
The View from the Cheap Seats
Selected Nonfiction
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $26.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Neil Gaiman
-
By:
-
Neil Gaiman
About this listen
An enthralling collection of nonfiction pieces on myriad topics - from art and artists to dreams, myths, and memories to comics, films, and literature - observed in award-winning number-one New York Times best-selling Neil Gaiman's probing, amusing, and distinctive style.
An inquisitive observer, thoughtful commentator, and assiduous craftsman, Neil Gaiman has long been celebrated for the sharp intellect and startling imagination that informs his fiction. Now The View from the Cheap Seats brings together, for the first time ever, more than 60 works of his outstanding nonfiction on topics and people close to his heart.
As Neil explains, "This book is not 'the complete nonfiction of Neil Gaiman'. It is, instead, a motley bunch of speeches and articles, introductions and essays. Some of them are serious, and some of them are frivolous, and some of them are earnest, and some of them I wrote to try to make people listen."
In prose that's analytical yet playful, erudite yet accessible, Neil explores a broad range of interests and topics, including (but not limited to) authors past and present; music; storytelling; comics; bookshops; travel; fairy tales; America; inspiration; libraries; ghosts; and the title piece, at turns touching and self-deprecating, which recounts his experiences at the 2010 Academy Awards in Hollywood.
Neil ponders the truth of fiction and the power of stories (and why we tell them) and offers his own profiles of and insights into writers who have influenced him, including C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Diana Wynne Jones, Stephen King, Rudyard Kipling, James Thurber, and his dear friend, Terry Pratchett. He offers unlikely perspectives on subjects as diverse as The Bride of Frankenstein, Doctor Who, Batman, Tori Amos, Lou Reed, They Might Be Giants, and Amanda Palmer. And he includes a moving essay on the plight of Syrian refugees in a United Nations camp in Jordan.
Illuminating and incisive, witty and wise, The View from the Cheap Seats explores some of the issues, subjects, and people that matter most to Neil Gaiman - and offers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of the most beloved and influential writers of our time.
©2016 Neil Gaiman (P)2016 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
-
A Stroke of the Pen
- The Lost Stories
- By: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman - foreword
- Narrated by: David Tennant, Claire Foy, Steffan Rhodri, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A delightfully funny, fantastically inventive collection of twenty unearthed short stories by Sir Terry Pratchett, the award-winning and bestselling author and creator of the phenomenally successful Discworld fantasy series. These rediscovered tales were written by Terry Pratchett under a pseudonym for British newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. The stories have never been attributed to him until now, and might never have been found—were it not for the efforts of a few dedicated fans.
-
-
It's like a preview of the Disc World
- By K Van on 02-23-24
By: Terry Pratchett, and others
-
Good Omens
- By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.
-
-
At long last!!
- By Mike From Mesa on 11-21-09
By: Neil Gaiman, and others
-
Twice Cursed
- An Anthology
- By: Joe Hill, Joanne Harris, Paul Kane, and others
- Narrated by: Melanie Crawley, Antonia Beamish, Mark Peachey
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take a trip to a terrifying carnival and uncover the secrets within, solve a mysterious puzzle box and await your reward, join a travelling circus and witness the strangest ventriloquist act you've ever seen. In this follow-up to the bestselling Cursed: An Anthology, you'll unearth curses old and new. From a very different take on Snow White, to a new interpretation of The Red Shoes, the best in fantasy spin straw into gold, and invite you into the labyrinth.
-
-
cursed stories not retold tales
- By Cathrine Bonham on 04-24-24
By: Joe Hill, and others
-
Art Matters
- Because Your Imagination Can Change the World
- By: Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell - illustrator
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A stunning and timely creative call-to-arms combining four extraordinary written pieces by Neil Gaiman. Drawn from Gaiman’s trove of published speeches, poems, and creative manifestos, Art Matters is an embodiment of this remarkable multimedia artist’s vision - an exploration of how reading, imagining, and creating can transform the world and our lives.
