Dreaming: Through the Gates of Horn & Ivory [Paperback]

Caitlin R. Kiernan (Author), Peter Hogan (Author), Jeff Nicholson (Author), Neil Gaiman (Collaborator)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Vertigo (February 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563894939
• ISBN-13: 978-1563894930
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.4 x 10.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #769,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Caitlin R. Kiernan was born near Dublin, Ireland, but has spent most of her life in the southeastern United States. In college, she studied zoology, geology, and palaeontology, and has been employed as a vertebrate palaeontologist and college-level biology instructor. The results of her scientific research have been published in the JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALAEONTOLOGY, THE JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY and elsewhere. In 1992, she began writing her first novel, THE FIVE OF CUPS (it remained unpublished until 2003). Her first published novel, SILK (1998), earned her two awards and praise from critics and such luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and Poppy Z. Brite. Her next novel, THRESHOLD (2001), was also an award-winner, and since then she has written LOW RED MOON (2003), MURDER OF ANGELS (2004), DAUGHTER OF HOUNDS (2007), and, forthcoming, THE RED TREE. She is a prolific short fiction author, and her award-winning short stories have been collected in TALES OF PAIN AND WONDER (2000), WRONG THINGS (with Poppy Z. Brite; 2001), FROM WEIRD AND DISTANT SHORES (2002), and TO CHARLES FORT, WITH LOVE (2005), ALABASTER (2006), FROG TOES AND TENTACLES (2005), TALES FROM THE WOEFUL PLATYPUS (2007), and, most recently, the sf collection, A IS FOR ALIEN (2009). She has also scripted comics for DC/Vertigo, including THE DREAMING ('97-'01), THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE DEATH ('98), and BAST: ETERNITY GAME ('03). Her short sf novel THE DRY SALVAGES was published in 2004, and has published numerous chapbooks since 2000. Caitlin also fronted the goth-rock band Death's Little Sister in 1996-1997, once skinned a lion, and likes sushi. She lives in Providence, RI with her partner, Kathryn, and her two cats, Hubero and Smeagol. Caitlin is represented by Writer's House (NYC) and United Talent Agency (LA).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't expect it to be this good . . ., March 19, 2000

By 

Thessaly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreaming: Through the Gates of Horn & Ivory (Paperback)

but it is. It's really, really good. No, not as good as Neil Gaiman, but you couldn't have expected that. It's excellent, though. It's also a huge improvement on the first "Dreaming" anthology, Beyond The Shores of Night. Caitlin Kiernan (who wrote two story arcs in this collection made up of 3 issues each) is a worthy successor to the Sandman universe--which is not an easy thing to be--and Peter Hogan (who wrote two short stories) is close.

I shall now discuss each story. The first is "Day's Work, Night's Rest" by someone whose name I don't remember. I didn't really like this one. It started out trying to be serious (as far as I can tell), but ended up with a sort of black comedy that didn't work. And the art was really ugly. Next!

"Ice" by Peter Hogan. Ah, much better. This is the one where the story of Cluracan and his nemesis is resolved. We also get to see Nuala working as a barmaid in New York; she gets a visit from Lucien. I very much enjoyed Hogan's characterization of the Cluracan, and the art is superior.

Next is a 3-part story arc by Caitlin R. Kiernan, called "Souvenirs". It's about the Corinthian, a character I have always found fascinating. And this story is fantastic. I honestly think it ranks up with some parts of Sandman; perhaps "Collectors", only more disturbing. (Yes, more disturbing than "Collectors". This story is not for the faint of heart.) Caitlin Kiernan has a lovely and unique style. She invents words ("cricketwhisper") and makes extensive use of the word "and" to join together phrases and thoughts you wouldn't normally join together, creating startling, unconventional-sounding prose which somehow captures the mood perfectly.

Then there's another Kiernan story arc: An Unkindness of One. I didn't like this one as much, but it was still pretty cool. It's about Matthew becoming a man again temporarily, as Lucien becomes a raven again temporarily. I didn't get some of what was going on, but I think I'd have enjoyed it a lot more if I kept up with "Swamp Thing". Kiernan's prose still shines. Something to note: The f-word is probably used ten times as much in this one book than it was during the entire run of Sandman. :)

Lastly, another Peter Hogan story: My Year As A Man. This concerns Dream's raven Aristeas of Marmora (remember, "the one who came back after he was a man again"). As you may have figured out from the title, Aristeas spends a year as a man, then goes back to being a raven. It's a moderately good story, but Peter Hogan really won me over by putting Thessaly in it--quite a bit younger, and now calling herself Hypata, but still Thessaly. I was thrilled to see her again.

This collection far surpassed my expectations--particularly "Souvenirs". If you were devastated when you had no more Sandman to read, definitely check this out!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Kiernan plays well with Mr. Gaiman's characters., December 17, 1999

By 

Stephen Richmond "Librarian/Teacher/Reader an... (Newton, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dreaming: Through the Gates of Horn & Ivory (Paperback)

Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN comics series is categorically a classic in the field. Certainly, a certain trepidation about other authors mucking about with his uniquely defined characters is not only understandable, but expected. Not to worry our continuity-riddled grey matter! In this, the second collected volume of THE DREAMING comic, Caitlin Kiernan proves more than apt to the task. Here we have Gaiman archetypes like Mervyn, Matthew the Raven, Eve (yes, THAT Eve, the first one!), the Corinthian (a very bizarre dream who here deals with his addiction to eyeballs --- no twelve-step program was ever like this!), and my personal favorite, Lucien the librarian of dreams. The stories are all handsomely sophisticated with even more than a touch of Gaimanesque erudition. Additionally, while Ms. Kiernan's style, even semantics and syntax, are mindful of Mr. Gaiman, much of her prose is solely her own. As with Gaiman's masterful oeuvre, this is comics in its finest form. A grand introduction to those who have either forgotten or ever known the pleasure of comics.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost as good as THE SANDMAN!, October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dreaming: Through the Gates of Horn & Ivory (Paperback)

I bought this collection because I'm a big fan of Caitlin Kiernan's novel, SILK, and of her short fiction. I'd started reading THE DREAMING early on but dropped it after a few issues; it just wasn't anywhere near as good as its predecessor, Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN. However, since Caitlin Kiernan took over the comic has improved 100%! The stories in this collection, set in Gaiman's mythic realm of the Dream King, are Kiernan's first work on the comic (or any comic, I believe) and it's fabulous stuff. Especially her Southern Gothic/noir/horror arc, "Souvenirs." This is a must for fans of Caitlin Kiernan, Neil Gaiman, THE SANDMAN, or good dark fantasy in general.