Genres
Description
Multiple award winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman returns to dazzle, captivate, haunt, and entertain with this third collection of short fiction following Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things-which includes a never-before published American Gods story, "Black Dog," written exclusively for this volume. In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction-stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013-as well "Black Dog," a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection. Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion. In Adventure Story-a thematic companion to The Ocean at the End of the Lane-Gaiman ponders death and the way people take their stories with them when they die. His social media experience A Calendar of Tales are short takes inspired by replies to fan tweets about the months of the year-stories of pirates and the March winds, an igloo made of books, and a Mother's Day card that portends disturbances in the universe. Gaiman offers his own ingenious spin on Sherlock Holmes in his award-nominated mystery tale The Case of Death and Honey. And Click-Clack the Rattlebag explains the creaks and clatter we hear when we're all alone in the darkness. A sophisticated writer whose creative genius is unparalleled, Gaiman entrances with his literary alchemy, transporting us deep into the realm of imagination, where the fantastical becomes real and the everyday incandescent. Full of wonder and terror, surprises and amusements, Trigger Warning is a treasury of delights that engage the mind, stir the heart, and shake the soul from one of the most unique and popular literary artists of our day.… (more)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-02-03
Physical description
352 p.; 7.01 inches
Publication
Headline (2015), Edition: 01, 352 pages
Pages
352
ISBN
147223488X / 9781472234889
Local notes
Contains the following short stories, as well as a foreword, a short interview at the end of the book, and an author's commentary on each individual story:
* Shadder (hidden in the foreword)
* Making a Chair
* A Lunar Labyrinth (Gene Wolfe homage)
* The Thing About Cassandra - Locus Award for Best Short Story, 2011
* Down to a Sunless Sea
* 'The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains ...' - Locus Award for Best Novelette, 2011; Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette, 2010
* My Last Landlady
* Adventure Story
* Orange
* A Calendar of Tales (twelve shorter stories, each themed to a month)
* The Case of Death and Honey (Sherlock Holmes story / Arthur Conan Doyle homage) - Locus Award for Best Short Story, 2012
* The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury (Ray Bradbury homage)
* Jerusalem (William Blake tribute)
* Click-Clack the Rattlebag
* An Invocation of Incuriosity (Dying Earth story / Jack Vance homage) - Locus Award for Best Short Story, 2010
* 'And Weep, Like Alexander' (an Arthur C. Clarke tribute)
* Nothing O'Clock (Doctor Who story about the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond)
* Diamonds and Pearls: A Fairy Tale (a story from "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?")
* The Return of the Thin White Duke (a David Bowie tribute)
* Feminine Endings
* Observing the Formalities (Sleeping Beauty story)
* The Sleeper and the Spindle (Snow White / Sleeping Beauty story)
* Witch Work
* In Relig Odhráin (the tale of Saint Oran and Saint Columba in 548 AD)
* Black Dog (an American Gods story, set after "The Monarch of the Glen") - Locus Award for Best Novelette, 2016
* Scared of His Own Shadow (Tweet-length story, hidden in the Extras)
* Shadder (hidden in the foreword)
* Making a Chair
* A Lunar Labyrinth (Gene Wolfe homage)
* The Thing About Cassandra - Locus Award for Best Short Story, 2011
* Down to a Sunless Sea
* 'The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains ...' - Locus Award for Best Novelette, 2011; Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novelette, 2010
* My Last Landlady
* Adventure Story
* Orange
* A Calendar of Tales (twelve shorter stories, each themed to a month)
* The Case of Death and Honey (Sherlock Holmes story / Arthur Conan Doyle homage) - Locus Award for Best Short Story, 2012
* The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury (Ray Bradbury homage)
* Jerusalem (William Blake tribute)
* Click-Clack the Rattlebag
* An Invocation of Incuriosity (Dying Earth story / Jack Vance homage) - Locus Award for Best Short Story, 2010
* 'And Weep, Like Alexander' (an Arthur C. Clarke tribute)
* Nothing O'Clock (Doctor Who story about the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond)
* Diamonds and Pearls: A Fairy Tale (a story from "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?")
