This is the definitive exploration of the Sandman mythology. It is an extraordinary study of the Sandman phenomenon, collecting essays of criticism, exploration and appreciation written by young scholars from multiple disciplines. Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" is a unique work in the history of graphic literature. A mass-circulation comic book, it caught and held the attention of serious readers, moving beyond its popular appeal to become a staple of students and teachers from subjects ranged across the academic landscape. Sanders has gathered together 12 exemplary essays examining the "Sandman" ethos. The first half of the collection addresses aspects of "Sandman" in order of publication, with individual essays discussing particular episodes or story arcs. The second half widens in scope and examines the "Sandman" stories in relation to Gaiman's oeuvre and the works of other writers, or look at the ways in which Gaiman's stories relate to other genres and to social and cultural constructions prevailing in the Western world. Each grapples with questions of how script and art combine to make "Sandman" an especially complex, rewarding comic.
With no comparable volume available anywhere on the market, "The Sandman Papers" is both a first and a must in the Sandman universe: a compendium of intelligent literary responses to a work of genius.