Geekery

Geek God – Neil Gaiman

Posted on 06. Nov, 2009 by Jake in Geek God

Being a geek god shouldn’t just be reserved for those involved in the worlds of IT or technology or science. A true geek, contrary to the cliché, does not spend every waking hour on the computer. A true Geek also loves to read. And usually, Geeks love to read science fiction and fantasy and dark comedy and any truly brilliant writing which takes your mind to places it has never been before. Neil Gaiman is one of the few writers living today who can lay claim to having created work which encompasses elements of all the above.

Comic book geeks will know him mainly for the incredible Sandman series, a fantasy comic so layered and well-versed in myths and legends that it makes most other adult-oriented graphic novels look like Richie Rich. The series is based on the exploits of the endless, a group of mythical beings who existed since time did and who embody different natural forces of the universe, called Dream, Desire, Delerium, Despair, Destruction, and Destiny. Dream, or the Sandman, is the main character. The comic inspired one of the most respected writers who ever lived, Norman Mailer, to remark “along with all else, Sandman is a comic strip for intellectuals, and I say it’s about time.”

Those who prefer their books without pictures may know him for his novels, all of which have been heaped with critical praise. There was 1990’s ‘Good Omens’ a collaboration with the ultra-prolific king of fantasy-comedy , Terry Pratchett, followed by 2001’s ‘American Gods’, and 2005’s ‘Anansi Boys’. He has also written a bunch of books for kids, including his latest, ‘The Graveyard Book’, rated by some as his best yet, ‘The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish’, ‘Stardust’ and ‘Coraline’, both of which have become major films, the former staring Claire Daines and Robert De Niro and the latter a stop-frame animation.

Speaking of film, Gaiman has become increasingly involved as a screenwriter, co-writing the script for 2007’s ‘Beowulf’ with Roger Avery, and is currently working on a script based on Nicholson Baker’s novel ‘The Fermata’ alongside Robert Zemeckis. He also wrote ‘Neverwhere’, a ’90s BBC television series.

Gaiman has won so many awards that the idea of listing them all bores me. His extremely obsessive fans (such as me) and penchant for black clothes and leather often causes people to refer to him as the ‘rock star of the literary world’. But Gaiman’s too intelligent to be a rock star, so I declare him a Geek God instead.

Tags: American Gods, Anansi Boys, Beowulf, Cell C, Coraline, Geek God, geekery, Good Omens, neil gaiman, Neverwher, Norman Mailer, Sandman, Stardust, The Day I Swapped My Dad For A Goldfish, The Graveyard Book