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/lit/ - Literature

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1191620 No.1191620 [Reply] [Original]

What do you guys think of Gaiman?

>> No.1191628

I think he's the long-lost triplet brother of Dylan Moran and Bob Dylan.

>> No.1191629

Predictable kids' books with repeatedly shallow investigations of escapism

>> No.1191631

Sexy as fuck. Reminds me of the 4th Doctor for some reason.

>> No.1191634

I like some of his short stories a lot. He's at his best when working in a mythos that's already been well defined by someone else. His prose is not very good. His novels are easily consumed and easily forgotten.

>> No.1191636

I fucking love his dogs. They are so beautiful.

>> No.1191640

>>1191629

Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but doesn't American Gods start with a man giving a genie a blowjob (or maybe the other way around)?
How is that a kid's book??

>> No.1191648

I read American Gods, but I didn't like it that much. I'm actually surprised it's so praised among people I would assume to be pretentious. Reminded me of a comic book or young adult novel more than "serious" literature.

>> No.1191654

>>1191640
Gay blowjobs are actually pretty common in young adult literature.

>> No.1191659

>>1191634
I concur! I loved American Gods because of the many allusions to old eastern european myths from which I'd never heard before, but the rest of the book is easily forgotten.
Anansazi Brothers (or however the fuck that book was called) works for the same reason, an already well defined mythological background which is transferred to modern times where an unknowing human gets trapped into the schemes of old gods.

But man I loved the Sandman comics.

>> No.1191661

>>1191659
ahahaaa I contradicted myself in the first sentence. Switch "loved" with "liked" and you'll get the idea.

>> No.1191672

not a fav of mine but he's likable and dreamy

>> No.1191684

>>1191648
Key word here is assume. I assume you assume people are pretentious just because they like books which are considered high literature. Correct?

>> No.1191695
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1191695

He has great taste in women. Also, the Sandman series was pretty awesome.

>> No.1191697
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1191697

>>1191659
he put a Delirium cameo in American Gods

draw whatever conclusion from that you will

>> No.1191699

>>1191697
There're too much characters in literature anyway, no need to make up anymore.

Signed, Flann O'Brien

>> No.1191702
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1191702

>>1191629
>American Gods
>Sandman series
>kid's books

not to imply I wouldn't let my kids read them

>> No.1191723

He's a really great guy and so are his family.

If you knew the truth you'd probably crucify him... so let's just leave it at that.

>> No.1191727

>>1191723
>truth

what truth

you just said he was a great guy, what the fuck is his terrible secret? that he's an ex-scientologist?

>> No.1191734

>>1191723
He's bisexual like his soon-to-be wife?

>> No.1191737

>>1191727

Are you talking about how he has orgies with his girlfriend and his daughter Maddy? Because really, they are all of age to consent.

>> No.1191738

I've read Anansi Boys and American Gods.

Both were good, but I liked Anansi Boys better.

>> No.1191768

Neverwhere and Stardust are my favorites. I'm also really excited about one of his recent blog entries in which he basically said that he's up to something new with Terry Pratchett.

>> No.1191769

>>1191723
>>1191737

You guys are forgetting his defence of that guy who was convicted for loli. Or is that what you were talking about?

>> No.1191799
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1191799

Created Coraline. Is therefore awesome.

>> No.1191805

It's nice to see a talented author in contemporary literature that wants to write something original and isn't just trying to be the next whoever. He may not be the greatest guy in the world but at least he can write.

>> No.1191826

>>1191769
You mean the guy who was subjected to a trial-by-media for his giant manga collection?

>> No.1191833

>>1191826

Yup, that guy. Where has the sanity in the world gone? Imminent witch-hunt is imminent.

>> No.1191842

Good Omens is great. Though a lot of it's greatness can be penciled down as Pratchet's work. Gaiman was still part of it though and that's what matters.

>> No.1191850

>>1191799
Oh shit I had no idea he made that. He does a wide range of stuff, huh?

>> No.1191854

>>1191826
Neil Gaiman defended him?

>> No.1191866

>>1191769

Ah, the Jerzey Kozinski of our age. Though he probably will never regret it later on.

>> No.1191887

Gaiman is writing for Doctor Who now. I cant wait. Goddammit I cannot wait.

