American Gods
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chaos
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Drinsic
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khalid
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I'm listening to the audiobook of American Gods (the one narrated by George Guidall), and I love the voicework in it. I just saw that there is a 10th anniversary audiobook that has a full voice cast, but imo if you want to listen to it, go with the George Guidall narrated one.
Both Shadow and Wednesday seem to have absolutely perfect casting. Everytime Wednesday says a line in the book now, I keep thinking how Ian Mcshane fits it perfectly.
Both Shadow and Wednesday seem to have absolutely perfect casting. Everytime Wednesday says a line in the book now, I keep thinking how Ian Mcshane fits it perfectly.
Cantatus
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Basically, they were never satisfied with the script:
This was before Bryan Fuller got involved though.
Azrayne
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I don't think it's boring, but I definitely didn't find it to be the amazing piece of mind blowing literature people sometimes portray it as. I think Gaiman in general is somewhat overrated - he creates these brilliant concepts/settings, but really sucks at creating relateable protagonists through which to explore them, so the whole thing kind of falls flat to varying degrees.
American Gods suffers particularly badly from this, with Shadow having no real backstory, no real emotions, he just feels like a blank slate who exists for the sole purpose of witnessing the stuff happening around him, and as a result it's really hard to emotionally connect to the story.
I think in a lot of ways a TV adaption could improve on this, especially if the writers can expand on the source material and turn Shadow into a real person, and the actor can convey whatever they come up with convincingly. It's (debatably) happened before with the Stardust movie, so...
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Rezz
Mr. Poopybutthole
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I think the blank slate deal, especially when told from a perspective like the book, worked pretty well. You knew right away that Shadow was a guy who wasn't afraid of violence but didn't exactly like inflicting it. He was trusting but not stupid. He loved his wife but knew she would probably get laid while he was in the can. The first chapter of the book painted a pretty clear picture of the guy, it just so happens that he was "blank" (ie, the "straight man") compared to all the strange shit that happened to him.
I'm not sure I'd say Gaiman is overrated, especially after Sandman and American Gods, but I do think he has been over-exposed. He's got a specific style and the media for a time kept trying to paint him as this universally amazing writer. Guy's got his niche.
I'm not sure I'd say Gaiman is overrated, especially after Sandman and American Gods, but I do think he has been over-exposed. He's got a specific style and the media for a time kept trying to paint him as this universally amazing writer. Guy's got his niche.
khorum
Murder Apologist
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I actually enjoy Gaiman's "Americana" novels---the stuff along the lines of American Gods and Anansi Boys---more than his Sandman and Neverwhere/Terry Pratchett projects.
I think that's actually a polarizing point, there are a lot of Gaiman fans who loved Sandman but couldn't stand his American novels.
I think that's actually a polarizing point, there are a lot of Gaiman fans who loved Sandman but couldn't stand his American novels.