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.</p>

尼尔•盖曼（Neil Gaiman）

欧美文坛新一代幻想文学大师，文学魔术界的精灵王子，畅销小说作家，无数奖项的获得者。他集记者、诗人、词作者、编剧和导演于一身，将想象、趣味与智慧完美结合，被《文学传记辞典》誉为十大后现代作家之一。

他二十七岁开始文学创作，卓越的才华很快为其赢得了许多殊荣。《睡神》系列的《仲夏夜之梦》一举赢得了世界奇幻奖。之后的《美国众神》可谓幻想类文学的奇葩，先后获得雨果奖、星云奖及布拉姆•斯托克奖，成为了盖曼的代表作。源源不断的灵感赋予了他更大的创作热情，此后，《卡罗琳》和《绿字的研究》两获雨果奖，前者也再度问鼎布拉姆•斯托克奖。

如今，尼尔•盖曼更是好莱坞的宠儿和许多制片人眼中的金童。其作品很多都被搬上了银幕，《蜘蛛男孩》、《镜面具》、《乌有乡》、《星尘》等皆有不俗反响。正是像尼尔•盖曼这样的说故事大师，让原本昙花一现的故事元素有了不断的轮回，有了绵亘的新生。