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The Return of the Thin White Duke
Over the years, David Bowie’s work and personae have inspired extraordinary art: Velvet Goldmine, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Starman, The Venture Brothers, and the greatest of all of Wes Anderson’s film soundtracks. But Neil Gaiman, of all of his fans, seems to be the one who tangles most directly with Bowie-as-superhuman. First, he made Bowie the obvious visual reference for his version of Lucifer in the Sandman series. But more recently, in last year’s Trigger Warning, Gaiman included a story called “The Return of the Thin White Duke,” which he has now made available on his site.
The story has a symbiotic relationship with some gorgeous Yoshitaka Amano paintings, which you can see here, but it also spins off into its own direction, giving Bowie a worth origin story worthy. Gaiman uses the Thin White Duke persona as a starting point, writing his way into the type of person who could embrace such an alter ego. And though the author refers to the story as “unabashedly fan fiction,” after a few paragraphs he makes the character his own, and creates yet another pocket universe for the Duke to test his bravery, create stars, and forge a new life for himself. It both is and isn’t Bowie, as Gaiman uses the idea of self-creation as the core of a story that could be about any one of us.
The story has a symbiotic relationship with some gorgeous Yoshitaka Amano paintings, which you can see here, but it also spins off into its own direction, giving Bowie a worth origin story worthy. Gaiman uses the Thin White Duke persona as a starting point, writing his way into the type of person who could embrace such an alter ego. And though the author refers to the story as “unabashedly fan fiction,” after a few paragraphs he makes the character his own, and creates yet another pocket universe for the Duke to test his bravery, create stars, and forge a new life for himself. It both is and isn’t Bowie, as Gaiman uses the idea of self-creation as the core of a story that could be about any one of us.
14 pages, ebook
First published February 3, 2015
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April 21, 2021
WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!
last year, amy(other amy) tipped me off to this cool thing she was doing: the short story advent calendar, where you sign up to this thingie here and you get a free story each day.
i dropped the ball and by the time i came to my senses, it had already sold out, so for december project, i'm going rogue and just reading a free online story a day of my choosing. this foolhardy endeavor is going to screw up my already-deep-in-the-weeds review backlog, so i don't think i will be reviewing each individual story "properly." i might just do a picture review or - if i am feeling wicked motivated, i will draw something, but i can't be treating each short story like a real book and spending half my day examining and dissecting it, so we'll just see what shape this project takes as we go.
and if you know of any particularly good short stories available free online, let me know! i'm no good at finding them myself unless they're on the tor.com site, and i only have enough at this stage of the game to fill half my calendar.
DECEMBER 5
this story was making the rounds in the beginning of the year, when bowie died and the world became a little less fabulous. i meant to read it then, but i'm a dummy, so i am only now getting around to it. as a tribute to a man who contributed so much to the world, it's lovely. as a story on its own, it didn't do much for me, but i absolutely love that gaiman wrote it - especially the fact that he wrote it when bowie was still alive, so it wasn't some ghoulish impulse to ca$h in on tragedy, but that bowie and this story coexisted for a time. and if leonard cohen ever gets a similar origin-story, i hope someone sends me a link to it.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
DECEMBER 1: FABLE - CHARLES YU
DECEMBER 2: THE REAL DEAL - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 3: THE WAYS OF WALLS AND WORDS - SABRINA VOURVOULIAS
DECEMBER 4: GHOSTS AND EMPTIES - LAUREN GROFF
DECEMBER 6: WHEN THE YOGURT TOOK OVER - JOHN SCALZI
DECEMBER 7: A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT - DONNA TARTT
DECEMBER 8: DEEP - PHILIP PLAIT
DECEMBER 9: COOKIE JAR - STEPHEN KING
DECEMBER 10: THE STORY OF KAO YU - PETER S. BEAGLE
DECEMBER 11: THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES - ALAN BEARD
DECEMBER 12: THE TOMATO THIEF - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 13: THE JAWS THAT BITE, THE CLAWS THAT CATCH - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 14: ROLLING IN THE DEEP - JULIO ALEXI GENAO
DECEMBER 15: ANTIHYPOXIANT - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 16: THE AMBUSH - DONNA TARTT
DECEMBER 17: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A TRAITOR AND A HALF-SAVAGE - ALIX HARROW
DECEMBER 18: THE CHRISTMAS SHOW - PAT CADIGAN
DECEMBER 19: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS - PAUL CORNELL
DECEMBER 20: THE TRAINS THAT CLIMB THE WINTER TREE - MICHAEL SWANWICK
DECEMBER 21: BLUE IS A DARKNESS WEAKENED BY LIGHT - SARAH MCCARRY
DECEMBER 22: WATERS OF VERSAILLES - KELLY ROBSON
DECEMBER 23: RAZORBACK - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 24: DIARY OF AN ASSCAN - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 25: CHANGING MEANINGS - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 26: SHOGGOTHS IN BLOOM - ELIZABETH BEAR
DECEMBER 27: THE CARTOGRAPHY OF SUDDEN DEATH - CHARLIE JANE ANDERS
DECEMBER 28: FRIEDRICH THE SNOW MAN - LEWIS SHINER
DECEMBER 29: DRESS YOUR MARINES IN WHITE - EMMY LAYBOURNE
DECEMBER 30: AM I FREE TO GO? - KATHRYN CRAMER
DECEMBER 31: OLD DEAD FUTURES - TINA CONNOLLY
come to my blog!
