OT Neil Gaiman's Sandman and Bradbury's Martian Chronicles
Xyetzt
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I opened two Christmas gifts today. Well three but one of them I can understand what it is and that is markers and colouring cards. The other two are books. One of them was the Sandman Overture The delux edition and the other one was Bradbury The Marhian Chronicles. I can tell that Sandman is a graphic novel and Martian Chronicles are short stories. Without spoiling the contents as I have not read them yet. (I just opened the presents) were they good presents? I do not know much about either.
This might be a stupid question, were these good gifts?
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Yes. Yes they are. Very good presents - thank whoever gave them to you.
For starters, I was alwyas told that you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, in other words be gratehul that you have presents.
Bradbury, who can go wrong with Bradbury, he was one of the masters of Science Fiction, THe other book I am not so au fait with, but it had good press.
And real books, always good presents books are, Curl up in a comfi chair on a cold chilly night and read a good book, nothing better.
I am biased, I love reading, so pretty much anything to read is good in my opinion. Not sure I have read the Martian Chronciles, but have read some, at least, of the Sandman graphic novels and I enjoyed them, also read a few of Gaiman's books and thoroughly enoyed those.
Yes, you and me both. I think there must be approaching 1000 books in this house. I fell in love with books at the age of about 3 or 3½, because having an older brother I inheritited his first books, and he helped me to learn to read them, so I was already reading when I started school, found the Library in town at around 5 , was promoted out of the infants section pdq, was reading young teens books at around 10 or so, and then, once I went to Grammar school well, the world was my oyster. At 16 we were given a prescribed reading list of authors to study for A levels, and one of them was D H Lawrence. I wonder if you can guess which was the most popular of his books that all the 16 year olds wanted to get their grubby hands on.
True I am thankful for the gifts. I am grateful that I have presents. I am glad that these are good books.
MArtian Chronicles is one of THE classics of science fiction.
As for Sandman Overture...I haven't read it yet. It's a prologue (written after fact) to Gaiman's Sandman, concidered one of the greatest comic series of call time (and possibly to be a movie in the near future).
I just haven't gotten around to it, but I've read most of Neil's stuff and had dinner with him once where he discussed Doctor Who, Absolutely Fabulous while eating moroccan food while watching belly dancers.
I totally agree with this.
Overture was spell binding. I loved that book!
That sounds interesting. Is Overture recently out? I might treat myself for my birthday when it comes up in a few months.
Unfortunately I'm old enough to remember that "The Martian Chronicles" is a classic but too old to remember if I even read it or not, because I can't think of a single story from it.
I'd probaby remember one if someone told me the plot. However, I must have read it because I read EVERY sci-fi book on the shelves in my High School. 
But I do know that Ray Bradbury is always worth reading. But remember I read it when the ink was still wet. 
The other book you mentioned does not ring a bell for me at all. But if it's relatively new I may have missed it. After High School my reading of sci-fi slowed waaaay down. However, I did read the first six "Dune" books (the ones actually written by Frank Herbert) and recently went back and re-read all of Isaac Azimov's "Foundation" series. Classics each in their own way.
I stalked..uhm, I mean, I met Neil Gaiman at a comic con once. I almost couldn't speak, I was so flustered. I think my avatar and user name sum up how I feel about "The Sandman." Neil Gaiman is one of the very best story tellers ever to grace out planet, and you can never go wrong with Bradbury either. Very nice gifts you got there.
Martian Chronicles is indeed a collection of more-or-less related short stories. Often dramatized or adapted into other forms. Classic stuff, but do not expect them to form a real 'narrative' sort of chronicle. A pity it is not real well remembered nowadays; does someone want to come up with Genesis 3 morphs for those dark golden-eyed Martians? Well, you don't need those to do Mars is Heaven, I suppose.
Neil Gaiman is incredibly literate. His writing is way beyond what anyone might expect from graphic novels. Like Mark Twain, even his worst writing is pretty worthwhile.