American Gods

Last updated

American Gods
American gods.jpg
Cover of first edition (hardcover)
Author Neil Gaiman
Language English
Genre Fantasy
Publisher William Morrow, Headline
Publication date
19 June 2001
Publication place United Kingdom
Media type Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages465
Awards Hugo Award for Best Novel (2002), Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2002), Nebula Award for Best Novel (2002)
ISBN 0-380-97365-0
OCLC 46393953
813/.54 21
LC Class PR6057.A319 A84 2001
Followed by Anansi Boys  

American Gods (2001) is a novel by British author Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shadow.

Contents

The book was published in 2001 by Headline in the United Kingdom and by William Morrow in the United States. It gained a positive critical response and won the 2002 Hugo and Nebula awards. [1]

A special tenth anniversary edition, which includes the "author's preferred text" and 12,000 additional words, was published in June 2011 by William Morrow. Two audio versions of the book were produced and published by Harper Audio: an unabridged version of the original published edition, read by George Guidall, released in 2001; a full cast audiobook version of the tenth anniversary edition, released in 2011. In March 2017, The Folio Society published a special collector's edition of American Gods, with many corrections to the author's preferred text version. [2]

In April 2017, Starz began airing a television adaptation of the novel. Bryan Fuller and Michael Green served as showrunners, [3] and Gaiman is an executive producer. [4] Fuller and Green departed the show after the first season. [5]

Plot summary

Shadow Moon is an ex-convict set to be released from prison. Just as he is released, he learns that his wife, Laura, has been killed in a car accident. Shadow is devastated by her death, and is distraught to learn that she died alongside his best friend Robbie, with whom she had been having an affair. As he was supposed to get a job from Robbie upon his release from prison, Shadow is out of luck and has to figure out what to do now. With nowhere to go, Shadow takes a job as a bodyguard for a mysterious con man, Mr. Wednesday, and travels with him across the United States. Shadow meets a leprechaun named Mad Sweeney, who gives Shadow a magical gold coin after Shadow beats him in a fight. Shadow later tosses the coin into Laura's grave at her funeral, inadvertently bringing her back from the dead as a revenant. Shadow meets Czernobog and the three Zorya Sisters. One of the sisters gives Shadow a silver coin, coming from the Moon, to protect him. Shadow learns that Wednesday is an incarnation of Odin the All-Father, and that he is recruiting American manifestations of the Old Gods, whose powers have waned as their believers have decreased in number, to participate in a battle against the New Gods – manifestations of what humanity now worships, such as technology, media, pop-culture, and modern means of transport. Shadow meets many of Wednesday's allies, including Mr. Nancy, Easter, Whiskey Jack, and John Chapman.

The New Gods henchmen, the Spooks, abduct Shadow; Laura rescues him, killing several Spooks in the process. Wednesday tells Shadow to hide with Mr. Ibis and Mr. Jacquel, who run a funeral parlor in Cairo, Illinois. Sweeney appears and asks Shadow to give back the coin, which holds all of Sweeney's power. Shadow admits that he no longer has the coin and Sweeney dies. His body is tended to by Ibis and Jacquel, who lament the loss of another Old God. On the way to the Wisconsin community of Lakeside, Shadow picks up the hitchhiker Samantha Black Crow and drops her off at her house. Once in Lakeside, Shadow hides under the alias "Mike Ainsel" and spends time with several Lakeside residents who all live simple but happy and prosperous lives. Wednesday periodically takes Shadow on jobs to meet other gods. They are pursued all the while by the Spooks, particularly Mr. Town, who blames Shadow for the death of his friends. When a teenager in Lakeside goes missing, Shadow helps the other residents search for her, to no avail. Shadow learns that children and teenagers often go missing from Lakeside. He is then arrested for breaking his parole, but escapes with help from Czernobog and Mr. Nancy.

The New Gods seek to parley with Wednesday, but murder him at the meeting. This act is witnessed by and galvanizes the Old Gods, and they rally to face their enemies in battle at Rock City. While retrieving Wednesday's body, Shadow is surprised to discover his old prison cellmate and mentor, Low Key Lyesmith, is working as a driver for the New Gods. Shadow is bound by his contract with Wednesday to hold his vigil by re-enacting Odin's time hanging from a "World Tree" while pierced by a spear for nine days. During these nine days, he is visited by Horus, who has become mad from living too long as a hawk. Shadow dies and visits the land of the dead, where he is judged by Anubis. Shadow learns that he is Wednesday's (Odin's) son, conceived as part of the deity's plans. During this time, Mr. Town arrives at the World Tree, ordered by Mr. World to cut a branch from it.