>> No.1191904

>>1191850
I would say so; everything from gruesome short stories like Snow, Glass, Apples to fun children's books like The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish.

>> No.1191911

>gaiman

>gai man

>gay man

>> No.1191916

>>1191854

Yeah, he wrote an entire blog about why it was fucking retarded that they were arresting the guy for drawings, saying he had drawn worse/ seen worse in mainstream comics et cetera et cetera. He raised $30,000 for the guy's trial and all.

>> No.1191938

>>1191916
That's awesome.

>> No.1191939

sandman is pretty nice :)

>> No.1192288

I enjoy Gaiman's work a lot, mostly for it's liberal use of ancient mythology mixed in with modern realism. He elevates fantasy from the realm of elves and dwarfs and D&D spin-offs into something that is pertinent to the real world.

>> No.1192305

>>1192288
Sure is viral in here.

>> No.1192306

Just awful really.

Ripoff of R.A. Laffarty, Gene Wolfe, and world mythology in general.

>> No.1192308
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1192308

He's gay, man

>> No.1192309

A decent writer, however I would never read his stuff for more than any reason other than to kill time.

>> No.1192310

I kinda want to check him out because it seems that Harlan Ellison likes his work.

>> No.1192311

>>1191648young adult novel

how to sum up gaiman in general

>> No.1192314

That fucking scientologist can suck my dick.

>> No.1192337

>>1192314
He isn't a Scientologist.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/01/25/100125fa_fact_goodyear?currentPage=all

"These days, Gaiman tends to avoid questions about his faith, but says he is not a Scientologist."

>> No.1192349

Jesus christ, is he dicking Amanda Palmer? She's an irritating cow.

>> No.1192355

KNEEL, GAY MAN

>> No.1192359

He's one of my favourites. I was into him as a young adult, and thought I would grow out of it, but I never did. Sandman is staggeringly excellent, as was Anansi Boys and Stardust. American Gods was awesome too, if not a bit too long.

I, for one, love it when authors include references to older stories and myths. It's like their version of easter eggs. You can either go the Palahniuk route and have pop culture references which won't age well, or refer back to classics. Gaiman does this no more than any other fantasy author, and yet cops the most shit for it.

As for the YA classification, I wouldn't give any of his books to a kid, but I do think they are for adults who aren't afraid to let go of their maturity for a while and enjoy themselves.

>> No.1192364

>>1192359
you never stopped letting go over your maturity

ITT: people try to validate an author who writes for teenagers

>> No.1192376

>>1192364
>implying that /lit/ is not overflown with teenagers

>> No.1192382

ITT: People who think they are adults try to insult others by calling an author a young adult writer.

News for you kids, you don't start thinking like an adult until your late twenties, you don't start acting like one until over thirty - these are obviously generalisations but in my own experience this is how it is for most people. Of course YOU are one of those who matured earlier, are more intelligent and less understood than others so it obviously doesn't apply to you.

Gaiman writes a variety of literature, in a variety of genres, is largely successful and considered by many to be an enjoyable writer to read. But 'oh noes he is not Joyce or Pynchon so we can't say we like him so we throw what we think are insults'/

ITT: A Pile of Wankers.

>> No.1192385

I've only read Stardust. I didn't like it. It was painfully anticlimactic. The movie was more entertaining. His writing style, though, is quite enjoyable and easy to read. I'm a slow reader and a re-reader and I finished the book in 4-5 hours.

>> No.1192386

>>1192382

This. He's not my cuppa tea personally but if it strikes a chord with you have at it. At least he's trying.

>> No.1192393

>>1192382

I agreed with you up until you cited Joyce and Pynchon the way you did and started down that annoying path of the false dichotomy of genre-authors vs "literary" authors and the whole "all you guys are elitists"-thing.

>> No.1192400

I don't give a fuck about Gaiman, he's a children's writer, or a writer for childish adults. I envy him getting to fuck Amanda Palmer though. I'd like Gaiman if he sent me about $10, 000.

>> No.1192402

>>1191695
oh god, that picture..

>> No.1192407

Amanda Palmer has a nice wide throat. You could throw an apple down it.

>> No.1192408

Why is he wearing a t-shirt when he's eighty years old and two feet tall?