* The Return of the Thin White Duke (a David Bowie tribute)
* Feminine Endings
* Observing the Formalities (Sleeping Beauty story)
* The Sleeper and the Spindle (Snow White / Sleeping Beauty story)
* Witch Work
* In Relig Odhráin (the tale of Saint Oran and Saint Columba in 548 AD)
* Black Dog (an American Gods story, set after "The Monarch of the Glen") - Locus Award for Best Novelette, 2016
* Scared of His Own Shadow (Tweet-length story, hidden in the Extras)
Similar in this library
Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Collection — 2016)
User reviews
LibraryThing member msbaba
Disturbances? Neil Gaiman’s newest short story collection is called “Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances.” I just love that last word in the subtitle! It’s such a perfect word to convey the deliciously off-kilter feelings I felt when I read these stories. Even though this book
The first time I read this book, I was swept away with the pure joy of the reading experience. Of course, when the book ended, I felt a big let down. I wanted more stories. We human animals must have some innate longing for myth and fantasy; Gaiman’s stories seem to quench that longing in some essential and primal way. That’s the deep-seated urge that must draw me to his books.
I certainly don’t want to give the impression that I was overjoyed with each and every story. Isn’t it true that none of us ever love every chocolate in a box, every song in an album, or every story in a collection? Some stories are better than others, and a few I didn’t like at all, but in the balance, I was besotted…and that’s coming from a reader who doesn’t particularly like short stories in the first place. But I do love Gaiman, and reading him is all about being transport to another realm of reality, about having your normal everyday emotions disturbed (yes, here’s that word again), about being tipped off balance into a state of wonder, humor, terror, suspense, spine-tingling chills, or a delightful mixture of all of that, and more.
Every one of the stories in this collection was new to me, but as the author explained in the introduction, most have been published before. There are only three totally new stories. The remaining twenty-one were published one or more times in some other venue or media. But few people have been exposed to them there even though a few are major award winners. Most had a previous life as part of a multi-author anthology dedicated to a specific overarching theme. Five stories had a previous life in a multi-author anthology celebrating a famous author, namely: Gene Wolf, Ray Bradbury, Jack Vance, Sherlock Holmes, and Arthur C. Clarke. Two were collaborations with musical drama and performance artist Amanda Palmer. Four were published as stand-alone stories: one for a literary magazine, another for a newspaper, a third for a year-long interactive fan-based Twitter experiment, and a fourth for a BBC Radio 4 production. All are captivating and unique glimpses into the staggeringly creative mind of Neil Gaiman.
Most of the previously published stories in this book probably escaped notice by the lion’s share of Gaiman fans. In today’s world, relatively few people read short stories, especially when they’re published in obscure anthologies. By pulling together all his most recent short stories and selling them in one volume, Gaiman will be able to reach a far larger audience. When done well, short stories are the gems of the literary world. Gaiman’s short fiction deserves to be read and treasured. I rediscovered that while reading this book. I’d forgotten how marvelous short stories can be when they’re told by a master storyteller.
The collection is aimed at adults, but I’m sure Gaiman’s legions of young adult fans will love this book, too. None of the stories in this collection are appropriate for young children: this is not because they may cause nightmares, but rather because they deal with adult themes that children will not comprehend.
I loved this book. It was full of enchanting stories that delightfully disturbed my senses and inhabited my heart.
For those of you who may have encountered a good number of Gaiman’s short stories elsewhere, here a list of the stories in this book:
Making a Chair
A Lunar Labyrinth
The Thing About Cassandra
Down to a Sunless Sea
“The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains…”
My Last Landlady
Adventure Story
ORANGE
A Calendar of Tales
The Case of Death and Honey
The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury
Jerusalem
Click-Clack the Rattlebag
An Invocation of Incuriosity
“And Weep, Like Alexander”
Nothing O’Clock
Pearls: A Fairy Tale
Kether to Malkurth
Feminine Endings
Observing the Formalities
The Sleeper and the Spindle
Witch Work
In Relig Odbráin
Black Dog
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has just been published, I’m already in the process of reading it a second time. I couldn’t resist. Gaiman is such an awesome storyteller and this collection really showcases his creative literary talent. The first time I read this book, I was swept away with the pure joy of the reading experience. Of course, when the book ended, I felt a big let down. I wanted more stories. We human animals must have some innate longing for myth and fantasy; Gaiman’s stories seem to quench that longing in some essential and primal way. That’s the deep-seated urge that must draw me to his books.
I certainly don’t want to give the impression that I was overjoyed with each and every story. Isn’t it true that none of us ever love every chocolate in a box, every song in an album, or every story in a collection? Some stories are better than others, and a few I didn’t like at all, but in the balance, I was besotted…and that’s coming from a reader who doesn’t particularly like short stories in the first place. But I do love Gaiman, and reading him is all about being transport to another realm of reality, about having your normal everyday emotions disturbed (yes, here’s that word again), about being tipped off balance into a state of wonder, humor, terror, suspense, spine-tingling chills, or a delightful mixture of all of that, and more.
