Pictured edition: Stardust by Neil Gaiman, BBC Radio 4 2017. ISBN 1785295624. Cover photograph/art by ? Image used on this blog under the “Fair dealing for criticism or review” provision of the Commonwealth Copyright Act, 1968. Surrounding design made by me using Canva.
Tristran Thorn is a nice lad who lives in the English village of Wall, named after the guarded wall that separates the human world from the world of Faerie. He’s in love with the prettiest girl in the village, Victoria, who has little time for him. One night, she promises Tristran that she will give him a kiss if he brings her the star that they see falling from the sky. He sets off on a quest into the land of Faerie to find the fallen star and bring it back. But the fallen star is in the form of a woman: Yvaine.
Tristran is not the only one looking for the star. The surviving sons of the Lords of Stormhold are also looking for her because she wears the topaz that will give them the right to rule Stormhold. And the ancient Witch Queen needs to cut out the living heart of a star to restore youth and power to herself and her two sisters.
What a cracking story. It’s fun and swashbuckling and playful and enchanting. Gaiman really knows what he’s doing.
Because this is basically a beautifully produced radio play – full cast of voices, sound effects, all of it – this would be a fantastic Neil Gaiman gateway drug for a reluctant reader who likes fantasy films.
It would also be a good media text for years 7 – 10, especially for the Stage 5 genre study.
Title: Stardust: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation
Author: Neil Gaiman
Directors: Dirk Maggs and Heather Larmour
Cover: unknown
First broadcast: BBC Radio 4, 2017 (novel first published 1999)
Length: two and a half hours
ISBN: 1785295624
Genre: fantasy, comic fantasy
Representation: many fantastical beings fully represented… otherwise, no
Suitability: 11+
Fyi: murder, slavery, forcible enchantment, very vaguely implied (but not depicted) sexual activity, ghosts, adoption
Themes: magic, enchantment, love, freedom, greed, loss, adventure
Literary features/tropes: occasional second person narration, playful use/subversion of fantasy tropes
NSW syllabus: The syllabus for Stages 4 & 5 (years 7-10) states that “the selection of texts must give students experience of… an appropriate range of digital texts, including film, media and multimedia”, so this would make a great classroom text. It would also make an excellent wide reading choice.
If you like this, try: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE LIBRARY... 
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