Gaiman's steal on Cabell

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Gaiman's steal on Cabell

1paradoxosalpha
Bewerkt: jun 30, 2021, 6:17 pm

Because of its tv implications, this recent blog post by Neil Gaiman seems to have had legs on the 'net lately. What struck me, of course, was the opening anecdote where he describes picking up nice signed Storisende volumes for $10 apiece--a priority buy when he was feeling more flush than usual because of a book advance.

2Crypto-Willobie
jun 30, 2021, 9:47 pm

Cool.

And of course those Storisendes have real signatures -- they just look like autosigns. See here: http://www.silverstallion.karkeeweb.com/notes_essays/storisende.html

3elenchus
jul 1, 2021, 11:32 am

Gaiman does seem to have retained his interest in early influences, including Cabell of course, which I respect.

4dscottn
jul 2, 2021, 2:52 pm

I have a malfunctioning keyboard right now; cutting and pasting something with slight editing is easier***

Early May 2020, for an old friend, I wrote a quick version of my short conversations with Neil Gaiman, and what I did about them.

"At the time Good Omens was published, it was easier to meet and talk to Neil. At a benefit signing for the book, I mentioned one of his (and my) favorite authors, James Branch Cabell, and we were off and talking. Having noted his frustration at never finding some of Cabell's books, next time he was appearing near by, I brought along some of my spare copies, several of which were ones he did not have. The third time he saw me first and came to me, immediately asking my opinion of Lord Dunsany, about whom he is less enthusiastic, and then wanting to talk G.K. Chesterton, whom he loves. At a Comic event, this conversation was not pleasing others and his friends pretty much dragged him away. The final time I saw him in '93, I had located one more Cabell book for him he had specifically mentioned. Such a wonderfully nice man, so engaging and intelligent. I feel blessed for my total of 15 minutes of yammering away with him about obscure authors."

That about sums it up, but I remember a bit more about our conversations, more Cabell specific in interest. I'm trying to pull it together and checking my chronology, hoping to write something for the Rabble. ***

1993 is too early for the last time I talked to him, more likely 1995. When I brought him a box of spare Cabells, he was reluctant, not quite sure that I wasn't trying to sell them, or just crazy. But I had a couple spare Storisende copies, and he said "Maybe look at these. You KNOW these are signed, don't you?" I had already found a set at that point. I think he took Storisende Chivalry and Straws and Prayer Books, The Saint Johns and maybe a couple Kalkis. The book he was trying to find was "There Were Two Pirates." When I gave him a copy a year or two later, he said something like "I like to leave one book unread for authors," and he had chosen "Devil's Own Dear Son." I recommended reading that instead of "There Were Two Pirates."

5Crypto-Willobie
jul 2, 2021, 3:46 pm

Nice Gaiman story!
I agree with you about Two Pirates vs. Dear Son.

He seems to have taken some of the inspiration for American Gods from the scene in The High Place where disenfranchised gods from various civilizations sit around and commiserate with each other.