LogFAQs > #929858911

28. Sandman #17 ("Calliope") (20 points)
Nominated by: scarletspeed7 (2/5 remaining)
https://imgur.com/a/SL716re

Importance: 5.5
Fear: 5
Snake: 9.5

Sandman #17, entitled Calliope, I think encapsulates well what makes Sandman such a legendary series. The first issue of the "Dream Country" arc, it features a frustrated author, Richard Madoc, suffering from an intense case of writer's block, being unable to write a follow-up book to his original best selling novel. To remedy this, Madoc seeks out a muse, Calliope, yes the very same Calliope of Greek mythology fame, considered the chief of all muses. Easily the most horrific part of the story is how Calliope is treated, or rather, mistreated and abused by Madoc and her prior captor, Erasmus Fry. To set the tone off the bat, the first thing Madoc does to Calliope is rape her. In case you had any inklings that maybe Madoc has some good in him or would help Calliope in some way, no, Gaiman makes it crystal clear that Madoc is loathsome, greedy, and irredeemable. So, Madoc gets his ideas and becomes successful, but during this time, Calliope plots her escape, enlisting the help of Morpheus, the lord of dreams & stories. Appropriately, like a Greek tragedy, Morpheus curses Madoc with "ideas in abundance". Though you never really feel bad for Madoc here, there's still some horrifying imagery as he works his hands to the bone writing all of these ideas down. Penciled by Kelley Jones, inked by Malcolm Jones III, and colored Robbie Busch, the artwork here revels in harsh, dark shadows that subtly inform both Madoc's and Calliope's mental states and inner thoughts. Calliope's unnatural posture and occasionally twisted proportions also creates the feeling of beauty that feels hard for mortals to truly grasp.

"Calliope", like a lot of Sandman, feels like the perfect commentary for the pursuit of stories and the sometimes extreme lengths we will go to make our work perfect. It handily rejects the idea of "author-work" separation; how we get our stories is intrinsically tied to ourselves, and a story written not from a "pure" stand-point might as well be worthless. One of my favorite little moments that really proves this is how Madoc regards himself as a feminist writer, a laughable notion considering where he got that idea from: through violence & abuse of a woman. It's a story that may just make you reconsider your notions on the idea of a creator-driven piece and I love it for that reason.

Though this is mostly a self-contained story, its place in the wider Sandman story is important. Calliope would go on to recur and her relationship with Morpheus would be expanded on. Morpheus' entrapment is heavily referenced and plays a huge role in his decision to help Calliope. As for smaller details, I like that Madoc wears an Ankh earring, making Death almost have a sort of background role in the story. And both Madoc's & Erasmus Fry's books would make recurring appearance in future stories as little nods. This also wouldn't be the first time Gaiman wrote about muses; a similar concept appears in Neil Gaiman's Likely Stories, featuring a photographer desperately searching for a woman he saw in a magazine when he was younger.

This is in my view essential Sandman reading, a perfect introduction to the weighty ideas, mythological influence, and dark fantastical horror that truly defines the series.
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What I am about to do has not been approved by the Vatican.
https://imgur.com/MmrKwGZ - https://imgur.com/ntWVGyh