Neil Gaiman
17 Books recommended by Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, nonfiction, audio theatre, and films. His works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book.
Recommendations
The City We Became
The City We Became
N. K. Jemisin
FictionThree-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts her most incredible novel yet, a "glorious" story of culture, identity, magic, and myths in contemporary New York City. In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember who he is, where he's from, or even his own name. But he can sense the beating heart of the city, see its history, and feel its power. In the Bronx, a Lenape gallery director discovers strange graffiti scattered throughout the city, so beautiful and powerful it's as if the paint is literally calling to her. In Brooklyn, a politician and mother finds she can hear the songs of her city, pulsing to the beat of her Louboutin heels. And they're not the only ones. Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She's got six. For more from N. K. Jemisin, check out: The Inheritance Trilogy The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms The Broken Kingdoms The Kingdom of Gods The Inheritance Trilogy (omnibus edition) Shades in Shadow: An Inheritance Triptych (e-only short fiction) The Awakened Kingdom (e-only novella) Dreamblood Duology The Killing Moon The Shadowed Sun The Dreamblood Duology (omnibus) The Broken Earth The Fifth Season The Obelisk Gate The Stone Sky How Long 'til Black Future Month? (short story collection) "A glorious fantasy." —Neil Gaiman
“It is such a good book.”
Feb 20, 2020 — Source
Lud-in-the-Mist
Lud-in-the-Mist
Hope Mirrlees
FictionThe book that New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman considers "one of the finest [fantasy novels] in the English language." Between the mountains and the sea, between the sea and Fairyland, lay the Free State of Dorimare and its picturesque capital, Lud-in-the-Mist. No Luddite ever had any truck with fairies or Fairyland. Bad business, those fairies. The people of Dorimare had run them out generations ago--and the Duke of Dorimare along with them. Until the spring of his fiftieth year, Master Nathaniel Chanticleer, Mayor of Lud-in-the-Mist and High Seneschal of Dorimare, had lived a sleepy life with his only son, Ranulph. But as he grew, Ranulph was more and more fond of talking nonsense about golden cups, and snow-white ladies milking azure cows, and the sound of tinkling bridles at midnight. And when Ranulph was twelve, he got caught up with the fairies, and Nathaniel's life would never be the same.
“My favourite fairy tale/detective novel/history/fantasy.”
— Source
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Susanna Clarke
FictionIn the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world. In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England - until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity. Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear. Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history.
“Like Jane Austen's huge lost fantasy novel about the return of magic to England.”
— Source
“On a distant planet, far in the future, Earth Colonists rule the world as the gods of the Hindu Pantheon. One of their number becomes Buddha to fight them. A mixture of religion and adventure and science fiction.”
— Source
Archer's Goon
Archer's Goon
Diana Wynne Jones
Juvenile FictionThe trouble started when Howard Sykes came home from school and found the "goon" sitting in the kitchen. He said he'd been sent by Archer. But who was Archer? It had to do with the 2,000 words that Howard's author father had failed to deliver. It soon became clear not only that Archer wanted those words, but that his wizard siblings, Hathaway, Dillian, Shine, Torquil, Erskine, and Venturus, would also go to any lengths to get them. Although each wizard ruled a section of the town, he or she was a prisoner in it. Each suspected that one of them held the secret behind the words, and that secret was the key to their freedom. Which one of them was it? The Sykes family become pawns in the wizards' fight to win their freedom, wrest control from one another, and fan out to rule the world. Diana Wynne Jones skillfully guides the reader through a riveting, twisty plot, with satisfying surprises at every amazing turn. An exciting science fiction adventure where, happily, nothing is what it first seems to be.
“She was the best writer of magical children's fiction of our generation. I don't know if this is the best of her novels, but it's my favourite.”
— Source
“It's a wonderful book!”
Dec 7, 2020 — Source
“The best autobiography in comics form ever done, perhaps because that wasn't what he was trying to do.”
