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 9: The Kindly Ones [30th anniversary edition]
The Sandman Volume 9: The Kindly Ones [30th anniversary edition]
In the longest Sandman story, Morpheus becomes the prey of the Furies--avenging spirits who torment those who spill family blood. A journey both begins and ends for the Lord of Dreams as threads and pieces building since the beginning of the series finally come together in a thrilling climax that forever changes the world of The Sandman.
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.
The Kindly Ones have many names: The Erinyes. The Eumenides. The Dirae. The Furies. Agents of vengeance, implacable and unstoppable, they do not rest until the crimes they seek to punish are washed clean with blood. It is to them Lyta Hall turns when her baby, Daniel, is taken from her, and it is Dream of the Endless who becomes their target. But behind a mother's grief and unyielding rage, there are darker forces at work, and what they set in motion will eventually demand a sacrifice greater than any the Dreaming has yet known.
Collects The Sandman #57-69 and Vertigo Jam #1.