“Neil Gaiman (1960- ) and his writings and music are currently front and center with the release of the TV series American Gods based on his 2001 book. Gaiman maintains that his local library in West Sussex in England was his haven and intellectual progenitor, where he spent considerable time from the age of four reading anything having to do with magic, especially the works of C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, and J.R.R. Tolkien. This book contains 14 essays on Gaiman's writings and influences, separated into two major sections titled Critical Contexts and Critical Readings. Prior to the essays, an introduction to Gaiman is provided as well as a short biography. The essays delve into many of Gaiman's writings, including The Graveyard Book, The Wolves in the Wall, The Sandman, and many others, including American Gods for which he won numerous awards including the Hugo, the Nebula, the Locus, and the Bram Stoker. A chronology of Gaiman's career along with a listing of his published works is included with a bibliography at the end. A fascinating collection of essays on one of the most interesting writers of the 21st century.”