Title
Signal to Noise

Words by
Neil Gaiman

Art by
Dave McKean

Story


Art


Overall


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Signal to Noise

Signal to Noise is a beautiful read concerning the last few weeks of an aging film director. Slowly dying from some nameless disease, he starts work on his last movie, fully aware that he isn't going to be around to finish it. The narrative cuts between the film and the real life of the director, as he's scripting, taking calls from his doctor and losing his thoughts in the television.

Gaiman's words are haunting, full of anguish and regret, as he recreates the internal monologue of the director. The storytelling process is also laid bare by the filmmaker himself, as he plays out scenes from his movie in his own head.

McKean's artwork is stunningly rendered in mixed media, with photo-realistic painting next to fallen leaves and bits of old clocks. McKean has an amazing ability to bring more to the party than a simple interpretation of the script, adding a further layer of metaphor to Gaiman's writing.

This isn't a book for the faint hearted - it's intellectual, slow moving and dense. However, if you prefer your art to be about realistic people in realistic situations, suffering the highs and lows of the human condition, this is a work of fiction you'll treasure, both for its physical and its metaphysical beauty.