>> No.1192414

>>1192382
I trolled you.

>> No.1192419

>>1192382

ITT: Elderly pedophile fart who reads comic books sounds off at the children making fun of his wide, uncoordinated gait and Sonic t-shirt.

>> No.1192480

>>1192337
>He isn't a Scientologist.
>http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/01/25/100125fa_fact_goodyear?currentPage=all
>"These days, Gaiman tends to avoid questions about his faith, but says he is not a Scientologist."

Yes he is, you retarded fucking tool.

>> No.1192485

>>1192480

How can we be SURE he's a Scientologist?

I hope he is - his readers deserve it - but how can we be sure?

>> No.1192497

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_neil_gaiman_a_scientologist

>> No.1192509

>>1192497

HAHAHA, brilliant! Fuck you, pop-fantasy shit-eaters, fuck yooooooou.

>> No.1192518

Read his short story about the zombie coffee girls, got interested.

Read Stardust. About as generic as a fantasy adventure story gets. Nothing overly bad, nothing at all remarkable.

Read American Gods. Decent concept marred by the use of a godawful shitty protagonist. Fuck Shadow and his boring apathetic ways. Gaiman can't write protagonist characters to save his life.

All in all, his accessible writing will make him popular, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend him to anyone.

>> No.1192533

>>1192518

Also the sophmoric use of sexuality... that really bothered me about American Gods... everything in that book was about blowjobs...

>> No.1192546
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1192546

I like him, because I am not a pretentious faggot.

>> No.1192547

I don't care for his writing style, or lack there of.

>> No.1192556

>>1192480
>>1192497

Interesting. Although, confirmed for Scientology is pretty much the end of his career, given his fanbase.

>> No.1192558

>>1192556

Scientology is actually pretty cool as far as religions go.

The Church of Scientology, on the other hand, is all kinds of crazy.

>> No.1192689

>>1192558

Bullshit, there's no distinction, and an integral part of Scientology is the jettisoning of any sense of moral responsibility. So bye bye, Gaiman, bye bye.

>> No.1192700
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1192700

>>1192546
I dislike him, because I am not a huge pretentious faggot.

>> No.1192712

>>1192700
I feel neither a hatred nor an enjoyment of him, because I am not a pretentious faggot.

>> No.1192716

getting sick of the religious bigotry on /lit/

just fukken stop it

>> No.1192720

>>1191695

THAT is an awful suit. In fact, everything about that picture is awful, awful awful.
My god, look at his grin, I want to hit him.

>> No.1192723

He's alright, when I traveled to africa last year I picked up two books for the plane trip, Neverwhere and American Gods. They were pretty decent. Left them on my seat both times though.

>> No.1192725

>>1192716

You MUST be a troll to be defending scientology

>> No.1192734

>>1192716

lol american detected

>> No.1192738

>>1192725
some ppl enjoy it, sorry you can't stand that fact

>> No.1192753

>>1192689
Yeah, because never in the history of mankind has it ever happened that a great writer espouses wacko views on religion, politics or philosophy, amirite?

>> No.1192756

>>1192753
Granted. Usually though, they stem from their own introspection, rather than the work of another science fiction writer.

>> No.1192757

The Sandman is one of the best things i've ever read.

>> No.1192758

>>1192753

Hahaha, you think Neil Gaiman is a great writer! Truly, you ARE a manchild, truly truly TRULY!

>> No.1192763

>>1192758
>accusing someone of being a manchild
>insulting people anonymously over the internet because of their tastes in books

>> No.1192776

>>1192753
Scientologist is not a religion. It is a criminal organization responsible for the torture, murder, and illegal imprisonment of its own members as well as tax evasion, obstruction of police investigations, bribery of law enforcement, and conspiracy to defraud and slander any and all who dare criticize their activities. If you're honestly defending those scumbags, you can kindly stick your head in a woodchipper.

>> No.1192781
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1192781

>>1192776
Scientology: one accidental death in its entire history, tried to evade some taxes

Christianity: hundreds of little boys raped, many committed suicide afterwards.

Islam: inspires, helps, and funds terrorism worldwide.

