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<p>&#8220;American Gods&#8221; is considered by many to be one of the best fantasy novels of our generation. Written by Neil Gaiman, this sprawling epic tale pits the old gods of mythology (think Loki, Bast and Anansi) against the new American gods (divine incarnations of the internet, media and money). Over generations, immigrants brought their old world gods to America and those deities exist because people believe in them. However, as the values in America start to shift, the new gods emerge.</p><p>The gods gear up for war, with a mortal man, Shadow Moon, who is caught in the middle. Shadow is an ex-con, recently released from prison whose wife, Laura, dies in a car accident before he gets to see her again. Left with no one, he accepts a job offer from a conman named Mr. Wednesday and travels around the country visiting with strange friends.</p><p>Shadow comes to learn that Mr. Wednesday is actually an incarnation of the Norse god, Odin and all the people he is visiting are other old gods from various pantheons (Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian, Hindi, Egyptian) in an attempt to recruit them into his army.</p><p>It&#8217;s a massive, complicated book with many subplots involving the various gods. I&#8217;ve read all of Gaiman&#8217;s novels and it&#8217;s my least favorite. It&#8217;s been years since I read it so perhaps a reread is in order but I felt like there was too much going on and Shadow, a taciturn character at best, was not compelling enough for me to invest in.</p><p>However, since the publication of American Gods, Gaiman has returned to Shadow&#8217;s character twice in novellas that appear in his short story collections &#8220;Fragile Things&#8221; and &#8220;Trigger Warning.&#8221; Both collections are worth reading for any Gaiman fan, or anyone looking for an introduction into the dark, weird, funny world of Neil Gaiman.</p><p>The American Gods short stories are a highlight of the books, which I found surprising given the memories I have of the original novel.</p><p>The novella &#8220;Monarch of the Glen,&#8221; the final story in &#8220;Fragile Things,&#8221; finds Shadow in Scotland where a doctor talks him into taking a job as a security guard for a party thrown by powerful and wealthy people. Shadow accepts, but once at the estate, is haunted by strange dreams and is perplexed by the presence of a professional security team. What exactly is he there for?</p><p>Without revealing too much, Shadow again steps into the role of a hero and like American gods, mythology comes to life in an age old conflict of hero versus monster (think Beowulf and Grender).</p><p>Shadow falls into numerous mythological and supernatural situations. In the second short story, Black Dog, found in the collection &#8220;Trigger Warning,&#8221; Shadow is in England where he is taken in by a couple named Oliver and Moira. Oliver believes he is haunted by a giant black dog. Meanwhile, Shadow himself is haunted by cats and a woman named Cassie.</p><p>Black Dog still weaves in elements of &#8220;American Gods&#8221; where deities exist in the world today, but this was more of a ghost story than Monarch of the Glen. It also showcased Gaiman&#8217;s dark, twisty writing.</p><p>Reading the Shadow novellas has made me want to reread &#8220;American Gods,&#8221; mostly because I remember very little of the original novel. Gaiman is about to be introduced to a new audience as the book is being adapted into a TV series that will debut in late 2016, so it&#8217;s a good time to pick it up.</p><p>While the short stories can be read by anyone, they are a real treat for &#8220;American Gods&#8221; fans. They also serve as a taste for what the novel is about. The short story collections are worth reading. Filled with Gaiman&#8217;s poems and stories, they are weird and wonderful.</p><p>Gaiman is an endlessly inventive author who offers unique takes on fantasy and horror, devises unsettling plots and fascinating characters. &#8220;Trigger Warning&#8221; in particular contains some of his best short pieces, including a story about an aging Sherlock Holmes and one about Doctor Who. &#8220;Fragile Things&#8221; features one of the most disturbing pieces of literature I&#8217;ve ever read: The Problem of Susan, a sequel of sorts to the Narnia books.</p><p>If you&#8217;ve never read anything by Gaiman, pick up one of the books and immerse yourself in the mind of one of the most gifted and imaginative storytellers in recent history.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dorothy Sasso</p><p>On the Books</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>&#8220;Fragile Things&#8221;/&#8221;Trigger Warning&#8221;</p><p>Author: Neil Gaiman</p><p>Page Count: 363/352</p><p>Publisher: Harper/William Morrow</p><p>Rating: &#9830;&#9830;&#9830; / &#9830;&#9830;&#9830;&#9830;</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Dorothy Sasso is a former Soap Opera Digest writer and a private school teacher. She is busy reading books and raising her daughter.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

On the Books: Enter Gaiman’s world of fantasy