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Gaiman Introduces Chadbourn's "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke"

Posted: Monday, April 29
By: Jason Brice

Neil Gaiman has written a remarkable, detailed essay on one of the world s most mysterious paintings as an introduction to a new novella by award-winning fantasy author Mark Chadbourn.

Gaiman who rarely provides introductions for other authors offered his services after reading The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, a fantastic story of obsession, wonder and terror about the painting of the same name by Victorian artist Richard Dadd.

In the essay, entitled "Me and My Dadd and Mark Chadbourn," Gaiman says, "There s one final thing you will know, without question, if you ve seen that painting in the flesh, and it s this: he knew what he was painting. He had seen it, through those crafty eyes. He had gone on the great journey, the grandest of grand tours, and this was what he was bringing back."

The painting shows a scene from faerie undoubtedly an inspiration for Gaiman s own work in The Sandman where a strange court of magical people watches an axeman about to split a chestnut in two. The picture is so detailed, so bizarre, many have suggested Dadd actually saw the fairyland he painted.

Dadd himself is a mysterious figure. He went mad, claiming ancient Egyptian gods were speaking through him, and eventually murdered his father. The Fairy Feller s Master-Stroke was dreamed up while he was committed to the infamous Victorian asylum Bedlam.

In his introduction, Gaiman reveals his life-long obsession with the painting: he once worked on a movie treatment about the picture, and considered editing an anthology where every story would be told from the perspective of one of the creatures in Dadd s work.

"And now Mark Chadbourn gives us a novella, in which the painting is a clue (perhaps), a murder-weapon (possibly), and above all, and unquestionably, a key: a key to a life, to a family, to mysteries, to solutions, to madness and, above all, to reality," Gaiman says in his essay.

"It s a story of a life wasted, of love and of pain, and of a place in which Dadd s painting and Dadd s life become both a template and an excuse: a reason for living, and a reason for dying, and it is not until the very end that we understand what we have read."

Mark Chadbourn has been twice-nominated for the prestigious August Derleth Award for Best Novel, an international award in the fantasy, science fiction and horror fields, previously won by Stephen King and Clive Barker among others.

Chadbourn s recent work is the critically-acclaimed Age of Misrule trilogy World's End, Darkest Hour and Always Forever which examines how our world would deal with the return of the gods of Celtic mythology. He has also written comics, including Negative Burn, Raven Chronicles and his creator-owned series Fatalis, all for Caliber. Among his awards is Fear Magazine s Best New Author, which launched his novel writing career.

"I was extremely pleased when Neil said he wanted to write the introduction to The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke," Mark Chadbourn says. "I know that he s extremely busy and very rarely writes introductions for anyone. I ve enjoyed his comics work since the earliest days Black Orchid and of course now he s a successful novelist too. Most importantly to me, his essay is a strong work in its own right and gives an erudite appreciation of the painting and the mysteries that surround it."

The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke is available in May in a limited edition numbered hardback signed by Neil and Mark and in a signed paperback.