last year, amy(other amy) tipped me off to this cool thing she was doing: the short story advent calendar, where you sign up to this thingie here and you get a free story each day.
i dropped the ball and by the time i came to my senses, it had already sold out, so for december project, i'm going rogue and just reading a free online story a day of my choosing. this foolhardy endeavor is going to screw up my already-deep-in-the-weeds review backlog, so i don't think i will be reviewing each individual story "properly." i might just do a picture review or - if i am feeling wicked motivated, i will draw something, but i can't be treating each short story like a real book and spending half my day examining and dissecting it, so we'll just see what shape this project takes as we go.
and if you know of any particularly good short stories available free online, let me know! i'm no good at finding them myself unless they're on the tor.com site, and i only have enough at this stage of the game to fill half my calendar.
DECEMBER 5
this story was making the rounds in the beginning of the year, when bowie died and the world became a little less fabulous. i meant to read it then, but i'm a dummy, so i am only now getting around to it. as a tribute to a man who contributed so much to the world, it's lovely. as a story on its own, it didn't do much for me, but i absolutely love that gaiman wrote it - especially the fact that he wrote it when bowie was still alive, so it wasn't some ghoulish impulse to ca$h in on tragedy, but that bowie and this story coexisted for a time. and if leonard cohen ever gets a similar origin-story, i hope someone sends me a link to it.
read it for yourself here:
http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
DECEMBER 1: FABLE - CHARLES YU
DECEMBER 2: THE REAL DEAL - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 3: THE WAYS OF WALLS AND WORDS - SABRINA VOURVOULIAS
DECEMBER 4: GHOSTS AND EMPTIES - LAUREN GROFF
DECEMBER 6: WHEN THE YOGURT TOOK OVER - JOHN SCALZI
DECEMBER 7: A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT - DONNA TARTT
DECEMBER 8: DEEP - PHILIP PLAIT
DECEMBER 9: COOKIE JAR - STEPHEN KING
DECEMBER 10: THE STORY OF KAO YU - PETER S. BEAGLE
DECEMBER 11: THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES - ALAN BEARD
DECEMBER 12: THE TOMATO THIEF - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 13: THE JAWS THAT BITE, THE CLAWS THAT CATCH - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 14: ROLLING IN THE DEEP - JULIO ALEXI GENAO
DECEMBER 15: ANTIHYPOXIANT - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 16: THE AMBUSH - DONNA TARTT
DECEMBER 17: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A TRAITOR AND A HALF-SAVAGE - ALIX HARROW
DECEMBER 18: THE CHRISTMAS SHOW - PAT CADIGAN
DECEMBER 19: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS - PAUL CORNELL
DECEMBER 20: THE TRAINS THAT CLIMB THE WINTER TREE - MICHAEL SWANWICK
DECEMBER 21: BLUE IS A DARKNESS WEAKENED BY LIGHT - SARAH MCCARRY
DECEMBER 22: WATERS OF VERSAILLES - KELLY ROBSON
DECEMBER 23: RAZORBACK - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 24: DIARY OF AN ASSCAN - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 25: CHANGING MEANINGS - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 26: SHOGGOTHS IN BLOOM - ELIZABETH BEAR
DECEMBER 27: THE CARTOGRAPHY OF SUDDEN DEATH - CHARLIE JANE ANDERS
DECEMBER 28: FRIEDRICH THE SNOW MAN - LEWIS SHINER
DECEMBER 29: DRESS YOUR MARINES IN WHITE - EMMY LAYBOURNE
DECEMBER 30: AM I FREE TO GO? - KATHRYN CRAMER
DECEMBER 31: OLD DEAD FUTURES - TINA CONNOLLY
come to my blog!
