It would be unlikely for anyone with a subscription to a streaming platform not to have encountered the influence of Neil Gaiman in some shape or form, writes “Streaming” columnist NICK OVERALL. 

ENGLISH author Neil Gaiman’s tales of mythical beings let loose in the real world have not only seen his books sit on best-seller shelves for years, but also created a gold mine for a new generation of television.

Take “American Gods”, Amazon Prime’s series about ancient, magical deities locked in battle with the “gods” of the new world: technology, social media and the internet. 

Based on Gaiman’s best-selling 2001 novel, the intriguing blend of fantasy, mythology, drama and woes of the modern age served up in the scenery of a contorted US has created a steadfast cult following for the series.

Amazon Prime also boasts the adaptation of “Good Omens”, Gaiman’s comedic collaboration with Terry Pratchett about a finicky angel and hedonistic demon who team up to track down the antichrist and thwart a looming armageddon.

The author’s talents extend far beyond that, though.

The animated film adaptation of his creepy children’s book “Coraline” will be seared into the memory of many a young moviegoer whose parents mistakenly thought something, let’s say, more “Disneyish”, would be in store. (The button eyes still make me shudder).

Gaiman’s play, “The Ocean at the End of the Lane”, has also recently hit the stage in London, he’s translated popular Japanese anime into English and even served as a writer for a string of popular episodes of “Doctor Who”.

But it’s Netflix that’s got its hands on the latest Gaiman-derived hit, and it takes things right back to the work that would serve as the start of the author’s path to literary renown.

“The Sandman”, now streaming on the platform as a 10-part-series, is based on Gaiman’s ‘90s comic book of the same name and tells the story of Morpheus, the king of dreams, and his quest to save his kingdom of Dreaming.

Considering the high-flown nature of such a work, it perhaps no surprise that for years the graphic novel has been whacked with the label of “unfilmable”.

Attempts to get it to the screen have failed since 1991, but Netflix, undoubtedly spurred on by the success of their other genre-heavy hits such as “The Witcher”, have now given it a red-hot-crack.

At the outset, many may find the premise of Gaiman’s fiction too lofty to capture interest, but the author’s ability to keep things profoundly human are what keeps fans coming back.

Like the stories of Greek and Norse mythology which Gaiman so heavily draws on, these tales of gods and heroes are ultimately reflections of our own dreams and nightmares.

“The Sandman” may on the surface be a story of a deity who seeks to restore order to his kingdom that he finds transformed during his century-long imprisonment but, more poignantly, it’s a parable of someone coming to terms with the inevitability of change. 

Keen Gaiman fans will also be excited by “The Sandman” through its tie-in with another television icon, “Lucifer”.

Gaiman’s comic was also the genesis of this darkly comic series that sees Satan himself move to LA to open a nightclub after growing tired of dwelling in hell.

The show, originally axed by the Fox network after three seasons, had amassed such a following that #SaveLucifer became a number one trending topic on Twitter, causing Netflix to step in to save it from cancellation.

All of this has led Gaiman’s niche of work to hit blockbuster proportions, giving it a new, distinctly recognisable feel in modern pop-culture.

The wordsmith himself put it best in a recent interview with “The Guardian”, where he said “I can’t do superheroes, but I can do gods”.

By today’s standards, one wonders how different they really are.