#neil gaiman appreciation

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Did you all know that long ago, Neil's fans posted photos from the bath?

Welcome to Tumblr, 2012. Just as adorable and quirky as Tumblr of today, and with just as much Neil Gaiman appreciation, but with fewer fans to fuel the fads:

[link] [link]

(I went looking for Good Omens clues in the time capsule that is the internet, and Tumblr decided that it knew best and instead sent me down this rabbit hole from which I may never recover. 1 point to Tumblr; please send help)

Why were people doing this?? I think it's because there's a poem, Bathing with Gaiman, by Zenobia Frost @zenfrost

And it inspired a dedicated blog, @bathbookneil-blog, featuring an entire collection of fan photos reading his books… in the bath.

Neil encouraged fans to read their books "in the bath naked, fully dressed, they can be of any gender or all, masked, alone, or in groups of as many of them as can fit into a bath." He also suggested trying to read while showering, a feat he said he's attempted, unsuccessfully.

When asked, Neil agreed to share a photo of himself reading in the bath if the donations for the free Audible release of Click-Clack the Rattle Bag reached 100,000 downloads/dollars.

He promised fans a "proper nakedy bath" with some discreet bubbles.

Alas!

I'm not about to reveal a long-lost photo of Neil in the bath.

The donations didn't reach the goal, and the bath-photo-sharing trend quietly wound down.

But maybe he gave us this glorious moment with David Tennant-as-Aziraphale-as-Crowley, to make up for it:

[gif credits @tenthrees, @ferndaphnia, and @bringthekaos]

[schattenhonig]

I really hope Neil Gaiman opens Tumblr, reads all the crying and sobbing about the Final Fifteen™ and knows what he has done. And I hope Sir Terry Pratchett has tea and biscuits with DEATH, smiles proudly at us and knows what he's done.

They have created characters that are so relatable and beloved, that people can't forget the hurt they experienced along with those characters months ago. They keep talking about it, theorising and discussing, and yes, there's some very deep, very dark abyss you can dive into, but there's also so much love, creativity and healing because of these characters and their story. And if these aren't the telltale signs of a great story and even greater storytelling, I don't know what is.

Thank you for the words like pools of ink, so I can see myself reflected in them and remember to dream. Thank you for the pain, which whispers to my own. And thank you for the smile I can hold on to, now that smiles are scarce.

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Not only is he here, but he's become the honorary godfather (gothfather) to the entirety of Tumblr. So, you know, the next time you need encouragement or advice on writing, dating, or just being a person, look him up. [Seriously.]

[hansoeii]

we go just right.

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Ahahaha I had never seen this Good Omens season 1 promo video before but there's a hilarious cameo from Neil Gaiman and I was NOT READY 🤣

The surprise for me was half the fun, so a pic of his cameo is below the cut!

I can't stop laughing 🤣

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Neil Gaiman on bsky: "I did the vowels"

[embracing-the-ineffable]

It's hard to see this on my dash and not reblog it again... 🥰

What’s your favourite line from good omens?

The invisible and unbreakable one that joins Crowley and Aziraphale.

[shiplessoceans]

Good Omens 2 appreciation post for that moment after Nina has just rocked Crowley's world with the revelation that no, he isn't slick and yes, it is glaringly obvious to everyone just how head over heels in love with Aziraphale he is.

Crowley takes himself off to the french restaurant and is drowning his sorrows in a bottle of wine while having the realisation that he's been following the angel around like a lovesick puppy all day with no other possible agenda other than to be around him.

And then he sees Aziraphale and whistles him over but the angel is too busy to join him for a wine in the middle of the day and Crowley tries to divert questions by complaining that he's scared Gabriel/Jim is gonna smite him and he'll be well and truly smote, no, smoted? Smited? What's the word he's looking for?

And the angel gives him a knowing look and says:

"Smitten, I believe."

PERFECTION.

GRAMMATICAL CORRECTION AND DIAGNOSIS IN A SENTENCE.

AZIRAPHALE JUST READ HIM LIKE A HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE BOOK AND DOESN'T EVEN REALISE HE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

This is my new favourite double entendre.

Smitten as the past tense of Smite. And the exact reason Crowley is drinking in the middle of the day.

He's realising he's smitten, your honour.

