Product Description
Clive Barker's iconic masterpiece The Hellbound Heart, the novella adapted into the film Hellraiser, unleashed a new mythology of horror, brilliantly conceived and born of the darkest imagination. Now, enter this visionary world -- the merciless realm of the demonic Cenobites -- in this collection of stories inspired by The Hellbound Heart. Featured here is the graphic work "Wordsworth," from bestselling author Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean, who unlock an explicit way to violate innocence -- one torturous puzzle at a time.... New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong logs on to a disturbing website for gamers, where the challenge is agonizing, and the solution beyond painful. When his father disappears, an Oxford student returns to his family's mansion, where a strange mechanism in the cellar holds a curious power, in a haunting illustrated work by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Boxing - Few Men enter, Less Men Leave!
When I first read that infamous short on "the box," "cenibites," and all those little horros, I was shaken by it. I was really young at the time and reading things I was "allowed to read" - today it seems strange to thing of a bad thing as reading material you aren't supposed to considering what it inappropriate behavior now.
I recall seeing the movies after that and thinking that the story had a life of its own and that more should be done. Well, more has been done.

In a book with wording from Peter Atkins, Conrad Wiliams, Sarah Pinborough, Mick Garris, Tim Lebbon (I consider Lebbon a plus in any addition(, Richard Matheson, Nency Holder, Simon Clark, Steve niles, Sarah Langan, Nick Vince, Yvonne Navarro, Mark Morris, Barbie Wilde, Jeff Mariote, and a few others - not to mention Clive barker. This means you have a dieverse scope when it comes to the style of telling you see, and you have such a different taste when it comes to plot, character handling, horrible things, and so much else.
The group; I like it alot.
Also here is work from Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden when illustrations are needed, and these are sexy beasts. I also love Mignola's work - he has been a favorite of mine for way too long now. So, this is the perfect arrangement to find and to read like a madman.

If you liked the way the bo has been thusfar, read this. You will like other people's ideas on what the beast should be, not to mention the fact that you get so many different flavors of pain and suffering here.
I would have bought it simply because of the idea, but it had talent backing it up. Even the pictures are done by masters!

Not bad, not bad at all.
I'm a big Hellraiser fan and couldn't resist buying this book knowing that the stories would be based in some way around the Hellraiser mythology, even if the stories weren't written by Clive Barker. I was not disappointed and it was worth the money. These stories were well written and very imaginative. Incredibly well done!!

A great collection
Hell has many faces.In this anthology we see some of them.For anyone who is familiar with the Hellraiser mythology (the great novella by Clive Barker and the 8 movies), there is surely some wavering about this book.I know I was on the fence on whether to buy it or not.I did, and I am glad that I made the choice.90% of these stories are very good.The other 10% weren't bad, but not as strong in my opinion.Some of my favorites are the story that lead off the book, "The Dark Materials Project," "Santos Del Infierno," and "The Promise.""The Promise" sent chills down my spine.

The one thing I will say is that we meet Cenobites that are new and unfamiliar to us.There are appearances by one or two of the demons that were developed in the films, but for the most part they are new and nasty.The descriptions of some of the creatures is truly terrifying.I found these characters more disturbing than some of the cenobites created in the films.

This was a great hold over until Cliver Barker finally finishes the long awaited final Pinhead story.If you are a fan of the movies or his novella, read this book.I was not disappointed.It is a book that will have a place on my bookshelf for a long time.

My take on Hellbound Hearts
As a huge Clive Barker fan, Hellraiser is one of my favorite films and this book is inspired by that film and his novella "The Hellbound Heart". This anthology is a mixed bag. Most of the stories are great. Especially Kelley Armstrong's "The Collector" with a good twist and Tim Lebbon's "Every Wrong Turn." But "Mechanisms" by Christopher Golden & Mike Mignola bored me since the end was obvious. All in all a good book for any horror fan especially if you love Clive Barker. And if you are a horror fan and don't love Clive, how can you call yourself a horror fan?

This Book is Pleasure and Pain
Pleasure and pain. That is the foundation in many ways of Barker's Cenobite mythos, and this anthology had both, which I will explain in a moment. First, this book is a collection of new works based on Clive Barker's original short story, The Hellbound Heart, which in turn, inspired Hellraiser. You will NOT see any of the original characters in these stories, including `Pinhead' but you will see a vast collection of wonderful stories by some of the greatest authors of horror.

A complete list of authors and stories follows:
* Prisioners of the Inferno by Peter Atkins
* The Cold by Conrad Williams
* The Confessor's Tale by Sarah Pinbrough
* Hellbound Hollywood by Mick Garris
* Mechanisms by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola
* Every Wrong Turn by Tim Lebbon
* The Collector by Kelly Armstrong
* Bulemia by Richard Christian Matheson
* Our Lord of Quarters by Simon Clark
* Orfeo the Damned by Nancy Holder
* Wordsworth by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
* A Little Piece of Hell by Steve Niles
* The Dark Materials Project by Sarah Langan
* Demon's Design by Nicholas Vince
* Only the Blind Survive by Yvonne Navarro
* Mother's Ruin by Mark Morris
* Sister Cilice by Barbie Wilde
* Santos Del Inferno by Jeffery J. Mariotte
* The Promise by Nancy Kilpatrick
* However by Gary A Bauneck and Lucy A Snyder
* `Tis a Pity He's Ashore by Chaz Brechley

... and an afterword by Doug Bradley who played the Cenobite who is commonly known as Pinhead.

The Pleasures: Most of the stories in this book are brilliant. The Confessor's Tale by Sarah Pinbrough and Sister Cilice by Barbie Wilde are both excellent and deal with a common theme. The Cenobites described in Hellbound Hollywood by Mick Garris and Our Lord of Quarters by Simon Clark were both quite disturbing, and the twist ending of The Collector by Kelly Armstrong had me clapping. I loved these stories and many others in this book. It is well worth the money. You can just sense the love that these authors have for the mythos and the pride they take in their stories.

The Pain: Well, Wordsworth by Gaiman and McKean is painful. As a comic book collector I am familiar with the depth and wonder of McKean's art. His complicated mixed media art is beautiful... when reproduced correctly. In black and white on newsprint renders his images flat, and some of the words impossible to follow. It's frustrating. Also, the Cold by Conrad Williams left me in the cold, and `Tis a Pity He's Ashore by Chaz Brechley seemed like the wrong story to end with because I kept waiting for the punch or the point, by I was still waiting by the beginning of Bradley's afterword.

All in all, this is one of the best horror anthologies to hit the market in years.

