Winning the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Bram Stoker awards, Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel overflows with so many cultural and mythological references, it practically cried out for an annotated edition. It begins with a man named Shadow, released early from prison to attend his wife's funeral. On the way home he meets the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday, who hires him as a chauffeur and bodyguard. Wednesday is rounding up a few old friends—Loki and Thor, the impish Mr. Nancy, the murderous Czernobog, the beautiful Easter—to pull off a takeover of the American soul. Along with Leslie Klinger's insightful notes, this edition restores Gaiman's preferred text, with vintage illustrations throughout and film stills from the Starz television series.