The View From The Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman

 

In this anthology, author Neil Gaiman gives us an oblique view of his life.  It is not a direct retelling of life events, born on this date, attended this school, etc.  Rather it is a sharing of his life through books.  He starts by sharing how he felt as a young man when he discovered science fiction and fantasy, how he felt that finally there was someone else who felt as he did and that shared his worldview.  He talks about the books that influenced him and the authors who wrote them.  As the book progresses, he moves on to talk about his own works, what he was doing at that time in his life, how each work fits into his research and enthusiasms.  He talks about his friends who are other authors and visual designers and about all the mediums that people use to create art.

The book is full of short pieces that were speeches he gave as keynote speaker at various conventions, graduations or book launches.  There are pieces that are introductions to other people's books.  There are pieces that talk about events happening in the world such as the Syrian refugee crisis.  There are pieces that talk a bit about his children or his wife.

One thing that was so evident and that made me like the author even more was his innate generosity. When discussing another author's book or movie, he talks about the wonder that they instill and how their unique view of the world is a magical transport for readers.  There is not a mean-spirited piece in this long collection and the reader will finish admiring Neil Gaiman not only as an author but as a human being.  This book is recommended for nonficiton and fantasy readers.