Neil Gaiman Recommends!

Over at One Grand Books, Neil Gaiman selects his top ten favourites – and we’re delighted to feature strongly!

At Number 9, Neil chooses Roger Zelazny‘s Hugo-winning Lord of Light (which was the novel at the heart of an audacious CIA hostage-rescue operation, as dramatised in Ben Affleck’s Argo!).

Not strictly speaking a Gateway book or Masterwork, but Joe Hill‘s Horns, published by our sister imprint, Gollancz, is at Number 6. Joe Hill is an extraordinary writer and well worth getting acquianted with. It might soubnd like a prophecy out of an epic fantasy, but he truly has the blood of Kings flowing through his veins.

At Number 2 is a book Neil Gaiman has spoken of in glowing terms many times: Hope Mirlees‘ Lud-in-the-Mist, which he describes as ‘my favourite fairy tale/detective novel/history/fantasy’.

And at Number 1 is a book we find it very hard to argue with: Shadow and Claw, the first half of Gene Wolfe‘s magnificent The Book of the New Sun. Described by Neil as ‘The best science fiction novel of the last century’, The Book of the New Sun – comprising The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch – has won just about every SFF award it’s possible to win.

Well, what are you waiting for?  You’ve just had your holiday reading list compiled for you by one of the greats of modern fantasy – get reading!