The Medieval Worlds of Neil Gaiman: From Beowulf to Sleeping Beauty

"Neil Gaiman is one of the most widely-known writers of the 20th and 21st centuries, having produced fiction and nonfiction, fantasy and horror, television, comics and prose. He often attributes this eclecticism to his "compost heap" approach to writing, gathering influences from life, religion, literature, and mythology. The worlds of Neil Gaiman have their roots in thousands of years of human storytelling. The Middle Ages in particular have been enormously influential in content, form, and aesthetics for many of Gaiman's works. This book offers an introduction to the idea of medievalism, how the literature and culture of the Middle Ages have been reinterpreted and repurposed over the centuries, and how the layers of interpretation have influenced Gaiman's own use of medieval material. The book examines direct and indirect influences, from Norse mythology and Beowulf to medieval romances and fairy tales, in order to provide context and background to expand and enrich one's understanding and appreciation of Gaiman's work"--