Neil Gaiman

Having already appropriated Odin and Loki for his novel American Gods, Gaiman turns his restless imagination to a retelling of Norse folklore (a youthful interest of his). He begins by introducing us to the three main mythological figures: Odin, the highest and oldest of the gods; his son, Thor, who makes up in brawn what he lacks in brains; and Loki, offspring of giants and a wily trickster. In a series of stories, we learn how Thor acquired his...

When a frightening creature attacks his remote village, young warrior Ashitaka is able to put the great beast out of its misery. It is a boar god corrupted by sinister magic, transformed into a monster by a wound from a mysterious iron ball. Ashitaka has received a wound as well, which bubbles with supernatural putrescence, so he must travel far to the east seeking a cure. In Iron Town, Lady Eboshi employs freed prostitutes, former serfs, and even...