Highest Recommendations for Barker fans, for horror fans, for those who want to lose sleep at night.
... Read more

Product Description
From Huxley's Brave New World, to Orwell's 1984, to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, dystopian books have always been an integral part of both science fiction and literature, and have influenced the broader culture discussion in unique and permanent ways. Brave New Worlds brings together the best dystopian fiction of the last 30 years, demonstrating the diversity that flourishes in this compelling subgenre. This landmark tome contains stories by Ursula K. Le Guin, Cory Doctorow, M. Rickert, Paolo Bacigalupi, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, and many others. ... Read more

Product Description
Volume Five of New York Times best selling author Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed creation THE SANDMAN collects one of the series’ most beloved storylines.

Take an apartment house, add in a drag queen, a lesbian couple, some talking animals, a talking severed head, a confused heroine and the deadly Cuckoo. Stir vigorously with a hurricane and Morpheus himself and you get this fifth installment of the SANDMAN series. This story stars Barbie, who first makes an appearance in THE DOLL’S HOUSE and now finds herself a princess in a vivid dreamworld.

Customer Reviews (48)

Wonderful volume
In university, I went to a seminar on the (intentional) similarities between Neil Gaiman's Sandman series and Dante's The Divine Comedy. I hadn't at the time read Sandman--although I was planning to, hence my going to the seminar--(or Inferno, don't tell my classics profs) so, due to my unfamiliarity with the books and my inability to find my notes, a lot of what the lecturer said didn't really stick with me. One of the things I do remember is that he told us that each of the volumes is either masculine or feminine, and I thought he'd said that they alternated (by my count of the five I've read as of yet, I think there are more masculine than feminine so far, and they're not alternating regularly), but I didn't remember which were which.

I'm pretty sure that A Game of You is a feminine volume. The main character is the girl-woman Barbie, rather than Dream, and she gets support from the other women in her apartment building. The only real males that are kind to her are from her dreamworld. It's a continuation of sorts of the amazing The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House, another volume I'm pretty sure is feminine. Also there is a lot of pink, and in her dreamworld she's a princess. So, feminine. I don't know if that's why I loved it so much more than the presumably masculine previous volume (which, admittedly, was almost as wonderful), but it's possible.

All of this couldn't happen any other place than New York City
This one was okay. Basically wizard of OZ meets people's nightmares. In this one, Gaiman explored one long story btwn a face painting Barbie , transsexual-in-progress, several lesbians, and old woman that is loosing her mind and becomes a forecaser of what's to come, and animals that can talk. The setting is New York. Well of COURSE you'll find all this stuff in New York City, where else? Anyway... the art is very curvy, pretty ,barbie like, almost pornographic sexy. I still prefer the look of Sandman Vol 1 and 2 the most. I liked this volume (5) but somehow just not as crazy about it as the other ones.

Review of Gaiman's 'Sandman 'V'
Honestly, at this point, anything that Neil Gaiman writes would impress me. Even so, I don't feel this is his greatest work. The writing and story are there, but they just aren't as compelling as earlier volumes. Every fan of the Sandman will inevitably read this volume, and I hope others find it less disappointing.

It would make a great companion to THE MAXX
I can't help but think of The Maxx Volume 1 (Wildstorm/DC Comics)) as I read A Game of You - after all, both entail the stories of young women pulled into their fantasy world and the play between the two, complete with heroes, princess fantasies, and a desire to be something else, something more. Of course, whereas The Maxx's fantasy world was a more direct window into Julie's psyche, Gaiman's dream world is infinitely more flexible and less predictable, leading to a far stranger and more threatening fantasy - to say nothing of the way that reality itself is far less stable than we might expect (and our first glimpse of that is an absolutely stellar reveal). And while The Maxx focused on feminism and its corresponding view of the world, A Game of You becomes concerned more fundamentally with identity - gender identity, yes, but also the nature of who we really are and who we allow ourselves to be. Of all the Sandman volumes I've read so far, A Game of You is probably the most complex and the one most open to interpretation, and like the best literature, the questions it inspires are as fascinating, if not more so, than definite answers. Gaiman spins a two-teired tale, but eschews the standard interplay between a princess's quest to save her land and her real-life world in favor of something far more complex - a universe more interested in chromosomes than names, dead faces that tell jokes, and more. Despite Morpheus's relatively small part in the story, don't neglect this one; it's one of the richest and most satisfying chapters yet.

So good!Maybe the best of the series!
This volume of The Sandman could very easily exist as a standalone graphic novel, but it's ties to the Sandman universe only serve to enhance it.It is a great little story, and once you pick it up you will lose yourself in it. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of new horror stories includes contributions by Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Dan Simmons, David J. Schow, Nancy Collins, and others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Midnight Graffiti
Once of the best Horror Anthologies ever. (And I read tons). Read this as a teenager, and now that I am grown up, I still go back and re-read.

all-time favorite!!
I came across this book as a child and enjoyed it a great deal. Even though as a kid I couldn't comprehend many of the stories in the book, I found the variety and diversity contained in it awesome. Now being able to fathom it in its' entirety, I STILL go back to it and re-live my favorite stories. The "Psychos" section is my favorite. I highly recommend it.

A gallery of styles
This collection of horror short stories is exceptional because of the wide range of styles and stories it contains. The reader will not be lost in a jungle of imaginations because the book is organized in five chapters that are each dedicated to one type of atmosphere and plot. Hence when you start one chapter you know what continent of horror you are entering and you will get variety within that landscape. Some stories are absolutely stunning and fascinating. I found « Say hello, Mister Quigley » by J. Michael Straczynski too gentle on the incestuous father. Of course the victim has to forgive, but most of the time this forgiving is impossible because of the damage caused by the incestuous parent. I loved « Bob the Dinosaur » by Joe Lansdale because it shows how kids live on the illusion of a dream that is shattered by reality when it becomes true, when it gets satisfied. It is better to live on dreams even if they are disturbing, particularly for the parents' everyday life. Finally « Dark Embrace » by James Van Hise is a refreshing vision of vampires associated to a sickening vision of child molesting. Vampires become, in a way, gentle and lovable, even if they are monsters, when you compare them to child molesters who kill to cover up their tracks when their pleasure is satisfied. Vampires are also very human and long for company and love. Which a child molester never long for. He longs for brutal contact (rape) and absolute solitude that makes him kill his victim because he is entirely enslaved by his desire, his perverted passion for kids.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan at Mende.

Very good stories.Well categorized, and a great preface
I'm a big fan of Horror anthologies, and this is one of the best I've ever read.From the terrific introduction by the editor, to the last page, it was very satisfying.The stories range in intensity from the sheer grit of"Bad Guy Hats" to the quirky "Bob the Dinosaur Goes toDisneyland."There is something in here for everyone.Everybody getsa chance to be scared by something in here; all bases get covered.If youlike horror anthologies, this is a must-read.

Mama

My mama told me...you better shop around. THESE VOICES ARE KILLING ME!!!

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

solid contribution to history of magic
This is a reissue of a collection of five Steinmeyer essays about illusion originally published in 1998 which contains some overlap with his more recent books, Vanishing the Elephant and The Glorious Deception. This book is less polished and comprehensive, but is still quite interesting and well-documented, as those other two books are.

