I blame this book for my poor performance in Philosophy 101 at OSU. I picked up a copy of it to have something to read at lunch one afternoon from the now defunct Long's Bookstore. A book about the end of the world seemed to be appropriate light reading at the time. It had me from the first pages where it listed the dramatis personae. It introduced Hastur, a fallen angel and duke of hell. Then, Liguer, a likewise fallen angel and duke of hell. Then, Crowley, an angel who didn't so much fall as saunter vaguely downwards.

As a geek, I'd read Sandman, and I'd seen the massive accumulation of Terry Pratchett's Diskworld books piling up at the book store. However, it was this book that ensured that almost all of my disposable income over the next several months went to improve the bottom lines of whatever bookstore I was closest to upon finishing either one of Pratchett's books or Gaimen's. If you haven't read it yet, go get a copy. If you have, good for you. If the copy you've read is mine, don't worry about getting it back to me at this point. I've already replaced it.