The Problem of Susan– this story was written in response to the character Susan in Narnia and also how children's fiction came to be. Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves of the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" (3 stars)- I still have absolutely no idea what in the world was going on. So in terms of entertainment value (and the ability to keep things fresh and interesting across pieces) this scores very highly. All of the signature excellence with which Gaiman has rightly built his widespread fan-base is present to prove that he is equally wonderful with his short game as he is in novel form and to tell stories which will send shivers down the spines of readers of all ages. Her last thought, before that bullet, was that she was four months' pregnant, and that if we do not fight to create a future there will be no future for any of us.

Or they are words on the air, composed of sounds and ideas-abstract, invisible, gone once they've been spoken-and what could be more frail than that?Such marvelous creations and more, including a short story set in the world of The Matrix and others set in the worlds of gothic fiction and children's fiction, can be found in this collection, which showcases Gaiman's storytelling brilliance as well as his entertaining (and dark) sense of humor. I listened to the audiobook version read by the author himself, which I think added quite a bit to the experience. His method of doing so envisions a very different view of the Lion and White Witch from The Chronicles of Narnia, one that won’t soon be forgotten.

A funny, weird, original, heartbreaking, twisted, magical, dark and insightful style that leaves you wanting more. And paying homage is tricky too--it can't be merely a lesser or different version of the original concept. I think that Lewis merely phrased this concept awkwardly, in a way that makes it easy to see it as a sexist dig at Susan not being able to go to Narnia because she discovered boys and lipstick. Recounting the strange is like telling one's dreams: one can communicate the events of a dream but not the emotional content, the way that a dream can color one's entire day. A boy can walk down the street and see a ghost in the lamplight or another can wake up and find himself in hell.This is worth reading if you’re already a big fan of his, but if you’re looking for really a decent collection of short stories I can think of much better places to look. I’d try and pick a favourite from this collection but I’d sit here for hours trying to decide and still not be able to come up with an answer because I adored them all!

I like his ability to effortlessly maneuver his readers right into the position we need to be in for maximum effect, and when we get there, he flips everything, so we're left wondering just what happened and how we got where we are when obviously we were just on our way to somewhere else. As the title implies, he addresses this idea that Susan wasn’t allowed back into Narnia because she had grown too old. Occasionally he does lovely things with words and had fabulous ideas, and I hear he's a very nice guy. I remember life, and meeting people as people and not just as things to feed on or control, and I remember what it was to feel something, anything, happy or sad or anything. Diseasemaker's Croup' was mildly interesting, but not a fitting read for a hypocondriac, and 'Goliath' just missed me entirely.

My Life”; "Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot”; "Feeders and Eaters”; "Diseasemaker's Croup”; "In the End”; “Goliath”; "Pages from a Journal Found in a Shoebox Left in a Greyhound Bus Somewhere Between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Louisville, Kentucky”; "How to Talk to Girls at Parties”; "The Day the Saucers Came”; “Sunbird”; "Inventing Aladdin"; The Monarch of the Glen. And so when I read the stories in this book, they give me a little thrill, because I don't expect the vulgar and the so-very-adult-ness of some of these stories. One aspect of Gaiman’s writing both sublime and frustrating is his unwillingness to spell everything out.

Unfortunately, this assortment contained more of the Warthog's Spyhillated Rectum or Seal Poop flavours than the Strawberry Champagne or Saffron and Sabayon Ice Cream types. The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. Strange Little Girls' would benefit from being read while listening to Tori Amos, but frankly, I'd rather not. Bitter Grounds' is a traveler looking for another life, and finds one as an anthropologist who studies zombies.

Damn you, medical technology, messing with the supply and demand of souls), it's just bruised right now and I need a breather. The rest of the stories all have something interesting to say as well, and each is written in Gaiman's unique style.