Synopses & Reviews
In the deft hands of Neil Gaiman, magic is no mere illusion . . . and anything is possible. In Smoke and Mirrors, Gaiman's imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders—where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks. Explore a new reality, obscured by smoke and darkness yet brilliantly tangible, in this extraordinary collection of short works by a master prestidigitator. It will dazzle your senses, touch your heart, and haunt your dreams.
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"A whopping collection....[T]he volume's numerous successes put an engaging spin on even more-than-twice-told tales....[A]n exhilarating display of the work of one of our most entertaining storytellers." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
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"[Gaiman] is, simply put, a treasure house of story, and we are lucky to have him in any medium." Stephen King
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"Poe would love him....A box of bonbons for dark fantasy fans, and a strong successor to Neverwhere." Booklist
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"Imaginative twists on old legends and frightening glimpses into the impossible combine to form this impressive collection....The intriguing world behind these pages is indeed smoke and mirrors, just a step or a word or a story away from our own." Publishers Weekly
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"Short stories guaranteed to excite the senses and inflame the imagination..." Book Alert
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"Highly imaginative...readers will find echoes of H.P. Lovecraft, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, but the voice is all Gaiman." Dallas Morning News
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"Gaiman's incantatory storytelling ignites both the bitter and the sweet and its smoke twists and seeps into dark corners, wafts into the light and amusing, even wends poignantly into the heart: nothing he writes should be missed." HorrorOnline.com
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"Gaiman is a star. He constructs stories like some demented cook might make a wedding cake, building layer upon layer, including all kinds of sweet and sour in the mix." Clive Barker
Synopsis
In Neil Gaiman's richly imagined fiction, anything is possible. And the proof is in the telling in this extraordinary collection of short stories. Discover within these pages miraculous inventions and curious characters: an elderly widow who finds the Holy Grail tucked beneath an old fur coat in a thrift store, a terrified boy who barters for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks, a young couple who receives a wedding gift that gradually reveals a chilling alternative history of their marriage. Smoke and Mirrors will dazzle your senses, touch your heart and haunt your dreams.
Synopsis
The astonishing and impressive first collection of short stories from New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman
An elderly widow finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat in a second-hand store . . .
A stray cat fights and refights a nightly battle to protect his adoptive family from an unimagiable evil . . .
A young couple receives a wedding gift that will reveal a chilling alternate history of their marriage . . .
Beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks, a frightened little boy bargains for his life with a most persistent troll . . .
Such miraculous inventions and more await within Neil Gaiman's first collection of short fiction, a gift of wonder and delight from one of the most unique literary artists of our day. In his capable hands, magic is no mere illusion, but a powerful means to reveal the nature of our humanity obscured in the smoke of our fears and anxieties . . . and reflected in the funhouse mirrors of our dreams.
--Richmond Times-Dispatch
Synopsis
Now available in paperback is the definitive collection of short stories that reveals one of the world's most gifted fantasy writers at the peak of his form.
About the Author
Neil Gaiman is the author of the New York Times bestselling children's book coraline and of the picture books The Wolves in the Walls and The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, illustrated by Dave McKean. He wrote the script for the film MirrorMask and is also the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning novels and short stories for adults, as well as the Sandman series of graphic novels. Among his many awards are the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Bram Stoker Award. Originally from England, Gaiman now lives in the United States.