I feel like an asshole...

[Cramulus]

I also recommend meeting him at a book signing and sucking his cock.

American Gods is based on Gaiman's actual travels across the country.
I have two friends that just took a two week long vacation to visit some of the locations in American Gods. I hear they brought me back a crappy keychain from the House on the Rock.

I really love Gaiman's take on things. As an Brit exploring the States, noticed that there are no thousand year old shrines or ancient cathedrals. But he felt that the real holy places in America are these roadside tourist traps and kitschy little one horse towns. Places where people are drawn to. The "real" America. I can get down with that.

[Cain]

Bill Bryson has a similar take in his American travels, IIRC

[LMNO]

Brush with greatness:  I'm friends with Chris Ewen, of Future Bible Heroes and Magnetic Fields, and who is fairly good friends with Gaiman.


[/name drop]

[nurbldoff]

I've only ever read "good omens" by Gaiman and I wasn't that thrilled. But maybe that's because I was pretty tired of Pratchett at that particular time. I used to love Pratchett, but it kind of got samey after 15 books or so...

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I've only ever read "good omens" by Gaiman and I wasn't that thrilled. But maybe that's because I was pretty tired of Pratchett at that particular time. I used to love Pratchett, but it kind of got samey after 15 books or so...

Good Omens is quite different than most of his other work... Pratchett's style is much less subtle and thus the book tends to carry a Pratchett feel more than a Gaiman one (IMHO, based on my perception etc etc etc).

[nurbldoff]

OK, I guess I'll give Gaiman a second chance some day.

[PopeTom]

Brush with greatness:  I'm friends with Chris Ewen, of Future Bible Heroes and Magnetic Fields, and who is fairly good friends with Gaiman.


[/name drop]

One of the projects Chris is working on is an album where he wrote the music and then had various famous types write the lyrics.  One of which was done by Neil Gaiman, so you can add 'and has collaborated with' before 'with Gaiman'

Can't recall who else he was supposed have worked with on it though.

[Cain]

I frequently leave anonymous comments on Gaiman' blog.

Cain,
brushing with greatness.

[slothrop23]

i'd entirely forgotten about american gods.  definately going to read it again.  starting now.

[Jasper]

Anansi Boys was a lot of fun for me, because it was A) a good story and B) touched on the immense significance of storytelling itself.

[slothrop23]

he definately has a great writing style.  i remember reading smoke and mirrors years ago, that for me really showed how good he was at storytelling.  very short and sometimes brilliant stories.  i too loved anansi boys, and a nice (kinda) follow on from ag.  i almost started smoking cigarellos because of it. almost.  more recently i read the graveyard book, although its not as good as his other stuff and a kids book, i still realy liked the storytelling aspect of it

[Disco Pickle]

he definitely has a great writing style.  i remember reading smoke and mirrors years ago, that for me really showed how good he was at storytelling.  very short and sometimes brilliant stories.  i too loved anansi boys, and a nice (kinda) follow on from ag.  i almost started smoking cigarellos because of it. almost.  more recently i read the graveyard book, although its not as good as his other stuff and a kids book, i still realy liked the storytelling aspect of it

Good Omens is still the funniest book i have ever read.   I read it at least once a year.   

I've owned 6 copies of the book.  4 hardback, 2 paper..  the only one I have left is my one holdout hardback..

I have to bury that on my bookshelves so no one sees it and asks to borrow it.

The pickle feels obligated to be a library for his friends and acquaintances..  even to his financial and literary detriment.

[Tempest Virago]

Oh man, I highly recommend Neil Gaiman to anybody who likes awesome things. My favorites are Sandman and Neverwhere, but I also like American Gods. I have not read Anansi Boys.

[Elder Iptuous]

he speaks his stories well, too.
i've got a two disc set called 'Warning: Contains Language' wherein he reads stories and poems from his book, 'Angels and Visitations' ....

it apparently isn't being pressed anymore, so if you want a copy of it....

[Golden Applesauce]

I've only ever read "good omens" by Gaiman and I wasn't that thrilled. But maybe that's because I was pretty tired of Pratchett at that particular time. I used to love Pratchett, but it kind of got samey after 15 books or so...

I didn't especially like Good Omens either.  I like both authors individually, but together they don't seem to fit as well.

You can definitely tell which parts are written by which author, so it's an interesting way to compare writing styles.