Good Omens (book)

Good Omens is a popular fantasy novel about the apocalypse by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. It has an active online fandom, especially after the 2019 Amazon Prime miniseries.
In 2014, the novel was adapted into a six-episode radio drama by BBC Radio 4.BBC lines up adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens, The Stage, September 5, 2014. (Accessed December 27, 2019).
To differentiate between the multiple performances of the work, many fans use unique names to indicate which universe is being represented or cited; as an example, there is the term Radio Omens for BBC Radio 4's reading of the work. The Good Omens fandom also has various Alternate Universe terms, such as Reverse Omens where the roles are exchanged, with Crowley the angel and Aziraphale the demon.
==Synopsis==
Good Omens is the story of how the world didn't quite end. As Neil Gaiman's website puts it:
== Characters ==
The main characters of Good Omens are:
* Aziraphale - Heaven's representative on Earth. "Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide."
* Crowley - Hell's representative on Earth. "An Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards."Good Omens, List of Dramatis Personae.
* Adam Young - The eleven-year-old Antichrist.
* Agnes Nutter - The witch mentioned earlier, whose prophecies are astonishingly accurate.
* Anathema Device - A descendant of Agnes, who has the last copy of her book of prophecies, and wishes the world wouldn't end quite so soon.
* Newton Pulsifer - A young man with a talent for electrocution and a love of machines.
* The Four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse - You can figure this one out.
* Various and Sundry Supporting Cast - Including inefficient witch-hunters, lascivious old women, pragmatic pre-teens, and assorted supernatural entities.
== Fandom ==
As with many older fandoms, the GO fandom was very active on Livejournal before moving to Tumblr. However some communities and events are still active on Livejournal. The main community for Good Omens fandom is lower_tadfield, and the annual holiday fanwork exchange is hosted at go-exchange.See also the Antichristmas (Good Omens exchange) for another example of an LJ-era exchange. Good Omens was one of the few literary fandoms prolific enough to be ineligible for participation in the Yuletide fic exchange.
Well-known fan writers include afrai, Aja, Argyle, Daegaer, irisbleufic, Louise Lux, Sam Starbucks aka. Sam Vines, Vulgarweed, and others.
Reccers include Arduinna, Beth H, Carmarthen, Knacc, Espresso Addict, Polyamorous Recommendations, and others.
In the mid 2000s, Good Omens fans were well known for their tendency to actively engage with Gaiman and Pratchett. It is a tendency that has continued in more recent times, with Gaiman's active engagement with fans on Tumblr and Twitter.
Fanart is very popular in the GO fandom, with much discussion related to the appearance of angel and demon wings. There has also been considerable discussion about the depiction of characters with no specified race, as predominantly white, in fanart and fancasts.When your favourite book's fandom tumblr post by situationalystudious on Tumblr, December 2019, accessed 14 June 2019.You guys realise post by mutececil on Tumblr, February 2014, accessed 14 June 2019. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021.
Good Omens fics often incorporate the use of footnotes, which are common in the book. A particularly popular source of the code is The Nice and Accurate Guide to Footnotes by Vigs (2019). 
Further Fanon Resources
* Good Omens Starter Kit by Tumblr user futureevilscientist
* Good Omens Links compiled by Tumblr user not-a-space-alien, originally posted 2016, updated since then.
* by Tumblr user Fish Support Group, (March 2017)
==== Author Response ====
Gaiman has also said several times in his blog that he is not opposed to fanfiction (of his work and in general) but really doesn't want to be exposed to it himself:
== Pairings ==
The extremely popular, and juggernaut, pairing in Good Omens fandom is Aziraphale/Crowley. Many stories take advantage of the fact that the two have been around throughout the entirety of human history and feature historical settings or appearances by historical or Biblical figures. Good Omens fanfic sometimes includes detailed and humorous footnotes, similar to those included in the original novel.
Other smaller pairings found in fanworks tend to be the canonical pairings of Anathema/Newt and Shadwell/Tracy, but more often than not they are side pairings in Aziraphale/Crowley works.
Good Omens also has a large gen fandom, strongly focused on Aziraphale & Crowley. However, stories about Adam and the Them are also common, as well as stories that involve Warlock.
==Fanwork Examples==
These fanworks are based on the book and predate the TV series, except for meta comparing the book to TV characterization.
===Art===
:See also :Category:Good Omens Art
* crowley’s and aziraphale’s new year’s resolutions, by blue on tumblr (January 1, 2012)
* A demon can get into real trouble, doing the right thing, animated fanart by birdloaf on tumblr (15 April 2013)
* Green Fingers, by Pika-la-Cynique on deviantart (August 22, 2008)
* GO - Crowley and Aziraphale, by Eeba-ism on deviantart (January 17, 2010)
* Good Omens, by GraphiteDoll on deviantart (September 27, 2012)
* GOOD OMENS for Neil's birthday, by noxcape on deviantart (November 14, 2010)
* Good Omens - Supernaturals, by juliedillon (May 14, 2007)
===Fics===
* The Sacred and the Profane, by afrai, an Aziraphale/Crowley AU series (early 2000s)
*Some Strange Race and The Seconds Slim by Sam Vimes at Pretty Little Oojahs, Crowley tempts and Aziraphael falls; Aziraphael wakes and Crowley bleeds. (2004-2005)
* Crown of Thorns (The Walls, the Wainscot, and the Mouse) 'Verse, by irisbleufic. Post-canon with historical flashbacks; featuring Aziraphale/Crowley, other canon cast, OCs. (2005-2019)
* such selfish prayers, by Lvslie. Post-canon; Aziraphale/Crowley (2017-12-29)
* And Find for Herself a Place to Rest, by tomato-greens. Post-canon with flashbacks; featuring Aziraphale, Crowley, Eve (2014-01-20)
===Vids===
* Good Omens "Book Title" Sequence, by Ariana T.
===Meta===
May duplicate examples on the Good Omens (TV) fandom page.
* by an anon at thegoodomensdumpster
* by thecuriousreader
* by fuckyeahisawthat
*A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine
=== Zines ===
* Unconditional, multimedia zine with other book fandoms
==Example Art Gallery==
Some examples of what fandom artists thought the characters would look like based on the books:
File:Good Omens Winter.jpg|Good Omens: winter by Linnpuzzle (2004)|alt="illustration of winged, dark haired, Crowley, and winged Aziraphale, who is holding an umbrella, while snow falls around them"
File:Good Omens by rhianimated.jpg|Good Omens by rhianimated (2007)|alt="illustration of Aziraphale holding a book and tea cup, and dark haired Crowley wearing a leather jacket, holding a bottle of booze"
File:Good omens characters by just agu.jpg|Good Omens characters by just-agu (2009)
File:Aziraphale and Crowley by Ememchan08.jpg|Aziraphale and Crowley by Ememchan08 (2015)|alt="illustration of a winged Aziraphale with a halo, holding a book, and a dark haired Crowley with wings and a pointed tail"
File:Newt and anathema by tio-trile.png|newt and anathema by tio-trile (2015)
File:The them and horsemen good omens by anjupear.jpg|The Them and Horsemen (Good Omens) by Anjupear (2018)
==Mailing Lists==
* CrowleysAngels
== Communities ==
* List of Good Omens Communities
==Links==
* Good Omens Holiday Exchange
* Good Omens Lexicon
* TVTropes: Good Omens Fanfic Recs
* Stories on Yuletide
* Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett on AO3
* Podfic at Audiofic Archive (86 as of January 2017)
* Good Omens group at DeviantArt
==Notes and References==
===Notes===
===References===
*
Category:Neil Gaiman