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For eight years, Gaiman mined this rich vein, only to stop at the height of the series' popularity, at a point in time when he felt the story he had in mind from the beginning had reached its natural conclusion. Gaiman's creations live on however, in DC's new series "The Dreaming", and in this anthology, written by several mainstream (i.e., non-comic book) writers.

Of Morpheus, from the Preface by Frank McConnell: "He is not a god; he is older than all the gods, and is their cause. He is the human capacity to imagine meaning, to tell stories: an anthropomorphic projection of our thirst for mythology. And as such, he is both greater and less than the humans whose dreams he shapes, but whose thirst, after all, shapes him. As Titania would say, he does not exist; and thus he is all that matters."


Masquerade and High Water - Colin Greenland >> Provide insights into the backstage workings of The Endless, specifically that of the Pavilion of Recurrence.

Chain Home, Low - John M. Ford >> What happened to those affected by Morpheus' disappearance during the time he was held captive in Burgess' basement? I almost skipped this story since it seemed to take forever to read.

Stronger than Desire - Lisa Goldstein >> What is stronger than desire--is it love? What follows is a story about Desire and his/her human lover in so long a time, and of a wager between them. Included is a possible explanation of the origin of courtly love.

Each Damp Thing - Barbara Hambly >> A scary piece featuring Cain and Abel. Cain unearths a mirror that Morpheus had hidden away for a pretty good reason.

The Birth Day - B. W. Clough >> Wherein Morpheus visits a storyteller (the New Meeter of the band) who may just be too clever for her own good.

Splatter - Will Shetterly >> A horror writer probably would have preferred to be guest of honor somewhere other than the Cereal Convention. Set at the infamous Serial Killers Convention as seen in "The Doll's House". "The world always made promises. Maybe he should see what the world delivered.".

Seven Nights in Slumberland - George Alec Effinger >> A delightful tribute to both The Sandman and Little Nemo .

Escape Artist - Caitlín R. Kiernan >> A take on the childhood days of Wanda, nee Alvin, Mann, whose first appearance was in the story arc "A Game of You". Having parents who exemplifies religious guilt is one of the worst ways to find out about who you truly are.

An Extra Smidgen of Eternity - Robert Rodi >> "Stories are important. They're all we've got, really. Stories are hope. They take you out of yourself for a bit, and when you get dropped back in, you're different--you're stronger, you've seen more, you've felt more. Stories are like spiritual currency."

Endless Sestina - Lawrence Schimel >> For the sheer accomplishment of it. (Note: A sestina is a classical verse form, six verses of six lines each, in which the final words recombine according to an obvious formula from stanza to stanza.)

The Writer's Child - Tad Williams >> Is a finely crafted story about loyalty and the value of innocence set against the backdrop of Dream or the Player King recognizing it. It reminds me of Lyta Hall--of the dreamstuff invading the waking world.

The Gate of Gold - Mark Kreighbaum >> "Even the Endless must dream." A story of a doll's courage to save his charge from the nightmares that plagues her every night, as a manifestation of her ugly family life.

A Bone Dry Place - Karen Haber >> An appearance of Despair, "She is one of the Endless, sworn to duty here until the universe ends or her elder sister takes over."

The Witch's Heart - Delia Sherman >> Featuring a she-wolf with a human shadow, a Eitch and a Lady (Desire playing yet again one of his/her games) for the quest to retrieve the witch's heart.

The Mender of Broken Dreams - Nancy A. Collins >> One of the denizens of The Dreaming is The Mender, one repairs and restores dreams so they can be re-used from one dreamer to the next. Morpheus speaks of The Dreaming as such:"Every human born has the keys to my kingdom within them. For many the Dreaming is simply a place to escap[e the pressures of being mortal. For a handful of poets and madmen it is the land of portents, signs, and inspiration. But for others, it is the one place where true happiness can be found; where beggars ride as kings, the spurned find love, the hungry feast."

Ain't You 'Most Done? - Gene Wolfe >> What if you were born but you simply have never dreamed? How would it be like for a person to never experience the wonders and horrors of dreaming and nightmares?

Valóság and Élet - Steven Brust >> This one reads very much a leaf from "Brothers Grimm Fairytales" but is no less wonderful. How do you trap the powers of Death & Dream?

Stopp't-Clock Yard - Susanna Clarke >> A tale that could easily have been part of the "World's End" story arc from the original series. (Gaiman himself comments "I wish I had written this story.") Clarke tells the amusing tale of magician Isaac Trismegistus and rogue John Paramore, a pair who invade Morpheus' realm to bring the deceased back to their loved ones. Morpheus is rendered perfectly, a distracted deity, swift to anger, but patient in the extreme. Dream waits out his tormentors, only to have his revenge stolen away by one of his siblings.

Afterword: Death - Tori Amos >> A lyrical meditation on Death by songwriter Tori Amos close the anthology on a strong note (incidentally, this is also the introduction she wrote for "Death: The High Cost of Living"). On describing Death:"She keeps reminding me there is change in the 'what is' but change cannot be made till you accept the 'what is'."


Although the stories are uniformly well crafted, they fail to break any new ground or provide novel insights into the rich cast of familiar characters. Most of the writers here seem content pursuing themes Gaiman has already visited rather than developing their own.


Book Details:

Title The Sandman: Book of Dreams (Signed)
Author Edited by Neil Gaiman & Ed Kramer
Reviewed By Purplycookie