Horus finds Easter and convinces her to bring Shadow back to life. Shadow realizes Mr. World is actually Low Key (Loki) Lyesmith, and that Odin and Loki have been working a "two-man con". They orchestrated Shadow's birth, his meeting of Loki in disguise in prison, and Laura's death. Loki had arranged for Odin's murder, thus making the battle between the New and Old Gods a sacrifice to Odin, restoring Odin's power, while also allowing Loki to feed on the chaos of the battle.

Laura chooses to hitchhike to Rock City and meets Mr. Town, who does not realize who she is, and they agree to travel together. During their travels, Laura learns who Mr. Town is and, once they arrive at their destination, kills him and takes the branch he took from the World Tree. She meets with Loki and manages to stab him with the World Tree branch, which turns into a spear as she stabs.

Shadow arrives at Rock City and confronts Loki, now gravely wounded, and the ghost of Odin, who reveal their plans. Shadow travels to the site of the battle and explains that both sides have nothing to gain and everything to lose, with Odin and Loki as the only true winners. Shadow tells them the United States is a bad place for Gods, and he recommends they return to their original homelands. The gods depart, Loki dies, and Odin's ghost fades. Laura asks Shadow to take the coin from her, which he does, and she finally dies.

After resting with Mr. Nancy, Shadow remembers a dream where the Hindu god Ganesha told him to "look in the trunk". He returns to Lakeside and walks onto the thinning ice toward the car resting there. He picks the lock and opens the trunk to find the body of the missing teenager inside. He falls through the ice and, while trapped beneath, sees cars from past winters resting on the lake floor. Each one presumably has a child's body locked inside. Shadow is saved by Hinzelmann, who takes him to his house and treats him for hypothermia. Shadow realizes that Hinzelmann is a god and is also responsible for the children's kidnappings and deaths. Hinzelmann explains that he regretfully must take one child as a sacrifice each year in exchange for the town's prosperity. The townspeople are unaware of this and Hinzelmann's control of the town as he tries to sacrifice children that no one will greatly miss. Shadow thinks of killing Hinzelmann, but finds he cannot as Hinzelmann saved his life. However, Chad Mulligan overhears the conversation and shoots Hinzelmann, killing him. Shadow and Chad drive away, with Chad guilty to the point of suicide. Shadow concludes this is a fail-safe created by Hinzelmann so that whoever killed him would die soon after. Using magic, Shadow takes Chad's memory of overhearing Hinzelmann and the killing. He leaves Chad and Lakeside behind, understanding that the town's prosperity will likely wither away without Hinzelmann's protection.

In Iceland, Shadow meets another incarnation of Odin (created by the belief of the original settlers of Iceland), who is much closer than Wednesday to the Odin of mythology. Shadow accuses Odin of Wednesday's actions, but Odin retorts: "He was me, yes. But I am not him." He indicates that Wednesday was the part of him that went with his followers when they traveled to the new world and became corrupted as he was gradually forgotten. Shadow gives Wednesday's glass eye to Odin, which Odin places in a leather bag as a keepsake. Shadow performs a simple sleight-of-hand coin trick, which delights Odin, who asks for a repeat performance. Shadow then performs a small piece of real magic, pulling a golden coin from nowhere like Mad Sweeney did when they first met. He then flips the coin up into the air and walks away, wondering if the coin will ever come back down.