December 6, 2016
The Duke, the immortal and all-powerful monarch of the universe, is bored with life.
This online fantasy short story, told as a type of fairy tale, is an amusing if rather slight read. It's made noteworthy by two things:
(1) It's by Neil Gaiman, and
(2) It's a tribute to David Bowie (Gaiman calls it "unabashedly fan fiction").
Full review to come. Read it here: http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
"How can you be made happy?" asked the information beetle on his shoulder, there to relay his master's whims and desires to a hundred hundred worlds. "Give the word, your Grace, and empires will rise and fall to make you smile. Stars will flame nova for your entertainment."So the information beetle and its kin, with some regret, hatch a plan.
"Perhaps I need a heart," said the Duke.
"I shall have a hundred hundred hearts immediately plucked, ripped, torn, incised, sliced and otherwise removed from the chests of ten thousand perfect specimens of humanity," said the information beetle. "How do you wish them prepared? Shall I alert the chefs or the taxidermists, the surgeons or the sculptors?"
"I need to care about something," said the Duke. "I need to value life. I need to wake."
This online fantasy short story, told as a type of fairy tale, is an amusing if rather slight read. It's made noteworthy by two things:
(1) It's by Neil Gaiman, and
(2) It's a tribute to David Bowie (Gaiman calls it "unabashedly fan fiction").
Full review to come. Read it here: http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
November 24, 2017
What a generous man Neal Gaiman must be, to just give this short story away!
But, I loved Yoshitaka Amano's art work more than the story itself - I got more of a sense of Bowie from the drawings.
I need to read something else by Gaiman to decide how I feel about him as a writer. I just didn't get much of a feeling of substance from this piece.
But, I loved Yoshitaka Amano's art work more than the story itself - I got more of a sense of Bowie from the drawings.
I need to read something else by Gaiman to decide how I feel about him as a writer. I just didn't get much of a feeling of substance from this piece.
November 1, 2020
This was just beautiful. I cried because I’m a silly girl Bowie fan. Thank you, Gaiman, for this gorgeous gift.
March 8, 2018
I love Neil and I am a super fan of David Bowie. I saw the title and I knew it was about Bowie. I enjoyed this little story about Bowie and his otherworldness. I thought this was fantastic. A great tribute.
January 11, 2016
Description: Over the years, David Bowie’s work and personae have inspired extraordinary art: Velvet Goldmine, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Starman, The Venture Brothers, and the greatest of all of Wes Anderson’s film soundtracks. But Neil Gaiman, of all of his fans, seems to be the one who tangles most directly with Bowie-as-superhuman. First, he made Bowie the obvious visual reference for his version of Lucifer in the Sandman series. But more recently, in last year’s Trigger Warning, Gaiman included a story called “The Return of the Thin White Duke,” which he has now made available on his site.
The story has a symbiotic relationship with some gorgeous Yoshitaka Amano paintings, which you can see here, but it also spins off into its own direction, giving Bowie a worth origin story worthy. Gaiman uses the Thin White Duke persona as a starting point, writing his way into the type of person who could embrace such an alter ego. And though the author refers to the story as “unabashedly fan fiction,” after a few paragraphs he makes the character his own, and creates yet another pocket universe for the Duke to test his bravery, create stars, and forge a new life for himself. It both is and isn’t Bowie, as Gaiman uses the idea of self-creation as the core of a story that could be about any one of us.
