Happy birthday to one of my favorite writers of all time—Neil Gaiman. I first discovered him with The Sandman comics. Death was my role model, Morpheus was my crush. Those books taught me how to be a person.
I got to hear him speak in person back in 2018. It’s impossible to pick a favorite Gaiman book, but Stardust, Coraline, American Gods and all The Sandman graphic novels would be on that list. Short post, because I’m going to celebrate Neil’s special day with him—maybe The Graveyard Boys. What are your favorite Gaiman books? Here’s a list in case you need refreshing.
It’s also Jack Ketchum’s birthday but that makes me sad. Jack/Dallas passed away in 2018. I was lucky to have gotten to meet him a few times. He was one of the first to welcome me into the horror community as I bummed cigarettes off him and we talked about cats. He was impossible not to like, even if I could never finish The Girl Next Door. No fault of the writing, the subject matter is one I avoid. RIP Jack…
And speaking of passing away, Neil Gaiman is currently on a mission to prompt writers to make sure they have wills. It’s a morbid topic to be sure, but when has that ever stopped me? You can read Neil’s take on the importance of wills for writers, and download a sample will here.
And in case you haven’t seen the new Sandman trailer… you’re welcome.