Anansi Boys
Anansi Boys is a fantasy novel by English writer Neil Gaiman. In the novel, "Mr. Nancy" — an incarnation of the West African trickster god Anansi — dies, leaving twin sons, who in turn discover one another's existence after being separated as young children. The novel follows their adventures as they explore their common heritage. Although it is not a sequel to Gaiman's previous novel American Gods, the character of Mr. Nancy appears in both books. Anansi Boys was published on 20 September 2005 and was released in paperback on 1 October 2006. The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, and won both the **Locus Award** and the **British Fantasy Society Award** in 2006.
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What you might want to know about Anansi Boys
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Mild Fat Charlie Nancy learns at his father's funeral that his estranged dad was a trickster god, and that he has a long-lost brother named Spider who is about to walk into his life and ruin it.
Anansi Boys is set in the same world as American Gods and features Mr. Nancy, who appeared as a side character in the earlier book. The story stands alone, and Anansi Boys can be read first or independently.
Yes. Amazon Prime Video produced a six-episode adaptation of Anansi Boys, released in early 2025. Neil Gaiman was involved in development. The show generally follows the novel with some structural changes.
Anansi Boys was written by Neil Gaiman, published in 2005 by Headline Publishing Group.
Anansi Boys is 384 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Anansi Boys takes most readers 6 to 8 hours to finish.
Anansi Boys is a standalone novel by Neil Gaiman, not part of a series.
Anansi Boys is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
