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THE WORKS Here, I provide a brief overview of Neil Gaiman's contributions to various artistic media. The link at the bottom of this page will take you to a complete listing of his works.
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| Comic Books | |
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Gaiman’s comics are indeed the stuff of dreams. His series have been gaining a steady following for almost fifteen years and now claim a broad and varied fan base. His third and most popular series, “The Sandman,” has received critical acclaim from all circles, from the common reader to many of the toughest literary critics. Their deep subject matter, which deals with the physical personifications of the metaphysical aspects of life such as death, delirium, destiny, and destruction, and wide range of topics including everything from sexuality and religion to humanity, have helped to show modern critics that there is more to comics than capes and tights. Gaiman’s comics have, in fact, found a place among intellectual and acceptable literature, helping to encourage a reevaluation of comics and their place in the modern literary circle. |
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Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels |
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Blending the already blurry lines between science fiction and fantasy literature, placing wizards, gods, and demons within technologically modern and advanced worlds, Gaiman has caused quite a stir within literary circles, and not a few problems with classification. His novel Neverwhere won the 1996 Hugo prize for best science fiction and best fantasy novel within the same year! |
| Children's Novels |
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Even within this seemingly straightforward genre, Gaiman is able to craft stories which incorporate adult morality and a hint of horror into common childhood themes such as fear, inadequecy, and annoyance at one's parents. His complex, tantalizing characters seem, at first, almost too much for a children's story. For a few moments you can forget the illustrations and feel depth of emotion so far unheard of in the genre. |
| Short Story Collections |
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Some of Gaiman’s most recent works include compilations of his many short stories. Dealing with subjects as diverse as fairytales and modern politics, these collections challenge many aspects of modern society and, like much of his work, have generated a great deal of discussion, criticism, and curiosity in intellectual circles. |
| Film and TV |
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We should have known Gaiman's eclectic talents could not be held to one medium! Recently, he has begun to branch out into film and television, beginning by writing several screenplays, including the English language release of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke. From there, came a BBC mini-series entitled Neverwhere. Though this attempt was apparently received less than enthusiastically, it did prompt Gaiman to write supplemental novel of the same name, and to emerge determined to try again. There are rumors now of an offer to make Neverwhere into a full-length feature, and even to make a film of his popular Sandman series. |
| Bibliography |
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The bibliography found here at fantasticfiction.com is the most complete and impressive I come across so far. It contains a complete listing, by genre, of Gaiman's works and individual links for each entry discussing the basic plot and it's various releases. |
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