I've got some lovely phantasies

Well, at least some of our leading fantasy writers continue to release quality books. Unlike Robert Jordan, and to a lesser degree, George RR Martin, Neil Gaiman continues to write at the top of his form. His latest, Anansi Boys, is similar to American Gods as it concerns a regular guy in the modern world who learns that he is related to deities. The book differs in a few ways. First, instead of dealing with a number of pantheons, this one deals only with African myths. Second, while it has dark elements, it is much more comic and finally, it is a bit tighter, with little downtime or excess writing.

We learn that our main character is involved in the apparently never ending contest between Spider (Anansi)* and Tiger for the control of human life. Spider is a trickster god, somewhat like the Native American coyote, who revels in good times and mischief. Tiger is a killer who usually loses to Spider. The African basis is nice, if only because the fantasy world is over-run with Tolkein like elves and orcs.

The novel is funny, but not outright silly as books like the Hitchhiker's Guide can be. This is a fine balance, but Gaiman stays on the side of comic most of the time. I think this is because Gaiman's trademark darkness lurks below the surface as the book gets funnier. The main bad guy is a bit of a buffoon which reduces his evil aspect, but should he win the situation would become quite dire for all involved. Even death can be amusing, as one character ends up as a ghost with a variety of adventures.

I felt that American Gods could get a bit slow in places, but this one flies along. The pacing is just about perfect. It isn't one of these ready-for-movie-script books, like Chrichton seems to favor these days. Gaiman just keeps the story moving. All in all, this is a really good read.

*According to the wiki the Brer Rabbit Tar Baby story originated in West Africa as an Anansi legend. It appears in this book too.