Product Description
The Yattering and Jack [Hardcover] ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent work
Not much of a horror tale but rather a dark humor story about the misadventures of a little spawn from hell trying to fulfill his most difficult assignment. John Bolton contributed beatifully painted art for this graphic novel.

Amazing!
Very cleaverly written.Clive mixes the mystery of the Yatterings and Jack's relationship with humor.Excellent Read. ... Read more

Product Description
Clive Barker's iconic masterpiece The Hellbound Heart, the novella adapted into the film Hellraiser, unleashed a new mythology of horror, brilliantly conceived and born of the darkest imagination. Now, enter this visionary world -- the merciless realm of the demonic Cenobites -- in this collection of stories inspired by The Hellbound Heart. Featured here is the graphic work "Wordsworth," from bestselling author Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean, who unlock an explicit way to violate innocence -- one torturous puzzle at a time.... New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong logs on to a disturbing website for gamers, where the challenge is agonizing, and the solution beyond painful. When his father disappears, an Oxford student returns to his family's mansion, where a strange mechanism in the cellar holds a curious power, in a haunting illustrated work by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Boxing - Few Men enter, Less Men Leave!
When I first read that infamous short on "the box," "cenibites," and all those little horros, I was shaken by it. I was really young at the time and reading things I was "allowed to read" - today it seems strange to thing of a bad thing as reading material you aren't supposed to considering what it inappropriate behavior now.
I recall seeing the movies after that and thinking that the story had a life of its own and that more should be done. Well, more has been done.

In a book with wording from Peter Atkins, Conrad Wiliams, Sarah Pinborough, Mick Garris, Tim Lebbon (I consider Lebbon a plus in any addition(, Richard Matheson, Nency Holder, Simon Clark, Steve niles, Sarah Langan, Nick Vince, Yvonne Navarro, Mark Morris, Barbie Wilde, Jeff Mariote, and a few others - not to mention Clive barker. This means you have a dieverse scope when it comes to the style of telling you see, and you have such a different taste when it comes to plot, character handling, horrible things, and so much else.
The group; I like it alot.
Also here is work from Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden when illustrations are needed, and these are sexy beasts. I also love Mignola's work - he has been a favorite of mine for way too long now. So, this is the perfect arrangement to find and to read like a madman.

If you liked the way the bo has been thusfar, read this. You will like other people's ideas on what the beast should be, not to mention the fact that you get so many different flavors of pain and suffering here.
I would have bought it simply because of the idea, but it had talent backing it up. Even the pictures are done by masters!

Not bad, not bad at all.
I'm a big Hellraiser fan and couldn't resist buying this book knowing that the stories would be based in some way around the Hellraiser mythology, even if the stories weren't written by Clive Barker. I was not disappointed and it was worth the money. These stories were well written and very imaginative. Incredibly well done!!

A great collection
Hell has many faces.In this anthology we see some of them.For anyone who is familiar with the Hellraiser mythology (the great novella by Clive Barker and the 8 movies), there is surely some wavering about this book.I know I was on the fence on whether to buy it or not.I did, and I am glad that I made the choice.90% of these stories are very good.The other 10% weren't bad, but not as strong in my opinion.Some of my favorites are the story that lead off the book, "The Dark Materials Project," "Santos Del Infierno," and "The Promise.""The Promise" sent chills down my spine.

The one thing I will say is that we meet Cenobites that are new and unfamiliar to us.There are appearances by one or two of the demons that were developed in the films, but for the most part they are new and nasty.The descriptions of some of the creatures is truly terrifying.I found these characters more disturbing than some of the cenobites created in the films.

This was a great hold over until Cliver Barker finally finishes the long awaited final Pinhead story.If you are a fan of the movies or his novella, read this book.I was not disappointed.It is a book that will have a place on my bookshelf for a long time.

My take on Hellbound Hearts
As a huge Clive Barker fan, Hellraiser is one of my favorite films and this book is inspired by that film and his novella "The Hellbound Heart". This anthology is a mixed bag. Most of the stories are great. Especially Kelley Armstrong's "The Collector" with a good twist and Tim Lebbon's "Every Wrong Turn." But "Mechanisms" by Christopher Golden & Mike Mignola bored me since the end was obvious. All in all a good book for any horror fan especially if you love Clive Barker. And if you are a horror fan and don't love Clive, how can you call yourself a horror fan?

This Book is Pleasure and Pain
Pleasure and pain. That is the foundation in many ways of Barker's Cenobite mythos, and this anthology had both, which I will explain in a moment. First, this book is a collection of new works based on Clive Barker's original short story, The Hellbound Heart, which in turn, inspired Hellraiser. You will NOT see any of the original characters in these stories, including `Pinhead' but you will see a vast collection of wonderful stories by some of the greatest authors of horror.

