Who is Neil Gaiman?

Like most of his fans, I was first introduced to Neil Gaiman through his comic book Sandman several years ago. I picked up the Death miniseries before the regular Sandman series, but by then I was hooked. He remains one of my favorite authors, and I particularly enjoy his short stories.

Since finishing Sandman, an epic comic that lasted 75 issues, Gaiman has been involved in an absurd number of projects, from other graphic novels to prose novels and children's books. He has a distinct sensibility and uses recurring themes that blend mythology, history, horror, and magic.

Gaiman's frequent collaborator is Dave McKean. The majority of his graphic novels have been illustrated by McKean, as well as the painted covers of every Sandman-related comic. You can see some of his work on my site here.

So here I've set up my list of Gaiman's works that I would most recommend, as well as some cool Sandman stuff and related links.

The picture above is a new book of interviews of various Sandman creators, especially Gaiman.

Guess what? Gaiman guest-starred as the book reviewer for The Week's "The List," where authors pick their favorite books. Here's what he chose:

• Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
• The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
• Archer's Goon by Diana Wynne Jones
• Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees
• Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
• Peace by Gene Wolfe