The Sandman

Neil Gaiman is Neil Gaiman. Picking which of his books should be on these lists is kind of like picking the best Queen song. They're (mostly) brilliant, so it comes down to taste. But The Sandman is one of those compulsory fantasy reads – even if it is a graphic novel.Why it's on this listThe artwork is unlike anything else you'll find in a comic book. Sometimes it's difficult to make out, but every page enhances the story in a way that text-only titles can't. If you're not able to appreciate the skill behind the art, you're as wrong as Donald Trump's toupee.The Sandman isn't for everyone, but any true fan of the genre (and how far it can stretch the imagination) should at least give it a try. Fantasy fans are dreamers. Whatever we're reading has the potential to overwhelm the real world and pull us into an imagined one. And this is the theme at the center of The Sandman. It's a story about stories and about our relationship to the tales we experience – real or imagined.If none of that gives you the burning desire to own a copy, then Gaiman's masterful blend of horror and fantasy should do it. It's not gory horror, but it's thrilling. And books that can inspire any kind of thrill – whether it's spine chilling or something else – are why we read anything to begin with.