Netflix's Sandman is so good that it's worth probably three months of subscription fees alone.

Tom Sturridge is "Dream", a.k.a. one of the Endless known as "The Sandman." In this scene
he is trapped by a wizard and placed in a cage. He remains imprisoned for an entire century.

I finished up watching the first season of Netflix's The Sandman. Way back in the nineties, I owned several Sandman comics. I think this was really before I ever knew who Neil Gaiman was. I was drawn to the artwork on the covers, although the interior art was decent too. But the covers were spectacular. I remember wondering what "Vertigo" was (it has since been ended as a publishing company). The comic book shop owner explained that this was a "division of DC comics that focused on adult stories." Another Vertigo title I followed for some time was Hellblazer. These comics were about the cigarette smoking trenchcoat wearing John Constantine, and they were very adult. Every single media adaptation of these comics has always failed to impress upon me the mood of the comic book. However, I did enjoy John Constantine in Legends of Tomorrow, which I still insist is one of the best shows that ever graced television.

You might say that I was an "uber" fan of Sandman comics, because at one point I had in my possession an original first printing of Sandman #1 in mint condition. It wasn't all that much of an achievement. I'd bought it from the comic book shop that sold it and promptly put it in an archival quality mylar sleeve (I stowed all my comic books this way). Printed in 1989, there is an original first printing of it for sale on Ebay for around $200. That seems a bit low...I think it is worth around $400.00. So we'll go with that number. You might ask, why don't I have it anymore? Well...I was playing Magic: the Gathering heavily in 1994, and I got an opportunity to part with it for a card called a "Mox Pearl." There's one of these on EBay right now for around $3,300.00. So, if I'd the foresight to hold onto this rare Magic card, I'd have a small fortune. But I didn't. I had to make rent one time in 1998 I think, so I sold my entire collection, along with the Mox, for around $3,000. It was a good deal for the person who bought it. And it kept me in my apartment for a few more months. Honestly, the Mox isn't what stings. I sold a beta Black Lotus in mint condition for $400.00. I think one (like the one that I had) recently sold at auction for $120,000. It's just an eye-popping number for sure.

Anyway...enough of the stupid decisions I've made (or were forced to make because of financial circumstances), because there's no use crying over spilt milk. I wanted to talk about the Sandman series on Netflix, what I enjoyed about it, what I didn't like, and this is your official spoiler warning.

The first thing I wanted to say about the show is that Tom Sturridge is perfectly cast as "Dream/Morpheus," who is the protagonist of the entire series. He plays him in a way that sends chills down my spine. Tom's voice is incredible, and the way he vocalizes all of Dream's lines makes him seem "otherworldly." And Tom when he is naked and imprisoned (yet he maintains this god-like presence) reminds me of Michelangelo's Statue of David, only in the flesh. It's stunning. He's both beautiful and terrifying.

The second thing I loved was the pacing. Given the number of shows out there that draw out every potential story beat for way too long, the Sandman keeps things moving. In virtually any other series, collecting his things would have been two seasons long (staring at Starz here). So the fact that he got them before mid-season was incredible. I loved that. Where the show seems to slip is that it doesn't quite nail the transitions between stories. So there's a bit of weirdness where the series pivots from Dream at full power to Dream needing to get the three "Arcane" back under his control.

I do know that this first season covers the first two main story arcs from the comics, which are most commonly published as two separate trades. This is probably why it feels a bit "disjointed." The first arc is generally considered to be a bit of "finding its feet" situation, which is tonally quite different to the rest of the series. There are ten trade back books in total, so I expect that they will be aiming to cover two a season for a total of five. Going forward, I think it very likely we'll see this similar shift halfway through each season.

All in all, for as crazy and inspired as the original Sandman was, I was impressed by how much they got right. Did anyone else watch it? I look forward to reading your comments.

I wonder if Netflix's Sandman will be better than American Gods on Starz.

