American Gods is Neil Gaiman's fourth prose novel, preceded by Good Omens (co-authored with Terry Pratchett, 1990), The Backyard (1996) and Stardust (1998). Some of the themes touched upon in the novel were previously raised in the graphic novels of the Sandman series.
American Gods mixes elements of American culture, fantasy and various interweaving of ancient and modern mythology, centered on the image of a mysterious and silent protagonist named Shadow (Shadow). In the novel, a significant role is played by mythological characters: Odin, Loki, Chernobog (and the sisters of Dawn / Dawn), norns, Anansi, the White Goddess, identified with Ishtar and Eoster, Kali, Thoth, Anubis, Horus and Bastet. In addition, characters from the myths of the real world participate in the events of the book, including several characters from the comics "The Sandman". Published in 2001, in 2002 the book won the Hugo Prize for Best Novel, the Nebula Prize for Best Novel and the Bram Stoker Prize. Also in 2002, the novel was nominated for an award from the British Science Fiction Association.
While Gaiman was writing American Gods, publishers created an online diary advertising website in which the author covered the process of writing (as well as editing, publishing, and advertising) the novel on a daily basis. Following the novel's release, the website became part of Neil Gaiman's larger official website, where he continues to regularly journal about his work.
In Gaiman's novel The Children of Anansi, one of the characters in the American Gods, Mr. Nancy, takes over. This is not a sequel, but a part of the same fantastic world. In Lord of the Mountain Valley (from the Legends II anthology) and Black Dog (from Beware, Triggers), the Shadow's adventures continue, and the ground for a future sequel to American Gods is also being formed.
In 2005, the novel The Children of Anansi was released, which takes place in the world of American Gods.
In an interview with MTV News on June 22, 2011, Neil Gaiman said he has plans for a direct sequel to American Gods. Gaiman conceived a sequel while working on the original novel. The sequel is likely to focus on the "new gods."
In addition, Gaiman wrote two short stories about Shadow, the protagonist of American Gods. The Lord of the Mountain Valley was included in the 2006 Fragile Things collection. The story develops in Scotland, two years after the events of the novel. The second story, Black Dog, was written for the 2016 Beware of Triggers collection. The plot of "Black Dog" takes place a year later, in Derbyshire.
You can find "American Gods" at Barnes & Noble.
This article was sponsored by Nathan Newell.
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