The first of the five essays discusses Steel MacKaye, John Nevil Maskelyne, and David Devant, the latter two of which are familiar to readers of Steinmeyer's other books.The essay is about the use of illusion in a grand scale on the theater stage, where MacKaye had some of the grandest ideas.The bulk of the essay is about MacKaye's desire to build "The Spectatorium," a special theater seating 12,000 that included a miniature ocean on which 3/4 scale ships could sail to show the story of Columbus' discovery of the New World.This was intended to be built for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, but it ran overbudget and behind schedule, and was never completed.

The second essay is about David Devant's "The Mascot Moth," and Steinmeyer's recreation of the illusion for Doug Henning's "Merlin" show--also familiar to those who have read Steinmeyer's other works.

The third essay is about the history and development of the "sawing a lady in half" illusion, and its relation to Grand Guignol. The fourth and fifth essays are about Steinmeyer's rediscovery and reproduction of Morritt's Disappearing Donkey illusion, a topic also familiar to readers of Vanishing an Elephant.

This isn't an essential purchase for those who have read Steinmeyer's other books--it's not as satisfying a work as the other two masterful books I've mentioned.It is, however, something that does stand on its own and is well worth reading for those interested in the history of magic.

Fascinating
I don't recall how I found out about Jim Steinmeyer -- it was an off-hand mention on the web somewhere crediting him with inventing David Copperfield's vanish of the Statue of Liberty.So I did a bit of reading on him, and picked up a few of his books.This was the first one I read of his.

There's 5 essays in the book.The first one was a little slow going, but I am happy I stuck with it because the last two essays are just great.

Steinmeyer has a keen interest in the history of magic.He illustrates magic's relation to theatre and how it was initially woven into theatrical tableaus.I'm in the midst of reading "Hiding the Elephant" so I'm not sure if it was in this book or that one where he quoted someone as "I am not so much a magician as I am an actor who is playing a magician."That's just great.

The last two essays concern Steinmeyer's quest to decipher the secret to a trick whose secret was never written down, and his attempt to recreate it.Really entertaining.

Don't read this just for the secrets
Jim Steinmeyer is one of the best and most lucid of writers on conjuring and magic.This book of essays takes you backstage to learn what goes on in the minds of those who conceive and execute the unexplainable that is seen on stage.It's not so important for the secrets it reveals as it is in going one step further to show how the secrets are invented.It's like taking a walk backstage at a magic show with an incredibly well informed tour guide.

More Than the Magician's Hardware
The famous magician team Penn and Teller know that a good magic trick does not always depend on fooling the audience.Some of their tricks they do and show exactly how the trick works so the audience can follow along and appreciate not just the mechanics of the trick but also the stage artistry.It wouldn't be much fun if they did this for every trick, but in small doses, their demonstrations heighten the enjoyment of the audience by showing just how clever the workings of a specific trick can be.I think this is the right way to approach also _Art & Artifice and Other Essays on Illusion: Concerning the Inventors, Traditions, Evolution, & Rediscovery of Stage Magic_ (Carroll & Graf) by Jim Steinmeyer.The book is newly re-released after being out of print, and after Steinmeyer's success with other magic-themed books like _The Glorious Deception_ and _Hiding the Elephant_.Steinmeyer is himself a magician, and a designer of magical tricks used by others, so his writing on this subject is authoritative.There has been some backlash from magicians who feel that he is giving away secrets still being used on the stage, but though he does explain in print some specific effects and their histories, the explanations are nothing like seeing the trick itself.In fact, though I read some of the explanations a couple of times, and looked at the diagrams he has given, I realized how much I wanted to see the actual trick, and how much more I would enjoy seeing the effect not despite but because of knowing its mechanics.

The five essays here describe the interwoven lives of some famous and some relatively unknown magicians in pursuit of illusion.The first tells the performance history of the American magician and theatrical illusionist Steele MacKaye, whose tragic failure of a huge auditorium at the1893 Chicago World's Fair was due to his simple disregard for the practicalities of getting the job done.Then there is the history of "The Moth in the Spotlight", a classic illusion devised by David Devant in 1905, and recreated by Steinmeyer for the 1982 Broadway musical _Merlin_ with Doug Henning.The recreation not only required special hardware, but in every performance the actions of five people, two above stage and three below, had to be perfectly synchronized to make the Moth disappear.Steinmeyer says, "The secret was every bit as wonderful as the result on stage, and maybe even more wonderful."It would be fun to be able to compare.One chapter is the wonderful history of the classic trick "Sawing a Woman in Half", which I was surprised to find had been invented by one man, the British illusionist P. T. Selbit who introduced it in 1921.It was a sensation, immediately copied and sent worldwide by rival troupes.The final two chapters of this entertaining book are both titled "Mister Morritt's Donkey", with the first being "In Theory" and the second "In Practice".Charles Morritt created many memorable illusions, with the Disappearing Donkey under examination here.In examining Morritt's illusion, it is clear that "it's all done with mirrors" is much too dismissive an explanation.Using mirrors, Morritt got results "... nothing short of alchemy."After much research, Steinmeyer brought the illusion to life again, before the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History in 1995.Tracking down the secret and making it work read like a detective novel with plenty of clues and red herrings (and broken mirrors) along the way.

_Art and Artifice_ is a lovely book that explains some tricks, but more importantly explains what it is magicians do, and why we love to be fooled by them.Anyone looking here for a quick explanation of "How did they do that?" will be disappointed; the explanations are here, but they are thoughtful and full of anecdotes of magic history and magicians with oversized personalities."How did they do that?" proves to have fascinating answers that go well beyond the magician's bag of tricks.

OK but not great
I have just finished reading "Hiding the Elephant" by the same author and was disappointed to find a lot of the stories repeated. "Hiding the Elephant" is a superior book so I'd buy that and forget about this one. ... Read more

Product Description
She is Justice. Represented since the beginning of time as a robed woman, blinded, armed with naught but a sword and a sense of balance. A woman cut off from the masculine world of clues and hard realities, forced into the depths of her remaining senses: touch, smell, taste, hearing. A woman joined with her innermost self, focused only on her mission. A woman who cannot be deceived, cannot be fooled. A woman blind¨ to all but justice.In times of trouble, the spirit of Justice appears before women and offers them the chance to take revenge on their male abusers. In this graphic novel collection, we see three instances of "Slow Death": Enrici has always prided himself on his ability to have any woman he wants. No woman can say no to him-until he meets Justine Omnibu, a mystery woman who wears a blindfold¨ and who will lead him down the path to Justice. "Woman About Town": Jordan Hacket is a parole officer who came to love an ex-con named Skeeter. When he was betrayed and killed during a heist, Justice came to Jodi with an offer-and demanded retribution. "Ravish'd Justice": Lynea Mitchell is an Assistant District Attorney fed up with the system, now that a known narcotics chemist-arrested for raping a teenage girl-has cut a deal with the government to inform on his mob boss. But when he's freed in an assault on the federal building, Lynea takes justice into her own hands¨ ... Read more

