Neil Gaiman

A popular writer of fantasy and the dreamily macabre, Gaiman created the landmark comic Sandman. The comic ran for 75 monthly episodes and was an industry phenomenon in the early 1990s. Once a popular "underground" author, Gaiman later became a mainstream success thanks to Sandman and other screenplays, short stories and novels. Gaiman's books include Good Omens (1990, co-written with Terry Pratchett) and American Gods (2001); his illustrated novel Stardust was published in four parts by DC Comics in 1997 and reprinted as a text-only novel in 1999. His fantasy mini-series Neverwhere was broadcast by the BBC in 1996; a novel by the same name was a best-seller in 1997. He also wrote the children's book The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (1997).