Read here
Opening: He was the monarch of all he surveyed, even when he stood out on the palace balcony at night listening to reports and he glanced up into the sky at the bitter twinkling clusters and whorls of stars. He ruled the worlds. He had tried for so long to rule wisely, and well, and to be a good monarch, but it is hard to rule, and wisdom can be painful. And it is impossible, he had found, if you rule, to do only good, for you cannot build anything without tearing something down, and even he could not care about every life, every dream, every population of every world.
The story has a symbiotic relationship with some gorgeous Yoshitaka Amano paintings, which you can see here, but it also spins off into its own direction, giving Bowie a worth origin story worthy. Gaiman uses the Thin White Duke persona as a starting point, writing his way into the type of person who could embrace such an alter ego. And though the author refers to the story as “unabashedly fan fiction,” after a few paragraphs he makes the character his own, and creates yet another pocket universe for the Duke to test his bravery, create stars, and forge a new life for himself. It both is and isn’t Bowie, as Gaiman uses the idea of self-creation as the core of a story that could be about any one of us.
Read hereOpening: He was the monarch of all he surveyed, even when he stood out on the palace balcony at night listening to reports and he glanced up into the sky at the bitter twinkling clusters and whorls of stars. He ruled the worlds. He had tried for so long to rule wisely, and well, and to be a good monarch, but it is hard to rule, and wisdom can be painful. And it is impossible, he had found, if you rule, to do only good, for you cannot build anything without tearing something down, and even he could not care about every life, every dream, every population of every world.
'"I'd rather write a something song than rule the world," he said aloud, tasting the words in his mouth. He rested his guitar case against a wall, put his hand in the pocket of his duffel coat, found a pencil-stub and a shilling notebook, and wrote them down. He'd find a good two-syllable word for the something soon enough, he hoped.'
March 31, 2016
The day after it had occurred to the Duke that he was now a monster was the Day of Strange Blossoms, celebrated by the wearing of flowers brought to the Ducal Palace from every world and every plane. It was a day that all in the Ducal Palace, which covered a continent, were traditionally merry, and in which they cast off their cares and darknesses, but the Duke was not happy.
This made me all kinds of smiles. An origin story for David Bowie. Who woulda thunk? Neil Gaiman, apparently. A nice tribute. Available free from the author right here.
This made me all kinds of smiles. An origin story for David Bowie. Who woulda thunk? Neil Gaiman, apparently. A nice tribute. Available free from the author right here.
December 9, 2016
A leap and it was racing through the froth and flux of Underspace: together they were tumbling through the madness between the worlds. The Duke laughed, then, where no man could hear him, as they travelled together through Underspace, travelling forever in the Undertime
It's GAIMAN.
It's FANFIC by Gaiman.
About BOWIE.
It's FANTASY/FAIRY TALE/ by Gaiman about David Bowie.
with Art-
What you are waiting for?
Free:
http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
January 22, 2016
Bowie+Gaiman+Amano= a girl couldn't wish for more, unless it's more of a story, which was rather too short... A little gem though it was.
January 13, 2016
Over the years, David Bowie’s work and personae have inspired extraordinary art: Velvet Goldmine, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Starman, The Venture Brothers, and the greatest of all of Wes Anderson’s film soundtracks. But Neil Gaiman, of all of his fans, seems to be the one who tangles most directly with Bowie-as-superhuman. First, he made Bowie the obvious visual reference for his version of Lucifer in the Sandman series. But more recently, in last year’s Trigger Warning, Gaiman included a story called “The Return of the Thin White Duke,” which he has now made available on his site.
The story has a symbiotic relationship with some gorgeous Yoshitaka Amano paintings, which you can see here, but it also spins off into its own direction, giving Bowie a worth origin story worthy. Gaiman uses the Thin White Duke persona as a starting point, writing his way into the type of person who could embrace such an alter ego. And though the author refers to the story as “unabashedly fan fiction,” after a few paragraphs he makes the character his own, and creates yet another pocket universe for the Duke to test his bravery, create stars, and forge a new life for himself. It both is and isn’t Bowie, as Gaiman uses the idea of self-creation as the core of a story that could be about any one of us.
You may read online here.
January 25, 2016
He was the monarch of all he surveyed, even when he stood out on the palace balcony at night listening to reports and he glanced up into the sky at the bitter twinkling clusters and whorls of stars.