Product Description
Complete Sandman Comics #1-75 in various condition. 1 VF (7.0/7.5), 2 FN+ (6.0/6.5) , 3 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 4 VF (7.5/8.0) , 5 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 6 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 7 VF (7.0/7.5) , 8 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 9 VF (7.0/7.5) , 10 VF (7.0/7.5) , 11 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 12 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 13 NM (9.0/9.2) , 14 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 15 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 16 VF (7.5/8.0) , 17 VF (7.0/7.5) , 18 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 19 NM (9.0/9.2) , 20 VF (7.5/8.0) October , 21 VF (7.0/7.5) , 22 VF (7.5/8.0) , 23 VF (7.0/7.5) , 24 VF (7.5/8.0) , 25 VF (7.0/7.5) , 26 VF (7.0/7.5) , 27 VF (7.5/8.0) , 28 VF (7.0/7.5) , 29 NM (9.0/9.2) , 30 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 31 VF+ (8.0/8.5) October , 32 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 33 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 34 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 35 VF (7.5/8.0) , 36 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 37 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 38 VF (7.0/7.5) , 39 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 40 VF (7.0/7.5) , 41 F/VF (6.5/7.0) , 42 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) October , 43 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 44 VF (7.5/8.0) , 45 VF (7.5/8.0) , 46 VF (7.5/8.0) , 47 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 48 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 49 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 50 F/VF (6.5/7.0) , 51 F/VF (6.5/7.0) , 52 VF (7.0/7.5) , 53 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 54 VF (7.5/8.0) October , 55 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 56 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 57 VF (7.0/7.5) , 58 VF (7.0/7.5) , 59 VF (7.5/8.0) , 60 VF (7.5/8.0) , 61 VG/FN (4.5/5.0) , 62 VF (7.5/8.0) , 63 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 64 VF (7.0/7.5) , 65 VF (7.5/8.0) , 66 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 67 VF (7.0/7.5) , 68 VF (7.5/8.0) , 69 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 70 VF (7.0/7.5) , 71 VF (7.0/7.5) , 72 VF (7.5/8.0) , 73 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) , 74 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , 75 VF+ (8.0/8.5) , Special 1 VF (7.5/8.0) , Sandman Gallery of Dreams 1 F/VF (6.5/7.0) , Secret Origins Special 1 VF/NM (8.5/9.0) ... Read more

Product Description
The complete comics adaptation of the acclaimed novel by New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaiman is now available in one volume!

NEVERWHERE follows the adventures of an ordinary Londoner who stops to help an enigmatic girl and is drawn into a battle to save the strange underworld kingdom of London Below from destruction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

The Dead & Dying of London Below!
I've never read Neil Gaiman's original novel, but its graphic novel adaptation is an interesting fantasy as told from the viewpoint of a mousy man from London.Richard is a working man, pushed around by his boss, led by the neck from Jessica, his hard-as-nails fiancé.After working 11 hour days he spends his nights eating TV dinners and watching TV.

One day he finds a woman on the streets of London.She's just jumped through a dimensional portal you know, being chased by hit men Croup and Vandemar.He takes her in over the objections of Jessica and nurses Door (yes, that's her name) to health.

In doing so, he becomes an un-person, no one knows he's there.His only hope is to follow Door and hope that he can get his life back, as mundane as it is.

I enjoyed the art by Glenn Fabry very much.The large monster panels of the Beast of London, the large Angel Islington and the realistic blood and the decadent Floating Market are drawn in great detail.

The only thing I did not like was the slow pace of plot.There were not a lot of fight scenes, and not a lot of explanation of the characters and who they were, except for Door.We do learn of Door's family, their power to create doors to anywhere, the ritual slaughter of her family and she, as the survivor, out for vengeance.

The "employer" who hired Croup and Vandemar to kill off Door and her family was revealed mid-novel.And the surprise ending was not all that surprising.The innocence of Richard Mayhew (the story is told from his point of view) does get a bit annoying at times.

Overall, a decent read.I will probably read the original novel and compare to the graphic novel.Writer Mike Carey makes a good point that the graphic novel was never made to be a substitution of the original but to stand on its own as its own story.I can agree to that.

Recommended!

Other Graphic Novels from Neil Gaiman:

Coraline: The Graphic Novel
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
Coraline Graphic Novel

A victim of 'superhero-itis'
As far as narrative is concerned this adaptation is fine. The visual interpretation, on the other hand, is so far off Gaiman's descriptions that it is impossible to enjoy. Just seeing how the character of Door is portrayed demonstrates the problem. Gaiman describes her as being small and pixieish, dressed in layers of clothes as well as an oversized leather jacket to 'disappear' into when she is feeling vulnerable.This highly-sexualized version of Door looks more like a refugee from the X-Men by way of Mad Max with her bustier, garterbelt, large breasts and bare midriff on display. The concealing leather coat has turned into a Matrix-like leather trenchcoat which constantly flaps behind her.Just because it is fantasy subject matter told in graphic novel form doesn't mean it has to use the visual guidebook of superhero titles where characters are all buff and either wear skintight outfits or show as much skin as possible. I haven't even mentioned the tattoo of a keyhole over her eye. Very subtle. This isn't just a matter of slightly different interpretations. The way the characters are described by Gaiman are part of what defines them and their actions. Very disappointing

They look like Demi Moore & David Bowie, don't they?
I mean, Door and the Marquis C, respectively, as they are drawn, look to me like Demi Moore and David Bowie. And in the latter instance that takes some doing (or some imagination on my part) since the Marquis is depicted with a totally inked out face.

But that's hardly what I'm here to talk about.

"In that other city, there was another life. There was another door that might still be open. Here I broke no promises. Nobody would miss me. I didn't look back. I didn't need to. The world healed itself behind me. And forgot that I had ever been." --Mike Carey/Neil Gaiman

My boyfriend gave me this adaptation to read. I never read the novel on which it is based but he did and said that this graphic version of "Neverwhere" did the original justice. And I figure I can rely on his judgment since he was a big fan of the novel...and also because he's just big, period, and very strong and he often has me in utterly vulnerable positions. He's such a sweetheart but, still, I'd hate to engender in him any subconscious hostilities towards me.

Thus, as something of a matter of survival, I've learned to trust him. And, once again, my trust in him has been rewarded. "Neverwhere," in its graphic novel incarnation, is a nifty bit of entertainment.