Characters

Mortals

Old Gods

New Gods

Influences

The novel's dedication reads "for absent friends – Kathy Acker and Roger Zelazny and all points in between." [9]

Gaiman has discussed the origin point for American Gods as a novel, citing his experience as an immigrant in America in 1992, where he began to form the vague idea of the book in his mind. Additionally, while experiencing a layover in an airport in Reykjavik in 1998, Gaiman states that he thought “I wonder if they brought their gods with them, when they went to America?” [10]

The Discworld novel Small Gods explores a similar origin of deities (thoughtform). While Gaiman says that he did not read the book by Terry Pratchett, he thought they shared a worldview due to their same geographic origins and, more importantly, their daily phone conversations. He had also sought advice from Pratchett on resolving plot elements of American Gods. [11]

According to Gaiman, American Gods is not based on Diana Wynne Jones's 1975 novel Eight Days of Luke , "although they bear an odd relationship, like second cousins once removed or something." When working on the structure of a story linking gods and days of the week, he realised that this idea had already been used in Eight Days of Luke. He abandoned the story, but later used the idea when writing American Gods to depict Wednesday and Shadow meeting on the god's namesake day. [12]

Of John James' 1966 novel Votan, Gaiman stated: "I think probably the best book ever done about the Norse was a book that I couldn't allow myself to read between coming up with the idea of American Gods and finishing it. After it was published, I actually sat down and allowed myself to read it for the first time in 15 years, and discovered it was just as good as I thought it was." [13]

In his introduction to Fritz Leiber's The Knight and Knave of Swords , Gaiman acknowledges Leiber's portrayal of Odin and Loki had "definitely smudged into" and informed his take on the characters. [14]

Writing and promotion

The fifteenth word of American Gods is "fuck", which is to help inform readers of a nervous disposition that they can stop reading there, or at least by the end of the extremely peculiar sex scene that closes Chapter 1.

Neil Gaiman,writing on Tumblr [15]

While Gaiman was writing American Gods, his publishers set up a promotional web site featuring a weblog in which Gaiman described the day-to-day process of writing, revising, publishing, and promoting the novel. [16] After the novel was published, the website evolved into a more general Official Neil Gaiman Web Site. As of 2021, Gaiman sporadically adds to the weblog, describing the writing, revising, publishing, or promoting of his current projects; but tends to use social media like Tumblr [17] or Twitter [18] for more personal details or reader questions.

On 28 February 2008, Gaiman announced on his journal that for one month the complete text of American Gods would be available to the public on his publisher's website. [19]

Reception

The book won the 2002 Hugo, Nebula, Locus, [1] SFX and Bram Stoker Awards, all for Best Novel, and likewise received nominations for the 2001 BSFA Award, [20] as well as the 2002 World Fantasy, [1] International Horror Guild and Mythopoeic, and British Fantasy [1] awards. It won the 2003 Geffen Award. According to Book Marks , based on American publications, the book received "positive" reviews based on nine critic reviews, with two being "rave" and four being "positive" and two being "mixed" and one being "pan". [21]

In May 2010, American Gods was selected in an online poll to be the first "One Book One Twitter" book. [22] In 2014, when the television show adaptation was announced, author Abraham Riesman criticized the move as being a "bad idea", highlighting the aspects of the book that did not age well or were offensive to some cultures. [23] Beyond this, academics have claimed the work has ontological and epistemic implications, [24] and, as part of the body of Gaiman's work, explored the appropriative style. [25]

Publishing history

The book was published in 2001 by Headline in the United Kingdom and by William Morrow in the United States.

A special tenth anniversary edition, which includes the "author's preferred text" and 12,000 additional words, was published in June 2011 by William Morrow. The tenth anniversary text is identical to the signed and numbered limited edition released in 2003 by Hill House Publishers, and to the edition from Headline, Gaiman's publisher in the UK since 2005. [2] The tenth anniversary edition marked the first time the author's preferred text had been available in wide release outside the UK. [26]

Two audio versions of the book were produced and published by Harper Audio: an unabridged version of the original published edition, read by George Guidall, was released in 2001. A full cast audiobook version of the tenth anniversary edition, including the author's preferred text and 12,000 additional words, was released in 2011.

A comic book series, American Gods: Shadows, was published by Dark Horse Comics starting in March 2017. [27] A book of the same name, collecting issues 1 through 9 of the comic book series, was published by Dark Horse Books in February 2018. [28]

In March 2017, The Folio Society published a special collector's edition of American Gods, with many corrections to the author's preferred text version. Gaiman described this edition as 'the cleanest text there has ever been' of the novel. [2]

In other media

Comics

Dark Horse Comics publishes a series of comic books based on the novel. [29] The comic books were co written by Gaiman and P. Craig Russell. With art by Russell and Scott Hampton, among others. [28]

Television

Starz developed a television series from the novel with Bryan Fuller and Michael Green. [30] The series debuted in April 2017. At the end of season 1, Fuller stepped down as showrunner and was replaced by Jesse Alexander. The two had previously worked together on Star Trek: Discovery and Hannibal . [31]

Music

The power metal band Blind Guardian wrote a song titled "Secrets of the American Gods" based on the novel, on their 2022 album The God Machine. [32]

Gaiman's next novel, Anansi Boys (2005), was conceived before American Gods and shares a character, Mr. Nancy (Anansi, the spider god of African legend).

