The man behind A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin praises author Neil Gaiman and Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman. Martin is best known as the author of the aforementioned series of novels that inspired HBO’s game-changing TV series, Game of Thrones. On top of creating Westeros, Martin helped edit the Wild Cards anthology series and contributed to the world-building for From Software’s Elden Ring. In short, he’s somewhat of an authority when it comes to fantasy.
Gaiman's best-selling DC graphic novel series The Sandman (1989-1996) follows Morpheus a.k.a. Dream, ruler of the Kingdom of Dreaming and one of the seven Endless beings. After being imprisoned for 106 years and escaping captivity, Morpheus embarks on a quest to retrieve his totems of powers and restore order to his kingdom. After years of development, Netflix’s The Sandman became available to stream earlier this month. The adaptation is receiving strong reviews from critics, audiences, and now Martin.
In a recent blog post from Martin, the writer takes a moment to gush over Gaiman’s The Sandman. Revealing the author sent him an advance copy of the Netflix series, Martin says he watched the “very faithful” adaptation while in quarantine. Suffice to say, the author has high praise for The Sandman. Read his full review below:
Oh, and while in quarantine, Sid and I watched Neil Gaiman’s new show, THE SANDMAN. Neil had been kind enough to send up an advance copy. Guys, gals, don’t miss this. If you loved the comics, well, this is a VERY faithful adaptation, Neil saw to that. And if you never read the comic, don’t worry, not required, the TV series stands on its own. It’s a fabulous fantasy, and I hope it will run for many more seasons. There are, after all, many more issues of the comic to adapt.
Martin’s words come after Gaiman credited The Sandman to the Game of Thrones author, who once rejected Gaiman’s pitch for his Wild Cards series. Martin’s rejection ultimately put Gaiman on the path to creating The Sandman, which effectively launched his career as a prolific author of books. What’s perhaps more interesting is Martin’s praise of Netflix’s The Sandman, which has Gaiman credited as a co-creator, with the author having remained hands-on with other adaptations, such as Prime Video’s Good Omens.
With House of the Dragon on the horizon and multiple other spinoffs in development at HBO, Martin hopes the Game of Thrones universe can become like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having been cut out of Game of Thrones’ final seasons, it’s clear Martin wants to remain involved and relatively in control of the IP, especially since his A Song of Ice and Fire series isn't finished yet. Gaiman spent years working to ensure his show remained faithful to his source material, shutting down a handful of treatments before partnering with David S. Goyer and Allan Heinberg to adapt from the collections Preludes & Nocturnes and The Doll's House for season 1. As lackluster adaptations continue to run rampant, it’s safe to say Martin isn’t the only writer admiring Gaiman’s The Sandman.
Source: Not a Blog/George R.R. Martin