For my part, I feel that unless an adaptation can stand on its own, it doesnt deserve to be propped up with a lot of excuses. I mean, if its a crummy commodity as an adaptation, why read it (or watch it? or listen to it?) especially if it's the only version you'll likely read? And, if it stinks, will you really be tempted to read the original?

To a certain extent, an adaptation, like the translation of a book from one language to another, becomes a creation unto itself--and should be judged as such.

Happily, this graphic "Neverwhere" doesn't stink to high heaven at all. Its a fun, fast, highly-enjoyable read. The art is striking, creating a fully-realized alternate world you can really settle into, unsettling though it is. Croup and Vandemar are fantasic creations, a kind psychotic English version of Lenny and George from "Of Mice and Men." Mayhew is a nicely drawn--in every sense of the word--reluctant hero, a nebbishy dreamy real-life-phobic sort of guy with a domineering girlfriend, and a dull, gray job. His "escape" into Neverwhere serves as the catalyst for him to fulfill a latent potential for action and adventure that would have otherwise gone unknown in the ordinary (real?) world.

There are some nice twists in "Neverwhere" and a couple of surprises and a shock or two, but, generally speaking, the story isnt quite so textured as what I'm used to seeing in Gaiman's work...and I say that even allowing for the fact that this is an adaptation of a novel. Because, from what I've read, Gaiman's original graphic stuff is always a complex weave of variegated themes, myths, plots, motivations, etc and this graphic novel is a lot more straightforward, a lot more "conventional" in terms of fantastic fiction. Its also a bit more sentimental, although Gaiman's work always walks that tightrope. He's a romantic at heart, which, at least in part, explains his immense popularity.

Overall, though, I think this story's appeal lies in that sense a good many of us have of not belonging in the life in which we find ourselves. Perhaps we all don't feel such a profound and paralyzing sense of discomfit as Richard Mayhew who hopes to find another city, another door, another life and who leaves this world, where no one will miss him, without looking back...but I sure do, so "Neverwhere's'" mythic message was for me a particularly poignant and powerful one.

How great it is to have a gigantic boyfriend who's brain is as big as his biceps!

Whoops
I meant to get the actual book out of the library, but instead they sent me this.But I decided I might as well read it while I had it.I was immediately hooked and finished it in one evening.

So unlike probably most people here, I am unable to compare the comic book adaptation to the original.But I can say that this is a great book on its own - the story flows, and the illustrations are gorgeous and amazingly creative.Definitely a piece of art!

A Failed attempt to improve on the book
I tried to read the publication, but couldn't stomach it. It takes the story out of order, removes chapters, and adds dialogue and detail that contradicts the original Novel; it's worse than anything Hollywood could have done to it. Read the original novel. Also, the BBC miniseries isn't bad. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally serialized in The Face, Signal to Noise is the story of a film director dying of cancer. His life's crowning achievement, his greatest film, would have told the story of a European village as the last hour of 999 A.D. approached -- the midnight that the villagers were convinced would bring with it Armageddon. Now that story will never be told. But he's still working it out in his head, making a film that no one will ever see. No one but us.

Signal to Noise is a poignant story, rich in humanity, depth, and communications theory. A beautifully designed and printed book, showcasing McKean's stunning artwork and Gaiman's story, Signal to Noise will make you re-evaluate your thinking about the potential of the medium and a book you will be proud to share with your friends. They will thank you for it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Black Orchid
The first book to ever be written by Neil Gaiman for comics. And what a great job he had done. From beging to end he keeps you interested in all of the charicters. He allows you to feel all the emotion that they go through and makes you feel that that they are real. For a first timer at the time he really went out of his why to give people a great story. He is the best writer of the time and era. He makes everything feel as if it is real. Gaiman is a master at what he does. From start to finish this tradepaperback is one of the best things that anyone can read. And in a great tradition of such writers like (Alan Moore, Jim Starlin, Chris Claremont, and all those who ever changed the face of comics) Neil Gaiman does them proud. He is the William Shakespare of the 20th century.

Stark and unsettling, but beautifully done.
This is early work for both Gaiman and McKean, but it's as good as anything else I've seen them do. The text and art combine seamlessly to illustrate the theme - meaningful signal, contrasted with meaningless noise - in the story of a film director dying. Although it has no supernatural elements at all, in some ways this story comes across as an earlier and starker version of 'The Sound Of Her Wings'.

All Signal, No Noise in This Early Gaiman/McKean Tale
Before Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean introduced American comic book fans to the joys of sophisticated suspense, they cemented their collaborative vision in "Signal to Noise", a decidedly literary use of the comic art form.

If you're looking for spandex-clad Barbie dolls flouncing aboutand sending off the occasional barrage of soap opera dialogue, lookelsewhere.If you're into ancient gods and horror beyond compare, youwon't find it here.

But if you're literary jones is only sated by thekind of extraordinary-ordinary situations real people experience in thereal world from time to time, the kind of story which stays with you longafter you've returned the book to its shelf, stick around awhile.

"Signal to Noise" is the story of a screenwriter racing against theclock to finish his final screenplay.It is also the story of simplepeasants waiting for the world to end at the dawn of the second millenium. It is also the story of the immortality of art.It is all these things andmore; which will surprise exactly none of Gaiman's fans, familiar as theyare with his flair for layered storytelling.

The art is a revelation. I had previously been of the opinion that Dave McKean's distinctive artstyle evolved during his Sandman run, building on his "Arkham Asylum" work. I was clearly mistaken:"Signal to Noise" is classic McKean; that is, theartwork is unlike anything you've seen before yet does not draw focus awayfrom the story itself.

I have studiously avoided commenting on theplot.When I first read "Signal to Noise," I was completely ignorant ofthe plot and thus found it to be simply astounding, rather like myexperience upon reading Alan Moore's "V for Vendetta" for the first time. That the funny books so rightly derided by many could prove to be such aneffective medium for true art is hard to believe. See for yourself whatgreat writers and illustrators at the top of their game can accomplish. Pick up "Signal to Noise" now, and have your faith in comics reaffirmed.

Life, Death and everything between
As Jonathan Carroll says in his introduction, what Gaiman and McKean are doing in this book is dangerous and necessary. It's a beautifully painted meditation on life and death, as a film director with cancer makes his lastfilm in his head. Very moving, and ultimately life-affirming, with some ofGaiman's best writing in it.

