Neil Gaiman's masterpiece The Sandman is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time. The series blends modern and ancient mythology, interweaving contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend. This excellent 90's comic series was made into a TV show currently streaming on Netflix.
If you binged the show and need more Neil Gaiman content, check out the items listed below for dark, funny and thoughtful stories—including Sandman spin-offs, stories set in the Sandman universe and other books written by Gaiman.
Some of the spin-offs and stories set in the Sandman universe contain spoilers for The Sandman. If you don’t want to know what happens in The Sandman yet, we suggest you scroll down to see Gaiman's books unrelated to the series.
The Sandman and Related Reads
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes (30th Anniversary Edition) – Ninety-nine percent of the time the book is better than the show. The Sandman Netflix show covers the story told in the first two Sandman volumes: volume one, Preludes & Nocturnes, and volume two, The Doll's House. Both volumes are available on hoopla and in print at the library.
The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country – Can’t wait to find out what happens to Morpheus and The Dreaming? We’ve got the whole graphic novel series on hoopla and in print format at the library—start at the beginning or pick up where the Netflix show left off with volume three, Dream Country. Also available in print at the library.
Death: The Deluxe Edition – Death, Morpheus’ sister and a fan favorite, has two spin-off series written by Gaiman. The first series, Death and The High Cost of Living, follows Death on her once-a-century experience taking on a human form. In the second series, Death: The Time of Your Life, a famous rockstar ventures into Death’s realm. This deluxe edition graphic novel collects Death’s series into one book.
The Dreaming Vol. 1: Pathways and Emanations – The Dreaming is a series set in the same dimension of the DC universe as The Sandman. The stories occur primarily within Dream's realm and focuses on characters who played minor roles in The Sandman while also introducing new characters. Also available in print at the library.
The Sandman: Overture – Nearly 25 years after the first issue of The Sandman was published, Gaiman brought the series back. Overture is a prequel, taking place before the original Sandman series, and features cameo appearances by fan-favorite characters such as the Corinthian, Merv Pumpkinhead and, of course, the Dream King's siblings: Death, Desire, Despair, Delirium, Destruction and Destiny. Available on hoopla and in print at the library.
Lucifer: Book One – This Sandman spin-off series follows Lucifer Morningstar after he resigns his post and abandons his kingdom for the mortal city of Los Angeles. This series served as the inspiration for the FOX/Netflix TV show Lucifer.
Non-Sandman (But Still Good) Books by Neil Gaiman
Good Omens – Good Omens is a classic collaboration from Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett that also got the TV show treatment. The first season starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant is currently available on Amazon Prime, with season two expected to drop soon. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to the Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist. The book is available on Libby and hoopla as well as in print at the library.
Stardust – In this Gaiman novel, young Tristan Thorn falls in love with the town beauty and goes on an incredible coming-of-age journey in order to capture her heart. Living in the small countryside town of Wall, one night Tristan vows to retrieve a fallen star that he witnessed crashing down from the heavens. He embarks on a quest for this prize, but has little idea what he’s getting into. Available on hoopla and in print at the library.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane – This Gaiman novel tells a story as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy. Available on Libby and in print at the library.
American Gods – Another Gaiman work adapted for television, American Gods was also turned into a three volume graphic novel series. Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved. But just days before his release, both Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. Life as Wednesday's bodyguard, driver and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined. You can find the print book, print graphic novels, and DVDs of the TV show at the library. The audiobook, e-book, and downloadable graphic novels are all available on Libby or hoopla.
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