The View From The Cheap Seats

By Neil Gaiman

William Morrow

Whether writing awarding winning comics, fantasy, children’s books or Doctor Who, Neil Gaiman remains one of today’s most prolific writers. In his new book, the English born writer (who now resides in the USA) takes a respite from creating magical characters to compile his first compendium of nonfiction, The View From The Cheap Seats.

A frequent essayist, reviewer, critic and social commentator, Gaiman has (finally) assembled a broad pastiche of his nonfiction into a one-volume collection that solidifies his stature as a genre-breaking writer whose impressive body of work never fails to be scintillating.

The book covers a gamut of topics from the importance of libraries to the plight of Syrian refugees. But don't let the serious tone fool you, Gaiman's selections include a lot of geeky fun too as Gaiman writes enthusiastically about comic books, television and films. 

There’s a lot here to digest but it is well worth it. There are speeches, columns, essays and reviews of films, books, music, movies, comics and so much more. Most importantly he delves deeply into about the importance of writing while paying tribute to his influences and collaborators, which include everyone from Harlan Ellison and Ray Bradbury to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. 

Like any good writer Gaiman is a master of taking the world around him and bringing it to his audience in a fresh and invigorating way. As a result, The View From The Cheap Seats uses spot on commentaries on our society and its popular culture to reveal a more complete portrait of the author as a person.