How does lit feel about Neil Gaiman? He's a pretty bad writer but for whatever reason I like a couple of his stories.
I'm too tired to be a snob. He seems like a pretty decent human being.
>>7787206
This, he gets his shit done so I really have nothing to say. If anything I want his level of work ethic and enthusiasm.
>>7787194
I can't stand any if his books but I think The Sandman is spectacular.
>>7787206
I'm sick of bitching about Gaiman too. I'll just point out that he's sort of a new age cult figure for confused girls and spineless male youth. Content is contrived; other than that, his writing is fine.
>>7787194
Knows his shit, but I don't like his books. The Graveyard Book was good, but Coraline was dull, and American Gods is fucking trash.
>>7787194
He's a very mixed bag. I mostly like his comics work, didn't care for American Gods or Coraline, got along better with Anansi Boys, Stardust and The Graveyard Book. HATED Fragile Things, but Trigger Warning (despite the cringey title) was actually pretty decent.
In general he's on stronger footing with the whimsical stuff and atmosphere of otherworldliness, the problems seem to come when he's taking himself super-seriously or being LE DARK.
Still haven't read Smoke and Mirrors or Good Omens, but the face Pratchett collaborated with him on it says good things.
>>7787285
*fact
Liked his comics. I think he mades dark things sound pretty.
I might catch some flak for this but I enjoyed American Gods, for what it was
I dropped American Gods. I just didn't feel any need to keep reading. Does it pick up the pace after awhile?
>>7787386
I guess. It has two endings, one for Shadow and one for the mystery he finds himself in.
>>7787194
Graveyard Book was comfy and charming. I really liked that one chapter about the Danse Macabre.
>>7787194
Comics>Short Stories>Books
He comes up with really vivid ideas but I think he falters on how to make them interesting in the long-term
>>7787370
Honestly, I thought American Gods was pretty great, but less for the main story than the world that surrounded it. The main plotline dragged some, and then became a fucking millstone by the end with its 47 endings, and the main character felt empty, but the surrounding world about Old Gods in America was pretty enthralling.
Kinda sums up Gaiman a bit, really: Great at world-building, but has a tendency to stumble when you get down to a singular plot. He's better as a short story writer when he can just keep a solid sprint going and get out of there before the whatever idea he's working with gets stale.
Surprisingly good posts ITT. I agree with the sentiment that he's very hit or miss, but OTOH the man writes a lot. I think Ocean at the End of the Lane is a perfect examplke of this (as >>7787604
said): he started it as a short story, decided it wasn't enough so he padded it out to a novella/short novel, but the end result shows that it's stretched beyond what it had to say. I still save American Gods among his longer works because, even if it drags in parts, there's an interesting idea behind it, but in general the shorter the better.
That said, since he's a bit of an internet celebrity, I guess we are supposed to hate him.
The best part about him is that he loves gene wolfe and i got the feeling he might be banging maria headley.
>>7787253
me too
neil gay man lmao
>>7787194
The Ocean at the End of the Lane gave me feels.
>>7788080
came here to le say this
he gay, man
one time he got mad at me on facebook because i said i didn't care about charlie hebdo lmao
>>7788100
Epic bro xD
You komin to the monser truck race laterz??? how bout dat WWE ay?
>>7788090
Very comfy book. I loved it
Literally 90% of the criticism I've seen on him is just maymaying targeted at his fanbase.
He's great at short stories. I haven't read Sandman, but his longer novels end up being bland imo. The short stories all feel like a world that could be opened up massively every time.
>>7787774
OTOH?
>>7789842
OTOH.
>He's great at short stories (...) but his longer novels end up being bland imo.
My thoughts exactly.
Also I end up seeing his name a lot on yearly "best of" horror anthologies with stories that aren't exactly horror, which bothers me a bit. But that's not really Neil's fault I guess, more like the editors' who want to make sure his name is on the cover so they can move more copies.
I love american gods for the same reason i love crying of lot 49
>>7790058
Cause you haven't read either?
>>7789604
haha, that's actually a hilarious and somewhat accurate criticism of the Sandman series. however, it was well written for a comic book, which i admit i read a few years ago. it's not bad at all but does suffer from characters posturing so damn much.
Gaiman's prose is really bland and dull and sometime even atrocious. i recently tried reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane and nearly had to give up in the Prologue and actually did give up two chapters in. really, really bland stuff with uninspiring prose.
He's below Stephen-King Tier
I read one of his books of short stories and Stardust as a kid.
As an adult I read American Gods, which is the worst book I've finished. I tried to read Anansi Boys after and dropped that after 30 pages.
Too many nerds on here to admit this, but Stephen King is a better writer than Gaiman. This is also going to hurt nerds's feelings: Stephen King is a better "story teller" too. You nerds love to use that to defend Gaiman.both are pleb trash btw (bee tee dubs)
>>7790187
Why don't you give valid criticism instead of comparing him to another sub-par writer that doesn't write the same kind of books as him?
Gaiman is often mislabled as thriller or horror, seems you feel that way too.
>>7790187
You people always act like trash has no place. I can't read highbrow everyday. Sometimes I just want to read a story without having to hunt for clues or deconstruct a narrative.
i like him. i got into sandman when i was 19 and i've read almost everything by him. he's a genre writer, you know? don't worry about it. i think his stories (which are mostly blatant adaptations of folk tales or myths) are fun, quick reads (for the most part). i agree that his weakness lies in his longer work, but i think he excels at short stories, and i also don't really like most (or maybe any) of his poetry.
>>7790199
>Why don't you give valid criticism
His prose is average trending towards below average. His characters are flat.
He writes one character: wo/man with an identity crisis.
He has one story to tell: quirky subversion of myth x
>another sub-par writer
so we're on the same page, that they're both sub-par?
>Gaiman is often mislabled as thriller or horror, seems you feel that way too
No. I compare him to Stephen King because they're both popular authors with little literary merit. Gaiman writes fantasy. King has written in multiple genres.
>>7790200
>You people always act like trash has no place.
It has no place on a literature board.
>I can't read highbrow everyday.
It's ok to be average, champ.
>Sometimes I just want to read a story without having to hunt for clues or deconstruct a narrative.
You're doin just fine, buckaroo.
>>7787194
Unlike the view I feel like most of the people who browse /lit/ espouse, I actually think he's a very good writer. He has the cadence and tone down pat in every book he writes, even if that book ends up not being so great. Sandman is his masterpiece, I also thought that Neverwhere, Coraline, and Stardust were good.
>>7788080
nice
the imgur invasion killed /lit/
look no further than this thread
>>7787194
>Neil Gayman
Say that last name, again.
>Cayman
Lol
>>7789816
So he's Stephen King?