Every one of the stories in this collection was new to me, but as the author explained in the introduction, most have been published before. There are only three totally new stories. The remaining twenty-one were published one or more times in some other venue or media. But few people have been exposed to them there even though a few are major award winners. Most had a previous life as part of a multi-author anthology dedicated to a specific overarching theme. Five stories had a previous life in a multi-author anthology celebrating a famous author, namely: Gene Wolf, Ray Bradbury, Jack Vance, Sherlock Holmes, and Arthur C. Clarke. Two were collaborations with musical drama and performance artist Amanda Palmer. Four were published as stand-alone stories: one for a literary magazine, another for a newspaper, a third for a year-long interactive fan-based Twitter experiment, and a fourth for a BBC Radio 4 production. All are captivating and unique glimpses into the staggeringly creative mind of Neil Gaiman.
Most of the previously published stories in this book probably escaped notice by the lion’s share of Gaiman fans. In today’s world, relatively few people read short stories, especially when they’re published in obscure anthologies. By pulling together all his most recent short stories and selling them in one volume, Gaiman will be able to reach a far larger audience. When done well, short stories are the gems of the literary world. Gaiman’s short fiction deserves to be read and treasured. I rediscovered that while reading this book. I’d forgotten how marvelous short stories can be when they’re told by a master storyteller.
The collection is aimed at adults, but I’m sure Gaiman’s legions of young adult fans will love this book, too. None of the stories in this collection are appropriate for young children: this is not because they may cause nightmares, but rather because they deal with adult themes that children will not comprehend.
I loved this book. It was full of enchanting stories that delightfully disturbed my senses and inhabited my heart.
For those of you who may have encountered a good number of Gaiman’s short stories elsewhere, here a list of the stories in this book:
Making a Chair
A Lunar Labyrinth
The Thing About Cassandra
Down to a Sunless Sea
“The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains…”
My Last Landlady
Adventure Story
ORANGE
A Calendar of Tales
The Case of Death and Honey
The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury
Jerusalem
Click-Clack the Rattlebag
An Invocation of Incuriosity
“And Weep, Like Alexander”
Nothing O’Clock
Pearls: A Fairy Tale
Kether to Malkurth
Feminine Endings
Observing the Formalities
The Sleeper and the Spindle
Witch Work
In Relig Odbráin
Black Dog
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LibraryThing member vlcraven
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for LibraryThing , as it’s through their Early Reviewers program that I received Neil Gaiman’s Trigger Warning. I had requested it (along with a few hundred other people) and the notification that I’d actually receive the thing had gone to my trash folder so I
That is a long way to say I received this book for free.
Trigger Warning is a collection of poetry, fairy tales, science fiction-y stories and the like. It’s bits and bobs of Gaiman.
If you’re a fan you’ll like it. If you’re not a fan already, I wouldn’t start with this one, though I enjoyed every piece in it. It does showcase his ability to write in an array of genres, so if the reader isn’t interested in one piece they can skip to the next.
Something I particularly liked was, at the beginning of the book there was information about each piece–what inspired it, where he was when he wrote it, something. I find that sort of thing interesting so I’d read each section then go back and read the paragraph or so about the ‘making-of’ that bit. I wish more books had that. What fun.
The entirety of A Calendar of Tales is in the book, which was an interesting inclusion and was much shorter than I was expecting.
There was a labyrinth and various mythologies featured a few times, which is always appreciated by this reader, as were ghosts and leprechauns. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty were in the same tale, but this time the women were the hero(ines) and things aren’t always what they seem.
There’s even a Sherlock Holmes tale that read quite true-to-source for me.
And of course there are creepy children, because children are creepy.
It’s difficult to choose a stand out, as the pieces were so different, but an homage to Ray Bradbury called ‘The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury’ was wonderful and touching. The background Gaiman shared only made it more so.
‘Feminine Endings’ was TERRIFYING. And the story behind that one was hilarious.
If you’re a Gaiman fan, this is a must-read. 5/5
If you haven’t read anything of his yet, I’d probably start with something else, though you’d still be able to find something in here to appeal. 4/5
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knew nothing. It just arrived one day. It was a day during a rough week–impeccable timing, it had–and I thought, ‘Of course. If any book is going to seemingly magically arrive just when I need something magical it’s a Neil Gaiman book.’That is a long way to say I received this book for free.
Trigger Warning is a collection of poetry, fairy tales, science fiction-y stories and the like. It’s bits and bobs of Gaiman.
If you’re a fan you’ll like it. If you’re not a fan already, I wouldn’t start with this one, though I enjoyed every piece in it. It does showcase his ability to write in an array of genres, so if the reader isn’t interested in one piece they can skip to the next.
Something I particularly liked was, at the beginning of the book there was information about each piece–what inspired it, where he was when he wrote it, something. I find that sort of thing interesting so I’d read each section then go back and read the paragraph or so about the ‘making-of’ that bit. I wish more books had that. What fun.
