this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
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Warning, this story is really horrific and will be heartbreaking for any fans of his, but Neil Gaiman is a sadistic [not in the BDSM sense] sexual predator with a predilection for very young women.

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[–] Roflmasterbigpimp@lemmy.world 76 points 2 weeks ago (30 children)

Jesus fucking Christ.

I have not read anything from Gaiman, but I can see that lots of People really liked his books and the Person he showed the world.

So I just want to say, I'm really sorry for all of you. Even though Gaiman can rot in Hell, I feel sad for people who just got their favorite Books and stories poisoned.

[–] Badeendje@lemmy.world 22 points 2 weeks ago (15 children)

Why though? He is a sack of shit and can rot in hell for all I care.. his art can still be enjoyed. Having him take that way means he has even more power.

I would suggest obtaining it in ways that do not give him new money... Like buying books second hand.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago (11 children)

In this specific case, it's really difficult because, as the article talks about in the beginning, his stories were often viewed as being feminist (and progressive in other ways), but when you re-read them, you can start getting a sense of the monster that was hiding.

[–] bawdy@sh.itjust.works 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I've been a fan of his for a very long time - decades. I enjoyed the dark part of the dark humour and the commentaey on humanity.

He has an excellent book called the sleeper and the spindle. It is a beautifully crafted and illustrated book clearly targeted at young women. It feels like art, and I genuinely celebrate it for what it is, a feminist retelling of Cinderella, where the celebrated main character is....how do I put it - both good, and effective. Not empowered, or brave, or glossy, but competent and certain. It is a version of feminism I see in those pragmatic, excellent women who do valuable, notable and productive things.

I don't see any echoes of a monster any moreso than any fantasy writer who holds up a chipped and scratched mirror to the human condition. And that is the profoundly sad thing here. I believe you can be two things at once and that as a story, without his name attached to it, sleeper and the spindle should be something young people can read and enjoy and make them think a bit differently.

This isn't a shoulder shrug and wave off of his actions. I can't forgive him his cruel treatment of vulnerable people who cared for him, trusted him and wanted to please him. It is abhorrent.

What I'm trying to say is mud and gold come from the same hole.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Well for example, all of the sexual (and other) violence in the 24-Hour Diner part of The Sandman takes on a very different connotation now. Because now I know he's responsible for such things. He was writing from experience.

[–] naught101@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I dunno, I thought it was pretty fucked up first time around too.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It was fucked up, but within the context of the comic, it was fucked up because a horrific and insane person was doing it.

Now it turns out, Gaiman was also doing it. But he didn't need magic powers because he had real power.

[–] Jamablaya@lemmy.today 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

He did have a Sandman story where a a writer who claimed to be a male feminist is raping a muse to be a good writer. Even the first time I read that years ago seemed a little on the nose, but I thought Gaiman was just making fun of himself in a dark way, and yeah I guess I wasn't wrong.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They mention that in the article and yeah, upon reflection that's pretty fucking sick.

[–] Jamablaya@lemmy.today 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Didn't make it that far, not a fan of detailed rape descriptions

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I honestly do not blame you. This goes beyond even (I hate to call it this) common rape. This is absolutely deranged behavior even for a rapist. I read things I cannot unread.

[–] perestroika@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago

I don’t see any echoes of a monster

I think it's not possible to see that far. Ability to write good stories and ability to maintain ethical behaviour, they're probably unrelated abilities.

For example, Yevgeni Prigozhin actually wrote decent children's stories, but alas, his personal ethics didn't prevent becoming Putin's accomplice with a private military company.

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