Pretention, Anyone?
I read this graphic novel and saw the play and met Neil Gaiman, all in the same day. The reason Stephen King admires this guy is because he is able to create the illusion to his audience that they are perhaps profound, orwell-read somehow. Not the case. This one will leave you cold, no matterhow many times you "read" it/look at the little pictures. Oh andgirls-- Neil Gaiman's voice sounds exactly like Richard Dreyfuss. ... Read more

Product Description
For centuries, they have watched over us. Leering from the arches and peaks of ancient cathedrals. Spreading their wings across hallowed doorways. Even decorating our homes in stony, silent elegance. Are they angels or demons? Sacred or profane? In the Shadow of the Gargoyle features fifteen original stories and two classic tales of the legendary gargoyle. The contributors range from bestselling masters to the hottest newcomers--award-winners, artists, musicians, and, yes, gargoyle collectors.Each of them experts at drawing blood from a stone...Contributors include:* Harlan Ellison * Neil Gaiman * Katherine Kurtz * Brian Lumley * Jane Yolen * Charles L. Grant * John Mason Skipp * Nancy Holder * Alan Rodgers * Lucy Taylor * Jo Clayton * Don D'Ammassa * Christa Faust * Robert J. Harris * Brian Hodge * Caitlin R. Kiernan * Marc Levinthal * Melanie Tem * Wendy Webb ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Gotta Love the Gargoyles
Gargoyles have often been harbingers of fear, fascination, and fun -- from the creepy, beclawed critters that glower down from the impressive heights of the Notre Dame cathedral, to the friendly felines in pseudo-Goth mail order catalogues with their batwings and big grins.

In the Shadow of the Gargoyle brings us the stony sentry in all his expected guises -- fearsome, fascinating, and funny -- and a few more for good measure. This is a well rounded collection, with a least a story or three to suit everyone's taste.

Charles L. Grant's `The Soft Sound of Wings' starts the collection off, but I found it to be one of the weakest stories of the bunch -- it's about an old widower who heads up a neighborhood watch, and... well, does the neighborhood watch group symbolize modern-day gargoyles, or are they watching for actual gargoyles? I didn't get it.

Neil Gaiman's `Gargoyle of the Heart' is interesting and engaging, despite its lack of an actual ending. That's okay -- the obsessed lover, whose heart turns as hard and lifeless as the gargoyle he sculpts, is an interesting character, so I didn't mind following him essentially nowhere.

Katherine Kurtz's `The Gargoyle's Shadow' is a humorous, modern-day jaunt that transports the reader to "gargoyle powwows" in which the protectors of church treasures lament, "We used to be avenging angels. But now we don't get to kick ass like we did in the old days. The Boss has gotten a little soft on sinners..."

Don D'Amassa's `Scylla and Charybdis' follows shy Kim from the age of nine into adulthood, and her two gargoyle friends, Scylla and Charybdis, who are always there for her. There to listen, there to protect. This story was engrossing and somber, and it captured a gloomy mood while maintaining an interesting, if predicable, plotline.

Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris, collaborators on `Studies in Stone,' present a story that is similar to `The Gargoyle's Shadow' in that it takes a light, humorous look at the gothic icons, but I enjoyed this story a lot more in its' utter daftness -- cleverly titled, this "study in stone" follows the escapades of Gryx, a Scottish rainspout gargoyle who breaks free from his ledge and goes off to study at University.

Melanie Tem's `Hagoday' follows guilt-wracked ex-con Eric, who accidentally killed an acquaintance of his. He's haunted by gargoyles, and while the idea is interesting, I didn't think it panned out. The strange, unsatisfying ending left me feeling, well... strangely unsatisfied.

Charles deLint's `May This Be Your Last Sorrow' takes place in Bordertown (the creation of Terri Windling and Marc Alan Arnold). Never having read any Bordertown novels (or whatever they are -- no background or explanation was given), I got absolutely nothing from this story, although it was well-written.

Nancy Holder's `Little Dedo' was perhaps one of the most creative uses of the gargoyle in this collection, though personally, I do prefer a more traditional view. Sam and Jeannie, a married couple, go to Paris on vacation. She's more interested in Euro-Disney than she is Notre Dame, despite the fact she's pregnant with a little gargoyle... or is she? This story was engaging and appealing, even when nothing was "happening" (which was, actually, most of the time).

Alan Rodgers's `The Gargoyle's Song' is about the siren song of an ancient stone sentry who sits upon the ledge outside a lonely woman's New York apartment. And then, she invites him in. What unravels is a slow-moving, but sweetly romantic story of love found, lost, and found again.

Brian Lumley's `The Luststone' was listed as an excerpt. An excerpt from what, I don't know -- a novel? If so, if must have been taken from the middle of the novel, as it has no distinct beginning, middle and end. I didn't care for this one at all and don't consider it a true "short story" in keeping with the theme of the collection.

Christa Faust and Caitlin R. Keirnan's `Found Angels' starts off with a completely dead-on description of Mann's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood tourist scene, and the scruffy, heroin-addicted kids who live and die on the sidewalk of stars. `Found Angels' follows one of these kids, who is lucky enough to hook up with an avant-garde artist who wants to immortalize him in stone. While I could see the ending of this one coming, it didn't matter, because Faust and Keirnan made the trip so much fun.

Jo Clayton's `The House of Sisters' began with what, for me, is the kiss of death: spelling out all the dialogue phonetically. A little bit of this goes a long way, and unfortunately Clayton didn't employ the "less is more" rule here. Added to that distraction is an almost incomprehensible plot. I read about four pages before realizing I had no idea what I had just read. I think it was something about a game between two sisters, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Wendy Webb's `Smiling Sisters' presents a day in the life (and death) of social worker, Rebecca Stern, in Atlanta, Georgia. Webb makes the most of the dark, decadent, decaying, sultry Southern atmosphere when she describes the clinging vines, the sickly sweet scent of flowers, and the crooked old mansion that Lillian, the old woman Rebecca is sent to see, lives in. Rebecca is convinced that Lillian can't take care of herself, and should not be living alone. What Rebecca doesn't know is that Lillian doesn't live alone.

Marc Levinthal and John Skipp's collaboration, `Now Entering Monkeyface' is one of the more creative uses of the gargoyle theme in this collection. The only science fiction story, it won me over right away with its excellent writing, sense of black humor, and fast, interesting pacing. Normally, I don't like fiction written in present tense, and I don't enjoy traditional science fiction, particularly stories set on other planets, but this one was, er... stellar.

Lucy Taylor's `Tempters' is a fascinating foray into the seamy, insidious underneath of the gargoyle. In most of these stories, and indeed throughout history, they are portrayed as protectors. Not so with `Tempters,' the tale of an English gentleman troubled, then obsessed, by a pair of 12th century Franking gargoyles posed in lewd, lascivious postures. I had not read anything by Lucy Taylor before, but her wicked writing style has inspired me to seek out more. This one is a standout.

Harlan Ellison's `Bleeding Stones' is more a vignette than a structured story -- here we follow gargoyles who are tired of being the protectors of the "Jesus people." They want to fly, they want to roam... they want to kill. It all begins at St. Patrick's Cathedral, when one, then another, and then another of the sentries breaks free during mass and takes revenge on the religion that enslaved them for so many centuries. The story dissolves into a bloody, unflinching look at the carnage these winged, beclawed, befanged creatures could inflict, should they choose to.

