterwards. While exiting the bookstore, my sister casually mentioned that she went to college and was friends with his daughter like it was no big deal.
The first volume of Sandman was the first thing of his I ever read. His first book without pictures that I read was Neverwhere, which I immediately followed up with American Gods. -
StormBringer328 — 9 years ago(August 02, 2016 08:22 AM)
I was at a used bookshop and found a copy of. Neverwhere. I had never heard of the book or author before, but gave it a try and enjoyed it. A few years later I was working in a bookstore and found American Gods by the same author, which had just come out. After that, I went nuts finding other things by. Gaiman.
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footnotegirl — 9 years ago(August 15, 2016 11:25 AM)
This'll age me, but I was in my freshman year of college and fellow student handed me issue 4 of The Sandman which had just come out. I immediately went out and bought my own copy, the previous 3, and read it religiously from there.
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MisterCard — 9 years ago(August 24, 2016 05:56 AM)
I had heard about him before with Sandman but I never read any of his stuff. That was until I was in a bookstore and saw a copy of Anansi Boys. I bought it, I maybe read it like six times, then I had to move onto American Gods. The rest is history.
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Ohheyhi — 9 years ago(September 01, 2016 12:29 PM)
I used to write stories on Fiction Press, like originals not fan fiction, and one of my subscribers kept saying that my writing tone reminded him of Neil Gaiman. Had no idea who that was, but I bought a copy of Stardust to satisfy my ego, which was so sublime that I never dared to compare myself to Gaiman. Then I realised he was good friends with Diana Wynne Jones (RIP), who was/is my favourite children's author of all time, AND had written Good Omens with Sir Terry Pratchett (RIP), so I knew Neil Gaiman must be a genius to be in that company. I've read almost everything ever written by him since and it kinda changed my life.
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Ajones47 — 9 years ago(September 25, 2016 02:26 AM)
A bunch of folks I knew were reading 'American Gods' so I thought I'd give it a crack as well. First Gaiman work I'd ever read.
Last too.
'My protagonist is ambiguous so I named him Shadow' Bravo Neil, Bravo. -
Kris_AB — 9 years ago(October 12, 2016 06:14 AM)
The poster could mean that they just never got around to reading more Gaiman, but sure, they could also mean that "American Gods" turned them off of his work. The book definitely has its detractors.
I admit that I found American Gods a bit of a slog to get through. I loved Neverwhere, Stardust, most of Sandman, Coraline, a few of his other random comics (Black Orchid was stt)range and interesting at points and I probably would've benefited from being more familiar with the DC Comics universe back then).
I had zero interest in Anansi Boys when it was released. Even the bit of my OCD completionist mind that was tugging at me to give it a tryI fought that urge off pretty easily. Hearing from many over time that it's a comedy and that they enjoyed it, thoughmaybe I'll give it a shot. If I get swept up in the hype once this TV series comes out. Maybe.
I have high hopes for this show. I think the story and set-up will make for a far better TV series than it did a novel (the showrunner, ridiculously talented Bryan Fuller, alont with all of the cast, point to a successful production). To be fair, though, I owe the novel another read I was 19 when it was released. Just not sure whether or not that'll end up being a waste of time. -
Ranguvar18 — 9 years ago(January 09, 2017 06:15 PM)
Fair enough.
You should give Anansi Boys a read. There is comedy, but there's also some great dramatic moments as well.
The cast is amazing, and Bryan Fuller has put out some excellent works(I love, love, love Hannibal.)
Geek Girl -
Ajones47 — 9 years ago(October 14, 2016 02:29 AM)
The 'Shadow' comment was kind of representative of the work as a whole. To be honest, I found the entire book rather jejune. I would probably have continued to read him, I try to read an author twice before I dismiss them, but I've heard from others that 'American Gods' is typical of his storytelling. Certainly there was nothing compelling about his prose or diction.
People sometimes tell me that Gaiman is a 'meme' author and I can absolutely see that in his writing - he taps into whatever is 'cool' and throws it into an otherwise banal story. There are so many books in the world and so little time to read; we can't waste it on lackluster writing.
