Gaiman transcended his humble journalistic beginnings with the publication of his graphic novel The Sandman. The Sandman is a reworking of the original D.C. comic character from the '30s and '40s with a darker, troubled hero whose domain is the world of the dreaming. Gaiman uses his masterful storytelling to weave The Sandman in and out of the murky realm of dreams (Goodyear).
The novels Good Omens (with acclaimed fantasy writer Terry Pratchett) and American Gods won him a more common fan base and bestselling notoriety. Good Omens recounts the birth of the Antichrist and the journey of the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley and their attempt to prevent the coming apocalypse, not wanting to be inconvenienced by a messy End Of The World (Gaiman). American Gods tells the tales of ancient immigrant gods' struggles to survive in the face of emerging modern American traditions and priorities. Gaiman declares it his response to the sharply contrasting differences between the England he grew up in to the America lived in as an adult (Goodyear).
Few authors can claim notoriety in as broad a range of genres as Neil Gaiman. Coraline, his most celebrated work of children's literature, leaves even the most grown up of readers with an unsettling feeling lingering in the shadows of their minds. In the ghastly world of Coraline the title character's mother is replaced with a sinister button-eyed version who seeks to imprison Coraline and replace her own eyes with black buttons (Goodyear). Gaiman captivates, haunts and horrifies children and adult readers alike in this unconventional children's tale.
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Gaiman, Neil. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch. New York: HarperCollins, 2007.
Goodyear, Dana. "Kid Goth: Neil Gaiman's fantasies." The New Yorker. 25 January 2010. 2 April 2010. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/01/25/100125fa_fact_goodyear
"Neil Gaiman." Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volumes 42, 82. Gale Group, 2002.
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