World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman

ニール・ゲイマン

Neil Gaiman

Pen Names: Gerry Musgrave（Used as a pseudonym in journalism in the 1980s）, Richard Grey（Pseudonym used for some articles）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-11-10 （Portchester, Hampshire, England）
Nationality
British, English
Languages
English
Religion
Of Polish-Jewish and other Ashkenazi descent; family has connections to Scientology. Gaiman has said he is not a Scientologist.
Residence History
East Grinstead, West Sussex, England → Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA → Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA → New Zealand (moved in 2020) → Isle of Skye (holiday home)

Career

Occupations
Author, comic book writer, screenwriter, voice actor, blogger
Active Years
1984-2025
Affiliations
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (board member)
Memberships
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Influenced By
Roger Zelazny, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Alan Moore, Ursula K. Le Guin
Influenced
Numerous contemporary fantasy and comic authors, Writers in graphic novels and children's/YA fantasy

Education

Fonthill School
Period: 幼年期
Country: England
Attended primary education; school changes due to family circumstances
Ardingly College
Period: 1970–1974
Year of Graduation: 1974
Country: England
Boarding school education
Whitgift School
Period: 1974–1977
Year of Graduation: 1977
Country: England
Completed secondary education

Awards

Shirley Jackson Award
2011
Work: Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains
Category: ノヴェレット
Organization: The Shirley Jackson Awards
Result: 受賞
Locus Award
2011
Work: Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains
Category: 短編/ノヴェレット
Organization: Locus Magazine
Result: 受賞
Newbery Medal
2009
Work: The Graveyard Book
Category: 児童文学
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children (ALA)
Result: 受賞
Carnegie Medal
2010
Work: The Graveyard Book
Category: 児童文学
Organization: Carnegie Medal (CILIP)
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award
2002
Work: American Gods
Category: 長編小説
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: 受賞
Nebula Award
2003
Work: American Gods
Category: 長編小説
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
Hugo Award (Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form)
2020
Work: Good Omens (TV series)
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains

2010 Short fiction (novelette)

A short story inspired by Scottish folk tradition and Isle of Skye legends; it follows characters drawn to a cave and treasure, exploring pride, betrayal and the nature of truth.

folk taletruth and desireatonement
Translations
  • Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains (Japanese translation title)

The Sandman

1989 Comics / Graphic novel series

An influential comic series centered on Dream (Morpheus) and his realm, combining myth, literature and fantasy across multiple volumes and story arcs.

dreams vs. realitymythic reinterpretationidentity
Adaptations
  • [TV series] The Sandman / Various directors (2022)
Translations
  • The Sandman

Good Omens

1990 Comic fantasy

A comic novel co-written with Terry Pratchett about the approaching apocalypse, told with humor from the viewpoints of an angel and a demon.

ambiguity of good and evilsatire and humor
Adaptations
  • [TV series] Good Omens / Various directors (2019)
Translations
  • Good Omens

Stardust

1999 Fantasy

A fairy-tale influenced fantasy novel with Victorian aesthetics, following a young man's quest for a fallen star.

love and adventurecoming-of-agefairy-tale elements
Adaptations
  • [Film] Stardust / Matthew Vaughn (2007)
Translations
  • Stardust

American Gods

2001 Fantasy / contemporary mythology

An expansive novel where old and new gods, shaped by immigrants' beliefs, clash in contemporary America.

immigration and beliefcultural heritageidentity
Adaptations
  • [TV series] American Gods / Various directors (2017)
Translations
  • American Gods

Coraline

2002 Children's dark fantasy

A dark fairy tale about a girl, Coraline, who discovers a sinister alternate world and must rescue herself and her family.

boundary between childhood and adulthoodthe uncannycourage
Adaptations
  • [Film (stop-motion)] Coraline / Henry Selick (2009)
Translations
  • Coraline

The Graveyard Book

2008 Young adult / children's literature

A coming-of-age story about a boy raised by the dead in a graveyard after his family is murdered; themes include learning, friendship and sacrifice.

coming-of-agefriendshipsacrifice
Adaptations
  • [Film (development)] The Graveyard Book (film project) / 報道ではRon Howardが関与の可能性
Translations
  • The Graveyard Book

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

2013 Fantasy fiction

A man returns to his hometown for a funeral and recalls events from forty years earlier; themes include identity and the disconnect between childhood and adulthood.

memory and identityloss of childhood
Adaptations
  • [Stage play (Royal National Theatre)] The Ocean at the End of the Lane (stage adaptation) / 複数
Translations
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Japanese title)

Norse Mythology

2017 Myth retelling

A collection of retellings of Norse myths presented in a modern, accessible voice.

mythic reinterpretationheroic tales
Translations
  • Norse Mythology

Bibliography

  • Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett) / Stardust / American Gods / Coraline / The Graveyard Book / The Ocean at the End of the Lane / many others

Adaptations

  • Stardust (film, 2007)
  • Coraline (film, 2009)
  • Good Omens (TV series, 2019)
  • The Sandman (TV series, 2022)

Translations by Author

  • English localization/script of Princess Mononoke (localization work)

Translations of Works

  • American Gods (Japanese translation)
  • Coraline (Japanese translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
myth- and folk-inspired allegorical storytellingpoetic yet conversational metaphorsinterweaving humor and irony
Recurring Motifs
death and rebirthboundary between dream and realityreferences to myth and folklore

Legacy

A writer with significant international influence across comics and prose. He has won major awards in children's literature, novels and graphic novels, and many works have been translated and adapted. In recent years multiple allegations of sexual assault and related lawsuits have been reported and have affected some adaptations and professional relationships.

Academic Societies

  • Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame

In Popular Culture

  • Appeared as himself on The Simpsons
  • Frequent panels and readings at comic-cons and literary festivals

Quotes

  • "If you can make yourself aged seven happy, you're really doing well."
    Source: Interview / acceptance remarks (2010)
  • "With comics I felt like I could do stuff nobody had ever done."
    Source: Interview (1996)

Trivia

  • First author to win both the Newbery and Carnegie Medals for the same work (The Graveyard Book).
  • Sang in a punk band in his youth.
  • His works have been widely translated and adapted across film, stage and television since the 2000s.
  • From 2024, multiple women publicly accused Gaiman of sexual assault and related lawsuits were filed; some adaptations and contracts were paused or altered. Gaiman denies the allegations.