The entirety of A Calendar of Tales is in the book, which was an interesting inclusion and was much shorter than I was expecting.
There was a labyrinth and various mythologies featured a few times, which is always appreciated by this reader, as were ghosts and leprechauns. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty were in the same tale, but this time the women were the hero(ines) and things aren’t always what they seem.
There’s even a Sherlock Holmes tale that read quite true-to-source for me.
And of course there are creepy children, because children are creepy.
It’s difficult to choose a stand out, as the pieces were so different, but an homage to Ray Bradbury called ‘The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury’ was wonderful and touching. The background Gaiman shared only made it more so.
‘Feminine Endings’ was TERRIFYING. And the story behind that one was hilarious.
If you’re a Gaiman fan, this is a must-read. 5/5
If you haven’t read anything of his yet, I’d probably start with something else, though you’d still be able to find something in here to appeal. 4/5
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LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
A Trigger warning is that thing stuck on just about everything from music to books to TV shows that warns us that the material may be disturbing to some of us. As Neil Gaiman explains it
“There are things that upset us…images or words or ideas that drop like trapdoors beneath us, throwing us out
What do we need to be warned about? We each have our own little triggers.”
So, given Neil Gaiman’s ability to write stories that are guaranteed to disturb, it is certainly appropriate that this latest collection of his short stories has been titled Trigger Warning. Most of the stories have been published previously but, unless you’re that intrepid super fan that has hunted for every crumb of Gaiman ephemera, there’s sure to be something here to please or better yet send chills up the spine.
Granted not all of these stories are creepy or scary or even a little spine-tingling and, as in every collection of short stories, I like some better than others but they are all great fun to read and they all have Gaiman’s signature twist, making even the most familiar tale seem new again. My personal favourites were The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains in which two men set out in search of gold and revenge and Orange which is a strange list of answers to a questionnaire about aliens, jam, and other assorted things. But I thoroughly enjoyed all of the others including a Sherlock Holmes tale, The Case of Death and Honey and a Doctor Who story, Nothing O’clock. There are also a couple of fairly well-known fairy tales that Gaiman has rewritten in very interesting ways.
Gaiman is that rare writer who never fails to enchant, entertain, and ensnare the imagination of his readers and Trigger Warning is typical Gaiman. If you’re a fan or even if you’re not, there’s bound to be something here to delight as well as disturb. Heck, I even enjoyed reading his Introduction almost as much as I did the stories.
“There are things that upset us…images or words or ideas that drop like trapdoors beneath us, throwing us out
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of our safe, sane world into a place much more dark and less welcoming. Our hearts skip a ratatat drum-beat in our chests and we fight for breath. Blood retreats from our faces and our fingers, leaving us pale and gasping and shocked…What do we need to be warned about? We each have our own little triggers.”
So, given Neil Gaiman’s ability to write stories that are guaranteed to disturb, it is certainly appropriate that this latest collection of his short stories has been titled Trigger Warning. Most of the stories have been published previously but, unless you’re that intrepid super fan that has hunted for every crumb of Gaiman ephemera, there’s sure to be something here to please or better yet send chills up the spine.
Granted not all of these stories are creepy or scary or even a little spine-tingling and, as in every collection of short stories, I like some better than others but they are all great fun to read and they all have Gaiman’s signature twist, making even the most familiar tale seem new again. My personal favourites were The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains in which two men set out in search of gold and revenge and Orange which is a strange list of answers to a questionnaire about aliens, jam, and other assorted things. But I thoroughly enjoyed all of the others including a Sherlock Holmes tale, The Case of Death and Honey and a Doctor Who story, Nothing O’clock. There are also a couple of fairly well-known fairy tales that Gaiman has rewritten in very interesting ways.
Gaiman is that rare writer who never fails to enchant, entertain, and ensnare the imagination of his readers and Trigger Warning is typical Gaiman. If you’re a fan or even if you’re not, there’s bound to be something here to delight as well as disturb. Heck, I even enjoyed reading his Introduction almost as much as I did the stories.