In the Shadow of the Gargoyle is a thought-provoking, entertaining collection overall, despite the additions of the two stories (Lumley's "excerpt" and the one set in Bordertown) that the average reader probably won't enjoy or understand. In short, it's a rockin' good time! (Note: no bad puns were hurt in the writing of this review.)

Staci Layne Wilson

average
A few of the stories were very good, and a few weren't very good at all, but most were just average.The average stories were just too predictable.Usually they ended with someone turning into a gargoyle, or there was a gargoyle protector killing people, things like that.I was really excited about finding this anthology, because I recognized a lot of authors I liked in it: Neil Gaiman, Katherine Kurtz, Jane Yolen, Jo Clayton, Charles de Lint.Unfortunately, most of the stories weren't nearly as good or as original as I had thought they'd be.I enjoyed Charles de Lint's "May This Be Your Last Sorrow" the most, but the rest was really just so-so.

A disappointing collection.
Judging by some of the authors who contributed tales to this anthology, you'd expect something of very high caliber.Sadly, most of the stories are fairly run-of-the-mill, and I barely remember them just a few daysafter finishing the book.Even Caitlin Kiernan's beautifully written shortis a bit predictable.It's nice to have Harlan Ellison's vicious"Bleeding Stones" back in print, but otherwise this is one themeanthology that is more or less missable.

A great book!
In the Shadow of the Gargoyle was a really good book, all the stories were really cool, and some of them even sad. My favorite was Scylla and Charybdis. It is really cool, though some of the stories, especially thesecond one, are kind of weird and nasty. But without those it's a reallygreat book and I think everyone should read it! ... Read more

Product Description
Newly rewritten by Gaiman for this graphic novel, these two ominous stories from the author's award-winning prose, Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions, feature animals and people not being quite what they seem. In "The Price," a black cat like a small panther arrives at a country home and is soon beset by mysterious and vicious wounds. What is he fighting every night that could do this, and why does he persist? "The Daughter of Owls" recounts an eerie old tale of a foundling girl who was left - with an owl pellet - as a newborn on the steps of the Dymton Church. She was soon cloistered away in a local convent, but by her fourteenth year word of her beauty had spread - and those who would prey upon her faced unforeseen consequences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Recycled stories with new pictures
"Creatures of the NIght" takes two short stories Gaiman wrote for his collection "Smoke and Mirrors" and reconstitutes them into comic book form by artist Michael Zulli. "The Price" is about a black cat that protects a family from the Devil night after night without the family realising and "The Daughter of Owls" is about a beautiful girl locked away who defends herself one night against possible rapists, using magic means.

I've read "Smoke and Mirrors" and, though I remember them, they weren't the strongest ones in the collection and so they make average comic book stories. Illustrated nicely by Zulli using canvas and oils, it's an alright read but seems more of a cashcow for Gaiman, double dipping old stories into new books.

Nice reading
To be honest the stories inside this book are a nice reading, also the illustrations are pretty good too.

But they aren't as good as other Gaiman's works.

They are nice REALLY light reading, but don't expect a novel-like book.

Beautiful Artwork, Wonderful, Creepy Stories
Among Gaiman's comics that aren't part of a series, such as Sandman and such, the two stories in this volume definitely stand out.They are both very haunting, creepy, and really draw the reader in.There is a mythic quality to them, and yet while reading them my unbelief was temporarily suspended.The twists and turns the plots take are rather unexpected at times, and make for a very enjoyable read.

Requested by my niece...
...so I don't really know anything about the book, but my niece had it on her Wish List and all I know is that she really likes it.

Not as interesing as Gaiman's novels
I am a big fan of Gaiman's novels and have never read the Sandman series.This is the first graphic novel I have ever read and was only moderately intrigued."The Price" was an interesting short story and the graphics helped, however, "The Daughter of Owls" was less impressive and I didn't care for he illustrations.This made me long for another Gaiman novel, the shortness of this was too disappointing.Not a bad thing to pickup at the library but if you are more of a novel person, don't buy it. ... Read more

Product Description
The first scholarly book-length examination of the work of comics legend Neil Gaiman includes detailed analysis of his best-selling "Sandman" and "Death" series, a look at his work's relationship to Joseph Campbell, and such topics as "Living in a Desacralized World," "The Relationship of Dreams and Myth in Campbell, Jung, and Gaiman's Sandman," "Humanization, Change, and Rebirth: The Hero's Journey," "The Role of the Artist and the Art of Storytelling," and more. A fascinating journey behind the comics work of one of the most interesting and challenging popular writers of today, "Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and Joseph Campbell: In Search of the Modern Myth" is the book which Gaiman's fans have been waiting for! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Terribly Disappointing
This is one of the worst books i have ever read. The same quotes from the Sandman series are used over and over again and the author's personal experiences cloud any real information. "Intelligent" and "scholarly" are the last words I would use to describe this book; it reads like a high school student's analysis. I was excited to see a book-length examination of both the Sandman series and the ideas of Joseph Campbell, both of which I am extremely interested in, but this was disappointing beyond words.

Neil Gainman's The Sandman and Joseph Campbell: In Search of the MOdern Myth
If you are looking for another story told by Neil Gaiman - This is NOT it - this is a very well written book by stephen Rauch about the philisopical and contexual aspects of myth.The book just happens to use the Sandman sieres as its primary backdrop for its discussion.All and all a very interesting book to which i would recommend, and one not be an avid fan or very knowledgable about The Sandman sieres to enjoy.Just make sure to consider it a book primarily about myth and philosophy as opposed to a book about the Sandman sieres. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection includes The Monarch of the Glen: An American Gods Novella. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Fantastic Book Ever
This fantasy is both thrilling and electrifying. People that enjoy magical stories like this one, will be ecstatic about this story. In the beginning there is a young girl about 5'4" moving into a mansion called the flat with her parents. It was about 12:00 in the after noon when Coraline's dad told her to explore the house. She jotted down all the windows, doors and pictures. When a young boy named Whybie, short for Whyborn, comes to her and gives her a doll that looks exactly like Coraline. As she was exploring the house she found a tiny locked door. She was curious about it. She tries to get her mom to open the door but behind it is just a bricked wall. But what Coraline doesn't know, is that behind this puny door is treacherous place. In the middle of the night, Coraline was awaken by a mouse, which leads her to the little door. When she opened it she found something so tremendous. The door wasn't bricked up any more. Coraline crawled threw it to find that the door led her right back to her own living room. She was confused; she thought it would be diverse. As she strolled around she saw her mom cooking. But when her mother turned around she realized it wasn't. This strange old woman had button eyes, but looked exactly like Coralines mom.

