With his second short story and prose collection Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman, author of the widely successful Sandman series of graphic novels, delivers exactly what his fans have come to expect—prose and poems told in a particularly modern tone that somehow inspire a similar feel to the folktales and fairy stories of yore. The book gets off to an excellent start with A Study in Emerald, which seamlessly pairs Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective Sherlock Holmes with the world of H.P. Lovecraft’s monsters, a’ la Gaiman’s friend and fellow scribe Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Other note-worthy gems include Keepsakes and Treasures, a rather twisted tale of love; October In The Chair, which sees Gaiman once again working the art of story-telling into his stories; and the spine-tingling ghost story The Flints of Memory Lane. However, unlike its incredibly re-readable predecessor Smoke & Mirrors, Fragile Things does have a couple of pieces that fall short. While most of these are forgettable at worse, the Gothic spoof Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire, stands out for startingoff as tediously as its title. A disappointment, considering Gaiman’s otherwise brilliant comedic timing in past works like Anansi Boys and Good Omens (with Terry Prattchett).On a whole, while it may not be the very best of thewriter’s works, Fragile Things stands perfectly well on itsown as a great read.