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LibraryThing member raistlinsshadow
As with all short story collections, this had a few slower pieces, but I think this is representative of Gaiman's stronger work. Several of the pieces had his trademark slightly dark, slightly weird style, and the bias is toward pieces that take place in a modern setting rather than in a fantasy
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realm. The introduction is particularly nice, since it lends some background to why the pieces were written, though the ordering of the pieces works well without any kind of background as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member lpmejia
I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman's since the 1990's, when I discovered The Sandman comics. Since then, I've read nearly everything he's published, from short story collections like Fragile Things, to novels, poems, and books for children. Gaiman has a singular style, but to me, his greatest talent is
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incorporating mythology into modern settings, bringing together the very oldest of our stories with the very youngest. Trigger Warning is no exception. I found the stories inventive and intriguing, engaging and poignant. A good bet for any fan of Gaiman's, as well as anyone who loves myth and folklore. Show Less
LibraryThing member AngelaJMaher
It's difficult to categorise Neil Gaiman's writing - fantasy? horror? modern fairy tale? Suffice it to say it is strange, a marvellous strange that leads you on previously unseen paths. This collection gathers wisps of weird worlds and snippets of our own into a single book. Go into each story
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without expectations and you won't fail to be enchanted. Show Less
LibraryThing member angee1011
I've been wanting to read Neil Gaiman's work for a while now. Trigger Warning was my induction into this world and I am happy to see I've enjoyed the trip. This collection of stories is as fascinating as it page turning. I'll probably include a more detailed in the future. Happy reading!
LibraryThing member elenchus
Possibly my first reading of Gaiman outside his Sandman franchise, that over a decade ago, and the tag-team effort with Pratchett which frankly for me fell flat. The stories in Trigger Warning proved as enjoyable as those I recall from Sandman, though with distinct storytelling style(s). Reading
The Shadow story suggests American Gods may be worth looking into, as well. Shadow's dialogue is quite clever, re-reading it I see how well every line double-tracks but without raising suspicions. It is an inflected style of speech, but convincingly as Shadow's stylised manner, and not because of the double duty it serves. And above this sentence-level craft, an interesting take on American messianism, a stand-in for modernity against the worldly wisdom of myth and tradition. If the novel captures this half as well, it will be something.
Gaiman in his Introduction provides a recollection or note for each story: I read each immediately after finishing its respective story (for fear of spoilers). It was good that I knew they were on offer, and I mightn't if they'd been put in an afterword, but I'm very happy to have read them after the story and not beforehand, though nothing there was crucial to understanding the tale. Chiefly his commentary heightens my appreciation for his creative process, though for those new to Gaiman it could also be useful to learn certain stories have links to other of his writings. There is also a very short story, a bonus by way of apology, which is nested within the Introduction before the story notes.
Something about the story "Cave" suggested to me the opposite of Truth may not be Error, or Lies, or Falsity, but: Meaning. Poles of a spectrum, Truth at one end and Meaning at the other, the more Truth one finds, the less Meaning there is. Gaiman does not say this, precisely, but somehow it emerges and is I think aligned with if not strictly necessary to his tale.
Something about "Click-Clack, the Rattlebag" reminds me of William Sansom's "A Woman Seldom Found". The lure, perhaps. The brevity.
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these found me resolved to pick up those Sandman volumes I'm missing, and commit to a complete read-through. The Shadow story suggests American Gods may be worth looking into, as well. Shadow's dialogue is quite clever, re-reading it I see how well every line double-tracks but without raising suspicions. It is an inflected style of speech, but convincingly as Shadow's stylised manner, and not because of the double duty it serves. And above this sentence-level craft, an interesting take on American messianism, a stand-in for modernity against the worldly wisdom of myth and tradition. If the novel captures this half as well, it will be something.
Gaiman in his Introduction provides a recollection or note for each story: I read each immediately after finishing its respective story (for fear of spoilers). It was good that I knew they were on offer, and I mightn't if they'd been put in an afterword, but I'm very happy to have read them after the story and not beforehand, though nothing there was crucial to understanding the tale. Chiefly his commentary heightens my appreciation for his creative process, though for those new to Gaiman it could also be useful to learn certain stories have links to other of his writings. There is also a very short story, a bonus by way of apology, which is nested within the Introduction before the story notes.
Something about the story "Cave" suggested to me the opposite of Truth may not be Error, or Lies, or Falsity, but: Meaning. Poles of a spectrum, Truth at one end and Meaning at the other, the more Truth one finds, the less Meaning there is. Gaiman does not say this, precisely, but somehow it emerges and is I think aligned with if not strictly necessary to his tale.
Something about "Click-Clack, the Rattlebag" reminds me of William Sansom's "A Woman Seldom Found". The lure, perhaps. The brevity.
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LibraryThing member mutantpudding
Kinda a mixed bag as short story collections often are. Some good, some meh, none really great or really bad.
I have a different opinion of the definition of Trigger Warning than Neil does; its not a warning against something that merely upsets, but against something that causes actual harm
I have a different opinion of the definition of Trigger Warning than Neil does; its not a warning against something that merely upsets, but against something that causes actual harm
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(through panic attacks, flashbacks, or physical and mental symptoms of anxiety). So that was a bit annoying. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
You can never go wrong with a Neil Gaiman book!