-
-
This is 49 Minutes Long
- By E Spock on 04-06-19
By: Neil Gaiman, and others
-
On Writing
- A Memoir of the Craft
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill, Owen King
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
-
-
Who needs a print edition when King reads King?
- By Cather on 11-18-05
By: Stephen King
-
A Slip of the Keyboard
- Collected Nonfiction
- By: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman - foreword
- Narrated by: Michael Fenton Stevens
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Terry Pratchett has earned a place in the hearts of listeners the world over with his best-selling Discworld series - but in recent years he has become equally well-known and respected as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer's research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together for the first time the finest examples of Pratchett's nonfiction writing, both serious and surreal: from musings on mushrooms to what it means to be a writer (and why banana daiquiris are so important).
-
-
The Best
- By C. Saladin on 03-21-15
By: Terry Pratchett, and others
-
A Stroke of the Pen
- The Lost Stories
- By: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman - foreword
- Narrated by: David Tennant, Claire Foy, Steffan Rhodri, and others
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A delightfully funny, fantastically inventive collection of twenty unearthed short stories by Sir Terry Pratchett, the award-winning and bestselling author and creator of the phenomenally successful Discworld fantasy series. These rediscovered tales were written by Terry Pratchett under a pseudonym for British newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. The stories have never been attributed to him until now, and might never have been found—were it not for the efforts of a few dedicated fans.
-
-
It's like a preview of the Disc World
- By K Van on 02-23-24
By: Terry Pratchett, and others
-
Good Omens
- By: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.
-
-
At long last!!
- By Mike From Mesa on 11-21-09
By: Neil Gaiman, and others
-
Twice Cursed
- An Anthology
- By: Joe Hill, Joanne Harris, Paul Kane, and others
- Narrated by: Melanie Crawley, Antonia Beamish, Mark Peachey
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take a trip to a terrifying carnival and uncover the secrets within, solve a mysterious puzzle box and await your reward, join a travelling circus and witness the strangest ventriloquist act you've ever seen. In this follow-up to the bestselling Cursed: An Anthology, you'll unearth curses old and new. From a very different take on Snow White, to a new interpretation of The Red Shoes, the best in fantasy spin straw into gold, and invite you into the labyrinth.
-
-
cursed stories not retold tales
- By Cathrine Bonham on 04-24-24
By: Joe Hill, and others
-
Art Matters
- Because Your Imagination Can Change the World
- By: Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell - illustrator
- Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
- Length: 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A stunning and timely creative call-to-arms combining four extraordinary written pieces by Neil Gaiman. Drawn from Gaiman’s trove of published speeches, poems, and creative manifestos, Art Matters is an embodiment of this remarkable multimedia artist’s vision - an exploration of how reading, imagining, and creating can transform the world and our lives.
-
-
This is 49 Minutes Long
- By E Spock on 04-06-19
By: Neil Gaiman, and others
-
On Writing
- A Memoir of the Craft
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill, Owen King
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery.
-
-
Who needs a print edition when King reads King?
- By Cather on 11-18-05
By: Stephen King
-
A Slip of the Keyboard
- Collected Nonfiction
- By: Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman - foreword
- Narrated by: Michael Fenton Stevens
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Terry Pratchett has earned a place in the hearts of listeners the world over with his best-selling Discworld series - but in recent years he has become equally well-known and respected as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer's research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together for the first time the finest examples of Pratchett's nonfiction writing, both serious and surreal: from musings on mushrooms to what it means to be a writer (and why banana daiquiris are so important).
-
-
The Best
- By C. Saladin on 03-21-15
By: Terry Pratchett, and others
-
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
- By: Susanna Clarke
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 32 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
English magicians were once the wonder of the known world, with fairy servants at their beck and call; they could command winds, mountains, and woods. But by the early 1800s they have long since lost the ability to perform magic. They can only write long, dull papers about it, while fairy servants are nothing but a fading memory.
-
-
Hang in there!