In an interview with MTV News published on 22 June 2011, Gaiman said that he had plans for a direct sequel to American Gods. Gaiman had plans for a sequel even while writing the first book and has said that he is likely to focus on the New Gods in the sequel. [33]

In addition to the planned sequel, Gaiman has written two short story sequels featuring Shadow Moon. "The Monarch of the Glen", a novella first published in the 2003 anthology Legends II , takes place in Scotland two years after American Gods. The second short story, "Black Dog", was collected in Gaiman's 2015 Trigger Warning . It takes place a year later in Derbyshire's Peak District. [34] In the introduction for Trigger Warnings Gaiman said that he had one final standalone story that would take Shadow to London before he returns to the US and the start of American Gods 2.

Translations

Related Research Articles

<i>Grímnismál</i> Poem from the Poetic Edda

Grímnismál is one of the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda. It is preserved in the Codex Regius manuscript and the AM 748 I 4to fragment. It is spoken through the voice of Grímnir, one of the many guises of the god Odin. The very name suggests guise, or mask or hood. Through an error, King Geirröth tortured Odin-as-Grímnir, a fatal mistake, since Odin caused him to fall upon his own sword. The poem is written mostly in the ljóðaháttr metre, typical for wisdom verse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loki</span> Norse deity

Loki is a god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Nari and Váli. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir and the world serpent Jörmungandr. In the form of a mare, Loki was impregnated by the stallion Svaðilfari and gave birth to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Gaiman</span> English writer (born 1960)

Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic book series The Sandman and the novels Good Omens, Stardust, Anansi Boys, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book. He co-created the TV series adaptations of Good Omens and The Sandman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skaði</span> Norse goddess

In Norse mythology, Skaði is a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains. Skaði is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the Prose Edda and in Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the works of skalds.

<i>The Sandman: Season of Mists</i> American comic book miniseries

Season of Mists is a 1990–1991 American eight-part comic and the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics' The Sandman series. It collects issues #21–28. It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Matt Wagner, Dick Giordano, George Pratt, and P. Craig Russell; coloured by Steve Oliff and Daniel Vozzo; and lettered by Todd Klein.

Thor, the god of Norse mythology, has appeared as a character in various comics over the years, appearing in series from a range of publishers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thor</span> Hammer-wielding Germanic god associated with thunder

Thor is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, and fertility. Besides Old Norse Þórr, the deity occurs in Old English as Thunor, in Old Frisian as Thuner, in Old Saxon as Thunar, and in Old High German as Donar, all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Þun(a)raz, meaning 'Thunder'.

<i>Anansi Boys</i> Novel by Neil Gaiman

Anansi Boys is a fantasy novel by English writer Neil Gaiman. In the novel, "Mr. Nancy"—an incarnation of the West African trickster god Anansi—dies, leaving twin sons, who in turn discover one another's existence after being separated as young children. The novel follows their adventures as they explore their common heritage. Although it is not a sequel to Gaiman's previous novel American Gods, the character of Mr. Nancy appears in both books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela (character)</span> Image Comics and Marvel superhero

Angela is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Image Comics and Marvel Comics. Created by author Neil Gaiman and artist Todd McFarlane, the character first appeared in Spawn #9, in McFarlane's creator-owned series Spawn, and later starring in her own self-titled miniseries. She is an angel and a bounty hunter, working under the auspices of Heaven to oppose Spawn.

The Norse mythology, preserved ancient Icelandic texts such as the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and other lays and sagas, was little known outside Scandinavia until the 19th century. With the widespread publication of Norse myths and legends at this time, references to the Norse gods and heroes spread into European literary culture, especially in Scandinavia, Germany, and Britain. In the later 20th century, references to Norse mythology became common in science fiction and fantasy literature, role-playing games, and eventually other cultural products such as Japanese animation. Storytelling was an important aspect of Norse mythology and centuries later, with the rediscovery of the myth, Norse mythology once again relies on the impacts of storytelling to spread its agenda.

