American Gods

Year: 2000

Abstract:
Shadow is a recent ex-con who is on his way home early to his wife's funeral. On the way he meets an odd man named Wednesday who offers him a job. Through all the talk of approaching storms and visits by his late wife, Shadow begins working in the midst of the world of the gods.

Advanced Mind
Exploration/Quest
Military/Fighting
Horror
Magic
Advanced Technology
Time Travel/Alternate History
Science
Aliens/Beasties
Contemporality

Other books in this series:
None

tyranist's Review
I wanted to rush out and pick this one up as soon as I heard it had been published. Based on my experience with Gaiman's books, I knew that I would at least be intrigued if not wholly entertained.
One of Gaiman's talents lies in the creation of mythos. Here he has borrowed heavily from the world's different cultures to bring together what could really only be a uniquely American mythos. Few have even tried something on the scale of what Gaiman does and even fewer have succeeded.
I was captured by the ideas and the solid narrative up until the end, and even though there is a little let down there, it really doesn't seem to matter. The ride has been so enjoyable that any ending would probably feel the same. As much as I loved Shadow, I am wondering now if there could be another book featuring him. At the moment, the answer is probably not.
A very modern fantasy, this won't appeal to a lot of traditional fantasy readers, but if you like your plots a little darker and your settings contemporary, have a go at this one.

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