Coraline didn't know what was going on. The woman told Coraline she is her other mother. Coraline believed her but knew something was wrong. Then Coraline found her dad he had buttoned eyes as well. After dinner she went to her room and saw everything was abnormal. All of her toys were alive; Coraline couldn't believe her eyes. She loved this new place; Coraline went to bed and then woke up to see she was back in her old home. She told her parents about her experience but they thought she was hallucinating. Coraline knows what she saw and still she kept going through that door. Until one day she went in that door one more time and her other mother and father asked her if she wanted button eyes. Coraline yelled "NO" she didn't want buttons on her eyes. When she went to sleep that night, she was extremely scared but never wanted to come back.
When she woke up she was still in the same place. She didn't know what was happening so she made the other mother a deal that if she finds 3 ghost eyes she gets to leave they both agreed and Coraline set out to find these ghost eyes. Coraline is very curious and she's not afraid of anything. Will Coraline find these ghost eyes? I'd love to tell you the ending but you'll have to read it to find out.

All Is Never What It Seems
Originally posted at: www.aurorareviews.blogspot.com

A door is just a door, right? Not when you're a dissatisfied young girl looking for adventure, it isn't. And that's exactly what Coraline finds when she sneaks the keys to the locked door in the parlor -- adventure. From that moment forward, nothing is ever as it seems. And suddenly, the world isn't the safe, warm place she once believed it to be.

Coraline is your typical elementary school girl. She loves to be the center of her parents' attention and to explore the world around her. Although her curiosity and boredom do almost get the best of her during this story, she is smart enough to pull herself out of the trouble she created. With the love of her parents, her stubborn will, and an assortment of odd characters, she puts all the puzzle pieces together and saves herself. Coraline's character really develops during this short novel. She learns a lot about the dangers surrounding her little home and in the greater, wilder world around her. She learns to draw on resources she normally would write off and becomes a wiser and more cautious child for it all.

Neil Gaiman has long been one of my favorite authors of adult fiction. To find such a wonderfully written story for a much younger audience made me extremely happy. He has an amazing way of weaving the dark and supernatural into our world and giving it a place to stay, as if it has been there all along. We just haven't opened our eyes wide enough to notice it yet is all. Coraline is no exception. Despite the age group it was written for, he delves into the dark and creepy with ease, finding the things that would most appeal to - and frighten - a child. Possibly not the best choice for a more sensitive child, it does have its frightening moments, although never gruesome. Best read with the lights on, Coraline is a sure fire hit for any adventurous child.

My Favorite Book
Coraline is a good book to recommend to others; also it was a very creepy book to read. When Coraline lost her parents in a snowglobe, her other mother had locked Coraline in a very small closet behind a mirror. There are souls of the once-lived children in the closet as well, and the other mother claimed that she was their other mother too.

I like this book because it's sort of an adventure and a mystery. When you read this book you have to remember, because you can have a movie in your head about what's in it when you're reading of course. It was a very creepy book especially the pictures. Ahhhh! But anyway, anybody who wants a creepy yet good book to read, it's Coraline.-- Selena

The Best
I fell in love with this story. It is one the books I whould want with me on a deserted island.

NOT Caroline!
For those unfamiliar with the story:young Coraline (NOT Caroline!) Jones is bored to death over the summer holidays in the new flat her parents have moved her into.She discovers a door in the wall, as well as the key that unlocks it, and discovers a portal to a mirror world where her Other Mother awaits to give her the never-boring, never-unhappy, life she's missing in the real world.Needless to say, there is something not quite right about the Other Mother's offer ... starting with the fact that in order to stay in this other world, Coraline must let the Other Mother sew buttons over her eyes.

Coraline preceded Gaiman's Newberry-award-winning The Graveyard Book as a book aimed directly at teens.The two books make great compaion pieces: one about a strong-willed girl discovering what her real family means to her, the other about a ghostly boy discovering that family is what forms around you as you grow.Coraline is smart, adventurous ... and not afraid to admit when she's afraid.She doesn't have all the answers, but she's smart enough to figure them out.

Coraline, the book, is creepy, eerie, moody -- it has all the Gaiman hallmarks.The animated film directed by Henry Selick is good -- but read the original for a slightly different view on Coraline's world.Znd then listen to Neil Gaiman read the book in its entirety on cd, as I just did. ... Read more

Product Description
This collection includes The Hidden Chamber, Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire, The Flints of Memory Lane, Closing Time, Going Wodwo, and Bitter Grounds. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1988, best-selling author Neil Gaiman first revealed the shadowy places where personal demons bleed into the realms of superheroes & ancient gods. His vehicle was ''The Sandman'' -- the comics series that broke new ground in the medium & beyond. In 1991 it was the first, & only, comic book to receive the World Fantasy Award. The tales that this master storyteller spins for his haunting -- & haunted protagonist wield immense power in both the land of dreams & in the waking world. Gaiman & a team of artists intermingled a dazzling array of narrative & artistic styles to create a stunning tableau. Here, Kwitney richly illus. the comic's history. Includes illustrations never before published, behind-the-scenes stories, & quotes from Gaiman himself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

thank you!
i have searched long and hard for a poster of dream. just dream. it doesn't seem to exist at this time. i have searched poster websites, neil gaiman's site, comic sites, etc, all over the internet. i also went to several comic stores in my city. they only had one poster they could even order at this time. (the 20th anniversary one, which is an awesome poster, but of almost EVERYONE--and the pic of dream himself is kinda lame considering whats been done of him.) so this is as close as i have come to find anykind of awesome sandman art, specifically of morpheus himself. so THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Nice return visit to an interesting world. . .
From the fall of 1987 to the beginning of 1996, Neil Gaiman worked mostly on the "Sandman" series of comics, . . . which became trade book collections, and merchandise, and fannish websites, and spin-off books by other writers. Morpheus gave it all up in the end, but the readers haven't. One of the best spin-offs is this overview, or commentary, or summation, of the series, from the first issue to the last, by one of the assistant editors with whom Gaiman worked. She's gone on to other things, too, but she obviously can't leave the Endless behind any more than the paying readers can. It's nice to be able to revisit, all in one place, the wide range of artists who worked on the series and to read Gaiman's brief comments on the origins of certain story arcs and the interconnections between others, not all of which were intentional. And, as Kwitney says, if you've picked up this book without having read about the Sandman, . . . well, now's your chance.

Beautiful and Informative
Sandman: the King of Dreams is a wonderful coffetable-eque art book. However, it also contains many insights into the world of the Sandman and the creative process. Alisa Kwitney was a one time editor of the comic series and brings wonderful anecdotes about the writers, artists and characters that I have not heard anywhere else. This bok is clearly written with love for the world of The Sandman.
The art is also gorgeuos. images from the comics are replicated here in a wonderful format. also there are many images taken from other comics and trading cards and several that have been hiding in the editorial vault.
though this book is not as detailed as Hy Bender's wonderful ode to the series, and the two do cover the same ground on occasion, this is an excellent addition to anyones'sSandman library. ... Read more