As an academic who has done research on Gaiman's works and taught them to my students, I enjoyed the discussions the editors selected for this collection. Essays that really resonated with me and my interests were Fairest of All: Snow White and Gendered Power in "Snow, Glass, Apples" and The Power of the Perky: The Feminist Rhetoric of Death.

If you are looking for a thoughtful look at Gaiman's works (cutting across his graphic novels, short stories, and poetry, this collection is one you should check out. ( )

Good introduction for academics, Women's Studies students, lit majors, or anyone interested in a new perspective on Gaiman's works. ( )

Neil Gaiman has been considered a feminist author by many for most of his career. His stories are complex, metafictional fables that not only include many well-written women, but difficult and complex situations. In this collection, Drucker and Prescott compile an assortment of essays examining the feminist interpretations of a number of his works. While about half deal with his Sandman series, the rest explores a wide array of stories, from Coraline and Black Orchid to obscure shorter tales and more.

This is in no way meant to be an introduction to feminist theory. That said, as relative novice to the field, I, found most of the essays thought-provoking in the least, if not enlightening. They tended to add a greater depth to aspects of Gaiman's stories, most of which I know quite well, while also exposing the reader to a number of concepts that are well worth further study. For the most part, these essays agree with the statement that Gaiman writes as a feminist, but they do broach the fact that many of the best examples are difficult pieces, dealing with satire and contradiction. My only regret is that none of the stories focus on The Game of You storyline from Sandman, the one instance where I have had people claim that Gaiman was writing from a sexist perspective. Perhaps with a little research, I can find something that matches the erudition of this collection. ( )

This collection of academic essays covers a broad range of feminism in Neil Gaiman’s works. While there is a heavy focus of his comics, many novels and other works are mentioned and the broad range of feminist perspectives and topics more than make up for it. Some of the topics covered are: femininity, the male gaze, age discrimination, rape, and motherhood. Neil Gaiman has often been considered a feminist because of his strong female characters, but these essays go deeper than just exploring whether or not Gaiman’s writing can be considered feminist. A solid companion to any Neil Gaiman collection and good read for anyone interested in feminism in modern literature. ( )

This collections of essay deals with the treatment of women in the works of Neil Gaiman. Gaiman has long been considered a feminist by many based on the prevalence of strong women in his novels and comics. The collected essays explore whether or not this is an appropriate label and just what form his brand of feminism takes. The emphasis in this collection is on his comics resume (especially The Sandman) but a few of his novels, short stories, and his first Doctor Who script come into play as well.

I don't read many critical essays these days, but I found this collection to be very well put together and interesting enough to keep my attention. While I do consider myself to be a Neil Gaiman fan, I am by no means an expert. I wouldn't recommend this collection to the casual reader; but if the title is enough to hook your interest, you'll probably enjoy it as I did. ( )