Trigger Warning

Starred review from February 23, 2015
Gaiman (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) again delivers masterful compositions and style in his third collection. His decision to include poetry is vindicated by the concrete images in "Making a Chair" and the mournful tones of "Witch Work." Among the prose pieces are two works of stark horror: " 'The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains...' " and "My Last Landlady." The experimental "ORANGE" and the collected internet project "A Calendar of Tales" represent the rewards of Gaiman's fearlessness in storytelling. He also includes shared-world tales, revisiting Sherlock Holmes in "The Case of Death and Honey" and Doctor Who in "Nothing O'Clock." In "Kether to Malkuth" Gaiman creates a new mythology with the flavor of science fiction, while "The Sleeper and the Spindle" is a delightful fusion fairytale that subverts tropes and creates a new sense of wonder. Both enthusiasts of short fiction and fans of Gaiman's longer works may approach this volume with confidence. Full of small and perfect jewel-like tales, this collection is a thrilling treasure. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House.

September 1, 2014

I don't have to introduce Gaiman as the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy Award- and Newbery Medal-winning author of numerous spectacular examples of speculative fiction, do I? He's back with a third collection of short pieces, including a Dr. Who story written for the 50th anniversary of the series in 2013 and a brand-new story exclusive to this anthology. With a 150,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
The third collection of short fiction from a beloved modern mythmaker. Everything that endears Gaiman (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, 2014, etc.) to his legions of fans is on display in this collection of short stories (and the occasional poem): his gift for reimagining ancient tales, his willingness to get down into the dark places, his humor. Most of these stories have been published elsewhere, except for the new American Gods story "Black Dog" (which does not disappoint), but the collection as a whole does add up to something bigger than it seems (only partly because there's a TARDIS in it). Even the weakest of these tales have something to recommend them-an image, a turn of phrase, a mood. And the strongest are truly extraordinary. There's the grim implacability of "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains...," walking steadily on to its inevitable yet unexpected ending; there's the absurd Wodehouse-an charm of "And Weep, Like Alexander"; the haunting power of "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury"; and the skin-crawling, slow-building creepiness of the love letter "Feminine Endings." Sherlock Holmes is here, explaining the real reason he started keeping bees, and Sleeping Beauty, twice, and our old friend Shadow, and even David Bowie, in a way. Full of all manner of witches and monsters and things that creep in the night, this collection will thoroughly satisfy faithful fans and win new ones-if there's anyone out there left unconverted.

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March 1, 2015
Gaiman here breaks his own rule of anthology structure. The 24 entries are a willy-nilly hodgepodge of contemporary horror, classic fantasy, poetry, and general imaginative musings sketched out by one of our time's most celebrated fantasy authors. For this, Gaiman asks the reader's indulgence and forgiveness in his equally meandering and captivating introduction (including perhaps one of the best and shortest of his stories). This collection will surely be absolved and thoroughly indulged in, as all but one of the included stories are previously published favorites that chill and enchant with worlds of meaning, serendipity, and intent. Black Dog is the lengthy newcomer here, taken from a director's cut of Gaiman's novel American Gods. The story caps off Gaiman's folktale-fed narratives by following a mysterious traveler through an English countryside still quietly ruled by the spirits of old religion. Those who want to greet and shake hands, or settle in for a conversational catch-up with Gaiman's delightfully dramatic minstrel's-tale-by-the-campfire style will love everything in Trigger Warning, naturally.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)