Customer Reviews

Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Normally, I am not a fan of short stories but these were amazing. Even the introduction was amazing. I recommend not skipping it. Some of the stories in here keep popping into my head months after reading them. This is a magical collection.

Bought a second and third copy and gave it to 2 of my friends. Need I say more? This is an awesome book!

Neil Gaiman has been named as one of the top ten living post-modern writers (the Dictionary of Literary Biography). A prolific creator of comics, drama, poetry, prose and song lyrics, he's also been called the new face of horror fiction. You can even find him active in other media such as blogging, film, journalism, radio and television.

His New York Times best-selling novel, American Gods, was awarded the Bram Stoker, Locus, Hugo, Nebula and SFX awards.

Anansi Boys, closely related to American Gods, has elements of comedy, horror, romance, the supernatural and even humour.

His collection of short fiction, Smoke and Mirrors, dark and unique, has been compared to the works of H. P. Lovecraft, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King (who is, himself, a fan of the author).

Better known for his classic work, The Sandman, a collection of modern, adult comics, Gaiman is a forty-something Englishman who now lives in the U.S.

I've read all three of the books mentioned. My 17 year-old son, a fan of The Sandman, bought them and insisted I devote some time to them. He figured if I was a fan of Stephen King, a horror writer who is arguably the finest story teller around, I just had to love Gaiman. He was right.

I can't think of anyone who has created a mythology quite like Gaiman's. His haunting vision of the landscape of modern Gods makes my skin crawl, yet I find myself unable to leave his work alone. His writing is like a drug that hooks you and leaves you an addict who must have more.

If you're new to the horror genre, I'd recommend adding this author to your reading list. More literary than Stephen King and possibly more difficult to read, Neil Gaiman will reward you for your effort.

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009

This collection of short stories marks the first time I've ever been somewhat bored by a Neil Gaiman tale. That is to say only a few of the stories actually fail to represent the author's habitual genius but most are at least interesting, while many are actually excellent, as should be expected. The stories are presented in asynchronous order and Gaiman offers an introduction about each piece with some interesting background information. Some of the oldest are also some of the best in this set.

Uninitiated readers eager to discover Neil Gaiman should probably start with Stardust or Neverwhere, or any other of his full-length novels for that matter. I think his longer stories generally provide much better characters and storylines, a benefit that comes with spending more time on a single setting and exploring it further than only a few pages allow. Perhaps not so coincidentally, the stories I appreciated the most in Smokes and Mirrors also happened to be the lengthier ones. Those written as poems or in a telegraphic style really lost me for the most part, but the rest is sure to provide the reader with enough chills and thrills. It retains a bit of magic and mystery typical to all of Gaiman's work. Quite a fascinating mind!

I give it a nine out of ten.

What I liked about it:
Neil Gaiman is a terrific author. The stories were mostly crisp and kept me interested.
I enjoyed the change of pace between the tales.
The different ideas and possible universes presented were great.

In order to get a ten:
A couple of the stories should have been left out. They were not the same caliber as the others in the book.

In "Neverwhere" Gaiman seriously bit off more than he could chew. But in this book of short stories, Gaiman's intensely creative ideas and fantastic imagination are perfect for the art that is the short story. I like how he puts two entirely unrelated ideas together. Like his opening tale of an old woman who finds the Holy Grail at her local thrift shop and is pursued by a handsome Knight of the Table Round (Yes, somehow he is from the past) who desperately wants the cup so he can complete his quest. You won't believe what he offers her in the way of exchange! These stories are so cool, I highly recommend this book!

There is so much variety in this book you'd think it wasn't written by the same person, but it is, and how well it was done.

Most of it pertains to sci-fi/fantasy, as that is what Gaiman usually writes. Some of the stories are truly touching, some haunting, and some very funny.

There are about 30 short stories and poems.
There are brief introductions to each piece, which is very interesting.

Good for a read every now and then or all at once. Good stuff that you will remember for a long time after reading it. It blew me away, especially the last two stories, "Murder Mysteries" and "Snow, Glass, Apples." Those were the most memorable and well written, in my opinion. Just like they say, save the best for last.

Most of what I would say has already been said in previous reviews. I would simply add my voice to the chorus that praises this collection, and add that Gaiman's skill is such that days, weeks -- ages -- after reading these tales, they will continue to resonate for you. It may be that your perceptions of stray cats is altered, or you find yourself less interested in shopping for bargains, or you will find poetry more accessible, or the night more eerie.....Whatever your flavor, there will be something in this collection for you.

I ordered this a few months ago and it with out a doubt kept me interested pretty much the entire way through. It's a very nice variety of stories. It's very much an adult book due to some of the more graphic stories. In my opinion it is a good read. Two of my favorite stories were "Snow Glass Apples" and "Murder Mysteries".

Everything in here that could be considered, by a logical and well-read person, to be a short story, is excellent. Everything that is not (the "poetry", the vignettes, the various scratchings, the "experimental" stuff) is utter garbage. Pick your way through it with discretion. Nobody questions Gaiman's ability as a writer, but here he seems better suited to the sort of stuff that has a cohesive beginning, middle, and end. The nebulous, airy-fairy pieces are best skimmed past. A solid introduction to Gaiman's work, though, if that's what you're after.