I had to think long and hard about this one. LOL My favorite short story would have to be 'Chivalry' from Smoke & Mirrors. Well, maybe 'The Daughter of Owls' (Aubrey is a favorite of mine too). Ack, do I really have to chose? LOL

There is something that I had a question about, if anyone knows...

In Smoke & Mirrors, in the introduction at the beginning under 'Nicholas was...', Neil speaks of a card that he created with a 100-word story. Where can I find this? Drabble II has been impossible to find. I pride myself in being an excellent research but this one has slipped past me unnoticed.

'Babycakes' really got under my skin. Mostly I think due to the fact that I am a new mom. I'd read it while I was pregnant :::not good timing at all::: Yes Neil, VERY disturbing, I have to agree.

Just remembered something! Note to self - must look up Lisa Snellings online to see if she has a site with pictures of her sculpture. Would love to see the demonic jack-in-the-box and winged girl especially.

Blessings,
Dragonfly

nicholas was...

i don't know why... it just so fit my mindset the first time i read it and it's just been like that ever since...

andrew

quote:

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Originally posted by Dragonfly:

In Smoke & Mirrors, in the introduction at the beginning under 'Nicholas was...', Neil speaks of a card that he created with a 100-word story. Where can I find this?

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well, the 100 word story sent as a card was Nicholas Was, available in Smoke & Mirrors (it isn't referring to a different story in the intro, which is where I guess the confusion is). Here is where else it's been printed:

"Nicholas Was..."
*Angels And Visitations, Neil Gaiman, Dreamhaven Press, 1993
*Drabble II: Double Century, Rob Meades & David B. Wake, Beccon Publications, 1990
*Smoke And Mirrors, Neil Gaiman, Avon Books (Now at Harper Perennial), 1998
*Warning: Contains Language (Double CD), Neil Gaiman, Dreamhaven, 1995

I'm terrible at picking favourites, although I should note that "Snow, Glass, Apples" is THE creepiest story I've ever read, but just a few comments:
"Babycakes" (which is NOT a poem, just very poetic) is the only thing Neil ever wrote (at least as of October 2000) which actually disturbed him. (He said so on the Last Angel Tour.)
As for your comments on "Being an Experiment...", mtxx, the only explanation I can think of is that you've never heard him read it. Or, even better, SEEN him read it. It's fantastic. It's like a stand-up routine. Sure, it hasn't got the typos, but it HAS got shouting and the ant voices and (if you're seeing it) facial expressions and so forth. Plus, some typos do make it in as drunken mispronunciations, i.e. "exponentialiallally." I've memorised it just to be able to perform it myself.

Also regarding "BaE," two questions:
1) Would you say it's really a STORY? I've never been sure what to call it. Story? Essay? Monologue, certainly, when it's being recited, but since that's not the entire purpose of it... Any suggestions?
2) Since I've only got the mp3, I hadn't even realised it WAS a hidden track; I figured it was just a bootleg or something, it being a live recording. Where on the CDs does it come? At the end?

Oh, and I would also like to proffer for your consideration a little Neil-and-Bryan Talbot comic available at: http://www.bryan-talbot.com/gallery4/honest1.html

[This message has been edited by VaCKo (edited 03-08-2002).]

DOOD!!! That's QUITE amusing!!.... thanks fer bringing that to our attention... anyone who hasn't gone ther...... GO there... you will like it.... *grins*...... thanks, mang!

Illustry

My favorite is "We Can Get Them for you Wholesale" because it was just such a strange, dark comedy

quote:

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Originally posted by TheEternalChampion:
My favorite is "We Can Get Them for you Wholesale" because it was just such a strange, dark comedy

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I like the intro comment about how he came up with that one. Fell asleep when they were talking about hired killers on the radio and woke up when they were talking about buying in bulk... or was it the other way around?