Fanfiction of the highest order!
Now, I am not that much of a huge fan of David Bowie (may his soul rest in peace) but I appreciate his music and know what a rich legacy he left behind, and this short piece of tribute moved me.
"He would not die, for only inferior people died, and he was the inferior of no one."
Adulation seeps from spaces between the words. I don’t mean to say that it does in a sycophantic manner (far from it) although, it’s very much evident that Gaiman adores Bowie. And as always, it's Gaiman being the All-Father BAMF that he is and I swear, I have long stopped speculating what his brain is made up of because this dude is magical.
"The heart is greater than the universe, for it can find pity in it for everything in the universe, and the universe itself can feel no pity. The heart is greater than a King, because a heart can know a King for what he is, and still love him. And once you give your heart, you cannot take it back."
Also, I found this while lurking on Reddit and it made me cry a bit.
Read it for yourself here.
December 12, 2016
"He turned the word around in his mind several times before he decided that he could find something better, something bigger, something more fitting for the world he intended to conquer, and, with only a momentary regret, he let it go forever, and walked inside."
The images, the story, the main character!!! Sorry , maybe this isn't the greatest thing that I ever read, but my heart say I.DON'T.CARE!! to my brain
The images, the story, the main character!!! Sorry , maybe this isn't the greatest thing that I ever read, but my heart say I.DON'T.CARE!! to my brain
March 27, 2016
I first found this little gem on karen's shelf and then read Anya's lovely review of it.
And a little gem it was. I mean, this was like the love child of Neil Gaiman and David Bowie. What could go wrong, right? In this marvellously worded "unabashedly fan fiction", Gaiman honours one of the greatest gifts to the music world in the manner that he knows best; by spinning a tale of dukes and queens and fairies and ghosts and everything in between. The return of the Thin White Duke is, very simply, a tale of love. A fairy tale, if you like.
I leave you with this snippet.
""I'd rather write a something song than rule the world," he said aloud, tasting the words in his mouth. He rested his guitar case against a wall, put his hand in the pocket of his duffel coat, found a pencil-stub and a shilling notebook, and wrote them down. He'd find a good two-syllable word for the something soon enough, he hoped."
Find this wonderful little tribute here
And a little gem it was. I mean, this was like the love child of Neil Gaiman and David Bowie. What could go wrong, right? In this marvellously worded "unabashedly fan fiction", Gaiman honours one of the greatest gifts to the music world in the manner that he knows best; by spinning a tale of dukes and queens and fairies and ghosts and everything in between. The return of the Thin White Duke is, very simply, a tale of love. A fairy tale, if you like.
I leave you with this snippet.
""I'd rather write a something song than rule the world," he said aloud, tasting the words in his mouth. He rested his guitar case against a wall, put his hand in the pocket of his duffel coat, found a pencil-stub and a shilling notebook, and wrote them down. He'd find a good two-syllable word for the something soon enough, he hoped."
Find this wonderful little tribute here
January 22, 2016
Gaiman does it again: very short, Moorcock-esque, David Bowie fantasy fiction. The cadence of the writing is lush & gorgeous, and the odd conceit of an otherworldly backstory for Bowie works beautifully. Reading it is like biting into a perfectly ripe peach, very satisfying.
January 19, 2016
A little bit cool, a little bit sad, a lot of love.
http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
May 16, 2017
"He would not die, for only inferior people died, and he was the inferior of no one"
A beautiful tribute...
A beautiful tribute...
November 3, 2020
A wonderful piece of fan fiction from Neil Gaiman. I can imagine Bowie as an otherworldly visitor and of course Station to Station was playing in my head as I read this.
January 31, 2016
This comes as something of a surprise, but I think I may not like the way Gaiman writes. Though this story was kind of cool, it didn't really work for me. Most short stories don't.
I do, however, LOVE Amano, and his artwork for this story was as wonderful as ever.
I do, however, LOVE Amano, and his artwork for this story was as wonderful as ever.
Read
February 7, 2017A scrap of hard-to-resist sychronicity or coincidence.
36 hours ago I posted about suggested parallels in how audiences connect with Bowie's work and with Gaiman's.
