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This is an exceptional tale. And the idea of this tale, the central concept, might even be better than the tale itself. Yet, it’s still a masterfully-written, wonderful book, which tells you just how fantastic a concept it is. It was published in 2001 and won the 2002 Hugo and Nebula (and yes, I’m just now reading it). I read the ten-year anniversary edition with the extra 12,000 words.

Compared to Europe, America has no mythology and hardly a history. Norse mythology can be traced back to the 13th century. Sources for Irish Folklore have been dated to the 11th or 12th century, but oral history might be as old as the 6th century. Greek myths date all the way back to 18th century B.C. The central theme of American Gods is that while Europe has old, strong, powerful gods, America is not a good land for gods. Yes, immigrants brought their beliefs with them and, in a sense, created weak incantations of the European gods. You see in Gaiman’s universe, a facsimile of a European god could exist simply due to the beliefs of settlers. This backdrop allows Gaiman to create a rich story of god and god-like characters that exist solely due to worship and idolization, whether that be an incarnation of an ancient god such as Oden, or the create of a new god, such as media or technology.

The plot is that a small group of new gods (technology boy, media, and the intangibles � modern stock market worship), along with the help of Black Hats, sort of government thugs, are plotting to overthrow the old gods, who are becoming ever weaker due to fading beliefs. Our protagonist is Shadow Moon, an ex-con, who is hired by an old god, mysteriously named, “Mr. Wednesday�. Mr. Wednesday assisted by Shadow is journeying across the country to gather support of the old gods for an impending battle against the new gods. This plot allows Gaiman to explore the county and provides rich locations from “The House On the Rock� in Wisconsin, to Las Vegas, to the meatpacking yards of Chicago, and to Rock City (See Rock City!).

While Gaiman’s appreciation of the new world shows through, especially in small town America, he by no means pulls any punches concerning the vices, corruption, and depravity of America. Shadow spends time in a small Wisconsin town, which Gaiman lovingly describes, but underneath there are dark forces at work, even in this simple place. He explores the historical horrors of slavery, native American atrocities, the sex trade, as well as the modern greed and gluttony of Las Vegas and the Stock Market. I was surprised that Gaiman missed our Sports worship, as this would have made another excellent and interesting new god. So, this is no whitewashed love letter of America, but I still took away a sense of appreciation of small-town America and the amazing blend of cultures in the United States.

The journey though America and the interaction with the supernatural allowed Gaiman to fully display his mastery of language. At times the prose is almost lyrical or poetic. At others it’s purposely pedestrian and workmanlike, which creates a differentiation between the ordinary events and the mystical occurrences.

I knew this book was good, based on its awards and reputation which often leads to high expectations and disappointment for me. Well, not in this case. I enjoyed it, I admired it, and I respected it. It deserves all the awards and acclaim it received, imho. I read that Gaiman actually toured the U.S. while writing this book and that makes it even more epic in my mind. America may not have as rich, long, or complex lore, mythology, or legend as Europe, but Gaiman adds a bit to our nation’s tale. Ultimately, it’s an amazingly inventive and masterful story.