Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman: great tale of urban fantasy
Neverwhere is, I believe, Neil Gaiman’s first full length novel. He was known before this for graphic novels and comics, such as Sandman. With Neverwhere, he creates a whole parallel universe within the world of the London Underground. This world is populated with all kinds of darkly fantastic characters. Like many fantasies, the hero of this one, Richard Mayhew, is a reluctant one. He helps a strange injured girl named Door, and ends up following here into the dark realm where she resides. What is most impressive about neil gaiman and his noteworthy addition to the urban fantasy genre is his ability to create a world that, despite being bizarre and so unlike ours, is still somehow believable. Neverwhere is the kind of book that would make a great series or at least trilogy.