The Sandman
Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer and it is because of his stories about "The Sandman" that I became a comic book fan. If you can suspend belief and open your mind to the realm of imagination, you can step into the world that Mr. Gaiman created revolving around the King of Dreams. The entire series of the Sandman will leave you riveted and wanting more. Take the time to explore the realm of dreams and you will not be disappointed!
Neil Gaiman's Best
I love the Sandman graphic novel series,so when any of them come out in paperback they're a must-read.These can't be missed,they'll pull you in and not let you go...
Neil Gaiman's Sandman, a comics' masterpiece
The Neil Gaiman's begining work, Sandman, coalize creation and the imaginary. I met the writter in São Paulo, 2000, and I see that he has a sensibility needed for a great author. Don't miss it.
Super Reader
A collection of stories related to the Sandman saga, placed in and around these stories, but unrelated. The odd story here has an extremely tenuous connection to the aforementioned, and generally speaking, those with less do not work as well. Sandman fans should still enjoy this, however.
Sandman Book of Dreams : 01 Masquerade and High Water - Colin Greenland
Sandman Book of Dreams : 02 Chain Home, Low - John M. Ford
Sandman Book of Dreams : 03 Stronger than Desire - Lisa Goldstein
Sandman Book of Dreams : 04 Each Damp Thing - Barbara Hambly
Sandman Book of Dreams : 05 The Birth Day - B. W. Clough
Sandman Book of Dreams : 06 Splatter - Will Shetterly
Sandman Book of Dreams : 07 Seven Nights in Slumberland - George Alec Effinger
Sandman Book of Dreams : 08 Escape Artist - Caitlín R. Kiernan
Sandman Book of Dreams : 09 An Extra Smidgen of Eternity - Robert Rodi
Sandman Book of Dreams : 10 The Writer's Child - Tad Williams
Sandman Book of Dreams : 11 The Gate of Gold - Mark Kreighbaum
Sandman Book of Dreams : 12 A Bone Dry Place - Karen Haber
Sandman Book of Dreams : 13 The Witch's Heart - Delia Sherman
Sandman Book of Dreams : 14 The Mender of Broken Dreams - Nancy A. Collins
Sandman Book of Dreams : 15 Ain't You 'Most Done? - Gene Wolfe
Sandman Book of Dreams : 16 Valóság and Élet - Steven Brust
Sandman Book of Dreams : 17 Stopp't-Clock Yard - Susanna Clarke
Solar hippie Desire.
3 out of 5
Right at the start of the Sandman story, with all the Sleepers there is the whole World War air war thing going on.
3.5 out of 5
Endless bet welcher, after a pretty young lord bets Desire she can't make anyone she wants shag, and wins.
3.5 out of 5
Cain unearths a mirror that Dream had hidden away for a bloody good reason. Bad things man, bad things.
4 out of 5
Herding happiness.
3 out of 5
A horror writer probably would have preferred to be guest of honour somewhere other than the Cereal Convention.
4 out of 5
Little Nemo prefers to not be awake.
2.5 out of 5
Bloke not a fan of dream denizens.
2.5 out of 5
Death interrupts the last story being told to a bloke in hospital.
4 out of 5
Little girl, no.
2.5 out of 5
Doll bravery.
4 out of 5
Prophecy pills.
3.5 out of 5
Witch makes a werewolf girl and becomes a bit torn.
3.5 out of 5
Autistic mental power.
4 out of 5
A folksinger gets one last go around after a heart attack, and before Death.
3 out of 5
Three boys get involved in a tricky folk tale, with dreaming.
3.5 out of 5
Morpheus sick of Paramore.
3 out of 5
A pleasant visit to The Dreaming
Between 1988 and 1996, over the course of seventy-five Sandman comic books (plus various specials and mini series), Neil Gaiman told the complex, moving story of Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreaming, and his family, the Endless. Taken as a whole, the series constitutes a tale about a single character (Dream, a.k.a. Morpheus) and, as Frank McConnell points out in his excellent introduction, "an intricate, funny and profound tale about tales, a story about why there are stories."
Dream is the central figure of the story. Tall, thin, pale, always dressed in black (the image of his creator?), he is truly a flawed hero, a godlike figure subject to the emotions and weaknesses of mankind. Able to create and destroy worlds on a whim, he fails as father and husband. Seemingly invincible, he can be brought down by the righteous anger of a distraught mother.
For eight years, Gaiman mined this rich vein, only to stop at the height of the series' popularity, at a point in time when he felt the story he had in mind from the beginning had reached its natural conclusion. Gaiman's creations live on however, in DC's new series The Dreaming, and in this anthology, written by several mainstream (i.e., non-comic book) writers.
Given the brilliance of the original comic, and with Gaiman co-editor, Sandman aficionados and novices alike might approach this anthology with high hopes. Unfortunately, they are likely to be somewhat disappointed. Perhaps the writers had to operate under severe restrictions; perhaps they didn't feel comfortable working within someone else's universe-it's hard to say. Although the stories are uniformly well crafted, they fail to break any new ground or provide novel insights into the rich cast of familiar characters. This is not to say that the anthology is entirely a waste of time-many of the stories are excellent, and all are readable. Still, the writers might have done more with the material.
Enough negativity. The best story in this collection is Susanna Clarke's "Stopp't Clock Yard," a tale that could easily have been part of the "World's End" story arc from the original series. (Gaiman himself comments "I wish I had written this story.") Clarke tells the amusing tale of magician Isaac Trismegistus and rogue John Paramore, a pair who invade Morpheus' realm to bring the deceased back to their loved ones. Morpheus is rendered perfectly, a distracted deity, swift to anger, but patient in the extreme. Dream waits out his tormentors, only to have his revenge stolen away by one of his siblings.
Other strong entries are Will Shetterly's "Splatter" (set at the infamous Serial Killers Convention seen in The Doll's House), George Alec Effinger's "Seven Nights in Slumberland" (a delightful tribute to both The Sandman and Little Nemo), Barbara Hambly's "Each Damp Thing" (a scary, funny piece featuring Cain and Abel), and Brenda W. Clough's "The Birth Day" (wherein Dream visits a storyteller who may be too clever for her own good). Honorable mentions include Colin Greenland's "Masquerade and High Water," Tad Williams' "The Writer's Child," Delia Sherman's "The Witch's Heart," Nancy Collins' "The Mender of Broken Dreams," and Gene Wolfe's "Ain't You Most Done?".
One need not be familiar with the series to enjoy this book, but it helps. Most of the writers here seem content pursuing themes Gaiman has already visited rather than developing their own. It's hard to recommend the hardcover to general audiences, but the trade paperback is an elegant solution-for twelve dollars, most will be able to spend a few pleasurable hours with Dream and his kin. Rabid fans of the series may be disappointed, but general readers should enjoy the time they spend in The Dreaming.
(15 reviews)
