Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions

Neil Gaiman

Language: English

Publisher: Avon

Published: Nov 1, 1998

Description:

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.

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The astonishing and impressive first collection of short stories from New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman

An elderly widow finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat in a second-hand store . . .

A stray cat fights and refights a nightly battle to protect his adoptive family from an unimagiable evil . . .

A young couple receives a wedding gift that will reveal a chilling alternate history of their marriage . . .

Beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks, a frightened little boy bargains for his life with a most persistent troll . . .

Such miraculous inventions and more await within Neil Gaiman’s first collection of short fiction, a gift of wonder and delight from one of the most unique literary artists of our day. In his capable hands, magic is no mere illusion, but a powerful means to reveal the nature of our humanity obscured in the smoke of our fears and anxieties . . . and reflected in the funhouse mirrors of our dreams.