LibraryThing member Neftzger
Fans of Gaiman's work will enjoy these stories, which vary in length and content. the theme that ties this collection together is that each story is a "trigger" of something that may cause fear or apprehension.
I had previously read at least one of these pieces, but what made the book more
I had previously read at least one of these pieces, but what made the book more
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interesting were the brief descriptions that Gaiman wrote about what sparked the idea for the story. I only wish that these had been placed at the end of each story instead of listed as part of the introduction. I found myself flipping back and forth to match these up. That logistic aside, the book is pure Gaiman and great for diving into whenever you have short bits of free time and want something to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kelly_Mills
I love short fiction and this was a real treat! The stories/poems were diverse in subject (intentionally so) and highly entertaining. There are some previously published stories as well as some new selections included in the book. Neil Gaiman also includes explanations of his inspirations for each
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story. I simply can't recommend this book enough! Show Less
LibraryThing member steeleyjan
I am not a patient reader or listener, and have to have an author that captures my attention quickly and maintains it throughout the novel. Neil Gaiman has not always been that author for me, although I have always thought his writing was above average. I just wasn't a huge fan.
I am a fan now.
I
If you are a Dr. Who fan , "Nothing O'clock" is probably going to come in as a contender for first place. Lunar Labyrinth had excellent visual descriptions. It was which was the perfect mix of a little strange, a little creepy, and a little quirky.. three of my favorite ingredients in fiction. He narrated multiple characters in this selection especially well, and nailed their personalities. He is one of the few authors who can pull narrating his own work.
It is great when an author that the world adores puts a book in your lap that makes you suddenly feel like you are part the mainstream... a member of the club... one of the crowd. This Gaiman novel did that for me. It's the one I will be referring to when I say, " Neil Gaiman is the author of my favorite short story collection."
I am a fan now.
I
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had previously read a Novella by Gaiman, but had not experienced his writing in the short story genre. Each story in this collection held my attention. The original storylines drew me in, and his narration of them was just as engaging. When the last story ended, I was waiting for the next one to begin, and was truly disappointed.If you are a Dr. Who fan , "Nothing O'clock" is probably going to come in as a contender for first place. Lunar Labyrinth had excellent visual descriptions. It was which was the perfect mix of a little strange, a little creepy, and a little quirky.. three of my favorite ingredients in fiction. He narrated multiple characters in this selection especially well, and nailed their personalities. He is one of the few authors who can pull narrating his own work.
It is great when an author that the world adores puts a book in your lap that makes you suddenly feel like you are part the mainstream... a member of the club... one of the crowd. This Gaiman novel did that for me. It's the one I will be referring to when I say, " Neil Gaiman is the author of my favorite short story collection."
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
I ate this book up. I had forgotten how much I loved short story collection, this filled a whole in my soul. I've always been a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and reading this collection just re-affirmed my belief that he is one of the greatest authors of the twenty-first century (and an avid supporter of
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libraries!). It's dark, poetic, mythical, lyrical, and refreshing. Each story and poem packs a punch that gets you to think and expand the boundaries of your mind. None of these writings are new per se, but it's the first time they've been collected in a short story collection. There's something for everyone, a Doctor Who story, a tribute to Sherlock Holmes, William Blake, and Ray Bradbury, fairy tales retold, legends expanded, and light shined on dark places. It's a fantastic collection and a must read/buy for any Gaiman fan. It's also a great introduction for the non-enlightened and sure to make them instant Gaiman converts. I can't express how much I loved this collection. It's a book I know I'll come back to again and again. Show Less
LibraryThing member Iira
A wonderful, wonderful collection from my favorite author! I have nothing to add.
LibraryThing member readafew
This is a collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. In the forward he warns that the reader could find many of the stories triggering reactions, possibly unpleasant. Personally I wouldn't call any of them unpleasant, though many did make me think and I did ‘react’ to quite a few. I’ve read
Many of the other stories were interesting but I think these 4 would be reason enough to read this book.
The first one was The Case of Death and Honey, a Sherlock Holmes homage. It takes place long after his famous escapades in London and ties in very well with his cannon ‘retirement’. It was very well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Nothing O’Clock is a Dr. Who story, I haven’t watched a single episode since I was around 8, several decades ago (much to my shame) but I still felt like he was the Dr. It also reignited my curiosity and I’ll have to try watching some more. The Dr. once again needs to save the day and he has a rather interesting opponent with a unique ability to deal with time.
