Cult Author may be too strong a word to use for Neil Gaiman. His stories are of interest to me. They are of interest of many other people. We don't meet at the Loge des Neuf Soeurs in Paris and dance naked around a fire pit chanting his name. We do, haphazardly chat electronically about the characters, the stories and the travels of the author himself. In America, that would be called a "fan-base."
Neverwhere was the first of his books to catch my interest. In my cloistered environment, I believed I had discovered a "new" author. Wondering if he had ever produced any other work, I did a Google on him, only to discover he not only was prolific, but his stories were made into television series, he produced adult level sci-f/fantasy comic books and was admired by millions. His children's book, Coraline should only be read by very stable children, and very stable adults, for that matter.
American Gods was not a book I wanted to read except in the company of others. Its concept involves gods from outside America. They were brought here by immigrants, settled and evolved locally over the centuries. They fall victim, in a survival of the fittest manner, to the newly created American gods. The hero becomes involved. His involvement becomes the story.
More could be said about the story, but I hate a review when it reveals too much.
Suffice it to say it is a well told tale, told as a contemporary legend. The narrative engaged me and kept me glued to the pages to the point of being rude to others. Worth reading. All of his stuff I have yet to encounter is well worth reading. =30=
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