Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman (1960 - ) is a wonder of the literary world. He is a breaker of categories, because his writing is respectful of the possible audience, whether that audience is 8 or 18 or 48 or 98, male or female or somewhere in-between, die-hard fantasy reader or Common Reader or suspicious of words on a page, human or alien or somewhere in-between.
Gaiman is profoundly interested in myth and fairy tales, archetypes and companions of the id, the vast range of fantastic literature (folktales to ghost stories to pulp thumpers). He can be funny or precisely delicate or heart-wrenching or sly or terrifying to such an extent that there is no place to hide from the monsters. He has worked in graphic literature (the Sandman series), children's books, young adult fiction, fantasy, film, and the art of the audiobook. I mention the audio in particular because he often reads his own works, and once you hear him you are amazed that such an acting ability is from the same writer.
The Sandman Volume 10: The Wake [30th anniversary edition]
The Sandman Volume 10: The Wake [30th anniversary edition]
In the final Sandman tale, Morpheus makes the ultimate decision between change and death. As one journey for the Endless ends, another begins for the Lord of Dreams and his family, bringing with it a time of reflection and a sad celebration.
One of the most popular and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time, Neil Gaiman's award-winning masterpiece The Sandman set the standard for mature, lyrical fantasy in the modern comics era. Illustrated by an exemplary selection of the medium's most gifted artists, the series is a rich blend of modern and ancient mythology in which contemporary fiction, historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven.
In The Wake, ancient gods, old friends and enemies alike gather to pay tribute to the fallen King of Dreams, bringing to a close the long story of Morpheus of the Endless. In the aftermath, echoes of Morpheus reverberate, touching a man who refuses to die, a Chinese sage lost in a desert of dreams and an aging William Shakespeare, who must fulfill one last obligation to the Sandman in his own twilight years.
Collects The Sandman #70-75.