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What’s in store for fans this season?

Season 1 took us from the beginning of the book to just before the House on the Rock. Season 2, in general terms, takes us from the House on the Rock through to Shadow leaving Cairo, Ill. But what happens on the way includes things that weren’t in the book. In the novel, you’re following Shadow around and seeing the world from his point of view. In the TV series, you’re looking at the whole. So you’re following Shadow, but the other characters as well.

It wasn’t smooth sailing from Season 1 to Season 2. Original showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green exited, and Jesse Alexander (who has since departed) took over. What was the story there?

One of the things that was interesting about Bryan and Michael is they wrote great scripts, but they weren’t very good at running a writers’ room. Jesse understands delegating.

What’s it like to be the cool guy nowadays? You went from being this niche fantasy writer to one of the most mainstream names in pop culture.

It’s very weird because I got to do it without ever changing what I do. For 25 years, people have been saying to me, ‘Why don’t you just pick one thing and stick with it?’ My answer always is, ‘I like telling different stories.’

Has it surprised you to see that mass acceptance?

Not really. It was so slow and gradual. You talked to me 10 years ago, and I had just won the Carnegie Medal and the Newbery Medal. So there was a culture shift even then. But through most of my life, it’s either been: ‘Neil Gaiman? Never heard of him.’ Or Neil Gaiman? He’s my favourite author.’ Not a lot else.