Rather oddly, a few months ago, when I was last reading S&M, I had my radio set to wake me up in the morning, and the program the woke me up happened to be extracts read aloud from a book about Laurel and Hardy. Being me, I promptly fell back to sleep, without turning the radio off, only to find myself in a bizarre dream where I was at a funeral. I didn't know anyone there, but when I looked at the priest, it was Neil Gaiman, reading - you've guessed it - extracts from Laurel and Hardy. I ended up listening to the whole program in some strange state between waking and dreaming.
And I still don't know why anyone would want Neil Gaiman to read about Laurel and Hardy as a eulogy.

-SLASH-

I wouldn't object. Although I don't know much about Laurel and Hardy. But something along those lines. That'd be cool.
I've always wanted to have a wake instead of (or in addition to) a funeral, and now I think I'll specify in my will or wherever this sort of thing goes that I want someone there to start shouting all that stuff the Cluracan says in "The Wake" to start the music and dancing.

i've just been reading smoke and mirrors (which i am thoroughly enjoying by the way) and have particularly enjoyed the stories involving talbot the werewolf. i was wondering if he features in any other works as i think he is a very interesting character who could easily fill out his own book, comic, television series, opera, kabuki play, etc.

either The Heart of a Star from Endless Nights, or The Sweeper of Dreams from Smoke & Mirrors.

Mine is Snow, Glass, Apples.

Followed by October in the Chair

This message has been edited. Last edited by: shadowsworn,

Nicholas Was. Ho, ho, ho - priceless. I love any story that takes familiar material and turns it around, and so many of Neil's stories - his work in general - do that. As far as Sandman is concerned - I really loved the one in Fables & Reflections about the mad Emperor of America - can't recall the title - something like 3 Julys and a September - partly because of how it illustrates the power of dreams, partly because of the fact that we see so many of the Endless together for the first time - the trinity of Desire/Despair/Delirium is particularly memorable and partly for Delight's wonderful line - pointed out by Gene Wolfe in the intro - 'His madness keeps him sane.' I can associate with that. And it's got Samuel Clemens in it.

Ooooo. There's so many! I have to point out the obvious - Neil's so f***ing talented. I'll try to shorten it to the top three :-).

"We Can Get Them for You Wholesale"
"Murder Mysteries"
"A Hope in Hell" from Preludes & Nocturnes
I quite enjoy the challenge the Dream King has with Choronzon. It's similar to the one Merlin has with the witch in (Disney's) Sword in the Stone. Also, the ending where Dream says "What power would hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of Heaven?" is such a memerable quote.

Murder Mysteries is my favourite story by him. As for Sandman issues, the very first one, Sleep of the Just... Exiles... Death and Venice... The Golden Boy... and the first three in The Wake.

Tom Waits rules! I went out and bought his Orphans album a while back and haven't been able to put it away. The Brawlers cd is the bomb!

Sorry, to lead astray from Gaiman but I saw a post from Black Wings.

Ach, I haven't heard it yet. I'm too poor to go spending money on triple albums. I'll hear it soon enough though.
I love Tom Waits

Oh, I forgot to mention Troll Bridge. That's one of my favourite Gaiman stories too.

I liked the short story "Bitter Grounds" in the book Fragile Things. I'm always impressed with his ability to write in the voice of a Black person character and it rings true. Especially coming from a cool Englishman. When I was a child, most people in my family and Black people around me in general here in the South had a "quietness" about them. They did not go blabbing off like they do now about certain subjects/situations. There were always these moments of silence in conversations that spoke volumes. He captures it very well in Ananzi's Boys too. Nice to read a story where you don't feel like the writer is pointing out the race/ethnic groups of the characters by using stereotypes. His characters just are humans who could be anyone because we all share most similar traits of being. Perhaps thats the key to his magic

Murder Mysteries is almost a prerequisite.

Goliath is my other favorite. Not surprising since I'm a Matrix junkie. Absolutely one of the saddest stories I've ever read.

"Shoggoth's Old Peculiar" (especially when read aloud...I end up quoting it and snickering everytime I go to classes)

and "October in the Chair" I remember getting temporally confused at the end of the reading and I had the impulse to run off in the direction of my room (where it would have been when I was little) and wondering when my dad would come tuck me in.