The Sandman Vol. 6  (English, Paperback, Gaiman Neil)

Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, delves into the minds of several historical characters in this 6th volume of Neil Gaiman’s epic graphic novel series: Sandman: Fables and Reflections.

Summary of the Book

In this collection of short stories, Dream encounters historical figures, delving into their psyche as he meets them.

Fear of Falling

A theatrical actor/director begins to feel anxiety about the outcome of his new play. Success or failure, the outcome can make or break his career.

Three Septembers and a January

Dream is challenged to keep Joshua Abraham Norton, the first and last Emperor of the U.S., locked in his realm forever. However Dream has no intention of fulfilling Desire’s demands.

Thermidor

Right in the midst of the French Revolution, Lady Johanna Constantine does Dream a favour: smuggling a human head!

The Hunt

When a young man seeks out the daughter of a Duke, he is thwarted by several people, including Lucien, the Librarian of Dream himself.

August

August Caesar takes the advice he heard in a dream to dress up as a beggar once a year to prevent the Gods from spying on him. Little does Augustus realize that his mysterious benefactor is the Lord of Dreams himself.

Soft Places

A young boy is lost in the desert, stumbling upon a realm where dreams and the waking world are not clearly differentiated. There, he encounters, among others, Morpheus. The young boy has no way of knowing how the wayward Lord of Dreams is going to help him change his life and earn the name he was born with: the name of Marco Polo.

The Parliament of Rooks

Daniel Hall discovers the fates of Adam’s three wives and how Cain and Abel live in the Dreaming.

Ramadan

Told and lettered in the Arabic tradition, this story relates the life of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, the Lord of Baghdad. In his moments of doubt at his city’s impermanence, he demands that Morpheus show himself, drawing the Lord of Dreams out. He asks Morpheus to take over the city and make its perfection permanent. Morpheus agrees but the Caliph discovers that no one makes better and more unreliable promises than the Lord of Dreams.

About Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is one of the most popular fantasy fiction writers currently writing today. He is well known for creating and writing the story of the Sandman series of graphic novels. He has also written several novels, including Stardust, Neverwhere, Anansi Boys and American Gods.

Collectors’ Note

This volume includes the following single-issue short stories:

#29: Distant Mirrors: Thermidor

#30: Distant Mirrors: August

#31: Distant Mirrors: Three Septembers and a January

#38 Convergence: The Hunt

#39: Convergence: Soft Places

#40: Convergence: The Parliament of Rooks

#50: Distant Mirrors: Ramadan

Sandman Special: The Song of Orpheus

Vertigo Promotional Comic: Fear of Falling

Media Note

The Sandman series is being adapted into a film, adapted by David S. Goyer.

Series Reading Order

This title follows A Game of You, the fifth volume in the series. Dream’s younger sister convinces him to join her on a quest: for their missing brother, Destruction. Continue the journey in Brief Lives, the next book in the series.