- By D. McMillen on 05-31-05
By: Susanna Clarke
-
Mythos
- By: Stephen Fry
- Narrated by: Stephen Fry
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here are the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths, stylishly retold by Stephen Fry. The legendary writer, actor, and comedian breathes life into ancient tales, from Pandora's box to Prometheus's fire, and transforms the adventures of Zeus and the Olympians into emotionally resonant and deeply funny stories, without losing any of their original wonder. Learned notes from the author offer rich cultural context. This volume is a doorway into a captivating world.
-
-
Please, will you tell me a story?
- By L. Kampp on 09-24-19
By: Stephen Fry
-
Shantaram
- A Novel
- By: Gregory David Roberts
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 42 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.
-
-
Probably the best performance I've listened to.
- By Mickey on 04-15-14
-
11-22-63
- A Novel
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Craig Wasson
- Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.
-
-
I Owe Stephen King An Apology
- By Kelly - Write Well Academy on 04-16-12
By: Stephen King
-
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
- A Novel
- By: Mitch Albom
- Narrated by: Mitch Albom, Paul Stanley, George Guidall
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mitch Albom creates his most unforgettable fictional character - Frankie Presto, the greatest guitarist ever to walk the Earth - in this magical novel about the bands we join in life and the power of talent to change our lives. It's an epic story of the greatest guitar player ever to live and the six lives he changed with his magical blue strings.
-
-
Fiction interwoven with REAL people, places,events
- By BunnyBoy on 12-02-15
By: Mitch Albom
-
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
- A Novel
- By: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.... As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends - and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is.
-
-
MUCH better than I ever expected! Give it a try!
- By Kent on 10-19-09
By: Mary Ann Shaffer, and others
-
Memoirs of a Geisha
- By: Arthur Golden
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a voice both haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri describes her life as a geisha. Taken from her home at the age of nine, she is sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. Witness her transformation as you enter a world where appearances are paramount, virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder, women beguile powerful men, and love is scorned as illusion.
-
-
Perfect ---- in every way
- By Amanda on 02-08-06
By: Arthur Golden
-
Uncommon Type
- Some Stories
- By: Tom Hanks
- Narrated by: Tom Hanks
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A collection of 17 wonderful short stories showing that two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks is as talented a writer as he is an actor. The short stories are surprising, intelligent, heartwarming, and, for the millions and millions of Tom Hanks fans, an absolute must-have!
-
-
Old fashioned romp of stories, some real gems!
- By Lili on 11-13-17
By: Tom Hanks
-
The Shadow of the Wind
- By: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 18 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barcelona, 1945: Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his 11th birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona's guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again.
-
-
Have the book handy
- By Rebecca on 07-17-05
-
Nevertheless
- A Memoir
- By: Alec Baldwin
- Narrated by: Alec Baldwin
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most accomplished and outspoken actors today chronicles the highs and lows of his life in this beautifully written, candid memoir.
-
-
Embarrassingly petty
- By Stacey Robinson on 09-20-18
By: Alec Baldwin
-
Ireland
- By: Frank Delaney
- Narrated by: Frank Delaney
- Length: 19 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One evening in 1951, an itinerant storyteller arrives unannounced at a house in the Irish countryside. In exchange for a bed and a warm meal, he invites his hosts and their neighbors to join him by the wintry fireside and begins to tell formative stories of Ireland's history. Ronan, a nine-year-old boy, grows so entranced by the storytelling that, when the old man leaves abruptly under mysterious circumstances, the boy devotes himself to finding him again.
-
-
Best Listen In A Quite While
- By John on 03-17-05
By: Frank Delaney
-
Brave Companions
- Portraits in History
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: David McCullough
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The best-selling author of Truman and John Adams, David McCullough has written profiles of exceptional men and women past and present who have not only shaped the course of history or changed how we see the world but whose stories express much that is timeless about the human condition. Here are Alexander von Humboldt, whose epic explorations of South America surpassed the Lewis and Clark expedition; Harriet Beecher Stowe, "the little woman who made the big war”....
