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Fun Stuff => ENJOY => Topic started by: Tom on 13 Jun 2008, 22:59

Title: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Tom on 13 Jun 2008, 22:59
Yup, Neil's got a new novel coming. Expected to be released 30/09/2008
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Gridgm on 14 Jun 2008, 06:24
*does leaps of joy*
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Surgoshan on 14 Jun 2008, 10:22
Glee?  Glee.  Glee!
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 14 Jun 2008, 13:20
Rad.

Fuck, I forgot I never finished Anansi Boys.  I checked it out from the library and got real busy and only got 1/4 through it.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: CamusCanDo on 14 Jun 2008, 16:40
Already preordered :laugh:
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 14 Jun 2008, 17:45
I actually didn't even start Anansi Boys, which I still mean to do. I absolutely loved Neverwhere and American Gods so I'm excited to read that and the new one for sure.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: jimbunny on 14 Jun 2008, 19:26
Awesome.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 15 Jun 2008, 00:05
For me Stardust is his masterpiece.  It also made an amazing transition to film.  Both versions made me cry.

What I remember of Anansi Boys from when I started it, I really enjoyed, despite the puzzling choice to have the sequel to his most serious novel be his most comic novel.

I seem to recall that it reminded me of the better Tom Robbins books.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Katherine on 15 Jun 2008, 14:12
Ooh that's right after my birthday! Happy birthday to meeeee!
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Gridgm on 15 Jun 2008, 19:09
hmm...i still need to get round to reading my copy of never where i bought it but didn't get round to reading it after i watched the tv series

also just because i feel like showing off a picture of all my gaiman/sandman stuff

(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l249/gridgm/gaimanstuff.jpg)
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Surgoshan on 15 Jun 2008, 20:50
I don't see Good Omens.  Shame on you!
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Gridgm on 15 Jun 2008, 22:03
i have it it was jsut sorted down with my terry pratchett books so i forgot to include it...
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Surgoshan on 15 Jun 2008, 22:24
Okay, then.  Congratulations on an awesome collection!
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 15 Jun 2008, 23:26
I also don't see Don't Panic: The Official Guide to the Guide there.   :x
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: CamusCanDo on 16 Jun 2008, 00:20
Guys, I think you're all missing the most important book of all. Duran Duran: The First Four Years of the Fab Five by Neil Gaiman.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Gridgm on 16 Jun 2008, 04:54
i think we're all forgetting the fact i don't have
the day i traded my dad for two goldfish
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: CamusCanDo on 16 Jun 2008, 06:14
Or Wolves in the Walls, for that matter.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 16 Jun 2008, 23:14
Or Coraline, unless I'm just missing it.

I am very looking forward to the film version of that.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Gridgm on 17 Jun 2008, 02:32
i think i'm more looking forward to death and me at the moment...i think it may be my allergy to dakota fanning but i'm not sure
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Katherine on 17 Jun 2008, 10:19
I am looking forward to the film version of Coraline as well.  There is so much talent working on that movie, there is no way it won't be incredible.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Nodaisho on 17 Jun 2008, 12:31
i think i'm more looking forward to death and me at the moment...i think it may be my allergy to dakota fanning but i'm not sure
I'm looking forward to death and me, but that is just because I loved the comic.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: CamusCanDo on 17 Jun 2008, 17:29
Pretty excited (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMclbHcOm3E&feature=related/)
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 17 Jun 2008, 23:24
Holy fuck that Coraline trailer is amazing.  It's like Silent Hill For Kids.

I am officially even more stoked.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Vertical Stripes on 18 Jun 2008, 00:21
Awww, man.  I'd been avoiding previews for Coraline in the hopes of reserving judgment, be it too harsh or too favourable.  But I just watched it anyway; I'm pretty sure I did something inappropriate in my pants.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: MusicScribbles on 18 Jun 2008, 07:09
Whoo! (http://youtube.com/watch?v=6RzM93tXg-M&feature=related) It's going to be in 3D!
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 18 Jun 2008, 08:44
It looks like a whole lot of little kids are going to be tricked into wanting to see Coraline and come out of the theater scarred forever.

Excellent.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Vertical Stripes on 18 Jun 2008, 08:56
I don't know.  I think I'd be much more tickled if the kids came out loving it and the parents were horrified.  Eight-to-twelve-year-olds, which is kind of the age that Coraline was aimed at, should find this stuff chilling and awesome, not pee-your-pants scary.  It's just parents who keep expecting them to react that way that fuck it up for them.

I'm going to be teaching a class on horror elements in children's writing soon, so, at least, I hope I'm right. =)
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 18 Jun 2008, 12:17
I don't know.  I think I'd be much more tickled if the kids came out loving it and the parents were horrified.

That would be cool as well.  I bet there will be people "warning" parents about how "disturbing" it is.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Vertical Stripes on 18 Jun 2008, 12:32
I mean, when I was a kid I liked the chilling, creepy stuff because it made me feel like I was on to something.  Something ... grand.  (mysterious music)

PS:  Your user-title says you are William Gibson's babydaddy.  I know William Gibson.  Well: more accurately I'm friends with his daughter and only see William Gibson when he comes down for cereal late at night in his PJ's. 
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 18 Jun 2008, 14:30
I know William Gibson.  Well: more accurately I'm friends with his daughter and only see William Gibson when he comes down for cereal late at night in his PJ's. 

WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW UTTERLY FUCKING JEALOUS I AM   :x :x :x

On the other hand, a girl I know is friends with Neil Gaiman and said she'd introduce me next time she goes to meet him whenever he comes near us, which will probably be on a signing tour for the book this thread is about.

EDIT: Next time you see him, tell him his last book sucked.  I dare you.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Vertical Stripes on 18 Jun 2008, 14:38
What, Spook County or whatever?  I haven't read it.  In fact I hadn't read any of his stuff until I picked up Idoru from a used book store because he'd dedicated it to Claire and I thought it would be funny to get Claire to sign it for all of like five seconds.  And then I realized it wouldn't be funny.

Anyway she told me I had to read Virtual Light first so I went back to the used book store and got that and I'm reading it right now.  It's not bad.

BUT BACK TO NEIL GAIMAN.

I could've met him if I'd volunteered for the Granville Island writer's festival ... but his panel was during a class that it would have been unwise for me to miss.  GPA unfortunately > Neil Gaiman.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 18 Jun 2008, 14:50
Those are good Gibson books but the real gems in his career are Mona Lisa Overdrive and All Tomorrow's Parties.  MLO is the last in the Sprawl Trilogy but it stands alone very well, only a couple bits of info from the previous books are particularly relevant and they're reiterated in MLO anyhow.

ATP is the last book in the trilogy that begins with Virtual Light and Idoru.  Each book in that trilogy is exponentially better than the one before it.  VL is decent, Idoru is great, ATP is ZOMG AWESOME.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: CamusCanDo on 18 Jun 2008, 14:58
I am very jealous of both for knowing people who know people. Fuck you guys man.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Aminal on 18 Jun 2008, 19:14
new gaiman = FUCKIN' A

Now that I've graduated college I'm really looking forward to reading for pleasure again.  I used to have to keep books away or I'd read until I fell over from dehydration, or on the other end of the spectrum nearly wet myself because I was too preoccupied to use the bathroom.

Also, Gridgm,
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Nodaisho on 18 Jun 2008, 21:56
In regards to Gibson: I haven't finished Virtual light yet, I checked it out from the library twice, but always with other books, and I could never finish it in time. I don't like it as much as Neuromancer, Count Zero, MLO, or Idoru, though. It isn't bad, but it is slow reading, as always, and considering I had just finished reading count zero when I was reading virtual light, I really noticed the difference.

I agree with Camus.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Tom on 18 Jun 2008, 23:20
I don't know.  I think I'd be much more tickled if the kids came out loving it and the parents were horrified.  Eight-to-twelve-year-olds, which is kind of the age that Coraline was aimed at, should find this stuff chilling and awesome, not pee-your-pants scary.  It's just parents who keep expecting them to react that way that fuck it up for them.

I'm going to be teaching a class on horror elements in children's writing soon, so, at least, I hope I'm right. =)

I'd agree with, you based on my own childhood that is. I remeber my mother's disdain at me wanting a ghost/witch/something at least mildly 'terrifying' story before going to sleep. She thought they'd give me nightmares but the only ones I ever had were about being a disappointment to her and my father. Coraline and other children's books were everything isn't peachy, i.e the wave of neo-gothic children's lit springing up in the wake of A Series of Unfortunate Events, help children to cope with murder, violence, epidemics and morality like folk-stories used to do before getting all Disney-d.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Vertical Stripes on 19 Jun 2008, 00:08
"Disney'd" isn't really the proper word, I think, because even Disney back in the day used to be pretty gruesome.  Remember The Black Cauldron?  Even Disney has been Disney'd.

I met Daniel Handler ("Lemony Snicket") once to discuss one of his adult books and I think it was pretty obvious he approached children's writing like he was talking to more intelligent versions of adults rather than pansier ones.  I think he felt that with children he could be more honest about death and betrayal and it was with adults that he had to pretty it up with literary devices.

I was working on a play once that had a ten-year-old boy in the cast.  For some reason the rest of the actors and backstage crew thought it would be a good idea to stick a swear jar in the green room to encourage people to keep their language clean.  I respected this except one time I let "Jesus" slip out and was promptly told to put a dollar in the swear jar.  I asked the kid if he was Christian - he snorted and said "Hell no," so I refused to put the dollar in.  Some people decided to make a big deal about it, so I took one glance at the kid, he grinned back at me, and I told the actor to go fuck himself. 

Adults are so sensitive.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Schmorgluck on 19 Jun 2008, 03:59
I don't know.  I think I'd be much more tickled if the kids came out loving it and the parents were horrified.
Neil Gaiman has stated once that adults tend to be more creeped by the book because they see a story about a child in danger, while children see a story about a child living an adventure.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 19 Jun 2008, 11:10
I just think the movie of Coraline will be creepy because HOLY SHIT THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BUTTONS FOR EYES and so forth.

I really hope The Cat is voiced well.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Jackie Blue on 19 Jun 2008, 11:28
They should have got Bill Murray.
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Vertical Stripes on 19 Jun 2008, 22:00
How about Bobcat Goldthwaite?
Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: Ludovician on 03 Jul 2008, 02:11
Release date?

Title: Re: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post by: CamusCanDo on 03 Jul 2008, 03:43
September 30th. Or, going by the countdown on Gaiman's blog 12 weeks, 5 days, 10 hours, 6 minutes, 28 seconds as of right now.