 

American Gods on Starz went really off the rails. I actually never finished the show, but I think that the showrunners had trouble making a series out of the limited content that they found within the book. I mean, American Gods is only so long...and it has a bunch of characters with the main character (Shadow) being quite arguably the most boring of the bunch. I liked the read, but a lot of Gaiman's works tend to be cerebral with complex characters who are shocking modern interpretations of ancient religious symbols. Interacting with these characters briefly was the fun part. But spending extended amounts of time with them stretched out over a series in the context of modern Americana wasn't as fun as I thought it should have been.

That being said, The Sandman is my earliest recollection of the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, and I actually used to own a Sandman number one, which is probably worth quite a bit these days. I got it relatively cheaply by purchasing it brand new when the comic debuted. The artist was the one who drew me in, but Gaiman's writing was solid as well. The thing is, Gaiman's adaptations tend not to translate well to American television.

I think the last adaptation I actually enjoyed that was made from Gaiman's works was Good Omens. But I wonder how much David Tennant and Michael Sheen made that possible as opposed to the writing of Gaiman. I've actually never read Good Omens, so it's a legitimate question.

The problem with Sandman is that the characters are pretty out there. My guess is that the show will need to tone down and streamline a bunch of stuff that is at the crux of what makes the entire story compelling in the first place. Additionally, Death's look in the comics was a hugely entertaining part of her character. However, I don't remember "goths" being a thing back in the eighties when I saw this comic for the first time. Now "goths" are everywhere, and the look is honestly really tired. One can blame places like "Hot Topic" for cashing in on this trend I suppose. But the blamethrower really doesn't solve anything after the genie has escaped from the bottle. What's done is done.

I am reluctantly excited for this, but I'm skeptical that Netflix can pull this off. Down below, I have attached the "first look" from Netflix. Bonus that we get Charles Dance pretty early on in the show. I've been a fan of his for years.

Neil Gaiman at the age of seven talking about Scientology is interesting

I discovered this Easter Egg the other day. It's a recording of Neil Gaiman at the age of seven talking about Scientology, and it's quite "interesting." If you're a fan of Neil and have read Ocean at the End of the Lane, you should listen to it. If anything he speaks with eloquence. I can't say that I'm surprised.

When a man who defeats the cybermen offers to make you queen of the universe, you really should say yes

This last Saturday on BBC America, "A Nightmare in Silver" aired making it the 12th episode of the current season of Dr. Who. I suppose I had unrealistic expectations of the episode as it was written by Neil Gaiman. I did like the return of the Cybermen who, if you don't know, are kind of the original borg (using the term "upgraded" as opposed to "assimilated"). I suppose the thing that surprised me the most about the episode were what I call "The Abercrombie & Fitch" implications. And I guess I don't quite like that.

A&F wants you to know that if you are the child of a white
American, this is how you should look if you want to have
friends, if you want to be popular, if you want to get sex.

Allow me to explain. If you don't know, recently CEO Michael Jeffries of Abercrombie & Fitch (when asked why he refuses to make clothes for larger women) responded:

"In every school there are the cool and popular kids and then there are the not-so-cool kids. We go after the cool kids...That's why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don't want to market to anyone other than that."

So basically, if you're fat you're ugly. If you're the wrong size, you're ugly. And no one wants to be friends with an ugly person. Make no mistake, I think Michael Jeffries is an asshole. But then I watched "A Nightmare in Silver" and Porridge who turned out to be the Emperor of the Universe proposed to Clara (the latest in a string of Dr. Who companions). And she said "no."

Porridge played by Warwick Davis of Lucasfilm fame. He was a great guy
in this show. But not only that, Porridge was the Emperor of the Universe.
That's kind of cool, if you ask me. But he'd never be able to wear A&F clothes.

I can't help but think if he wasn't a dwarf (played by Warwick Davis) and looked like Rory or the guy that plays Prince Charming, she would have said yes. What kind of message does this send? Well I got the picture loud and clear. The rules are the same in Britain as they are in America. If you're short and fat, it doesn't matter if you can offer the girl the universe. Because the negative, i.e., being short and fat is the straw that breaks the camels back.

