Stardust (1998) is the second solo prose novel by Neil Gaiman. It is usually published with illustrations by Charles Vess.

Stardust has a very different tone and style to the rest of Gaiman's prose fiction, being consciously written in the tradition of pre-Tolkien English fantasy, following in the footsteps of authors such as Lord Dunsany. It is concerned with the adventures and romantic destiny of a young man who is an inhabitant of the village of Wall, which sits on the border of the land of Faerie. Gaiman has occasionally made references to writing a sequel, or at least another book concerning the village of Wall.

Publication history

Stardust was originally conceived by Gaiman and Vess as a "story book with pictures", created by both, and to be published by DC Comics. Initially it was released in 1997 in what is known in the medium of comics as a "prestige" format four-issue mini-series. This means it came out once a month in a square-bound high-gloss "comics pamphlet" of sorts with high grade paper, high quality color and no advertisements.

Gaiman and Vess originally intended the story to be released complete, as a single book which would better reproduce the beautiful painted illustrations of Vess and be a "story book" for all ages, and a release in this format was made in 1998. There was both a hardback (ISBN 1-56389-431-9) and a trade paperback edition (ISBN 1-56389-470-X). It is more accurately titled Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess' Stardust (Being A Romance Within The Realm of Faerie). The hardback edition is quarter-bound in faux leather with the author's names, title and several stars inlaid in foil. It also has reproductions of the comic book covers and many sketches by Vess. The trade paperback has a very different cover design and illustrations by Vess, and has subsequently been reprinted with another different cover design.

Gaiman retains the copyright to the text and in 1999 decided, encouraged by publisher Avon, to publish Stardust as a conventional novel in hardback without illustrations. There was also a subsequent UK hardcover edition, from Headline. The book also proved popular with readers of the "romance" genre, although it is generally considered part of the fantasy genre. Thus the paperback publication was given three different covers which when placed side by side had one background image and a different primary image including a handsome man holding a woman in a passionate embrace.

Stardust is the book by which many people discover Gaiman, as the second paperback edition was published by Perennial (ISBN 0-06-093471-9) when American Gods began to sell quite well. The illustrated hardback edition, long out of print, is prized by fans and commands quite high prices as a collectible. The illustrated edition of Stardust also seems to be the book that most often interests readers in Gaiman's comic book work.

In 1999, Green Man Press produced a portfolio entitled A Fall of Stardust, which contains (among other things) a chapbook which forms a prologue to Stardust, entitled Wall, A Prologue. (The rest of the portfolio consists of another chapbook, The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse, by Susanna Clarke, and a collection of fantasy art including pieces by Charles Vess.)

Trivia

One of the characters in Stardust is a large tree with red leaves that talks. The character was based on singer/songwriter (and friend of Gaiman) Tori Amos. She references this in the song "Horses" on her 1996 album Boys For Pele. She sings "And if there is a way to find me you will find me/but will you find me if Neil makes me a tree?"