Okay so I don't mean to rub it in honest but wow – is Neil Gaiman awesomeness or what! I've been reading Neil for nearly 20 years and I'm yet to come across a writer/artist so diverse and so in love with the act of creating and writing. I had the pleasure of seeing him discuss American Gods on the weekend for it's 10th Anniversary hosted by The Guardian. It's an amazing book – so many people either love it or hate it and rarely feel much in between. I'm the former.
It's an interesting way to look at the commercialism and racism eating America and the loss of a persons ethnicity. Where the American gods do battle for power in the Americas with the old traditional gods of homelands left behind. For someone who is fascinated with Mythology, Religions and Sociology like I am it was a gem of a read. I'm not a lover of America as most of my friends know but Neil manages to awaken all those things I do like about it, the strangeness of the country and peoples, the large expanse and beauty of the landscapes. The alienness.
The Discussion wasn't long enough by half but it managed to be a good balance between directed question from The Guardians John Mullan and audience questions. I was excited to hear that HBO and Neil have just concluded the final papers and will moving on with the miniseries. It's to be produced by Tom Hanks company Playtone and I think directed by cinematographer Robert Richardson (don't quote me, I can't quite remember I suck at names, but I'll endeavour to double check). I am somewhat excited now all papers are signed and finalised and things are about to start moving, however I'm also scared shitless. While the success of G R R Martins A Game of Thrones could indicate a sensitivity to the spirit of the book – the history of dumbing down books to the American market is still ringing strong in my ears. Cough cough Philip Pullmans' religious elements of The Golden Compass, cough cough.
This book could be a brilliant miniseries, complex but brilliant, however there is so much that could be left on the way side just so as not to offend the American market. Ethnicity and Religions are elements of the book that cannot CANNOT be fiddled with to make people feel more comfortable, they are integral to the book and what it is. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed that Neil has a good hand of control and the producers a sensitivity that is needed to make this great. I'm thinking Neil has his fingers crossed just as tight.
Now I've been to one discussion I will be making sure that I never again miss one of his talks at the Book Festival again. I would have loved to have gone to his discussion on Fantasy and Sci fi – but man those tickets went way fast – Next time for sure. I even popped a fist full of pills so I could endure the 2 hour wait in line for an signed copy of American Gods. I'm suffering for this weekend but it was well worth it.
