Neil's Work > Books > American Gods

Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming -- a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.

One of the most talked-about books of the new millennium, American Gods is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an American landscape at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece.

• Hugo Award for Best SF/Fantasy Novel
• Bram Stoker Award for Best Horror Novel
• Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
• Nebula Award for Best Novel

Critical Praise

"Mystery, satire, sex, horror, poetic prose – American Gods uses all these to keep the reader turning the pages."  --Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

"A fascinating tale . . . by turns thoughtful, hilarious, disturbing, uplifting, horrifying and enjoyable -- and sometimes all at once, in a curious sort of way. Those who are familiar with Gaiman’s earlier work will find a satisfying yarn by a familiar master storyteller. Those who are meeting him for the first time may be surprised at just how good he is." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Saying Neil Gaiman is a writer is like saying Da Vinci dabbled in the arts." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

"A crackerjack suspense yarn . . . juicily original . . . Wagnerian noir." --Salon.com

"American Gods is sexy, thrilling, dark, funny and poetic." --Teller, of Penn & Teller

"Here we have . . . a real emotional richness and grandeur that emerge from masterful storytelling." --Peter Straub

"Neil Gaiman, a writer of rare perception and endless imagination . . . is . . . an American treasure." --William Gibson