“Taking a few modern liberties with the stories, Gaiman’s Norse Mythology delights in the gods’ petty machinations as much as their heroics. In these accessible, retold tales, fantasy is odd, and real, and dire.”
― Ethan Gilsdorf, The Boston Globe“No contemporary fiction writer gets more of his power from the mythological tradition than Neil Gaiman. . . . As always, Gaiman’s a charming raconteur . . . [and he] recognizes a ripping yarn when he sees one.”
― Douglas Wolk, Los Angeles Times“A gripping, suspenseful and quite wonderful reworking of these famous tales. Once you fall into the rhythm of its glinting prose, you will happily read on and on, in thrall to Gaiman’s skillful storytelling.”
― Michael Dirda, Washington Post

About the Author

“J. Michael Straczynski is, without question, one of the greatest science fiction minds of our time.”  (Max Brooks (World War Z))

“Everything I read made me want to stand up and salute. I can’t stress enough how significant and moving (to say nothing of gripping and sometimes hilarious) this book is.  It’s a magnificent piece of work that will stay with me for a long, long time.” (Cory Doctorow, author of Radicalized and Walkaway)

“Once I started, I couldn’t put it down.  Straczynski embedded a mystery in an autobiography.  Has to be a first.” (Dan DiDio, Editor in Chief, DC Comics)

“Part Hollywood how-to, part Frank McCourt-style reflection on emotional neglect and poverty, “Becoming Superman” is an enveloping look back at a unique career.” (Washington Post)

“His ability to stay the course, to work hard at all times, and to keep writing were his salvation time and again. This book is a testament to that ― and it is an inspiring, touching look at how someone born into darkness can find the light and go on to do great things.” (NPR)

“I just finished reading Becoming Superman and can, without a mote of hyperbole, state it is one of the most terrifying and inspirational, funny and empathic nonfiction books of our time. I’m too old to be currying favors. Just trust me. Buy it or die!” (Walter Koenig)

“A fascinating journey through careers in three different professions—comic books, TV, and movies—from an accomplished master of each. Rare to have such detail and such access. A major literary autobiography!” (Bestselling author Greg Bear)

“Straczynski […] delivers a frank memoir that’s equally harrowing and triumphant.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Becoming Superman is a valuable resource for those wishing to look behind the curtain to one of pop culture’s most cherished and esteemed writers […] It is an incredible story of familial abuse and its aftermath, of perseverance and fortitude, of endurance and determination. Highly recommended.” (Fantasy Book Review)

“Gripping. An amazing testament to the range of human durability and determination, overcoming our impossibly dark side with something even more unlikely and miraculous — hope.”
(Hugo and Nebula Award Winning Novelist David Brin)

About the Author

“[W]orthy of a sleepless night . . . a fairy tale for adults that explores both innocence lost and the enthusiasm for seeing what’s past one’s proverbial fence . . . Gaiman is a master of creating worlds just a step to the left of our own.” (USA Today on The Ocean at the End of the Lane)

“Remarkable . . . wrenchingly, gorgeously elegiac. . . . [I]n The Ocean at the End of the Lane, [Gaiman] summons up childhood magic and adventure while acknowledging their irrevocable loss, and he stitches the elegiac contradictions together so tightly that you won’t see the seams.” (Star Tribune (Minneapolis) on The Ocean at the End of the Lane)

“Gaiman has crafted an achingly beautiful memoir of an imagination and a spellbinding story that sets three women at the center of everything. . . .[I]t’s a meditation on memory and mortality, a creative reflection on how the defining moments of childhood can inhabit the worlds we imagine.” (Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI))

“His prose is simple but poetic, his world strange but utterly believable―if he was South American we would call this magic realism rather than fantasy.” (The Times (London) on THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE)

“Poignant and heartbreaking, eloquent and frightening, impeccably rendered, it’s a fable that reminds us how our lives are shaped by childhood experiences, what we gain from them and the price we pay.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“[A] compelling tale for all ages . . . entirely absorbing and wholly moving.” (New York Daily News on The Ocean at the End of the Lane)

“[A] story concerning the bewildering gulf between the innocent and the authoritative, the powerless and the powerful, the child and the adult. . . . Ocean is a novel to approach without caution; the author is clearly operating at the height of his career.” (The Atlantic Wire on The Ocean at the End of the Lane)

“Ocean has that nearly invisible prose that keeps the focus firmly on the storytelling, and not on the writing. . . . This simple exterior hides something much more interesting; in the same way that what looks like a pond can really be an ocean.” (io9)

“This slim novel, gorgeously written, keeps its talons in you long after you’ve finished.” (New York Post on The Ocean at the End of the Lane)

“In Gaiman’s latest romp through otherworldly adventure, a young boy discovers a neighboring family’s supernatural secret. Soon his innocence is tested by ancient, magical forces, and he learns the power of true friendship. The result is a captivating read, equal parts sweet, sad, and spooky.” (Parade on The Ocean at the End of the Lane)

About the Author