This morning, half-awake after poor sleep, I idly looked at the profile of a GR friend who was at the top of the newsfeed, and found that Gaiman had written a story about Bowie, a year ago. It can be read here, or in the collection Trigger Warning.
What works:
- Very clever in not neglecting the air of coldness or detachment visible in Bowie's body language, and there is darkness enough that there's space for this otherworldly character who wants more heart (what makes the reader warm to him) also to have been the coked up dude who apparently praised Nazis in the 70s, or who is reviled by some for sleeping with underage groupies. Readers who don't like Bowie for those reasons could also get something out of the story; Gaiman understands his audience of angry young activist tweeters.
- The idea that Bowie would have an origin story like a superhero would.
I realise immediately what Gaiman seems to mean. It's not a famous-people thing, it's something a few just have. I've known a handful of people who always seemed fully formed in that way from early adulthood, there's an essence there, even if they change in some ways as they get older: that preternatural but never bumptious confidence, and presence that somehow makes it impossible to imagine them as little snotty-nosed jelly-squishing kids, even if you've seen the photos.
The weak link was the queen episode, but the quiz worked very well; his incisiveness, being more right than the prescribed answers - and, after all, there needed to be a bridge to get him from that world to this.
36 hours ago I posted about suggested parallels in how audiences connect with Bowie's work and with Gaiman's.
This morning, half-awake after poor sleep, I idly looked at the profile of a GR friend who was at the top of the newsfeed, and found that Gaiman had written a story about Bowie, a year ago. It can be read here, or in the collection Trigger Warning.
What works:
- Very clever in not neglecting the air of coldness or detachment visible in Bowie's body language, and there is darkness enough that there's space for this otherworldly character who wants more heart (what makes the reader warm to him) also to have been the coked up dude who apparently praised Nazis in the 70s, or who is reviled by some for sleeping with underage groupies. Readers who don't like Bowie for those reasons could also get something out of the story; Gaiman understands his audience of angry young activist tweeters.
- The idea that Bowie would have an origin story like a superhero would.
I realise immediately what Gaiman seems to mean. It's not a famous-people thing, it's something a few just have. I've known a handful of people who always seemed fully formed in that way from early adulthood, there's an essence there, even if they change in some ways as they get older: that preternatural but never bumptious confidence, and presence that somehow makes it impossible to imagine them as little snotty-nosed jelly-squishing kids, even if you've seen the photos.
The weak link was the queen episode, but the quiz worked very well; his incisiveness, being more right than the prescribed answers - and, after all, there needed to be a bridge to get him from that world to this.
December 26, 2018
His writing and his brain is amazing
May 9, 2020
Wasted time for me. I know nothing of David Bowie; if you did, it might serve to make this story more coherent. I am not a big fan of Gaiman either. Read for the Breakfast Club.
January 19, 2016
http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
A brilliant story and a beautiful tribute..
"What is bigger than the universe?" she asked.
"Underspace and Undertime," said the Duke. "For they both include the universe, and also all that is not the universe. But I suspect you seek a more poetic, less accurate answer. The mind, then, for it can hold a universe, but also imagine things that have never been, and are not.
"The Queen said nothing.
"Is that right? Is that wrong?" asked the Duke.
He wished, momentarily, for the snakelike whisper of his master advisor, unloading, through its neural plug, the accumulated wisdom of his advisors over the years, or even the chitter of his information beetle.
"The second question," said the Queen.
"What is greater than a King?"
"Obviously, a Duke," said the Duke.
"For all Kings, Popes, Chancellors, Empresses and such serve at and only at my will.
But again, I suspect that you are looking for an answer that is less accurate and more imaginative. The mind, again, is greater than a King. Or a Duke. Because, although I am the inferior of nobody, there are those who could imagine a world in which there is something superior to me, and something else again superior to that, and so on. No! Wait! I have it the answer. It is from the Great Tree: Kether, the Crown, the concept of monarchy, is greater than any King."
The Queen looked at the Duke with amber eyes, and she said, "The final question for you. What can you never take back?"
"My word," said the Duke. "Although, now I come to think of it, once I give my word, sometimes circumstances change and sometimes the worlds themselves change in unfortunate or unexpected ways. From time to time, if it comes to that, my word needs to be modified in accordance with realities.