— Source
Shadow & Claw
Shadow & Claw
Gene Wolfe
FictionThe shadow of the torturer: In a thoroughly decadent world of the future, Severian the torturer is cast out from the torturer's guild when he falls in love with one of his victims and allows her to die.
“The best science fiction novel of the last century. A four volume book about memory and truth.”
— Source
“A police agent infiltrates the high council of anarchists in this glorious nightmare romp.”
— Source
Horns
Horns
Joe Hill
FictionNow a major Hollywood film starring Daniel Radcliffe: read it first, if you dare ... Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with one hell of a hangover, a raging headache ... and a pair of horns growing from his temples. Once, Ig lived the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned American musician, and the younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, Ig had security and wealth and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more - he had the love of Merrin Williams, a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic. Then beautiful, vivacious Merrin was gone - raped and murdered, under inexplicable circumstances - with Ig the only suspect. He was never tried for the crime, but in the court of public opinion, Ig was and always would be guilty. Now Ig is possessed with a terrible new power - with just a touch he can see people's darkest desires - to go with his terrible new look, and he means to use it to find the man who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge; it's time the devil had his due.
“An immensely powerful writer. This, his second novel, is about a man who wakes up after a bad night with horns pushing out of his forehead.”
— Source
Bleak House
Bleak House
Charles Dickens
FictionEdited with an Introduction and Notes by Nicola Bradbury.
“From the highest in the land to the lowest, the court of Chancery destroys lives. A wonderful read even if you don't like Spontaneous Human Combustion.”
— Source
The 13 Clocks
The 13 Clocks
James Thurber
FictionIn a cold, gloomy castle where all the clocks have stopped, a wicked Duke amuses himself by finding new and fiendish ways of rejecting the suitors for his niece, the good and beautiful Princess Saralinda.
“I was like, Yes, I'm writing the introduction to it.”
Mar 28, 2019 — Source
“Id been reading and there's just a line in it where these evil Jews meet and they compare evil that theyve done. ”
Mar 28, 2019 — Source
London Labour and the London Poor
London Labour and the London Poor
Henry Mayhew
HistoryLondon Labour and the London Poor originated in a series of newspaper articles written by the great journalist Henry Mayhew between 1849 and 1850. A dozen years later, it had grown into the fullest picture we have of labouring people in the world's greatest city in the nineteenth century: a four volume account of the hopes, customs, grievances and habits of the working-classes that allows them to tell their own stories. Combining practicality with compassion, Mayhew worked unencumbered by political theory and strove solely to report on the lives of the London poor, their occupations and trades. This selection shows how well he succeeded. From costermongers to ex-convicts, from chimney-sweeps to vagrants, the underprivileged of London are uniquely brought to life - their plight expressed through a startling blend of first person accounts, Mayhew's perceptions, and sharp statistics.
“Like a big mad Dickens novel that just keeps going. Real life interviews with the Victorian working poor.”
— Source
The Colour of Magic
The Colour of Magic
Terry Pratchett
Discworld (Imaginary place)In the beginning there was...a turtle. Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different. Particularly as it's carried though space on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown). It plays by different rules. But then, some things are the same everywhere. The Disc's very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight- the world's first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land. Unfortunately, the person charged with maintaining that survival in the face of robbers, mercenaries and, well, Death, is a spectacularly inept wizard...
“This book is mentioned in the Tim blog podcast”
Mar 28, 2019 — Source
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling
FictionThe Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of stories about the Indian jungle by the English author. Embraced by children for generations, the stories include tales of Mowgli the "man-cub" who is raised by wolves in the jungle. This volume also includes "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" about a mongoose who saves a family from a cobra, and "Toomai of the Elephants" about a young elephant handler. This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes
“Which is a kid in a jungle being brought up by wild animals and teaching him the things that wild animals know, so I would have to have a kid in a graveyard being taught the things that dead people know.”
Mar 28, 2019 — Source
