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The Sandman

By: Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
Narrated by: Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Neil Gaiman, James McAvoy, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, Michael Sheen
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Summary

Please note: This content is not for kids. It is for mature audiences only. Just like the original graphic novels, this audio adaptation contains explicit language and graphic violence, as well as strong sexual content and themes. Discretion is advised.

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times Magazine as “the greatest epic in the history of comic books”, The Sandman changed the game with its dark, literary world of fantasy and horror - creating a global, cultural phenomenon in the process. At long last, Audible and DC present the first-ever audio production of the New York Times best-selling series written by acclaimed storyteller Neil Gaiman (who also serves as co-executive producer). Adapted and directed by multi-award-winner (and frequent Gaiman collaborator) Dirk Maggs, and performed by an ensemble cast with James McAvoy (It, Parts One and Two, X-Men: First Class, Split) in the title role, this first installment of a multi-part original audio series will transport you to a world that re-writes the rules of audio entertainment the way that The Sandman originally re-defined the graphic novel.

When The Sandman, also known as Lord Morpheus - the immortal king of dreams, stories and the imagination - is pulled from his realm and imprisoned on Earth by a nefarious cult, he languishes for decades before finally escaping. Once free, he must retrieve the three “tools” that will restore his power and help him to rebuild his dominion, which has deteriorated in his absence. As the multi-threaded story unspools, The Sandman descends into Hell to confront Lucifer (Michael Sheen), chases rogue nightmares who have escaped his realm, and crosses paths with an array of characters from DC comic books, ancient myths, and real-world history, including: Inmates of Gotham City's Arkham Asylum, Doctor Destiny, the muse Calliope, the three Fates, William Shakespeare (Arthur Darvill), and many more.

A powerhouse supporting cast helps translate this masterwork into a sonic experience worthy of its legacy, including Riz Ahmed, Kat Dennings, Taron Egerton, Samantha Morton, Bebe Neuwirth, Andy Serkis, and more. Setting the stage for their performance is an unprecedented cinematic soundscape featuring an original musical score by British Academy Award winner James Hannigan. Fans will especially revel in a new twist for the audio adaptation: Neil Gaiman himself serves as the narrator. Follow him as he leads listeners along a winding path of myths, imagination and, often, terror. Even in your wildest dreams, you’ve never heard anything like this.

©2020 DC. All Rights Reserved. The Sandman and all related elements are trademarks of DC Comics. (P)2020 DC Comics and Audible
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Just close your eyes and listen...

Occultists perform a ritual to capture Death
Dream readies himself for a visit to Hell
The Corinthian makes a phone call
Death isn’t happy with Dream
Dream identifies the demon he seeks
  • The Sandman
  • Occultists perform a ritual to capture Death
  • The Sandman
  • Dream readies himself for a visit to Hell
  • The Sandman
  • The Corinthian makes a phone call
  • The Sandman
  • Death isn’t happy with Dream
  • The Sandman
  • Dream identifies the demon he seeks

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They wanted the power of Death but got the nightmare of Dream

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Critic reviews

"James McAvoy leads an all-star cast in narrating this magnificent audio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's iconic graphic novel series, The Sandman.... As listeners are swept up in a saga in which cats talk and nightmares walk, McAvoy's steady characterization reminds them that it’s all in a day's work for him. While the cast members are exquisite, special mention goes to the production staff. The sound effects are immersive, and there is a wonderful cinematic score. This audio drama is compelling. Listeners won’t be able to pause once they hit play." (AudioFile magazine)

What listeners say about The Sandman

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Amazing

It's gripping from the start, some frankly amazing vocal performances, just incredible. Definitely worth a listen

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4 people found this helpful

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Perfect storytelling

Great retelling of The Sandman stories. Now to listen again while reading the graphic novels :)

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3 people found this helpful

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Simply Amazing

Just the,sort of escapism, I needed to take me away during this very worrying time.

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3 people found this helpful

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Magg-nificant listening

Take an absolute classic from my youth, hire a man who has created the sound of my radio listening obsession with mr Adams work, then throw an amazing cast of actors at it get the author to narrate it and craft some amazing sound design of effects and music and you get an almost perfect listening treat. Only let down by the fact that this is only part one! Really looking forward to part two. Well done to all involved but especially mr Maggs and Gaiman. Highly recommend this and have shared it with many friends, ironically the same thing I did with my dog eared copy of preludes… must ask for that back… ;)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Stunning and original fantasy with full cast

Spectacular dramatisation of Sandman with narration by the author; for what more could anyone ask? The cast are perfect; the stories are weird, disturbing and spectacular, and the author brings his own meaning to his work. If you ever dismissed Sandman as a comic book then treat yourself and listen to this!

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very enjoyable

I read the comics as a kid. So I loved the voice acting very much. One word hooked..

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

This had me hooked from the start. Great listen. I might just listen to it all over again.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Stellar cast bring great short stories to life but

Written as a graphic novel it is a bit disjointed and difficult to follow without the graphics..would make a great tv series but doesn’t really work too well as an audio book

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Slow beginning but keep going

Voice actors are brilliant, very entertaining, considering I got this audio book because I thought it was the candy man by SK, but very happy I made the mistake, love it

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Overall good, but for me over dramatised

Overall good, some sections actually very enjoyable. Overall though not great, many parts strange (more the book) but the dramatisation, if I'm honest, mostly a bit much.

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