The release date for the English version of 'The Sandman: The Dream Hunters' by
Neil Gaiman is Jan 2000. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
Fans of the Sandman can consider themselves fortunate that, when researching his translation of Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki, renowned fantasy author Neil Gaiman stumbled onto the mystical realm of Japanese stories. He met Yoshitaka Amano, his illustrator for the eleventh Sandman book, at the same time he was getting ready for the Sandman 10th anniversary. The renowned Final Fantasy game series creator is Amano. Sandman: Dream Hunters is a traditional Japanese narrative (derived from "The Fox, the Monk, and the Mikado of All Night's Dreaming") that Gaiman has quietly transformed into his Sandman world. It is the result of his absorption in Japanese art, culture, and history.
Like most fables, this one starts with a bet between two envious creatures, a badger and a fox: who can scare the young monk away from his lonely temple? The victor will transform the temple into a new badger or fox den. She falls in love with the monk, however, as the fox takes on a female shape in an attempt to win him over from his solitude. Meanwhile, in distant Kyoto, the affluent Master of Yin-Yang, the onmyoji, suffers from anxiety and finds peace in his wizardry. After learning of the monk's inner tranquility, he sends demons to haunt the man in his nightmares and ultimately murder him in order to bring the monk's peace to the onmyoji. When the fox hears the demons heading for the monk, she becomes envious of the guy and starts fighting to defend him.
Dream Hunters comes in a lovely bundle. This book is designed to be a sensual read, from the endpapers that have been painted with an inkbrush to the vibrant page layouts that include Amano's gate-fold picture of Morpheus among a sea of reds, oranges, and violets. In recent years, Gaiman has honed his literary style with tales and books like Neverwhere and Stardust. His storytelling evokes a timeless and magical quality that subtly upholds this mature fairy tale. The book's small length is the sole letdown in this instance. A lengthier tale with more epic scope may be even more appropriate for this brilliant team. In fact, Amano makes a suggestion on the last page of Dream Hunters that he would work with Mr. Gaiman on future projects. Readers of Dream Hunters will hope that Amano's dream comes true. **Sean O'Kelley