In the deft hands of Neil Gaiman, magic is no mere illusion ... and anything is possible. In this, Gaiman's first book of short stories, his imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders -- a place where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks. Explore a new reality -- obscured by smoke and darkness, yet brilliantly tangible -- in this extraordinary collection of short works by a master prestidigitator. It will dazzle your senses, touch your heart, and haunt your dreams.

I rationed myself on this book, but you don't have to. If you only know Gaiman from Neverwhere or his Sandman comics, this is a chance to see the full range of his writing chops, which are formidable. I defy anyone to find me a better story this side of Nathaniel West about the mythical land of Hollywood than "The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories." I cannot think of a more bizarre marriage than the melding of epic poetry and bikini bimbos that is Baywolf. I heard the ghost of Peter Cook at my ear in "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar." I took inordinate pleasure in reading "Snow, Glass, Apples" aloud to a group of my son's friends, and watching them laugh uneasily.

There is a wealth of fine storytelling here, a veritable trove of style and substance, passion and pastiche, wit and bite and vision and venom. The art of the short story is in excellent hands.


No illusions: Neil Gaiman is a genius   February 10, 1999
 19 out of 21 found this review helpful

People tend to get snide when you mention Neil Gaiman used to write comic books. Infidels. If your friends mock you and your fascination with the worlds Gaiman creates, just give them a copy of this book and tell them to shut up. It's the best introduction I can think of to everything Neil.

Some stories are undoubtedly stronger and more inspired than others, but the collection on the whole is astoundingly good, and makes Stephen King look pathetic, though it's hard to compare the two. Gaiman doesn't write horror stories, he writes magical ones -- stories that wrap you up in what your parents told you for years was impossible or unreal.

"Snow, Glass, Apples" -- this is not your grandmother's Snow White, and Gaiman himself states that he hopes the reader will not read the original faery tale the same way ever again. He succeeds. This story is worth the price of the book alone.

"Chivalry" -- a brilliant, extremely funny look into the mind of an elderly woman who's found the Holy Grail in a secondhand store and think it's just a fabulous mantel pice, never mind that Arthurian knight who keep bothering her for it. I made my dad read this one.

"Nicholas Was..." -- ever wonder how Christmas in the Gaiman household is? Dark, haunting, and achingly beautiful. Possibly my favorite, despite its (sadly) short length.

"The Goldfish Pool and Other Stories" -- the longest, and one of the best hands down, stories in this book. Neil takes the big hypodermic needle of writing and instead of sucking the life right out of what could have been a boring story, injects it with a subtle shadow and oodles of glitter. Very touching.

"The Sweeper of Dreams" -- one word:

There's not only stories, but poetry as well, and if I could go door to door and beg people to buy and read this book, I would. Not everyone appreciates Gaiman's mission of reintroducing magic into our world, but I, for one, plan on doing every little bit I can do to help.

Smoke and mirrors and illusions...


An Enchanting Collection from the Modern Master of Fantasy   February 1, 2000
 15 out of 18 found this review helpful

In praising Neil Gaiman, author of the award-winning Sandman comic book series, Stephen King called him "a treasure house of story". For those who only know the inimitable Mr. Gaiman from his comic book works, this collection represents a treasure trove of the author's prose work, with a generous helping of verse thrown in to boot.

The stories contained within Smoke and Mirrors range from straight horror to wild fantasy. While the stories range widely in quality, the 337 pages of this collection fly by, and even where Gaiman misses the mark, he makes an impression.

I highly recommend "Murder Mysteries," a tale of a murder investigation in Heaven before Lucifer's Fall (or was he pushed?); "Troll Bridge," concerning dark happenings beneath a highway bridge; and "The Price," a story about a cat's sacrifice which I believe Mr. King found quite wonderful.

Gaiman thoughtfully includes a detailed introduction wherein he describes the genesis of these stories. Fellow writers will find this section fascinating as a window on the author's creative process.

Short story collections are of necessity a mixed bag, but even casual Gaiman fans will find Smoke and Mirrors rewarding.


Gaiman-the new master of the short story   June 27, 2001
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

Every now and then a reviewer uses the words "every now and then" to start a review. It usually is followed by a glimmering review of a very artsy, very bad book. With this book, though, it is completely appropriate. It is appropriate to say that every now and then a story collection comes along that will, in the end, change the way we read short stories. The last time this happened was, perhaps, King's "Night Shift." Before that, pick any Ray Bradbury collection.

But Gaiman's collection is both and more put into one. "Smoke and Mirrors" is absolute masterpiece and seems like it would satisfy almost any avid reader's tastes. There is the humor, social commentary, poetry of all kinds and even a few examples of remarkably tasteful erotica included in this timeless collection. The dark side of the reader is revealed in a reassuring and, at the same time, frightening way. Reading Gaiman is not mere recreation, it is experience. This reviewer did not take long to complete these pages, despite a relatively busy work schedule. When it was over, it leaves disappointment that stems from the fact that the book was over, finished. Yet it is a fulfilling, and wonderful experience. It is not bogged down by "trying to make a point," despite the points it does make on the reader. It is simply telling a story, and the reader takes it as he or she wishes. This, in the end, is the essence of writing, and Gaiman has mastered it perfectly.

The stories are diverse; humor and dark, poetry and prose. However, no matter which story you read one thing remains constant: Gaiman's superb ability in the art of storytelling.

Writing short stories is an art of the most refined form, and Gaiman has done more than lead the art form or change the art form. He has transcended it and made it his own.

Every now and then a story collection comes along that will, in the end, change literature. Here and now, that collection is "Smoke and Mirrors."


Best damn short story collection I've read in Years   April 21, 1999
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I bought this book because of the review on SFSITE, at www.sfsite.com where the readers poll picked it as the best book of the year. After reading it I can see why. The stories range from funny to scary to sad to just plain strange.

This is what it said at SFSITE. "He made it on the SF Site Editor's Best of 1998 list in the # 2 spot with Smoke and Mirrors. Last year he topped the Best of 1997 list with his first solo novel, Neverwhere -- which grabbed the #4 spot this year in paperback. Is there any doubt at all that we like Neil Gaiman? Gaiman's rep as a modern spinner of fairy tales is well deserved. But Smoke and Mirrors gave him an opportunity to perform on a variety of stages, and prove to his audience that he's far more than just the author of The Sandman comic, or even just a gifted fantasist. This collection of thirty short stories and poems (some of which were previously published in the small print-run volume Angels and Visitations) was the first opportunity he's had to demonstrate his true range, and he didn't waste it. The collection opens with "Chivalry," the story of a widow who discovers the Holy Grail in a secondhand shop; other tales include "Nicholas Was," a disturbing look at the legend of Santa Claus. For Lovecraft fans there's "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar" and "Only the End of the World", both of which pay hilarious tribute to both the Cthulhu Mythos and classic horror film conventions. The poems include "Bay Wolf," which manages to mix Beowulf and Baywatch. All in all, Smoke and Mirrors is perhaps the most surprising and rewarding book of the year - one to be savoured and treasured."

Warning: I don't think you would like this book if you have no imagination or sense of wonder.