The Sleeper and the Spindle was a Snow White and Sleeping Beauty cross. Of course it never said that, and if you were not familiar with these fairy tales it could be easily missed. That was part of what made it good, and he put a very interesting twist in it as well. You think you know what is going on, but are likely going to be mistaken.
Black Dog I’m having to guess, since I haven’t gotten around to reading American Gods, but I do believe this is a short story related to that universe. Whether or not it is, I thought it was very good. The main character, Shadow Moon, is walking across Great Britain and stops for an evening at a small road side pub for a drink, but ends up staying several days and solves a crime no one knew happened.
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books I found disturbing and this isn’t one, not even close.Many of the other stories were interesting but I think these 4 would be reason enough to read this book.
The first one was The Case of Death and Honey, a Sherlock Holmes homage. It takes place long after his famous escapades in London and ties in very well with his cannon ‘retirement’. It was very well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Nothing O’Clock is a Dr. Who story, I haven’t watched a single episode since I was around 8, several decades ago (much to my shame) but I still felt like he was the Dr. It also reignited my curiosity and I’ll have to try watching some more. The Dr. once again needs to save the day and he has a rather interesting opponent with a unique ability to deal with time.
The Sleeper and the Spindle was a Snow White and Sleeping Beauty cross. Of course it never said that, and if you were not familiar with these fairy tales it could be easily missed. That was part of what made it good, and he put a very interesting twist in it as well. You think you know what is going on, but are likely going to be mistaken.
Black Dog I’m having to guess, since I haven’t gotten around to reading American Gods, but I do believe this is a short story related to that universe. Whether or not it is, I thought it was very good. The main character, Shadow Moon, is walking across Great Britain and stops for an evening at a small road side pub for a drink, but ends up staying several days and solves a crime no one knew happened.
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LibraryThing member doseofbella
Trigger Warning
By: Neil Gaiman Pages. 310
Published By: William Morrow &Company
Copy Courtesy of ReadingRoom Advanced Reader
Reviewed By: tk
Astounding accumulation of thought provoking and thrilling stories!
Neil Gaiman is a brilliant and gifted story teller. Once you open the cover and enjoy the
I usually avoid short stories, however this collection is superior.
A must have in you library!
5/5
By: Neil Gaiman Pages. 310
Published By: William Morrow &Company
Copy Courtesy of ReadingRoom Advanced Reader
Reviewed By: tk
Astounding accumulation of thought provoking and thrilling stories!
Neil Gaiman is a brilliant and gifted story teller. Once you open the cover and enjoy the
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personal introduction to the reader, you will know what an honor it is to be able to experience the imagination this amazing author has. I hit a full range of emotions during my time here. I laughed, felt sadness, and had to turn the lights on.I usually avoid short stories, however this collection is superior.
A must have in you library!
5/5
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LibraryThing member c.archer
An excellent collection of short stories that covers the gamut of emotions.
LibraryThing member Ailinel
A new collection of short stories and poems by Neil Gaiman, Trigger Warning is filled with moments of perfection. From a short terrifying tale included in the author’s note to the final story “Black Dog” which tells another of Shadow’s adventures as he travels through England, slowly making
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his way back towards the States, The pace keeps you reading while the style makes you want to read everything aloud. The collection includes “The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains”, “Click Clack the Rattle Bag”, “The Sleeper and the Spindle”, and “The Case of Death and Honey” (a tale of Sherlock Holmes and beekeeping). The author’s notes on each story are well worth reading, and this is certainly a book I will return to time and again, flipping it open to a story to fall into its world. Show Less
LibraryThing member CryBel
This collection of stories by Neil Gaiman is really great. The stories are well written and highly enjoyable. Anyone who is a fan of Neil Gaiman needs to read this book.
