How to Talk to Girls at Parties

How to Talk to Girls at Parties is not so much the advice book it sounds like. It is an adaptation of a short story about two British adolescents who go searching for a party so they can talk to girls. Our narrator, Enn, is relatively shy and inexperienced, and he has a difficult time working up the confidence or words to speak to girls. Vic, on the other hand, is a smooth operator who ingratiates himself with his charms with pretty much anyone instantly.

However, this book is not just a study of dramatic foils. There is also a fantastic possibility that the girls at this particular party are actually aliens from outer space trying to make sense of humanity. Or maybe it's just that Enn is nuts. That's for you to decide in the end. Still, it makes for a fascinating metaphor and an interesting yarn. I really enjoyed the tale, but I especially adored the artwork, with its vibrant colors and characterizations. Just check out one of the partygoers below:

The story this book is based on was nominated for a Hugo Award in 2007, written by Neil Gaiman, one of the most celebrated fantasy writers of the past two decades. It was illustrated by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, two of the most celebrated comics artists of the past decade. This book might not contain the most deep or impactful story ever told, but it is extremely well executed and beautiful to behold.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been full of praise, some glowing. Johanna Draper Carlson wrote that this adaptation got many things right and added, "It’s interesting to see how brothers Moon and Bá interpreted the descriptive elements, and their work is attractive, potentially bringing the work to a different audience." Chad Waller, a huge Neil Gaiman fan, already loved the story but added that the "artwork is fun, charming, and fits the story perfectly." Gary Makries wrote, "I was moved by the passion from not only the wordsmith. but also from the crafting of panel after panel that felt delicate, graceful, and powerful all at once."

How to Talk to Girls at Parties was published by Dark Horse, and they offer a preview and more info about the book here. There is a video trailer for the book here.

Like I wrote in my last post, I got to meet the artists at this year's HeroesCon. They also signed and doodled in my copy of this book. Thank you to a couple of warm, excellent, and funny creators!

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch is typical of Neil Gaiman's work in the manner that fantasy and reality mingle. This magically realistic story originally appeared as a prose story in Gaiman's collection, Fragile Things. Lushly painted by frequent collaborator Michael Zulli, the story follows a character seemingly based on Gaiman and some of his friends, including the eponymous Miss Finch, who is depicted as an up-tight biogeologist. This band of friends go out for dinner one evening and also to a strange circus operating in a London building. The ringmaster of the circus looks like Alice Cooper, and the circus itself is a mix of Cirque du Soleil and Carnival. Typical of Gaiman's work, things are not quite what they seem and a few strange twists in the evening's entertainment leave the characters unsure of quite what has happened.

Gaiman is best known as the best-selling author of novels such as American Gods, Anansi Boys, and The Graveyard Book. He has also written a number of books that aimed at younger readers such as The Wolves in the Walls or, more famously, Coraline, which was recently adapted into a feature film. To comics fans, he is most famous for his Sandman series published by Vertigo.

Published by Dark Horse Books, Miss Finch is a short book and a quick read. It is nicely packaged but not very substantial and has appealed to completists who are fans of Gaiman's work. This has been reflected in a number of the reviews found online, including these from Andrew Wheeler and April Gutierrez. A slightly wider range of reviews can be found here on Goodreads.