Comic Title: Sandman #17
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Imprint: Vertigo
Cover Date: July 1990
On Sale Date: June 12, 1990 Copyright Date June 12, 1990
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1990

Shipping Date April 24, 1990
Source: Previews, #14

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $1.50
Page Count: 32
Editor: Karen Berger

Title: "Calliope"
Pages: 24

Feature(s):
Sandman (Morpheus)

Writer: Neil Gaiman
Penciller: Kelley Jones
Inker: Malcolm Jones III
Letterer: Todd Klein
Colorist: Robbie Busch

Reprinted In:
Sandman:Dream Country TPB (1991)
Sandman:Dream Country HC (1996)
Essential Vertigo:The Sandman #17 (1997)
Absolute Sandman Vol. 1 HC (2006)
Annotated Sandman Vol. 1 HC (2012)
Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2013)
Sandman:Dream Country 30th Anniversary Edition TPB (2019)
Sandman:The Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 HC (2021)
Sandman Vol. 1 TPB (2022)
Sandman Vol. 1 TPB [Variant] (2022)

Feature Character(s)

• Dream (also called Oneiros; last appearance in Sandman #16; next appearance in Sandman #18)

Supporting Character(s)

• Calliope (1990; a muse; last appearance in Sandman #17; no further appearances)
• Melete, Mneme, and Aiode (1986; last appearance in Young All-Stars #20; next appearance in Infinity Inc. #35)

Villain(s)

• Richard Madoc (1990; a writer; last appearance in Sandman #17; no further appearances)
• Erasmus Fry (1986; a writer; last appearance in Sandman #17; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Felix Garrison (1990; a surgeon; last appearance in Sandman #17; no further appearances)
• Harry (1990; a literary agent; last appearance in Sandman #17; no further appearances)
• Harvey (a studio executive; no further appearances)
• A news vendor (no further appearances)
• A reporter (no further appearances)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Calliope (1927; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Sandman #17)
• Calliope (1986; last appearance in Sandman #17; next appearance in Sandman #17)
• Richard Madoc (1986; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Sandman #17)
• Erasmus Fry (1927; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Sandman #17)
• Felix Garrison (1986; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Sandman #17)
• Harry (1986; an agent; on the telephone; next appearance in Sandman #17)

Comments:
This story takes places from May 1986 to March 1990.

This story reveals that Morpheus and Calliope were once lovers and had a son together.

Synopsis:
In 1986, novelist Richard Madoc is being pressured to produce a follow-up to his debut novel, The Cabaret of Dr. Caligari. Madoc is months overdue on his publisher's deadline and suffers from writer's block. To address the problem, Madoc acquires a trichinobezoar from from surgeon Felix Garrison. Madoc then trades the bezoar to retired author Erasmus Fry in exchange for his muse, Calliope.

Calliope was one of the nine Greek muses and once served as Homer's muse. Using a magic ritual, Fry captured her in 1927 while she was bathing. For nearly 60 years, he kept her in captivity. With a captive muse, Fry was able to produce great works of literature including the novel Here Comes a Candle. Although, Calliope begs for her freedom, Fry trades her to Madoc, who intends to use her to further his own writing career.

Once Madoc get Calliope to his home, he rapes her. Immediately thereafter, Madoc's writer's block is cleared and he completes his second novel. While Madoc works, Calliope begs the Fates for help. They cannot help. They also inform her that her former lover, Oneiros is also a captive, but he would not help her anyway.

Years pass. Madoc continues to hold his muse captive and reap the rewards as a successful author. During this time, Oneiros is freed from his own captivity. He visit Calliope, who asks for her own freedom. Dream confronts Madoc who refuses to release his captive. Angered by the refusal, Dream curses Madoc with an overflow of idea which quickly drives him mad.

Felix Garrison finds Madoc suffering from madness on the streets and takes him in. Madoc reveals that he has a woman captive and asks Garrison to release her. Garrison opens Madoc house including the locked room, but he sees no captive. Calliope has been released, though she kept her very existence secret from her liberator. She then thanks Oneiros for interceding, noting that he would not have done so in the past. Dream admits that his own captivity changed him. Calliope asks that Dream lift his curse upon Madoc. He complies, but once the spell is removed, Madoc is left with no ideas at all.