The Essential Clive Barker [Paperback]

The Essential Clive Barker represents the kind of accolade few horror writers are granted and this selection of pieces has all the imaginative scope and fiery invention of his very best work. The settings move from the Yorkshire Moors to a grim inner-city London, while the bizarre magical tribes created by Barker (such as the Seerkind and Nightbreed) may be found alongside working-class heroines and refugees from post-war Warsaw. Some of the tales have only minimal supernatural elements, while others take their protagonists into realms of existence far beyond our own. This is an ambitious summation of Barker's career, a veritable treasure chest which has over 70 excerpts from novels, plays and novellas selected, and with fascinating introductions, by Barker himself. In 20 years, his literary achievement is more considerable than that of Stephen King, and his place in modern writing (not just the horror and fantasy genres) is assured. Few are as adroit at Barker at plunging the reader into a surrealistic dreamworld:

The dream-sea leapt up against her face when she spoke its name, and its undertow pulled at her legs. She didn't attempt to fight it, but let it lift her off her feet and carry her away like an eager lover. The waves, which were substantial enough at the shore, soon grew titanic. When they raised her up on their shoulders she could see a wall of darkness at the horizon, the likes of which she remembered from her last moments in Kissoon's Loop. When they dropped her into their troughs, and she plunged below the surface, she glimpsed another spectacle entirely: vast shoals of fish, moving like thunderheads below her. And weaving between the shoals, luminous forms that were, she guessed, human spirits like herself.

--Barry Forshaw

This 576-page sampler of Clive Barker's darkly fantastic work has an unusual format. You'd expect a huge collection of his macabre short stories (like the three 1984 Books of Blood that made his name in horror), or perhaps an omnibus of the sinisterly exotic novels in which he moved from Grand Guignol to his own warped brand of epic fantasy. Instead, here's a book of bits: 70-odd passages from novels and plays, plus four complete stories and an introduction in which our author offers glimpses of what makes him tick. The Essential Clive Barker is thematically arranged in thirteen sections, each with its own brief prologue--"Doorways", "Journeys", "Visions and Dreams", "Lives", and so on. Some of these fragments are powerful and evocative, some numinous, some horrid; many are teasers to make you wonder what comes next. Reading this is like sitting through a movie-length feature composed entirely of trailers flaunting pyrotechnic effects. It's a volume for dipping into rather than swallowing whole. There are fine things here, especially the complete stories--including "In the Hills, the Cities", that unforgettable mix of surreal horror and Balkan political allegory. But aficionados will already own the books containing these excerpts, while newcomers surely prefer to begin with a complete novel or collection. A perfect present for the Barker fan who has everything else. -- David Langford --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Praise for Clive Barker:

‘An invocation of both magic and the imagination… A majestic maze of mythmaking’
WASHINGTON TIMES

‘Passionate and ingenious… A ride with remarkable views’
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

‘A fabulous, engrossing war of the worlds’
PEOPLE MAGAZINE

‘Barker dislocates your mind’
MAIL ON SUNDAY

With a special introduction by Armistead Maupin, author of Tales of the City, this is a unique selection of the author’s best short stories and extracts from his novels, chosen by Clive and accompanied by a personal commentary which reveals the man behind the art.

Huge in scope, this unique collection examines the work of a man who has taken us further than any other writer of modern fiction: from the fantastic lands of The Fugue (Weaveworld) and the Dominions (Imajica) to the uncharted waters of the dream sea, Quiddity (The Great and Secret Show and Everville). His peerless imagination has only been matched by both his storytelling – from the groundbreaking series of short stories, the Books of Blood, which served as a wake-up call to a floundering horror industry, to the grand metaphysical vision of Galilee – and his ability to create memorable characters such as Will Rabjohns (Sacrament), Shadwell the salesman (Weaveworld) and Judith (Imajica).

A unique project by a unique author, The Essential Clive Barker will appeal both to long-time fans of his work, and anyone with an interest in great fiction.

Clive Barker takes us on a personal tour through the dark and fantastic land of his imagination.

Huge in scope, this unique collection examines the work of a man who has taken us further than any other writer of modern fiction: from the fantastic lands of The Fugue ('Weaveworld') and the Dominions ('Imajica') to the uncharted waters of the dream sea, Quiddity ('The Great and Secret Show' and 'Everville'). His peerless imagination has only been matched by both his storytelling – from the groundbreaking series of short stories, the 'Books of Blood', which served as a wake-up call to a floundering horror industry, to the grand metaphysical vision of 'Galilee' – and his ability to create memorable characters such as Will Rabjohns ('Sacrament'), Shadwell the salesman ('Weaveworld') and Judith ('Imajica').

In addition to this, 'The Essential Clive Barker' includes an introduction by the renowned Armistead Maupin, author of 'Tales of the City', and a specially written commentary by Clive which gives a brand new insight to the man and his Art.

A unique project by a unique author, 'The Essential Clive Barker 'will appeal both to long-time fans of his work, and anyone with an interest in great fiction.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Clive Barker was born in Liverpool in 1952. He is the worldwide bestselling author of the Books of Blood, and of numerous novels including Imajica, The Great and Secret Show, Sacrament and Galilee. In addition to his work as a novelist and short story writer, he also illustrates, writes, directs and produces for the stage and screen.