American Gods

Neil Gaiman

In Neil Gaiman's contemporary fantasy novel American Gods (2001), recently released ex-convict Shadow Moon becomes bodyguard to the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday—who soon reveals himself to be the old Norse god Odin. Cruising America's backroads, Wednesday gathers a motley band of immigrant deities whose power has waned as their followers forgot them. Their mission: wage an impending war against the “new gods” of technology, media, and consumerism that now dominate the national imagination. Caught between these rival pantheons, Shadow embarks on a myth-steeped road trip through small-town landmarks and hidden sacred sites, forcing him to confront questions of belief, identity, and the enduring power of stories in the American landscape.