I hope Neil closed the laptop with a dramatic flourish after writing that line. Hell if I'd written a moment that perfect I'd take a victory lap of the kitchen and then call someone to tell them how clever I'd been before I pop.

[myauntspen]

Good Omens is twice as good as it needs to be. Genuinely.

If it were written by a good, experienced TV writer who could move a story along but didn’t have the nuance and world building skill of Neil Gaiman. If the leads were played by a couple of good actors with perfectly decent chemistry, but not the incredible character depth, decades of film and theatre experience, and on-screen electricity of Michael Sheen and David Tennant. If it were art directed, designed, scored and costumed by competent professionals who were good at what they do but not extraordinarily dedicated to perfection. If all of that were true, it would be a good show, fun to watch and entertaining.

But it wouldn’t have broken my heart into a thousand pieces. It wouldn’t have millions of fans wondering how they’re going to wait literally years for the conclusion. It wouldn’t have spawned tens of thousands of works of fan fiction and art. It wouldn’t occupy the thoughts and hearts of so many people daily months and months after being released.

It’s such a good example of why good enough is fine sometimes but great is something truly to be strived for, appreciated, and treasured.

[that-ineffable-devil]

I'm processing a lot of emotions tonight and I keep being drawn back to Good Omens--not just because it's the new hyperfixation or because it's so good. That's what I thought it was, at first.

But this year--hell, the last 3 or 4 months especially, I finally started taking steps to accepting and being myself. I'm rapidly approaching middle age and I'm only just now beginning to feel like I'm allowed to be me. I came out to the people in my household, a few select friends, and a few select family members--most of whom were wholly supportive. I started testosterone injections. I stopped trying to be someone I'm not. I stopped hiding who I am and who I love.

What does this have to do with Good Omens? Nothing. But also... Everything.

So much queer representation is in characters vastly younger than me--and that's good! I want queer kids to feel safe and loved and accepted in ways I never did. They deserve better than we had. And it gives me hope for their futures. I bawled like a baby when I watched The Owl House with my son and he was totally unphazed by the queerness. It's just how people are to him.

But when something like Good Omens comes along and not only grabs every opportunity to show average, everyday old(er) queer representation... It just. I've never felt more seen. More accepted. More hope for all our futures. And season 2 just knocked that out of the fucking park. And the nonbinary, genderfluid, and genderqueer rep? My God.

And it's not subtext, it's not it's own separate plotline where they're fighting for acceptance or dealing with hateful bigotry... It's just... Accepted. It's normal. No one questions it. No one even comments on it.

It's people of any age (even millions of years old) being unapologetically themselves and loving who they love openly and fully (with one notable uncommunicative group of two ineffable idiots, but they'll get there).

I just.

I can't express how grateful I am to see older queer rep at this time in my life. It's been a rough year, and I expect it'll get rougher before it gets better. But I've never been happier in my own skin, and it means the absolute world to see my literary and media heroes like Neil Gaiman, David Tennant, and Michael Sheen (and Terry Pratchett and everyone who worked on Good Omens, honestly) making this beautiful, messy, adorable, excruciating, wonderful, heartbreaking, ethereal, down-to-earth tale.

There aren't enough words in all the languages of the world to express how I'm feeling. "Thank you" just feels... Insufficient.

I just hope they know how much it means to people like me, especially after a lifetime of buried subtext and overt queerbaiting and media ridicule and general lack of acceptance, to experience this story with them.

[ayenah-ayenah]

U ever just sit down and think— oh what a great love story Good Omens is.

Adam, the antichrist himself, loved his parents, his *real* parents, the ones that loved and raised him. He denied his destiny bc he knew what love is, and it isn't whatever the fck Satan is to him. He loved his friends, his family, and the world— love altered reality.

Beelzebub and Gabriel found each other. An angel and a demon who has known nothing but to obey what they thought they were made for. Choosing sides was their thing, but now, they found something worth more than that. They fell in love and suddenly, nothing else but them made sense.

Then, there's Nina and Maggie, defining a love that is new, and exciting, and difficult— makes you wonder if it would be worth it. In the end, Nina needs to heal and Maggie swears to wait. And I just wonder if it would work. I wonder if they'll be able to fall in love with each other, without outside forces pushing them together. Will they find their way to each other? But I think of Good Omens and I remember, it's a love story, so, maybe, they will.

