The Sandman Vol. 8: Worlds' End (1994)

The story begins with Brant Tucker, and his co-worker Charlene Mooney being involved in a car crash. As he staggers out of the car and helps the injured Charlene, he realizes that he is being directed to a building by a hedgehog! This building, rather than being your regular pub, this is one of four inns that travellers are able to take shelter in when there are reality storms in the fabric between worlds.

They are welcomed into the inn, and their injuries are dealt with. Soon after the other guests who have sought shelter, start to tell each other stories. These tales vary from the historic, set in Europe in the past on a cargo ship. The fantastical, a boy who becomes a man who becomes a president, to the unreal with faeries and the macabre with another on a necropolis city that deals with death. Each story is linked by a scene in the inn, before the next character takes up the challenge of a new account.

Brilliantly illustrated as normal, the sandman books are a pleasure to read, whilst being dark and edgy enough to be unsettling too. These collection feel more cohesive too, as it all takes place in the inn, then ranges far and wide with the yarns. What is cleverly done is that each of these separate stories has been illustrated by a different artist, so they feel like they are coming from a different narrator. Quality graphic novel from Gaiman, as ever. ( )

This one may well be my favorite of the entire series. I love the story-within-a-story trope. The more deeply layered, the greater my adoration. It doesn't hurt that the stories in this are right up my ally as well - with hints of madness and brief glimpses of alternate worlds. One of the stories, "A Tale of Two Cities" is one of my favorite pieces of short fiction. ( )

It would be difficult to say anything about World's End that isn't already mentioned in Stephen King's introduction. This collection is a Chaucerian tale, stories within stories, told by traveler's stranded at an inn during a reality storm.

The stories are fascinating, and at times they turn into stories within stories within stories. The artwork is lovely, and each fits the story being told. While this isn't quite as engaging as the other volumes were (i.e. this is less of a Sandman story as a story within the Sandman universe.) It's beautiful, though, and engaging, and it serves as a nice segue. Can't wait for more. ( )

3.5 stars.

It didn't add much to the overall plot, still I really liked the strangeness of the stories. ( )

An interesting collection of stories vaguely tied into the Dream/Sandman universe. Dream appears sporadically in it (two obvious instances, a few subtle instances). Death and Destiny appear once as well (as well as Delirum and Despair by appearance).

In a form of Canterbury Tales, a group of travelers are stuck at an inn and most tell stories to pass the time of a 'reality' storm. Most of the stories are entertaining/interesting and reveal different facets, and also in a few of them (the ship tale and the Necropolis one, as well as actually the sleeping city one vaguely) there is a story inside a story (the Necropolis one actually has two or three stories inside of a story). Layers upon layers upon layers of storytelling. Which is ultimately what dreams really. Stories. Stories ontop of stories. Stories within stories.

Stories. And that's what Neil Gaiman does best. Writes stories, and writes them so we find them entertaining, and deep, and enriching, no matter what. ( )