-
-
I USUALLY LOVE THIS GUY
- By Randall on 01-28-19
By: David McCullough

Discover The Sandman Series
and More From Neil Gaiman
and More From Neil Gaiman
What listeners say about The View from the Cheap Seats
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The Hurley's
- 12-22-17
I hope you like the sound of Neil's voice
This was long. Sometimes I was waiting for it to be over, but by the end I was hoping it would go on for another few hours. Neil talks about people. Many people I have heard of, many more that I haven't. But that's okay, because we have the internet and can learn about those that we don't know.
Neil's biographical parts are great. I loved hearing his stories from his perspective. He's met so many interesting and amazing people, my personal favorite being Tori Amos. He's written so many amazing essays, speeches, and of course stories. It's all in here, the good with the not so good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gabriel Nepomuceno
- 02-27-19
Touchingly humane.
For one who has loved everything that Gaiman had written in the last decades since Violent Cases and The Sandman, The view from the Cheap Seats is a real treat. As a collection of short non fiction writing Mr. Gaiman has me crying in several occasions while commuting to work. If you’ve never heard him reading one of his books, I’d recommend that you do and you can start with this one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- WendyCC
- 07-27-20
Beautiful stories...
I am a bit biased but I loved this book. I'm sure I will listen to it many times as I missed bits and pieces here and there. I am sure to hear new stories every time I listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Davina Rush
- 02-07-17
I absolutely loved this book!
Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors and an inspiration for his ability to spin wonderful tales full of dark and yet playful mischief. I always think of him like the Mad Hatter of the writing world and I love that! So, when I saw that he had written a book on writing, I absolutely had to check it out. As a writer, I found this book to be a priceless addition to my toolbox. It's full of inspirational stories, tips and a peek inside the mind of an absolutely amazing writer. I have added this one to my top recommended books for writers!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Justine A.
- 04-16-17
Priceless Wisdom & Inspiration for All
(I'm posting the same review for two different Neil Gaiman audiobooks because... they're so good, this is really all that needs to be said...)
I've attended a few events with live interviews, readings, etc. by Neil Gaiman. Be assured, he's every bit as personable, true to his work, accessible, well-spoken, and enjoyable as a narrator of his work as he is in person. Pure listening pleasure. He is the embodiment of the "joy" and "childlike delight" that exists in all of his work. His audio work holds every bit of the same invaluable quality.
The contents? Absolutely excellent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- "twi_prime"
- 09-06-22
Always Wonderful
I bought this after Neil mentioned on WTF that it includes his experiences with Lou Reed and Stephen King. So much wonderful stuff here, including excellent info for creative people. Enjoy! 😊
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeff Barrett
- 10-27-23
Listening to Neil is always a treat
A heartfelt recanting of memories from Neil Gaiman. A lovely collection of speeches and introductions that mirrors the authors life and works.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lauren Engelsen Corke
- 06-28-16
wonderful
I am l love listen to Neil Gaiman read his own words. when i read ocean at the end of the lane I didn't understand it until he read it to me.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ray Goode
- 09-03-22
Have A Pen & Paper or “Notes” App Ready!
I found so many interesting books and authors through hearing Neil speak about them at length with such prodigiously positive words. One of the best being Brian Aldiss. This was a wonderful collection of introductions, anecdotes, and essays written and impeccably read by Neil Gaiman. Check it out!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Randy S.
- 01-03-19
Engaging
There are books that should be read and others that should be heard. This book most definitely falls into the latter category. To have this read, by the author, makes this a truly wonderful experience. I will admit to not owning the written word, but I will say that if I did I imagine the words would not convey the depth or emotion they do in this medium. Neil is pleasant to listen to and has a somewhat hypnotic quality. I may be biased in the preceding statement being a fan of his work, but I doubt it. I may never get the chance to hear him speak live, but with this work i feel i have. To listen to this you feel as though you are casually sitting across from one another just chatting. Highly recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!