Finally, there's Aziraphale and Crowley— the old love. Azi & Crow stopped Armageddon bc they love the world, and each other.

I keep thinking about their love, the way they reciprocate it so well.

S1, "Even if this all ends up in a pile of burning goo, we can go off together," that line made proof of Crowley's love, and it was directed to Aziraphale. He didn't need Heaven nor Hell, and he loves Earth, but when he said that line, that was him declaring that if they can't save Earth, then it doesn't matter— as long as Aziraphale is with him. That's his love, his truth, and it's them, Aziraphale and Crowley together.

Then, s2 (one of many reasons I love s2), Aziraphale proved to reciprocate Crowley's sentiment. "Nothing lasts forever," he said. He loved Earth, the bookshop was proof of this, he made a life for himself on Earth out of love. But, all that, meant little compared to Crowley. Aziraphale has been disobeying Heaven for as long as we have all witnessed, and he wouldn't have stopped Armageddon if he didn't know any better. And yet, here he is, willing to leave the life he's built on Earth with humanity, to be in Heaven with Crowley.

Aziraphale has been loyal, to the best of his ability, towards Heaven. He believed in the ineffable plan, but look at him now, going back to Heaven fully determined to change it because he knows that it will never be safe for them to be together unless they fix this. Heaven and Hell will always want their war, and unless they do something about it, it's not going to be a happily ever after for Aziraphale and Crowley.

And Crowley was hurt, has felt abandoned, and rejected. Because he just wants to grab Aziraphale and escape, but Aziraphale walked away.

And Aziraphale, too, was hurt, has felt abandoned, and rejected. He wanted to work on their happily ever after together, but Crowley walked away.

And after watching to the end, I wondered if they would work, if they would find each other again. But this is Good Omens, it's a love story, and in this love story, Aziraphale and Crowley have always been able to find each other.

And it's amazing. I have been thinking of love everytime I watch Good Omens. It just radiates so much love.

[marie-m-art]

Amongst the Aziraphale appreciation posts I see, there's a big thing that I think is often missed and deserves pointing out!

(I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or if it's something so obvious that it goes without saying, and thus hasn't been said; so I am either throwing myself to the wolves here or to the crickets. Here I go!)

In short, I think sheltering Gabriel in S2E1 was undeniably the right thing to do, and I admire Aziraphale for it. The ensuing fight with Crowley might distract some people from seeing this.

Initially it was a snap decision whose rationale was probably along the lines of "Ohshit, this is insane, everyone is staring, this situation has to stop right now, just get in and I'll get rid of you later."

But then it becomes clear to Aziraphale that Gabriel is a person who needs help. This is a special situation in which his antagonist is currently helpless. If he turns Gabriel away, it's only a matter of time before the other angels find him (granted, Azi doesn't have all the information yet here, but it's not a huge leap for him to suspect heaven being part of the threat), and in the meantime he could be hurt or even be discorporated by humans or by accident, and presumably end up back in heaven where Something Terrible awaits.

To articulate what I think the thought process might be in this situation, I'll borrow a quote from Miss Level from A Hat Full of Sky: "You can't not help people just because they're stupid or forgetful or unpleasant. Everyone's poor round here. If I don't help them, who will?" He's able to set aside his feelings and risk his own comfort and possibly his safety to help someone clearly in need, despite their past. The reason this is admirable is because this is difficult to do.

I understand why Aziraphale was upset with Crowley (and acted a bit pissy) during their blow-up. Not only is it not unreasonable to be upset about being bailed on in a high stress situation, it's also disappointing that Crowley's proposed solution was to dump Gabriel somewhere to fend for himself - Aziraphale knows and we know that Crowley is usually kind and moral, not to mention rational (and we even see him being kind to Jim/Gabriel later). It's also worth noting that Aziraphale never implies that he thinks Crowley is a bad person for not helping; he asks for help, is upset to not get it, and suggests Crowley leaves because they're obviously at an impasse.

I see Crowley's side too, because it's also not unreasonable to get upset when your partner springs an unexpected stressful situation on you, and it was wise to leave when it was clear that they were both too emotional to work on a proper solution.

