‘A very sinister kind of betrayal’: Harrowing Neil Gaiman allegations threaten a downfall far greater than J.K. Rowling

Among the most painfully beneficial perks of social media and the world wide web is information, but that information comes with downsides. As a result of such broad communication possibilities, we’re more interconnected than ever, and that lends to the rapid spread of damning rumors, when they arise.

It’s led to the thorough cancelation of far too many once-beloved stars, as the web’s endless possibilities allow the world to learn of their true natures. The latest on the chopping block is Neil Gaiman, a treasured fantasy author who, following the latest exposé, is facing the end of a starkly successful career.

Gaiman has been a staple of the fantasy field for decades, arguably starting as far back as the mid-’80s, and his books are rife with complex and intriguing characters. Many of those characters are women, and – almost across the board – they’re written as intelligent, powerful, and with a distinctly feminist tilt. All of which led people, for decades, to consider Gaiman a champion of women.

Until controversy, starting as rumors but bubbling over into concerning allegations, swept in to ruin yet another fantasy favorite. Like those of J.K. Rowling and Marion Zimmer Bradley before him, Gaiman’s works are suddenly sullied in the eyes of fans, and it’s devastating readers across the globe to learn just how insidious and honestly creepy Gaiman’s been all these years.

Now it’s vital to note that most of what we’ve learned about Gaiman remain allegations, rather than proven fact. But it’s hard not to believe the harrowing words put down in Lila Shapiro’s Vulture exposé, detailing how Gaiman “hid the darkest parts of himself” for decades, and became among the most respected fantasy authors on the market.

We’ve already witnessed the fall of Rowling, but her sins are a world away from Gaiman’s. Again, Gaiman faces accusations, not charges, so we’re speaking from a place of believing victims here, but the words so many people read in mid-January — of a morally bankrupt man willing to abuse, harass, and mentally scar numerous women — are truly troubling.

Rowling’s words, actions, and campaigns do very real harm to the transgender community, there’s no denying that. Her continued campaign to “protect women” harms many women, regardless of Rowling’s perception of their womanhood, and that absolutely cannot be ignored. But it seems, based on these thoroughly reported accusations, that Gaiman’s harm was shelled out personally, by the author himself, and over most of his career. While we were reading his well-considered, powerful female characters, he was allegedly assaulting women very much like those protagonists — powerful, intelligent, and capable — all while earning praise for his thoughtful contributions to the genre.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, and many fantasy fans are getting Marion Zimmer Bradley flashbacks as they digest the Gaiman reports. Bradley, author of the beloved Mists of Avalon, didn’t face her downfall during her lifetime, but the years that followed her death were eye-opening for fantasy fans. We’re facing a similar reckoning with Gaiman, as we re-examine those characters we’ve loved for so long, and it’s casting a shadow over every project he’s ever been involved in, from Good Omens and Sandman to the next novel on his docket.