The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes 3 pts

 According to Joyce Saricks in “The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction”, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman epic would qualify as literature. By her definition “literary fiction often involves a concern with social commentary, political criticism, or reflection on the human condition, with a focus on "introspective, in-depth character studies" of "interesting, complex and developed" characters.” Sandman has all of these. While somewhat disorganized as the beginning of the great story, "Preludes and Nocturnes", volume one of ten, follows the king of the dream world as he recovers his powers. In the process, readers see an abuse of power that pushes people to their psychological limits. While trapped in the diner, people descend into madness by various means and we learn about each of their interpersonal struggles. Some have financial concerns, others wrestle with sexuality, and more resort to violence; the line between dream and reality gets blurred, and we can see the effects of sleep deprivation in a fictional setting. Gaiman also incorporates elements from other mythos, which he often does. This story introduces characters like Lucifer, brothers named Cain and Abel, a trinity of witches, Batman, Scarecrow, Martian Manhunter, and other characters from other stories, beyond just the Bible and the DC Universe. Prince Morpheus has a deep background and following his journey reveals his character through his struggles. There’s also a lot of visual symbolism in the rap battle scene, which may be the result of the collaboration between the writer and a variety of artists. I consider this series literature based on its elevated writing style, thought-provoking content, and cross-media application. The Sandman series has been adapted into some shows and movies and has a large following as one of Gaiman’s greatest works.

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