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

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's 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

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)

absolutely Epic!

The Sandman is a fantastic, immersive and unparalleled audio production. From award-winning author Neil Gaiman and adapted for Audible by the great Dirk Maggs, you'll be swapped away in an Epic adventure you could have never imagined.

Expertly combining, fantasy and fiction, horror and humor, comedy and tragedy, The Sandman is a fast paced, visceral narrative experience that will stay with you for a long time!

Put on your headphones or even better, stream it on your favorite smart speaker in the house and you'll be in for a treat. I listened to The Sandman on my Apple Homepod Stereo setup and the experience was absolutely incredible. I closed my eyes and vividly lived all the events portrayed in this adaptation of the first three Sandman novels.

With a formidable cast of characters, brought to life by some of the best actors in the audiobooks and movies industries, the listener's experience is enriched and elevated by a a moving soundtrack and high quality sound effects.

I didn't know anything about the Sandman comics, but I was immediately blown away by this adaptation! I can't wait for the next one! This is the best Audible Original that I listened to so far!

If you liked this review please vote Helpful below and find more of them here and on theAudiobookBlog.
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Thank you & stay safe,
Victor

Sounds Like a Perpetual Movie Trailer

I couldn't tell if it was a good story or not, couldn't follow it. It plays like a confusing recap from a previous episode but never getting to the real story. Just confusing background noises and elaborate score and different voices bouncing between characters.

I'm sure Neil Gaiman did a great job writing this but the producer and sound mixer failed horribly.

A great story with an intro theme you will hear 40 times.

The story is great as well as the performances however, they play this intro them in and out over and over. It really rips you out of the story and horribly distracting.

Not what I hoped for

I know a two-star review for story seems harsh but allow me to explain why I felt this title was a letdown. Although the first few chapters are generally related to each other and follow a linear story line, many of the subsequent chapters are told as stand-alone stories (especially near the end), they jump around the timeline and are largely unrelated to the main story told at the beginning of the book. Although these stories paint an interesting picture of a world that is classic Gaiman, on the whole I found them dull and could have stopped listening after the first half of this title.

I never read the graphic novels and was coming into this as a fan of Neil Gaiman's writing. Perhaps that was why I did not enjoy the title as much as I hoped. A two-star review for story is harsh when compared to the other titles on audible but in comparison to the stories told in Gaiman's other work I feel it is appropriate. The intricate and compelling stories told in American Gods, Neverwhere, and even the lesser known Anansi Boys all put this title to shame.

Perhaps I am simply not a fan of this particular medium and should stick to listening to standard novels. All the other 5-star reviews on here may indicate that this type of story isn't for me. It is clear a lot of money was put into production, I found the voice acting, casting, and sound effects to be very well done. It is just a shame that with some many resources put into production and marketing, I would have rather spent my time re-reading Neverwhere.

More that an audiobook

Just perfect. Close your eyes, headphones on and allow yourself to be pulled into this amazing creation (easily done with this talented selection of cast).

But be weary and don’t you ever fall asleep.

Perfect adaptation

The story is faithful to the comic and has been transferred the audio medium perfectly. The music and sound effects are some of the most impressive I've heard on an audio drama to date, I have to say my anticipation was rewarded greatly. Can't wait to finish the rest of it. But if you're a fan of the comic there's no question you're gonna love this version of it too.

Absolutely Enthralling

This reminds me of the old radio plays but done to absolute perfection. I didn’t know how they would adapt the graphic novel but I am simply blown away but the acting. I feel absolutely transported into the world of The Endless.

Love the Ambience!

I'm not a huge fan of audio books, but when I saw the ad for a Sandman audiobook I HAD to give it a listen. I'm loving the detailed background audio so far, it really helps set the scenes perfectly. It's almost as if you are listening to a movie's soundtrack rather than a book. The voice actors are amazing as well, a gathering of several really talented actors, all of whom have done an excellent job! I'm already 3 hours in and I know this is already the highest quality audiobook that I have ever listened to. As for the story, I am a bit biased, since I was already a HUGE fan of the graphic novels this is based off of, but I love this version just as much so far. Since Neil Gaiman himself was involved in this, I doubt it will deviate in any great way from the original, save for in ways necessary for the format. So, if you like the Sandman graphic novels, and don't mind audiobooks, definitely check this out!!

BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER

When I found out a month and a half ago that audible was adapting my favorite graphic novel series (and one of my all time favorite stories) into a full cast audio production, I was excited though hesitant. Can they do justice to one of the most beloved stories of the 20th century?

Not only is that a profound yes, but I’m currently in awe at how well done the adaptation is. James McAvoy’s voice was always Morpheus. I just didn’t realize it until today.

The universe really out did itself on my birthday present this year. It’s really all that I could ever hope for and more. 💖

I’m not a fan of this type of story. It seems silly to me.

I decided to try a different type of science fiction book.
I listen to 3-4 books weekly while doing my business which is wrapping cars.
I chose to stop this book within the first hour.
Just not my type of story.

I don’t get this

I think you need to know or understand this genre to enjoy this book. It’s fragmented to me, just weird but obviously very much appreciated by folk with a better understanding.

SO NOISY!!

Obviously this is a classic - as a huge Neil Gaiman fan I was excited to listen to it in Audible form. But a combination of manic sound effects, shrieking narration and terrible music made it intolerable. So disappointing.

Awesome!

This is an awesome audio book. A must listen for anyone who likes the following things:
Neil Gaiman
DC Vertigo Comics
DC Comics
Sandman
The dreaming
Meta horror
Lucifer TV/ comic series
Constantine
Gothic genre
Fable stories

If you like one or all of these things; like me you’ll love it too.

For graphic novel fans only

If you like graphic novels, you'll like this.
If, like me, you like a well written book, don't bother.

Amazing, but...

As a long time fan of Gaiman and especially of The Sandman, i loved the adaptation, despite the fact that McAvoy it's not what i imagined as Morpheus, since i always imagined the Lord of Dreams with a very deep, rasp voice, bordering on the uninterested and inhuman, and James brings a tone of humanity to it. Not bad, but certainly not what many imagined for Morpheus.
Let's just be straight and be honest, I'm a huge admirer of Neil, but making him the full narrator of the audiobook, was it a good idea? Gaiman is a good narrator, mind you, but i think someone else would have been a good choice.
Overall i loved it. Good to see a new take on one of the most amazing histories ever created.

Unless you get Neil Gaiman, dont get this.

The performance is brilliant, 1st class. But the story is all over the shop, jumps from one thing to another sometimes without explanation and was too difficultly to understand and follow. Fragmented is maybe the best word to describe it.

Blisteringly faithful

This is pretty much a faultlessly faithful adaptation - almost everything is recreated word for word, with the occasional bit of extra foreshadowing and added lines from Gaiman’s narrator to replace the comic’s visuals. So, if you’re wanting to hear the original graphic novel brought to exacting life, this is probably the thing for you - and although it is very good at doing the aforementioned, I sort of ended up wondering what the point of such a faithful adaptation was overall...?

Fantastic

Just brilliant, absolutely fulfils expectations. Cool, funny and terrifying as hell. Acting is second-to-none, and the adaptation to audio drama is wonderful. Music is great but can be a little intrusive and loud at times, but doesn't detract overall. Essential for Gaiman fans, highly recommended for everyone else.

wonderful

this is the only book I've ever pre ordered and it was worth every penny

wow!!!

this is so well done, i knew it would be great but it has blown my expectations out of the water. amazing performance