I can't help but think if Porridge had come in the above package instead of being a "dwarf" that
Clara Oswold might have said yes to his marriage proposal. And knowing that makes the whole
episode kind of stink in my opinion. I don't like the message.

Dr. Who is looking less and less an escape, and more and more a reality check for me. Because even when a man offers to make Clara queen of the universe, if he doesn't "fit the bill" it's an automatic no. And let's keep in mind that Clara is a rather insane character. She's died multiple times in history and one time even ended up a Dalek. So why in all that misery could she not have said yes to Porridge and bid the doctor goodbye and seen where that other path led?

I suppose the most important aspect of this show is the return and reinvention
of the cybermen. Maybe I should have focused on that. Maybe if I had
I'd be happier with how Mr. Gaiman brought this bad guy back.

Yes, I enjoyed the episode and the reinvention of the Cybermen as an army of creatures so dangerous it warrants blowing up a planet if you spot just one.  They are terrifying in a way that the Weeping Angels aren't.  But I didn't enjoy "A Nightmare in Silver" as much as "The Dr.'s Wife," which Mr. Gaiman wrote last year. Also, just mentioning this fact makes me think of yet another point that I'd make to Clara Oswold if I could: the doctor can never love you Clara because he's already married to the Tardis. And that's just how it must be forever and for always.

Clara, you should have accepted the role as queen of the universe. It could have been much worse.  *Shakes fist at Neil Gaiman.  I'd say to Mr. Gaiman if I could, "I suppose you and Mr. Jeffries of A&F have a lot more in common than I thought."

Believe In Yourself

"I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you’ll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you’ll make something that didn’t exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind." 

                          --Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods

Let's own 2012 together. Have a great weekend. :)

A Conversation With A Boy Who Reads Books

I read books. If you want others like me to
read your book, you may want to know
what I enjoy.

At left is a friend I made via twitter. His name is Lee and he's a boy that reads books.  The New York Times asks the question, "is there any hope?" with regard to boys and books.  I think that there's plenty of hope. But we authors need to step up our game. We need to provide books that appeal to both girls AND boys and that is a tricky devil and no...Eat, Pray, Love is not going to appeal to most boys (sorry ladies).

So those of you who are interested in catching a teenage boy's attention may want to listen to what Lee says about what he likes to read. Sure, he's only one guy, but take a look at his picture and ask yourself...would you like him to read your book? Would you like other boys like him to be riveted by your words? If so...read on and find out what he loves about books, authors, and the written word.

First off, I would like all of you to hop over to his blog located here and to please follow him.  He's brand new to the world of blogging and hasn't made many friends at all (he will also follow you back--he's really considerate like that).  And please drop him a note and thank him for taking the time for us authors to pick his brain.

Additionally, he's also on twitter and quite active. His twitter handle is @fleenewbery and again, he always follows back.

Q: Please give us a title or two of books that you would recommend to other boys because you thought they were amazing (feel free to elaborate on what you thought was amazing about these particular books).

A: ‘Warm Bodies’ by Isaac Marion is fantastic.  For years now, the bestseller landscape has been dominated by vampires and werewolves and dark fantasy...stuff like that.  But I think we're forgetting quite possibly one of the coolest and most grisly horror creations there is – zombies.  I love zombies, so I was immediately drawn to this book, which is about a zombie named ‘R’, and how he’s a little bit different to all the other zombies.  During a hunting expedition into a nearby abandoned city, he decides to save a girl called Julie (instead of eating her) despite the appetite for brains and other various bodily stuffing that all zombies share.  There is, quite obviously, a romantic element to this novel, but it really is a treat to read.  A very clever and refreshing twist on the whole zombie myth, and it ends up being more of a commentary on humans than anything.  I believe it’s being made into a movie too. 