<i>Eight Days of Luke</i> Book by Diana Wynne Jones

Eight Days of Luke is a children's fantasy novel written by Diana Wynne Jones published in 1975. It tells the tale of a neglected English boy who encounters what prove to be figures from Norse mythology.

<i>Odd and the Frost Giants</i> Novel by Neil Gaiman

Odd and the Frost Giants (2008) is a World Book Day book by Neil Gaiman. It draws on Norse mythology and also the historical Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thor (Marvel Comics)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Thor Odinson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, based on the Norse Mythology god, Thor (Þór). Created by artist Jack Kirby, writer Stan Lee, and scripter Larry Lieber, the character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962) and first received his own title with Thor #126 (1966). Thor is an adaptation of the deity of the same name from Norse mythology, and many aspects of Thor's character are based on his mythological counterpart. Comic books featuring Thor have been published across several volumes since the character's introduction.

<i>American Gods</i> (TV series) American television series

American Gods is an American fantasy drama television series based on Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel of the same name and developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for the premium cable network Starz. Produced by Fremantle North America and distributed by Lionsgate Television, the first season premiered on April 30, 2017. Fuller and Green served as the showrunners for the first season and were replaced by Jesse Alexander for the second season. Charles H. Eglee served as showrunner for the third season. Gaiman served as an executive producer.

<i>Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard</i> Novel series by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is a trilogy of fantasy novels based on Norse mythology written by American author Rick Riordan and published by Disney-Hyperion. It is set in the same universe as the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles and The Kane Chronicles series. The first book, The Sword of Summer, was released on October 6, 2015. The second book, The Hammer of Thor, was released on October 4, 2016. The Ship of the Dead, the third book, was released on October 3, 2017.

Christopher Obi Ogugua is an English actor and filmmaker who trained at Drama Centre London and graduated in 2001. He has done a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company where he was directed by Sir Antony Sher in the four-hander, Breakfast with Mugabe and a season at the Globe Theatre in 2007. He is best known for playing Mr. Jacquel/Anubis on American Gods and Klingon captain T’Kuvma in Star Trek: Discovery. Other television roles include Trial & Retribution, Doctor Who, Roots, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, and Strike Back Revolution.

<i>Norse Mythology</i> (book) 2017 book by Neil Gaiman

Norse Mythology is a 2017 book by Neil Gaiman, which retells several stories from Norse mythology. In the introduction, Gaiman describes where his fondness for the source material comes from. The book received positive reviews from critics.

<i>American Gods</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of American Gods, based on Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name, was broadcast on Starz between April 30, 2017, and June 18, 2017, and consisted of eight episodes. Bryan Fuller and Michael Green adapted the first season, serving as showrunners, and production began in March 2016 after the series was officially greenlit in March 2015. The season stars Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, Crispin Glover, Bruce Langley, Yetide Badaki, Pablo Schreiber and Ian McShane.

<i>American Gods</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of American Gods, based on Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name, was broadcast on Starz between March 10 and April 28, 2019, and consisted of eight episodes. Jesse Alexander adapted the second season, serving as the sole showrunner after Bryan Fuller and Michael Green departed the series, and production began in April 2018 after the season was officially greenlit in May 2017. The season stars Ricky Whittle, Emily Browning, Crispin Glover, Yetide Badaki, Bruce Langley, Pablo Schreiber and Ian McShane, who all return from the previous season, as well as Orlando Jones, Mousa Kraish, Omid Abtahi and Demore Barnes, who were promoted to series regular status for the second season.

