Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman

Gaiman is a strange and diverse creator of fiction. He is perhaps best known for his work on the Sandman graphic novel series, but also has some more conventional fiction to his name. Well, for suitable values of 'more conventional'. 'Smoke and Mirrors' is a collection of short pieces, mostly stories, some poetry. Most appear to have been initially written for something else, and the book does contain information about this, for the seriously dedicated. ...
...of it is fantastical, some horrific, some erotic, some just weird. If you're Gainman fan, that will come as no surprise, but the previously uninitiated may find it unsettling. Some of the work very self consciously refers to other writing - H.P. Lovecraft comes up a few times, and there's a story about being obsessed with Michael Morcock. There's a fair bit drawing on fairy tale and folklore - Beowulf, Snow White, the Billy Goats gruff, the grail ...

Bryn_Pearson 03.06.2002 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman

This book I got off Bookcrossing.com where the site's ideal plan is to turn the whole world into a library. I asked to be put into this bookring for this book, and I'm very glad I asked. The author is Neil Gaiman. Who is quite famous for a number of books, such as: Stardust and Neverwhere. I have currently read a few books by Neil Gaiman and I have fully enjoyed them, and now I have a few more coming to me thanks to bookcrossing.com There is quite ...
...I decided to get a note pad while reading each of the stories, so that when I finished each of those stories, I could write a short review of each of them, well this is what I thought (considering they are only short stories, I shall not be telling you much (if anything) about them): ~The Wedding Gift~ This is found in the introduction so you should read it! I really enjoyed this story, with the little twist, it was very good! ~Chivalry~ I didn't ...

Jonni_boi 30.08.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman

'Smoke and Mirrors' collects together a substantial amount of Neil Gaiman's short fiction, published and unpublished. Containing an impressive thirty-six short stories, I figure this to be a must-have volume. Reading Gaiman's short fiction remains me slightly of the reaction I once had to Clive Barker's 'Books of Blood', an overwhelming awe that a writer's imagination can be so clearly painted out in words. However, where Barker's work was overtly ...
...handle dark pieces, he's equally at home with broad humour, magical realism, and more - all of which you'll find in these pages. Opening with a lengthy introduction that whets the appetite for what is to come, Gaiman also includes personal notes on the creation of each and every story in the book. As an author myself, I love reading about what inspires others to create a piece of writing, but Gaiman is so damn personable that the more casual reader ...

RichardW 15.12.2000 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman

A fantastic collection of short stories ranging from the quirky and comedic to the deep and thought provoking. Gaiman cant fail to please with this unique concoction of literary delights. ...

booeymojo 01.10.2008
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman