About Neil Gaiman: Books, Films, and TV Shows by Neil Gaiman

Born in England, Neil lives in the United States and teaches at Bard College, where he is a Professor of the Arts. The Dictionary of Literary Biography lists him as one of the top 10 living postmodern writers, with many of his books and stories adapted for film and television. He has written a number of dark tales and twisted storylines for adult audiences, as well as lighter children’s books.

Neil’s many honors include the Shirley Jackson Award, Chicago Tribune Young Adult Literary Prize (for his body of work), Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Defender of Liberty award, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the Arts, one of the oldest American universities dedicated to the visual and performing arts and design. Neil also has an honorary degree from St Andrew's. In 2017, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, appointed Neil Gaiman as a global Goodwill Ambassador.

Neil has penned a number of immersive and enthralling stories over his successful career. Some of the top Neil Gaiman books include the following.

1. 1. The Sandman (1988): Originally published as a monthly serial comic book, the Sandman—featuring an early appearance of recurring DC Comics character John Constantine—was eventually converted into a collection of 10 trade paperbacks. This fantasy comic featured a series of anthropomorphic characters known as The Endless who represented metaphysical entities like Dream, Destiny, Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, and Destruction. Some acclaimed volume titles in this comic book series include Preludes and Nocturnes (1989), The Doll’s House (1989), and Dream Country (1990), with an eleventh follow-up installment, Sandman: Endless Nights (2003). Sandman was awarded nine Eisner Awards and described by Stephen King as having turned graphic novels into “art.” Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as the greatest epic in the history of the form, an issue of Sandman was the first comic book to receive literary recognition when given the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story.
2. 2. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (1990): This comedic story follows an angel and a demon as they attempt to sabotage the end times after the birth of the antichrist. In 1991, the book earned the World Fantasy Award nomination for Best Novel, as well as a nomination for the Locus Award Best Fantasy Novel. A TV series adaptation was released in 2019.
3. 3. Stardust (1999): This fantasy novel follows the adventures of a young man from the village of Wall, a terrestrial place bordering a magical land. It won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature in 1999 and was also nominated for the Locus Award that same year. In 2000, it received an Alex Award from the American Library Association.
4. 4. American Gods (2001): American Gods follows ex-convict Shadow Moon and a mysterious entity called Mr. Wednesday as they navigate a world where gods and magic are real. American Gods won a number of awards including the Bram Stoker Award for Novel, the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, as well as both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel.
5. 5. Anansi Boys (2005): This novel centers around two brothers separated during childhood who reunite after the sudden death of their father, who also happens to be a god. This story debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller List and won both a Locus Award and the British Fantasy Society Award in 2006.
6. 6. The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013): This story follows a nameless protagonist who returns home for a funeral and is flooded with a wave of forgotten memories. In 2013, the book was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel, won the National Book Awards Book of the Year, and earned the number one spot on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2014 it won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.

Neil has a variety of standalone short stories, many of which appear within his multiple collections. Here are five of those short stories.

1. 1. "The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds" (1984): This story turns a popular nursery rhyme into a sordid murder mystery, and was first published in the magazine Knave in 1984. It was reprinted in both his short story collections Angels and Visitations (1993) and M Is for Magic (2007).
2. 2. “Snow, Glass, Apples” (1994): This short story is a dark take on Snow White told from the perspective of the stepmother. It was first published as a benefit book for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and was subsequently featured in Neil’s 1998 collection, Smoke and Mirrors.
3. 3. “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” (2006): This science fiction short story centers around two groups of teenagers, one human and one alien. It was nominated for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Short Story and won the Locus Award for Best Short Story. A film adaptation of the same name was released in 2017.
4. 4. “A Study in Emerald'' (2003): This Sherlock Holmes pastiche first appeared in Shadows Over Baker Street (2003), a multi-author anthology series, then later reprinted in Neil’s short story collection Fragile Things (2006).
5. 5. “The Return of the Thin White Duke” (2015): This story is a piece of fan fiction centered on the late rock star David Bowie. It was included in his 2015 story collection Trigger Warning.

In addition to writing many fantasy stories for adults, Neil has written many escapist books for children and young adults. Here are seven of those stories.

1. 1. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (1997): This story follows a young boy who trades in his dad for two goldfish when he becomes jealous of his friend’s pet. It won awards for the Newsweek Best Children’s Book (2003) and the British Science Fiction Association Award for Short Fiction (1997).
2. 2. Coraline (2002): This dark fantasy novella follows the adventures of Coraline Jones, a young girl who finds a mysterious door linking her room to another world, where she encounters alternative versions of her parents. Coraline won the Hugo Award and Nebula Award for Best Novella, the Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers, and the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book.
3. 3. Wolves in the Walls (2003): This children’s picture book follows a young girl named Lucy who claims to hear wolves behind the walls. Her family doesn’t believe her until one day the wolves emerge. The book won the The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award for Short Fiction in 2003, along with a Children’s Choice Award in 2004.
4. 4. The Graveyard Book (2008): The Graveyard Book follows the story of a young boy who is raised by the supernatural inhabitants of a graveyard after his parents are murdered. The book sold over a million copies, won both the Hugo and Locus awards, and is the only work ever to win both the Newbery Medal and Carnegie Medal, which are awarded by librarians for the most prestigious contribution to children’s literature. The Graveyard Book was also named audiobook of the year in 2008 and spent 15 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List.
5. 5. Chu’s Day (2013): Neil teamed up with illustrator Adam Rex on this picture book about a sneezing Panda named Chu who can’t help but make things go wrong with every sneeze, which spawned a series of other tales featuring the titular character.
6. 6. The Sleeper and the Spindle (2013): This narrative follows the story of a queen who bravely sets off to rescue a princess on the eve of her wedding in a thrilling subversion of the traditional fairy tale narrative.
7. 7. Pirate Stew (2020): This light book follows a brother and sister who get involved in a variety of zany adventures when their babysitter turns out to be a pirate.

Neil has created, written, adapted, produced, and inspired a number of different properties over his career. Here is an overview of eleven of those adaptations.

1. 1. Neverwhere (1996): Neil wrote this BBC miniseries showcasing many classic fantasy traits, such as knights, angels, monsters, and murderers. Following the air of the series, Neil adapted the story into a novel.
2. 2. Mirrormask (2005): Neil wrote the screenplay for a story he developed with director Dave McKean. The movie follows Helena, the daughter of circus directors, who plunges into a dream world when her mother undergoes a vital operation. It was nominated for the Golden Groundhog Award for Best Underground Movie.
3. 3. Stardust (2007): This romantic adventure fantasy movie based on Neil’s novel Stardust was directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars Claire Danes, Ricky Gervais, Sienna Miller, and Robert De Niro. It won the 2008 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film–Wide Release, as well as the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation–Long Form.
4. 4. Beowulf (2007): Neil wrote the screenplay for this CGI fantasy action film directed by Robert Zemeckis, which is an adaptation of the original Germanic epic poem of the same name.
5. 5. Coraline (2009): This stop-motion animated film based on Neil’s 2002 novella was an Oscar nominee for Best Animated Film and secured a BAFTA in the same category.
6. 6. Lucifer (2016): Based around Lucifer Morningstar, a character Neil created for Vertigo, this TV series features Tom Ellis as Lucifer, a devil who becomes bored with his life in Hell and moves to Los Angeles, where he ends up partnering up with a cop played by Lauren German.
7. 7. Likely Stories (2016): This mini-series television adaptation of Neil’s book Likely Stories features four interrelated tales following people in a world inflicted with mysterious diseases.
8. 8. American Gods (2017): Neil served as executive producer for this Emmy-nominated adaptation of his acclaimed novel. The show ran for three seasons and starred Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, and Emily Browning. The show was also nominated for three Critics Choice Awards.
9. 9. How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017): This romantic comedy sci-fi film based on Neil’s 2006 story about human and alien teenagers stars Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman.
10. 10. Good Omens (2019): The adaptation of Neil’s novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch stars Michael Sheen and David Tennant as an angel and demon respectively. Neil co-wrote this six-part series with the late Terry Pratchett, and he also served as showrunner for the first season. This TV miniseries adaptation won The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation–Long Form.

Become a better writer with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Neil Gaiman, Walter Mosley, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Dan Brown, and more.