>SCIENTOLGY IS EVUL AND NOT A RELIGION BECAUSE THEY ARE EVIL GUISE LOL ANONYMOUS EXPECT US XD

>> No.1192809

>>1192781
>really thinks there was only one death
>thinks boys being raped is the most questionable thing about christianity when actually that is more attributable to the personal lives of catholic priests
>generalizes an entire religion because of a few political extremists who happen to follow Islam

It's ok, I'm an american too, we can both be ignorant together

>> No.1192810

>>1192781
10/10--I can't not respond to this.

Scientology is a fully centralized doctrine. There is not one single Scientologist who does not answer directly to the higher-ups. People do not have revelations of belief in Scientology. There are no individual believers, no personal choice. If a member has family members who are not members, those family members are either ostracized or threatened with violence or lawsuit until they join. People do not "convert" to Scientology, they are thoroughly resocialized in a contained environment, and forcibly prevented from leaving the building until they are fully compliant. No one who has managed to free themselves from Scientology has a single good thing to say about it, and every book written by an ex-member points to the unethical and illegal treatment and debasements of its members.

Scientology does not have one "accidental" death. It has every single death of every single person it has refused medication to when it locks them up in a room. It has the dozens who committed suicide rather than pay off the lifetimes' worth of debt they ended up owing the church after being blackmailed and swindled into making hidden payment after hidden payment.

http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/free-daniel-montalvo/

Scientology ruins the lives of everyone it comes into contact with. Go fuck an iron maiden.

>> No.1192836

>>1192781

this guy has a point, even though he's kind of off on a tangent and the fact remains that Neil Gaiman's ties to Scientology are pretty creepy.

Scientology is a cult, but mainstream religions are just cults that are big and decentralized enough that many of the members aren't totally brainwashed and can't be controlled as easily.

If you religious folks want to know how atheists view you, just look at how you view Scientologists, and you've got your answer.

>> No.1192837
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1192837

>>1192810
>>1192809

Delicious butthurt moralfag tears.

>> No.1192845

>>1192837

Who were you mocking when you said:

>SCIENTOLGY IS EVUL AND NOT A RELIGION BECAUSE THEY ARE EVIL GUISE LOL ANONYMOUS EXPECT US XD

You're the only one here who's made a reference to /b/, and now you've done it twice.

>> No.1192848

>>1192836
Mainstream religions don't prevent followers from contacting family members, use force to stop them from leaving, or kidnap people in order to convert them. Thanks for playing, try again next time.

>> No.1192852

>>1192810

I'm glad you were willing to waste your breath, I wasn't

>> No.1192853

>>1192837
An ad hominem attack? Brilliant logical fallacy. Thanks for trying at least

>> No.1192873

>>1192763

But he is.

The people who are trying to play the clever atheist card by comparing Scientology to actual religions need to get an education and stop embarrassing themselves. Relativism is not going to help you when evil is what's being discussed.

>> No.1192874

>>1192848

under the right circumstances they sure as hell would, and have. Scientology is just more premeditated and centralized.

>> No.1192891

They were pretty dangerous until they were infiltrated by the IRS and taken over from within (cf. Meade Emory's testimony). Now they're just a goofy money suck/live action roleplaying system. Same as the KKK.

Fuck yeah, the US Government rules.

>> No.1192902

>>1192874

No, you're a liar.

>> No.1192951

This thread disgusts me. Can there be an over 18 section of 4chan where maturity can take precede- oh wait.

>4chan

>> No.1192963

>>1192951

I agree, people should be IP banned for starting threads on children's lit like Neil Gaiman.

>> No.1192991

You know , I liked neverwhere.

It's an easy read, which is nice when you read The Heavy Shit most of the time. Compare it to watching cartoons in the morning, just to relax and entertain yourself.

And yeah. That's a compliment. Kind of.

>> No.1193533

any girl or homosex who ever read comics in olden times probably has a soft spot for him because in general comic book writers didn't discover the concept of showering, personal grooming, or not being grossly overweight until like autumn 2005

>> No.1193563

Gaiman is a good YA author, when he wants to be, but his work doesn't really hold much interest if you're over like 20.

>> No.1193613

Got him to sign my copy of Good Omens at the B&N in Union Square on Thursday. He told me to have a nice doomsday, I thought he was a pretty cool guy.