American Gods
Cover of first edition (hardcover)
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| Author | Neil Gaiman |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | William Morrow, Headline |
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Publication date
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19 June 2001 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 465 pages |
| Awards | Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2002) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 46393953 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PR6057.A319 A84 2001 |
| Followed by | Anansi Boys |
American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by English author Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on the mysterious and taciturn Shadow. Several of the themes touched upon in the book were previously glimpsed in The Sandman comic book series.
The book was published in 2001 by Headline in the United Kingdom and by William Morrow in the United States. A special tenth anniversary edition, with the "author's preferred text" and including an additional 12,000 words, was published by William Morrow in June 2011. The text is identical to the signed and numbered limited edition that was released by Hill House Publishers in 2003. This version of the text has also been in print from Headline, Gaiman's publisher in the UK since 2005. The tenth anniversary edition marks the first time the author's preferred text has been available in wide release outside the UK. Gaiman also did a very extensive sold-out book tour celebrating the tenth anniversary and promoting this book in 2011.
There are two audio versions of the book, the first one an unabridged version of the original published edition, read by George Guidall, released in 2001 and a full cast audiobook version of the tenth anniversary edition with the author's preferred text including the 12,000 additional words, released in 2011. Both were produced and published by Harper Audio. The full cast audiobook project also was announced on Neil Gaiman's blog with a contest in which people could submit audio auditions and the winner would get an all expense paid trip to New York City to record a part for the audio book.
The central premise of the novel is that gods and mythological creatures exist because people believe in them (a type of thoughtform). Immigrants to the United States brought with them spirits and gods. The power of these mythological beings has diminished as people's beliefs wane. New gods have arisen, reflecting America's obsessions with media, celebrity, technology, and drugs, among other things.
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Wikipedia