Recently read books.
Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman: An everyman putz’s good deed elides him from the mundane London Above to the mythic, murky, miserable London Below, where only magic, bravery, and craftiness can foil a heinous plot of cosmic import. An urban fairy tale in a world of angels, assassins, homeless, Beasts, vampires, rats, and the ever-present Underground (and its various metaphorical stations). And it’s a hell of a lot better a tale than that sounds. Based on, and marvelously fleshed out from, the abortive TV series. (Re-read)
Stardust, by Neil Gaiman: A promise to retrieve a fallen star for his lady love leads a young man of mysterious heritage into a quest across Faerie. Easy enough, if the same star were not also sought by an evil witch-queen, vying scions for a throne of power, and, well, a number of other charming and chilling characters — and if the star didn’t have intentions of her own. Typically marvelous Gaiman fairy tale magic — and if I had the opportunity to make a cautionary horrible deal with some magical creature to write such things as well as he does, I’d doubtless take it … and Gaiman would write as brilliantly of the result.
Gods and Androids, by Andre Norton: Repackaging of two books. In Android at Arms, the princely protagonist awakens in prison with other worthies from a dozen worlds and over decades. Have they all been replaced at home by androids — or are they the actual simulacra? And, ultimately, what does that really mean? In Wraiths of Time, a modern scholar is grabbed across dimensions to where the ancient Nubian matriarchy never fell, but now faces a threat from dark science — a threat only the displaced archaeologist can combat by pretending to be the crown princess and mastering the position’s psychic powers.
(Both of the books in this collection are noteworthy for having an African background to their societies. Andas’ world and culture was clearly founded by African emigres from Earth, and Tallahassee Mitford’s parallel world is one where the legendary Upper Nile realm of Meroe never fell. It’s a refreshing change from generic European or even Asian backgrounds — and it’s highly ironic that the wretched cover art makes out Andas to be Caucasian, not to mention having the worst picture I could imagine of a Salariki …)
Contrary to popular belief, the characters in Neverwhere are not all named after tube stations. For example, The Angel Islington is a square on the British edition of Monopoly (The tube station is just called “Angel”)
The names do all have some London connection.
What was ‘abortive’ about the TV series? It didn’t get cancelled part-way through it’s run, it was only ever a miniseries.
I’d had the impression — not backed up solidly by anything I can quickly find at the moment, and thus probably my own fevered misrecollection — that there’d been an intent to continue on the series (or, in a more British fashion, have a second series, etc.). Gaiman certainly left the plot hooks out for it. However, due to bewildered BBC2 folks and audiences either confused or bemused by the, ah, limited SFX, nothing ever came of it. Or so I recalled.
More on the Angel Islington.
Aha. At least a couple of passing references in this Gaiman interview at the time about the possibilities of a Series II for Neverwhere.
Also, the comic book version of Neverwhere has been very entertaining.
The funniest bit is that I used both Gormennghast and Neverwhere for my Amber game. So a year ago Dave G. was at a party and commented on how he started having all sort of flashbacks while reading the book because he didn’t know at the time that I had used the book as inner-space-shadow.
Heh. That’s funny.
I’ve been holding off on the comic (which covers struck me as a bit garish, but …) until it comes out in TPB.