“People talk about escapism as if it's a bad thing... Once you've escaped, once you come back, the world is not the same as when you left it. You come back to it with skills, weapons, knowledge you didn't have before. Then you are better equipped to deal with your current reality.”

British author and storyteller of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Gaiman blends fantasy, science fiction, and horror with lyrical prose. He’s celebrated for works like *The Sandman* comic series, *American Gods*, and *Coraline*, as well as his contributions to children’s literature and film adaptations. His writing often explores myth, imagination, and the boundaries between worlds.