Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

Neil Gaiman's novel Neverwhere proved to fans and critics alike that he truly deserves the distinction of being listed along with Thomas Pynchon and William Burroughs as one of the Top Ten Post Modern Writers in America by the Dictionary of Literary Biography. His mythic, award-winning graphic novel series "The Sandman" has been hailed by Norman Mailer as "a comic strip for intellectuals."

Now, in his latest book, Smoke and Mirrors, Gaiman dazzles the senses with a collection of short stories and poems that will move readers to the depths of their souls. Over the course of 30 tales, Gaiman takes readers on a wild ride from roving werewolves to Yellow Pages-listed assassins to the astrologically tuned groundskeepers at a run-down Los Angeles hotel. In typical Gaiman fashion, the "Renaissance man of the '90s" comes through with a collection guaranteed to slake the thirst of every fan (the list of which includes Tad Williams, Tori Amos, and the band Metallica).

Barnesandnoble.com welcomed cult hero Neil Gaiman to the Auditorium for a discussion of his new book, Smoke and Mirrors. Gaiman continued the fascinating dialogue with his numerous fans that began in his previous chat with barnesandnoble.com.