Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions - Softcover

9780380789023: Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
In the deft hands of Neil Gaiman, magic is no mere illusion... and anything is possible. In this, Gaiman's first book of short stories, his imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders -- a place where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks. Explore a new reality -- obscured by smoke and darkness, yet brilliantly tangible -- in this extraordinary collection of short works by a master prestidigitator. It will dazzle your senses, touch your heart, and haunt your dreams.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
This anthology of short stories, and the occasional story poem, is vintage Neil Gaiman: quirky, sometimes very funny, often dark and disturbing. Most have been published before, but are hard to find elsewhere and cover all of Gaiman's writing life. As Gaiman says in his introduction, "most of the stories in this book are about love in some form or another," but not requited love. The stories in Smoke and Mirrors touch on all of Gaiman's themes: sex, death, dreams, and the end of the world. From "Chivalry," about the Holy Grail and where it finally ended up, to "Troll Bridge," a very adult version of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff"; from "Bay Wolf," a story poem that melds Beowulf and Baywatch, with interesting results, to "Murder Mysteries," which is about a murder, but also about angels, God's will, and Evil, these stories leave lasting impressions. Fans of Ray Bradbury's short stories and of Gaiman's other works will enjoy this collection. --Nona Vero
About the Author:

Neil Gaiman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Norse Mythology, Neverwhere, and The Graveyard Book. Among his numerous literary awards are the Newbery and Carnegie medals, and the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner awards. Originally from England, he now lives in America.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherWilliam Morrow Paperbacks
  • Publication date2005
  • ISBN 10 0380789027
  • ISBN 13 9780380789023
  • BindingMass Market Paperback
  • Number of pages368
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780755322831: Smoke and Mirrors

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780755322831
Publisher: Headline Review, 2005
Softcover

  • 9780061450167: Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

    Harper..., 2008
    Softcover

  • 9780380973644: Smoke & Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

    Willia..., 1998
    Hardcover

  • 9780063075696: Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions

    Willia..., 2021
    Softcover

  • 9780747263685: Smoke and Mirrors

    Headline, 2000
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Seller Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by Avon (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Soft Cover Quantity: 10
Seller:
booksXpress
(Bayonne, NJ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9780380789023

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 8.84
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Seller Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by Avon Books 8/30/2005 (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Paperback or Softback Quantity: 5
Seller:
BargainBookStores
(Grand Rapids, MI, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback or Softback. Condition: New. Smoke and Mirrors 0.41. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9780380789023

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 9.02
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by William Morrow (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Softcover Quantity: > 20
Seller:
Lakeside Books
(Benton Harbor, MI, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Brand New! Not Overstocks or Low Quality Book Club Editions! Direct From the Publisher! We're not a giant, faceless warehouse organization! We're a small town bookstore that loves books and loves it's customers! Buy from Lakeside Books!. Seller Inventory # OTF-Y-9780380789023

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 5.10
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Seller Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Softcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GreatBookPrices
(Columbia, MD, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 3373459-n

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 6.82
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 2.64
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by Harper Collins Publishers (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Softcover Quantity: > 20
Seller:
INDOO
(Avenel, NJ, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Brand New. Seller Inventory # 0380789027

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 7.02
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Seller Image

Neil Gaiman
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc (2020)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Paperback Quantity: 1
Seller:
Grand Eagle Retail
(Wilmington, DE, U.S.A.)

Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The astonishing and impressive first collection of short stories from New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman An elderly widow finds the Holy Grail beneath an old fur coat in a second-hand store . . . A stray cat fights and refights a nightly battle to protect his adoptive family from an unimagiable evil . . .A young couple receives a wedding gift that will reveal a chilling alternate history of their marriage . . .Beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks, a frightened little boy bargains for his life with a most persistent troll . . .Such miraculous inventions and more await within Neil Gaiman's first collection of short fiction, a gift of wonder and delight from one of the most unique literary artists of our day. In his capable hands, magic is no mere illusion, but a powerful means to reveal the nature of our humanity obscured in the smoke of our fears and anxieties . . . and reflected in the funhouse mirrors of our dreams. Now available in mass market is the definitive collection of short stories that reveals one of the world's most gifted fantasy writers at the peak of his form. Includes a sneak peek at Gaiman's new hardcover "Anasi Boys," available in September. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780380789023

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 11.02
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Mass Market Paperback Quantity: > 20
Seller:
Save With Sam
(North Miami, FL, U.S.A.)

Book Description Mass Market Paperback. Condition: New. Brand New!. Seller Inventory # 0380789027

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 11.49
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Softcover Quantity: > 20
Seller:
Lucky's Textbooks
(Dallas, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABLING22Oct2018170010844

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 7.53
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by William Morrow (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Mass Market Paperback Quantity: 2
Seller:
Ergodebooks
(Houston, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Mass Market Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # BKZN9780380789023

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 12.23
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Gaiman, Neil
Published by William Morrow (2005)
ISBN 10: 0380789027 ISBN 13: 9780380789023
New Unknown Quantity: 1
Seller:
Arundel Books
(Seattle, WA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Unknown. Condition: New. New. Seller Inventory # 0374993

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 7.99
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.45
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds

There are more copies of this book

View all search results for this book