Anything by Neil Gaiman is good, too – this guy is like my idol!  Such an artistic and creative literary force, I adore his work, although I have quite a few of his books to zip through yet.  So far I’ve read ‘Neverwhere’, ‘Stardust’, and ‘The Graveyard Book’, which is more of a children’s novel, but is personally one of my favourites.  I’m halfway through reading ‘American Gods’.  Definitely would recommend his work to anybody – not just boys, anybody!  He just tackles some really interesting themes in such a different way.  Sort of leaves you thinking ‘damn, why didn’t I think of that’, you know?

I’m currently reading ‘The perks of being a wallflower’ by Stephen Chbosky, as well.  It doesn’t sound like a boyish book – in fact, it sounds quite the opposite – but I really am thoroughly enjoying it.  Charlie is just such a memorable character and you can’t help but love him and want good things to happen to him and for him to be all right.  That’s when you know a book is brilliant, when you genuinely feel for a character and care about them for long after you’ve finished reading it.

And how can I forget Stephen King!  One of his most recent novels, ‘Under the Dome’, epic in both size and content, is a brilliant book.  Far-fetched, but since when does Stephen King approach his ideas in a tame way?

Q: If you had advice to give to a writer in reaching boys as their target audience, what would you tell them to do in their books?  In other words...what grabs your interest?

A: I’m a sucker for dark themes.  I like it when authors take something supposedly light and fluffy – like a fairy tale – and make it odd and disturbing.  I think it’s important that authors don’t shy away from all the raw and grisly details – honesty is key, whether you’re writing completely from the imagination in a fantasy world or drawing from life experiences. 

As for other things that interest me when it comes to reading, I have to say I love apocalyptic stories.  I have a morbid fascination with things like that, and I don’t think that has anything to do with the fact that I’m a boy.  I just like thinking of scenarios like that, and I like being scared.  Fear is a big attention grabber for me.  If a book can scare me, I’m probably going to read it all and enjoy it. 

Advice-wise, all I have to say is don’t waste time.  There is absolutely nothing worse, especially for us boys, than dragging ourselves through the first few chapters of place-setting.  Chuck us straight in at the deep end so that we can’t climb out again.  No point dragging out the tedium of the shallows, because we’ll probably just get bored and walk back to shore.

Q: How often do you choose a book based off of its cover art?

A: To be honest, quite a lot.  I know they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but honestly what else are you going to draw a first judgement on?  It’s the first thing you see.  If it’s got a dull cover, why on earth would you even want to pick it up and read the back?  I think the cover is very, very important.  It has to grab your eye, it has to be catchy, otherwise your eye is just going to flit over it and find something else.  I’d want my book to have the most interesting cover art possible.  I think the cover art is a very big decision when it comes to marketing your novel.  It’s basically a little manifestation of your book.  It has to be good.  It’s what invites you to pick up the book and read about it.

Q: When you begin to read a book, at what point do you give up on it if the book is not working for you and why?

A: If within the first 100 pages I’m still not interested, I give up.  No matter how widely acclaimed it is, no matter how compelled I was at the idea of reading the book, if it’s just boring to read, then I can’t enjoy it.  When the book begins to feel like a chore, that’s when I put it down and move on to something else. 

Q: Are there any things that you would like to see in a story that you've never come across as yet?

A: That’s a tough question, because I like to write myself.  So, if there’s something in a story that I’ve never come across before, I want to write it myself before somebody else does!  I’m just not sure.  It’s like being an inventor and asking yourself what does everybody want in their home that hasn’t been invented yet – it’s complicated just to brew up an idea like that, because until you’ve read it or you’ve got it, you never knew how much you loved it or needed it.  But when I do think of something I’d like to see in a story, I’ll write it down myself!  There’s nothing more evasive than a completely original idea.

I suppose I want this whole vampire-werewolf craze to die down already.  I like when people toy with supernatural beings as themes for their stories, but it really is just becoming repetitive now.  Maybe somebody should write a story about some other supernatural being and start a new craze.

Q: Do you stick to a particular genre (i.e. fantasy or science-fiction or contemporary YA)?

A: When I was younger, I wouldn’t stray from fantasy.  That was my little niche.  But these days, I really do read anything I can get my hands on.  I still have a passion for fantasy stories, and I think I always will, but I also have a big appetite for ghost stories.  I’ve always been interested in the paranormal and the supernatural and things just beyond our understanding; I don’t think I ever want to exist in a world where an objective opinion on these things has been drawn.  To me, the purpose of a book is to take you somewhere extraordinary, a different realm, and I suppose that’s why these genres are so appealing to me.  I always want to live in the worlds that the books I read paint.

Q: Do you prefer first-person or third-person storytelling?

A: I’m indifferent when it comes to this one.  I thoroughly enjoy both.  I feel like third-person offers a more traditional, simplistic, almost fairy-tale narrative perspective, whereas first-person can be very intimate and make it a smoother read.  Saying that, almost all the books I’ve read lately have been first-person, so I suppose I’m going to go with that one.

Q: Do you prefer e-books or paper books?

A: Paper books for sure.  Call me a romantic, I don’t care.  I just love holding a book in my hands and ruffling the pages and curling up with it.  It just feels warmer, if that makes any sense?  It’s just like holding a little portal in your hands.  Also, paper books smell nicer.  E-books don’t smell of anything, and it all just feels a bit cold and inauthentic.  Somehow, the format makes it feel more like an article.

Maybe the kids who are growing up now around e-books will feel differently about the topic, but I will always be more for paper books.  It just strikes me as the truest way to document a story, and the truest way to read one.  It’s just more physical, more personal – I think it’s strange that e-books don’t actually exist anywhere other than on the computer screen, just sitting there in cyber-space.  Then again, maybe I don’t know enough about e-books to comment.

Q: What is a deal breaker for you in a book? In other words...what drives you away from a book?

A: I don’t even have to think about this one.  Cheese.  I just can’t read something that is cheese-infused.  Sometimes it works in movies and TV shows, but it just doesn’t work for me in books. 

And also, being unrealistic irritates me.  Now this might sound ridiculous because I like to read fantasy novels, but what I mean is if a protagonist is presented with trial after trial, obstacle after obstacle, and still manages to come through unscathed, or even alive, this annoys me.  It’s like in movies when the stars manage to still look clean-shaven and attractive even after an hour-and-a-half’s worth of action – it just wouldn’t happen.  I guess this ties in with the whole honesty thing again.

Q: Do you write? If so, tell us a little bit about your writing.

A: Of course!  I love to write.  I like to think of writing as my ‘thing’.  I don’t quite know how to define that thing, but that’s what it is to me. 

I’ve been writing ever since I was little – I don’t quite remember the age, maybe around seven?  I was always a big reader, but one of the defining characteristics of my personality is my hunger to replicate things that inspire me.  So when I initially first read the Harry Potter books as a child, I was so mind-blown that I decided to make it my life mission to one day write books just as good and just as loved.  A big goal perhaps, but I was young.  Of course every writer dreams of their novels hitting number one and being read by millions, but these days I try to be a little more realistic.

I like writing fantasy stories, just like the ones I read.  I haven’t finished a novel yet – unless if you count a book I wrote as a 13-year-old – but I’m hoping that I will over the next year or so.  The thing with writing is that you can be anywhere to do it – you don’t have to be sat at your desk with a computer or paper and pen.  I’m writing all the time, wherever I am and whatever I’m doing.  I’m constantly watching storylines evolve in my head, and forever forgetting to write them down, which is perhaps my biggest downfall.  At the age of 19, I’d say I’m inspiration and no motivation, but this really does need to change soon.

I’m serious about becoming a writer.  My dream is to one day craft a living out of writing.  I want to be able to scrape enough money from it to call it a day job and I’d love this to happen sooner rather than later because it’s all I really want to do.  I know how tough the publishing industry is these days, and I know just how incredibly difficult it is to make at least a decent living from writing.  So I desperately need to knuckle down and get writing.  Sometimes I feel a bit lost, because I’m young and I’m dreaming of making a life for myself out of such a tough industry, but other than writing I don’t know what I want to do.

 

I’m hoping to participate in NaNoWriMo this year (National Novel Writing Month) for the first time ever, and maybe this will help me to organise my priorities.

Wish me luck!


So what do you think ladies & gents? Can you get boys to love your books?

Thoughts on 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman

I love this novel by Neil Gaiman. I give it five stars.  It may not be jam-packed with action and that's okay.  I can read George R.R. Martin for that.  The true brilliance of the book comes within the narrative, within finishing the story of Shadow, son of Odin, and how American Gods is among many things, an allegory of the modern times.

On the surface, the story is a tale of manipulation.  The old Gods, Loki and Odin, have created a grand scheme by which they will gain power when the old and new clash.  Underneath, we find themes of the young abandoning and devaluing the old (think of nursing homes where no one visits), a lack of communication and understanding between generations, and a fundamental definition of what it means to worship.

What the hell is worship anyway? It's an interesting concept. The easiest definition is to say "worship is something that we do when we go to a church." However, as Gaiman points out cleverly in his novel, it is a much trickier devil than that.  So what are the Gods then?  Well Gaiman would say to you that they are simply beings who historically got a lot of attention.  And the reason that they got that attention defines who they are and allows them to live on for centuries and have certain magical powers. And when the attention stops, they get bitter...really bitter.  Does any of this sound familiar? Are any of you out there who are reading this thinking...I really wish I had more attention?  Are you striving to be the next American God?  I would love it if the attention-hogs in my life would sit down and read this novel. But they can't/won't read.  Attention-hogs are too busy getting attention, right? Who has time for reading?

Gaiman says over and over in his book, "This is not a good country for Gods." He's right. In America, everyone believes to some extent that they ARE A GOD which is why it isn't a good country for one.  They think, "You should be following me; you should be worshiping me and be thankful that I say hi to you." You see it everywhere, especially amongst the beautiful and the young. To elaborate, I've noticed that these people think that they are deserving of attention simply because others want to sex them up.  The word I'm searching for here is "entitlement."  The problem is, everyone in this country has got this to some degree or another--more common I think amongst men than in women. The one out of a thousand that doesn't...well, he or she has got to choose between the 999 that do think they're gods and decide whether or not he or she would like to worship that person.  You can guess where I stand, I'm the one in 999 that says "fuck you" to all the gods in my life.

I work with people who I think believe they are gods.  The same goes for some acquaintances.  You know the problem with these "American Gods" is that just like in Gaiman's book, they do nothing for you.  They just take your worship, they gain power from it, and they are absolutely useless otherwise.  They have no true interest in you at all; they just want your worship.  Heck Odin as Wednesday even steals from people to get money to entertain his buddies.  He's a thief, a deceiver, a womanizer, and a con-man.  Way to go Odin.

Everything the gods do for you is a leg up for them in some way.  And if they need to destroy you to get what they want (the war of the gods), they do so without even thinking about it.  Laura in Gaiman's book is a perfect example of this (she's one of my favorite secondary characters btw).  They destroyed her to get Shadow on the right path, only it backfired with one of the greatest tropes I've seen in a novel--coin tricks.  Personally, this book gave me a lot of perspective on life and I think I could do with less gods to 'worship' and more people like Shadow--a man that is so aptly named that he stays out of the light and thus by doing so, becomes a true hero that shines brighter than any of the other characters in the book.

This book is a masterpiece of American literature. It's a novel about America written by someone not even born on this soil.  Thank you, Mr. Gaiman and I shall read more of your books.  Oh and by the way, it goes without saying that his prose is perfect, the pacing is wonderful, and the colorful characters are taken straight out of a comic book for uniqueness, grotesqueness, and sheer fantasy.