A study in emerald

[me_in_japan]

Just a quick heads-up, for those of you who, like me, are slow on the uptake

I said a while back that I wanted to read "a study in emerald" by Neil Gaiman. Well, I finally did, and can proclaim that it is very good

http://www.neilgaiman.com/mediafiles/ex ... merald.pdf

Enjoy

[Konrad]

I will second that proclamation. I can imagine his Cthonic Magesty Ashmie will be shambling along to add his vote. I have a paperback compilation (Smoke and Mirrors- I think) of Gaiman short stories with it included. He has a couple of other k Cthulu stories in there, but a bit more tounge in cheek than "A Study in Emerald".

[The Other Dave]

It's a good 'un. I quite like Gaiman when he isn't going out of his way to be twee.

[Danguinius]

I`ve only read "American Gods" - which I thought was a bit interesting.

Danguinius

[me_in_japan]

I have to confess to being a bit of a Gaiman fanboi. I started reading his stuff with Sandman back when it was a monthly. I read most all of his collections and novels, too. I even met him once - at a signing for Coraline, wherein I got my copy of Coraline signed, along with my hardback ltd ed copy of the last sandman story. I live in hope I can get Yoshitaka Amano to sign it too, one day. If you like Gaiman's stuff, I'd recommend China Mieville - similar style and content, if anything Mieville is even more imaginative.

[AndrewGPaul]

Miéville is what you get if you read both Dragon Magazine and the Socialist Worker. I've read all three of his Bas-Lag novels, but not any of the others yet.

In the world of Sci-fi, you may be interested in Alastair Reynolds. Big, epic space opera, but really rather twisted and somewhat gruesome up close.

Regarding American Gods, that book apparently shares a universe with Stardust. There's a sequel novella in Fragile Things and apparently plans for a proper sequel at some point.

[Konrad]

Miéville is what you get if you read both Dragon Magazine and the Socialist Worker. I've read all three of his Bas-Lag novels, but not any of the others yet.

In the world of Sci-fi, you may be interested in Alastair Reynolds. Big, epic space opera, but really rather twisted and somewhat gruesome up close.

Regarding American Gods, that book apparently shares a universe with Stardust. There's a sequel novella in Fragile Things and apparently plans for a proper sequel at some point.

American Gods was fun. I passed by something called Anasazi Boys? in the bookstore. That a sequel/shared universe thing? His Sandman stories were brilliant, made a significant dent in my brain back in the day. Most horror/fantasy stories are are what happens when unearthly, and terrible things happen to everyday ordinary people. I like how in his stories, it's more like everyday, ordinary things happen to terrible and unearthly people.

[me_in_japan]

@agp - mieville's bas lag books are his most overtly political, I think. Kraken is much more in the style of Neverwhere (secret London, basically) and EmbassyTown is an out-and-out sci fi book. UnLunDun is probably his weakest book (IMHO), and The City and The City is basically a detective novel. I'm not actually sure if it even qualifies as a fantasy book. Well written, though, for sure.

@konrad - Anansi Boys is similar to American Gods in concept, and could easily be set in the same universe. It's about a normal bloke who finds out that his dad was Anansi (Anansi being an African trickster god, often represented as a spider.) it's quite funny in many parts, as well as being a clever story. It's the only Gaiman book I have on my shelf at the moment, as it happens