LibraryThing member SChant
Making a chair – poetry, dull
A lunar labyrinth – creepy atmosphere but predictable
The thing about Cassandra – very good, especially the ending
Down to a sunless sea - ok
"The truth is a cave in the Black Mountains ..." – very good but a bit too long
My last landlady – excellent horror
Orange – interesting questionnaire format
A calendar of tales – some excellent, some average, particularly enjoyed the Anne Bonney tale
The case of death and honey – quite good but a bit predictable
The man who forgot Ray Bradbury – a beautifully written tale concerning one of my favourite authors from childhood – it almost brought a teat to my cynical old eye
Jerusalem – a little dull
Click-Clack the rattlebag – ok but predictable
An invocation of incuriosity – very good
"And weep, like Alexander" - humorous
Nothing o'clock – a fun Dr Who tale
Diamonds and pearls: a fairy tale - ok
The return of the thin white duke – quite good fairy-tale
Feminine endings – starts out as poignant love-letter but ends up as creepy stalker
Observing the formalities - ok
The sleeper and the spindle - ok
Witch work - dull
In Relig Odhráin - strange
Black Dog. – very good
A lunar labyrinth – creepy atmosphere but predictable
The thing about Cassandra – very good, especially the ending
Down to a sunless sea - ok
"The truth is a cave in the Black Mountains ..." – very good but a bit too long
My last landlady – excellent horror
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Adventure story – very funnyOrange – interesting questionnaire format
A calendar of tales – some excellent, some average, particularly enjoyed the Anne Bonney tale
The case of death and honey – quite good but a bit predictable
The man who forgot Ray Bradbury – a beautifully written tale concerning one of my favourite authors from childhood – it almost brought a teat to my cynical old eye
Jerusalem – a little dull
Click-Clack the rattlebag – ok but predictable
An invocation of incuriosity – very good
"And weep, like Alexander" - humorous
Nothing o'clock – a fun Dr Who tale
Diamonds and pearls: a fairy tale - ok
The return of the thin white duke – quite good fairy-tale
Feminine endings – starts out as poignant love-letter but ends up as creepy stalker
Observing the formalities - ok
The sleeper and the spindle - ok
Witch work - dull
In Relig Odhráin - strange
Black Dog. – very good
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LibraryThing member Debra_Armbruster
A solid collection, containing some good stories and some very good ones.
LibraryThing member sturlington
Trigger Warning is Neil Gaiman's third collection of short fiction and poetry. I read in the introduction to his last collection, "Fragile Things," that Gaiman only writes short fiction on commission, which I think is why his short stories don't seem to have the same energy or passion as his
Read in 2015.
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novels. While a bit of a hodgepodge (it contains a Doctor Who story, for pete's sake, and a Sherlock Holmes story, which I actually thought was quite good), I did enjoy this collection better than "Fragile Things." There are a couple of genuinely creepy horror stories, a wonderful retelling of the "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tales, and a terrific homage to one of my favorite writers, Ray Bradbury. In fact, much of the work in this collection showcases Gaiman's appreciation for the storytellers who came before him, which I can also appreciate. For fans of "American Gods," there is another Shadow novella at the end, which I thought was much more interesting than the Shadow story in "Fragile Things." I could have done without the poetry, but as Gaiman says in the introduction, the poetry is free, meaning you don't have to read it if you don't want to, and it won't affect the overall value of the book. As in "Fragile Things," Gaiman explains the origin of each story and poem in the introduction. I would recommend this collection to fans of Gaiman, certainly, but also to anyone who enjoys creepy stories, fairy tales or well-written fan fiction.Read in 2015.
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LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
“Trigger Warning” is a collection Neil Gailman’s short fiction. Pretty much all of it has been published elsewhere; the only exception, I believe, is “Black Dog”, the last story in the collection. It’s set in the world of “American Gods” and is an adventure one of the characters has
The other stories are uneven, as they are in any collection. One, “Orange”, breaks with narrative form. It’s the tale of the unfortunate transformation of a teenaged girl, as told by her younger sister, and we only see the answers she makes to a questionnaire. It’s very effective and very funny. There is also a Sherlock Holmes story, one about Jerusalem syndrome, an homage to Ray Bradbury that’s touching, a marvelous story about time travel, a tale of an uninventor who makes annoying inventions go away (oh, how I wish he were real. I’m looking at you, The Clapper), a Dr. Who story (11th doctor), the fairy tale of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, and a man who finds that his made-up girlfriend has come to life, which is not nearly as good a thing as it sounds like. There is also some poetry; I don’t know or appreciate anything about poetry so I shall refrain from commenting. Not nearly as atmospheric as his novels, but quite good.
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after that book ends. It’s my favorite of the lot; it deals with an ancient force that may be more powerful even than Shadow. The other stories are uneven, as they are in any collection. One, “Orange”, breaks with narrative form. It’s the tale of the unfortunate transformation of a teenaged girl, as told by her younger sister, and we only see the answers she makes to a questionnaire. It’s very effective and very funny. There is also a Sherlock Holmes story, one about Jerusalem syndrome, an homage to Ray Bradbury that’s touching, a marvelous story about time travel, a tale of an uninventor who makes annoying inventions go away (oh, how I wish he were real. I’m looking at you, The Clapper), a Dr. Who story (11th doctor), the fairy tale of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, and a man who finds that his made-up girlfriend has come to life, which is not nearly as good a thing as it sounds like. There is also some poetry; I don’t know or appreciate anything about poetry so I shall refrain from commenting. Not nearly as atmospheric as his novels, but quite good.
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LibraryThing member Doondeck
Amazing creativity. Gaiman takes the simplest things and makes them wondrous or scary.