<i>American Gods</i> season 3 Season of television series

The third and final season of American Gods, based on Neil Gaiman's novel of the same name, was broadcast on Starz between January 10 and March 21, 2021, and consisted of ten episodes. Charles H. Eglee adapted the third season, serving as the showrunner after the departure of second-season showrunner Jesse Alexander and original series creators Bryan Fuller and Michael Green after the first season. The season was officially greenlit in March 2019 and production began in October 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "2002 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "American Gods: Is Nothing Sacred?". NeilGaiman.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved on 13 June 2009.
  3. Shepherd, Jack (20 March 2017). "Neil Gaiman gives verdict on American Gods TV series". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  4. Croll, Ben (12 June 2017). "Even Neil Gaiman Was Surprised by the Reaction to 'American Gods'". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  5. Patten, Dominic; Andreeva, Nellie (29 November 2017). "'American Gods': Michael Green & Bryan Fuller Exit As Showrunners of Starz Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  6. Gaiman, Neil (2020). "Appendix A". In Klinger, Leslie S. (ed.). The Annotated American Gods. William Morrow. p. 611. ISBN   9780062896261.
  7. Gaiman, Neil (22 October 2007). "Neil Gaiman's Journal: The Flowers of Romance". journal.neilgaiman.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023. As for withholding information... before the Internet, I'd tell anyone anything they wanted to know. ('Who's the missing member of the Endless?' 'Destruction.' 'Oh.') After the Internet, I would try and avoid answering some direct questions because it might spoil things for people. 'Why did Delight become Delirium?' 'Who's the Forgotten God?' -- they're questions I would happily have answered for anyone who asked at a signing 20 years ago, because it wouldn't have gone any further, not in any way that mattered. Not any longer, because one day I may tell those stories. (If I knew for sure I wouldn't tell them, then I'd happily answer people now.)
  8. Gaiman, Neil. "FAQs | Books, Short Stories, and Films". neilgaiman.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  9. Dornemann, Rudi; Kelly Everding (Summer 2001). "Dreaming American Gods: an Interview With Neil Gaiman". Rain Taxi Online Edition. Rain Taxi, Inc. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  10. Gaiman, Neil (2 September 2011). "Week three: Neil Gaiman on writing American Gods". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  11. "Neil Gaiman Responds". Slashdot . 3 November 2003. Archived from the original on 19 February 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  12. Gaiman, Neil (25 September 2001). "Neil Gaiman – September 2001". Neil Gaiman's Journal. Archived from the original on 10 December 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2007.
  13. "Interview with Neil Gaiman". Shadow Writer. 2005. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  14. Gaiman, Neil The Knight and Knave of Swords: The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser ASIN: B001EBHEMG
  15. Gaiman, Neil. "Mr Gaiman, why do you mention breasts so much in" . Retrieved 23 October 2021 via Tumblr.
  16. Neil. "American Gods Blog, Post 2" . Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  17. "Home". neil-gaiman.tumblr.com.
  18. " @neilhimself " on Twitter
  19. Gaiman, Neil (28 February 2008). "Kids! Free! Book!". Neil Gaiman's Journal. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
  20. "2001 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  21. "American Gods". Book Marks . Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  22. Flood, Alison (4 May 2010). "'One Book, One Twitter' launches worldwide book club with Neil Gaiman". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  23. Riesman, Abraham. "Why Adapting Neil Gaiman's American Gods for TV Is a Bad Idea". Vulture. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  24. Blomqvist, Rut (2012). "'The Road of Our Senses: Search for Personal Meaning and the Limitations of Myth in Neil Gaiman's American Gods'". Mythlore. 30 (3/4 (117/118)): 5–26. JSTOR   26815498 . Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  25. Smith, Clay. "Get Gaiman?: PolyMorpheus Perversity in Works by and about Neil Gaiman". ImageTxt: interdisciplinary Comics Studies.
  26. Gaiman, Neil (5 May 2011). "Neil Gaiman's Journal – May 2011". Neil Gaiman's Journal. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  27. Sava, Oliver (23 January 2017). "Neil Gaiman's American Gods comes to comics in this exclusive preview". A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  28. 1 2 "American Gods Volume 1: Shadows HC". Dark Horse Comics. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  29. Nieves, Davey (23 January 2017). "INTERVIEW: P. Craig Russell on bringing American Gods from the page to the panel". The Beat. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  30. Goldberg, Lesley (1 July 2014). "Starz, Bryan Fuller Board Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  31. Petski, Denise (2 February 2018). "'American Gods' Hires New Showrunner For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  32. "Blind Guardian Studio Report 3". Mark Miranovic. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  33. Marshall, Rick (22 June 2011). "Neil Gaiman Reflects On 'American Gods,' 10 Years Later". MTV News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  34. Flood, Allison (1 September 2014). "Neil Gaiman brings American Gods back to life". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.