We all want to enjoy our precious, fragile existence on earth and not have to deal with curveballs, but I see this problem as the "worse" part of "for better or for worse". I might have seen things differently if Aziraphale was sheltering someone like Hastur, but he's helping his own antagonist, not Crowley's. I for one like to think that Crowley would have returned to help anyway after processing his emotions, even without the threat to Aziraphale's existence. And when he does return I like that he maintains an attitude of "I'll help but I don't have to like it!"

(Side note, it's also hilarious how irritated Aziraphale is by Jim later while Crowley is so patient - another case of doing the right thing but not necessarily liking it).

TLDR: I see their fight as emotional reactions to stress, that can be summed up along the lines of "I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at the situation!" Aziraphale's a BAMF in my book for doing what he believes was right.

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Relevant to the Good Omens fandom during our long wait for season 3...

“Never trust the storyteller. Only trust the story.”

— Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections (via wearebeguiler)

[sherryfortheoldlady]

I don't think I've ever loved a fandom more than I've loved this one.

I've been in quite a few fandoms, and they all, in one way or another, had a negative emotional impact on me, until I got into the Good Omens fandom.

Being in this fandom is like being in a safe and cozy bubble, where no harm can get to you, and you feel secure and happy and reassured that the bubble will never pop, and you feel like everything is okay, you're okay, you're happy, you belong.

I love so many things about this fandom. I love how everyone is always nice and respectful towards other fans and actors and writers and just everyone. I love how almost every fan has a different theory/headcanon for a certain thing, yet they're so accepting and encouraging of other peoples' headcanons and loving of it even if it's completely different from the one they have.

I love how a Good Omens fan is the #1 supporter of another Good Omens fan, and yet they're also their #1 enemy.

I love how everyone always says that Good Omens fans have one goal in life and that is to make other Good Omens fans miserable, and yet everyone knows it's just a joke and they actually love every single bit of art and writing and poetry and eat that angst up happily because it's somehow the most beautiful thing ever.

I love how Neil Gaiman takes time to answer our questions and never makes us feel silly for asking them. Moreover, I love how he doesn't always make everything canon, even when fans ask if something is canon or not, and leaves space for our imagination to make theories and headcanons and enjoy setting endless possibilities.

I love how both him and Michael Sheen interact with fans online. I love how Michael replies to pieces of fanwork and fans' stories and tweets and how he's always so supportive and enthusiastic about it all.

I love how Michael and David (mostly Michael) jump at every opportunity to talk about how Aziraphale and Crowley are in love, how much they mean to each other, how much they care, how they're the Yin to each others' Yang.

I love how Michael, David, and Neil are always so so so nice when interacting with fans (both online and irl) and how they always make us feel appreciated and loved. I love how they 100% support all fanwork and fan fictions and never spoke horribly about people who make them but instead encouraged them because it just shows how much people love the show and how much it actually means to them.

This fandom is the one place where I've felt safe to share my thoughts online without the fear of being attacked by other people for having different views than them, and I was anxious with my first post, but now I'm always excited to post something or just see what's new, knowing that I've found a place where I won't be criticised or judged for what I enjoy. A place I feel safe.

I genuinely love this fandom and everyone involved in it so so much. Please never change you all are amazing<3

[bayoubodycount]

Supernatural borrowed a lot of from Good Omens, save for that crap ending. Now, with Dead Boy Detectives, Neil Gaiman wrote a love letter to Supernatural fans with Jeremy Carver producing DBD, Steve Yockey the writer who damn near gave us canon Destiel but walked away from the queerbait bullshit bc as a gay man himself, he wouldn't put up with it, and has selected our beloved Queen of Hell Miss Ruthie Connell as the joyful night nurse, and got our pint size badass Archangel Gabriel's actor Richard Speight Jr. and our CEO of heaven herself, Amanda Tapping to direct, along with every episode starring Vancouver based actors who were also in Supernatural AND a TON OF EASTER EGGS(THANK YOU NEIL!)

@neil-gaiman really said:

[embracing-the-ineffable]

Neil Gaiman continues to fulfill his role as godfather (or is that gothfather??) to the entirety of Tumblr and I'm so here for it.

glad that im not popular enough to have an evil shadow version of my blog that exists just to make contradictions on my posts