I would say Death, but, truly, if I find myself in need of someone I have previously disposed of, I simply have them reincorporated..."
The Queen looked impatient.
"A kiss," said the Duke.
She nodded.
"There is hope for you," said the Queen. "You believe you are my only hope, but, truthfully, I am yours
"Would you like to know the answer?" she asked.
"Answers," he said. "Surely."
"Only one answer, and it is this: the heart," said the Queen.
"The heart is greater than the universe, for it can find pity in it for everything in the universe, and the universe itself can feel no pity. The heart is greater than a King, because a heart can know a King for what he is, and still love him. And once you give your heart, you cannot take it back."
A brilliant story and a beautiful tribute..
"What is bigger than the universe?" she asked.
"Underspace and Undertime," said the Duke. "For they both include the universe, and also all that is not the universe. But I suspect you seek a more poetic, less accurate answer. The mind, then, for it can hold a universe, but also imagine things that have never been, and are not.
"The Queen said nothing.
"Is that right? Is that wrong?" asked the Duke.
He wished, momentarily, for the snakelike whisper of his master advisor, unloading, through its neural plug, the accumulated wisdom of his advisors over the years, or even the chitter of his information beetle.
"The second question," said the Queen.
"What is greater than a King?"
"Obviously, a Duke," said the Duke.
"For all Kings, Popes, Chancellors, Empresses and such serve at and only at my will.
But again, I suspect that you are looking for an answer that is less accurate and more imaginative. The mind, again, is greater than a King. Or a Duke. Because, although I am the inferior of nobody, there are those who could imagine a world in which there is something superior to me, and something else again superior to that, and so on. No! Wait! I have it the answer. It is from the Great Tree: Kether, the Crown, the concept of monarchy, is greater than any King."
The Queen looked at the Duke with amber eyes, and she said, "The final question for you. What can you never take back?"
"My word," said the Duke. "Although, now I come to think of it, once I give my word, sometimes circumstances change and sometimes the worlds themselves change in unfortunate or unexpected ways. From time to time, if it comes to that, my word needs to be modified in accordance with realities.
I would say Death, but, truly, if I find myself in need of someone I have previously disposed of, I simply have them reincorporated..."
The Queen looked impatient.
"A kiss," said the Duke.
She nodded.
"There is hope for you," said the Queen. "You believe you are my only hope, but, truthfully, I am yours
"Would you like to know the answer?" she asked.
"Answers," he said. "Surely."
"Only one answer, and it is this: the heart," said the Queen.
"The heart is greater than the universe, for it can find pity in it for everything in the universe, and the universe itself can feel no pity. The heart is greater than a King, because a heart can know a King for what he is, and still love him. And once you give your heart, you cannot take it back."
January 20, 2016
Not my favorite story from Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances, but certainly worth a reread.
October 23, 2020
The Return of the Thin White Duke was a story that had me conflicted about my rating, and I found myself rounding my rating down. It was a curious tale, one I happily devoured, but it didn’t quite hit me as hard as I’d hoped. It made for enjoyable quick reading, but I would have liked a wee bit more from it. Although not a favourite from Neil Gaiman, it was great for quick reading.
January 13, 2016
David Bowie passed away yesterday, and I followed a few leads that brought me to this short story by Neil Gaiman, obviously written quite some time ago. I feel fortunate to have stumbled across it when I did.
Neil Gaiman is, without a doubt, a fine and true wordsmith. His honoring of a legend with this short story is a testament to the fact that we are all human and we are all bound by the heart to those we recognize, in some form or fashion, as kindred spirits. Those are the people who, for whatever reason, become heroes and icons. We don't have to meet them physically, but they live in our hearts nonetheless.
I lost one of mine awhile back, and I grieve him still. George Harrison was of the same era as Bowie - both a good 20 years ahead of me, but still: icons, heroes, legends. . .kindred spirits. Something of their beauty touched something in me, and that is why Gaiman's ode to Bowie, and Gaiman himself , resonate in me as well. When our heroes have fallen, it is all the more reason to honor the connections that bind all of us, the world over.
Neil Gaiman, along with the gorgeous artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, have honored the legend of David Bowie fittingly. It is always hard to lose these beautiful shooting stars. At least the rest of us can comfort ourselves with the fact that we still have Neil Gaiman.
