From Powells.com
25 Best Sci-fi and Fantasy Books of the 21st Century (So Far)
Staff Pick
In 1992, Neil Gaiman moved to America. In 2001, he released American Gods. In the 10th anniversary edition, he recollects “this strange huge place where [he] now found [himself] living” and the urge not just to understand it but also to describe it. Describe it he did. I hesitate to use the term “masterwork” in book reviewing but here no lesser word applies. American Gods is masterful. Gaiman’s ability as a storyteller and myth weaver is on full display, covering everything from folklore, mythology, immigration, globalization, capitalism, and tragedy (both cosmic and personal). It’s the story of one man, of a nation, of the land, of a small icy town, promise, lies, and gods (both old and new). If you haven’t read it, I am so, so, so excited for you. Recommended By Sarah R., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, a contemporary masterpiece combing mythology, adventure, and illusion, — one of ten classic Gaiman works repackaged with elegant original watercolor art by acclaimed artist Henry Sene Yee
Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a stranger offers him a job and Shadow, with nothing to lose, accepts. But a storm is coming. Beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a war is being fought - and the prize is the very soul of America.
An inspired combination of mythology, adventure, and illusion, American Gods is a dark and kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an America at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece.
"Piercingly observed, jaggedly poetic, ruthlessly cutting a path through graveyards of dead stars and dead money and dead feelings, this novel is the map back to dawn." Steve Erickson
"American Gods manages to reinvent, and reassert, the enduring importance of fantastic literature itself in this late age of the world. Dark fun, and nourishing to the soul." Michael Chabon
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"Provocative yet fun….Gaiman has applied his vast breadth of knowledge about all things mythological to a truly high concept." Entertainment Weekly
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"Pointed, occasionally comic, often scary, consistently moving and provocative….American Gods is strewn with secrets and magical visions." USA Today
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"Mystery, satire, sex, horror, poetic prose-American Gods uses all these to keep the reader turning the pages." Washington Post
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“American Gods is sexy, thrilling, dark, funny and poetic.” Teller, of Penn & Teller
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"Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive." George R. R. Martin
About the Author
Neil Gaiman is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for children and adults whose award-winning titles include Norse Mythology, American Gods, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), Coraline, and The Sandman graphic novels. Neil Gaiman is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR and Professor in the Arts at Bard College.