Neil Gaiman is one of the most popular writers of this age. His works range from novels, comic books, graphic novels, short fiction, theatre, and film, with each work earning him an abundance of awards.
He’s also one of the most relevant pop culture figures there is, with most of his works frequently referenced and adapted in mainstream media. Some of his most successful works are the comic book series The Sandman, and the novels Coraline, Stardust, and American Gods.
Neil Gaiman Quotes
Neil Gaiman is one of those literary chameleons who can pull of writing a story in any genre. With so much success in his belt, he’s a guy to look up to, particularly when you’re pursuing writing. Here are a few quotes from his works that will make you think.
Everybody has a secret world inside of them. I mean everybody. All of the people in the whole world, I mean everybody — no matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds… Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe.
The Sandman: A Game of You
No matter how people appear, they will always have hidden, and often unexplored depths. People will surprise you time and time again, and that’s a wonderful thing. It means there’s always an element of surprise to living.
Grown-ups don’t look like grown-ups on the inside either
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
It’s an open secret, at least for adults, that grown-ups aren’t the all-knowing beings children see them as. Adults go through their fair share of stumbling through life. Failure’s just a natural process to living.
You grow up reading about pirates and cowboys and spacemen and stuff, and jus’ when you think the world’s full of amazing things, they tell you it’s really all dead whales and chopped-down forests and nuclear waste hanging about for millions of years.
Good Omens
Reality can often be disappointing. What you read from books is vastly different from what’s really happening. But you read and dream amazing things because you want to make the world a better place. It’s a worthwhile goal, and one you shouldn’t stop following.
Always worth it to have tried, even if you fail, even if you fall like a meteor forever. Better to have flamed in the darkness, to have inspired others, to have lived, than to have sat in the darkness, cursing the people who borrowed, but did not return, your candle.
Trigger Warning
People are afraid of failure. It’s a hurtful journey that often leads to disappointment and regret. But you can’t grow if you’re not willing to take the risk. Failure is a valuable experience that you can use to eventually succeed. It’s always better to try than not at all, right?
The really dangerous people believe they are doing whatever they are doing solely and only because it is without question the right thing to do.
American Gods
You can be loyal to certain ideologies, but that doesn’t mean you should stop examining your beliefs instead of just blindly following them. Mindless devotion is a dangerous thing. Just look at what happens with cults!
Stories are like spiders, with all they long legs, and stories are like spiderwebs, which man gets himself all tangled up in but which look pretty when you see them under a leaf in the morning dew, and in the elegant way that they connect to one another, each to each.
Anansi Boys
Stories link humanity together. It’s one of our oldest ways of communication and entertainment. What’s really fascinating is how stories spread into many forms, from simple chanting to books, comics, poetry, music, and more.
Hearts may break, but hearts are the toughest of muscles, able to pump for a lifetime, seventy times a minute, and scarcely falter along the way. Even dreams, the most delicate and intangible of things, can prove remarkably difficult to kill.
Fragile Things
As said, people are afraid of failure and hurting themselves. But the things we hurt when we take risks and fail aren’t as fragile as we think. We’re a resilient species, we always bounce back. When we channel the fear into motivation, we can do remarkable things.
Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.
Make Good Art
People look at the destination but rarely consider the journey. Before success, there is always doing and learning. It’s impossible to get there when you don’t take action. So explore, push the boundaries, and experiment. No one makes a difference by conforming to what’s normal and safe.
When we hold each other, in the darkness, it doesn’t make the darkness go away. The bad things are still out there. The nightmares still walking. When we hold each other we feel not safe, but better. ‘It’s all right’ we whisper, “I’m here, I love you.”’ and we lie: “I’ll never leave you.” For just a moment or two the darkness doesn’t seem so bad.
Midnight Days
Humans are a social species. We form connections with each other to feel safe and not alone. That’s a powerful trait when facing bad times. It might not make the bad things go away, but it sure does feel better when you have someone with you to face them.
I don’t want whatever I want. Nobody does. Not really. What kind of fun would it be if I just got everything I ever wanted just like that, and it didn’t mean anything? What then?
Coraline
There’s something sweet about receiving things you want in life. And it’s sweeter when you know you’ve worked hard for it rather than taking it without effort. Without the hardships and experiences you accumulate along the way, the reward is just less satisfying.
You get what anybody gets – you get a lifetime.
The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes
A lifetime’s all you get in this world. There are no do-overs, no second lives, and absolutely no extending your stay. So it makes sense to make the most of it right? Live a life that’s yours by exploring your passions and pursuing what makes you happy.
When angels go bad they are worse than anyone else. Remember Lucifer used to be an angel.
Neverwhere
If someone who’s known as good and saintly is pissed at you and everything, you probably did something horrible. It’s hard to rile up those kinds of people, but when they do, it’s positively nuclear. If you’ve ever done something at this level, do apologize.
You’re alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you can change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you’re dead, it’s gone. Over.
The Graveyard Book
Death is final. Once you’re dead, there are no more chances to add to what you’ve done and achieved. There’s no owning up to mistakes and fixing your errors. You cease to be. So it’s best to take every chance you can get to living your life in full.
Adventures are all very well in their place, but there’s a lot to be said for regular meals and freedom from pain.
Stardust
There are times when conforming is the best choice you can make. An artist might have to take a corporate job to make a living or a writer might accept commissions he finds distasteful to keep food on the table. Sacrifice becomes necessary when you want to live, but never forget your passions and dreams.
You don’t need princes to save you. I don’t have a lot of patience for stories in which women are rescued by men.
The Sleeper and the Spindle
Gone are the days where men are the only superstars. It’s time to take a step back and let the fairer sex have their own time in the spotlight. Our mindsets need to change and accept that even with all the differences, men and women are equals and must be treated as so.
Reading Books by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is known for his mastery of allusions, intricate worlds, and complex characters. It’s fair to say that every work of his will take you down a rabbit hole of deep thinking. Trust me, it’s a rabbit hole you’ll be willing to fall into.
If you haven’t read any of his works yet, I recommend starting with The Sandman. It’s arguably his best work and the visual element just adds to the experience. Dream and his siblings will take you into surreal and existential adventures that will feed a hunger you’ll realize you didn’t have.
Do you have a favorite book by Neil Gaiman? Share it in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