Neil Gaiman is, without a doubt, a fine and true wordsmith. His honoring of a legend with this short story is a testament to the fact that we are all human and we are all bound by the heart to those we recognize, in some form or fashion, as kindred spirits. Those are the people who, for whatever reason, become heroes and icons. We don't have to meet them physically, but they live in our hearts nonetheless.
I lost one of mine awhile back, and I grieve him still. George Harrison was of the same era as Bowie - both a good 20 years ahead of me, but still: icons, heroes, legends. . .kindred spirits. Something of their beauty touched something in me, and that is why Gaiman's ode to Bowie, and Gaiman himself , resonate in me as well. When our heroes have fallen, it is all the more reason to honor the connections that bind all of us, the world over.
Neil Gaiman, along with the gorgeous artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, have honored the legend of David Bowie fittingly. It is always hard to lose these beautiful shooting stars. At least the rest of us can comfort ourselves with the fact that we still have Neil Gaiman.
December 20, 2016
What drew me to this short story was that it’s about David Bowie. Neil Gaiman described it as basically unabashed fan fiction of David Bowie. I liked the idea, but in the end I didn’t love it. I understand though where Gaiman’s coming from, Bowie certainly had the power to inspire and fuel imaginations. A power he will always have, even after death.
One thing I did like in this short story was the Thin White Duke and the Queen. Probably because to me, I always loved Bowie and Iman, they were perfect together, and I saw them in those two characters. That’s what stood out to me, and it was rather bittersweet, especially now that Bowie’s gone.
The Return of the Thin White Duke is available to read for free on Neil Gaiman's site.
One thing I did like in this short story was the Thin White Duke and the Queen. Probably because to me, I always loved Bowie and Iman, they were perfect together, and I saw them in those two characters. That’s what stood out to me, and it was rather bittersweet, especially now that Bowie’s gone.
The Return of the Thin White Duke is available to read for free on Neil Gaiman's site.
January 12, 2016
What a beautiful tribute...
I loved the art and the storytelling. The story is much like many of Gaiman's other works, one of fantasy, time, other worlds, choices, and beauty. The moral of the story is about 'being' and what we become in life and the choices we have. The question to ask is what is truly important and are we living our life to that caliber. The ability to move beyond the mist and 'become' again by shaking off the old armor is a beautiful sentiment and opportunity for all of us. We do not have to live an unchangeable life, if we don't desire it. A wonderful story and tribute to a man that gave so much beauty and love to the world without asking for much in return. Loved.
Image: http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
I loved the art and the storytelling. The story is much like many of Gaiman's other works, one of fantasy, time, other worlds, choices, and beauty. The moral of the story is about 'being' and what we become in life and the choices we have. The question to ask is what is truly important and are we living our life to that caliber. The ability to move beyond the mist and 'become' again by shaking off the old armor is a beautiful sentiment and opportunity for all of us. We do not have to live an unchangeable life, if we don't desire it. A wonderful story and tribute to a man that gave so much beauty and love to the world without asking for much in return. Loved.
Image: http://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff/...
May 27, 2016
I was pretty well devastated when David Bowie died. 2016 has been a terrible year for larger than life rock and roll space unicorns, in all honesty. Back when Bowie passed I put THE RETURN OF THE THIN WHITE DUKE on my list, and I got my hands on it yesterday. This morning I loaded it up on my phone and read it. It is a strange little story, giving this cultural and musical icon a strange fantastical back story. But as strange as it kind of was it was a very sweet (maybe bittersweet) little gem that Gaiman wrote, that only feels even more resonant now. Gaiman is very hit or miss for me, but this one was a solid hit. It makes a fitting tribute to a man who did so much for music, and so much for weird kids like me. Rest in Peace, David Bowie.
February 2, 2016
If only it had been longer! That is the sad thing about short stories: they are always too short! I can only hope that someday this will be expanded upon and grown into a full-length novel (or perhaps into a feature-length film! Can you just imagine?!) It was magical and mystical and all those wonderful things...and then it was over. But it made me smile and I am glad I read it.
January 8, 2017
Funny, I was thinking about Bowie just a day or two ago, thinking of rewatching The Labyrinth, and then this little story...
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