A complete list of authors and stories follows:
* Prisioners of the Inferno by Peter Atkins
* The Cold by Conrad Williams
* The Confessor's Tale by Sarah Pinbrough
* Hellbound Hollywood by Mick Garris
* Mechanisms by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola
* Every Wrong Turn by Tim Lebbon
* The Collector by Kelly Armstrong
* Bulemia by Richard Christian Matheson
* Our Lord of Quarters by Simon Clark
* Orfeo the Damned by Nancy Holder
* Wordsworth by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
* A Little Piece of Hell by Steve Niles
* The Dark Materials Project by Sarah Langan
* Demon's Design by Nicholas Vince
* Only the Blind Survive by Yvonne Navarro
* Mother's Ruin by Mark Morris
* Sister Cilice by Barbie Wilde
* Santos Del Inferno by Jeffery J. Mariotte
* The Promise by Nancy Kilpatrick
* However by Gary A Bauneck and Lucy A Snyder
* `Tis a Pity He's Ashore by Chaz Brechley

... and an afterword by Doug Bradley who played the Cenobite who is commonly known as Pinhead.

The Pleasures: Most of the stories in this book are brilliant. The Confessor's Tale by Sarah Pinbrough and Sister Cilice by Barbie Wilde are both excellent and deal with a common theme. The Cenobites described in Hellbound Hollywood by Mick Garris and Our Lord of Quarters by Simon Clark were both quite disturbing, and the twist ending of The Collector by Kelly Armstrong had me clapping. I loved these stories and many others in this book. It is well worth the money. You can just sense the love that these authors have for the mythos and the pride they take in their stories.

The Pain: Well, Wordsworth by Gaiman and McKean is painful. As a comic book collector I am familiar with the depth and wonder of McKean's art. His complicated mixed media art is beautiful... when reproduced correctly. In black and white on newsprint renders his images flat, and some of the words impossible to follow. It's frustrating. Also, the Cold by Conrad Williams left me in the cold, and `Tis a Pity He's Ashore by Chaz Brechley seemed like the wrong story to end with because I kept waiting for the punch or the point, by I was still waiting by the beginning of Bradley's afterword.

All in all, this is one of the best horror anthologies to hit the market in years.

Highest Recommendations for Barker fans, for horror fans, for those who want to lose sleep at night.
... Read more

Product Description
In the dark recesses of the human imagination lies an erotic potential that is rarely explored. Rare Flesh dares to venture into this taboo territory, pairing Armstrong's stunning male nudes with provocative poetry and prose by Clive Barker. Fans of Barker's best-selling novels and films-from Weaveworld to Hellraiser-are already familiar with his unique brand of eroticism, and they will be eager to see it brought to life visually for the first time here.

Distinguished from other male nude photography books, Rare Flesh presents a series of photo essays that each explores a different fantasy scenario that could have sprung from a Barker novel. Dozens of models of varying body types and backgrounds were chosen, and each was encouraged to act out his own personal dreamscape, working with the photographer. The images, fashioned with the latest digital technology, often play with the viewer's perceptions, as many of the models are covered entirely in black body paint or shot against solid-color backgrounds. The results transform the body and tease the viewer, showing us the male form as we've never seen it before. This dynamic work is an intensely collaborative effort between Armstrong and Barker, who are life-partners, as the text delves into themes of love, betrayal, loneliness, and redemption. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fantastic out-of-this-world photographic models. So imaginative
If you want to see male penises and hot bodies, this aint a book for you. But if you want to see fashion, weird, exotic, imaginative poses and great creative work, then most def get this. If you like the movie: "The Cell" with JayLo then you will love this book. The quality and top notch photography technique is masterful. its a Rare Book for rare taste. Move on if you afraid of something novel and strange...

What do you see?
With the exception of the lone female photograph, this exploration of the male body is lush, disturbing, and strangely alluring. The unnatural color saturation both draws the eye to the disturbing sexuality of the photos and repels any thought of humanity. Many of the images are monsterous. These are normal, beautiful men reduced to disjointed, inhuman parts. The words by Clive Barker serve as comment on the dark landscape of flesh, but neither add nor subtract from the images. Brilliant work and well worth the time. ... Read more

Product Description
It begins here! The second half of an adaptation of master of horror Clive Barker's epic journey into the fantastic, The Great and Secret Show. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Illustrator II is great stuff
Clive Barker's Illustrator II is great stuff especially if you are a fan of his fiction work.This book allows you to see into the genius minds of one of our prolific horror and fantasy writers.I like the style he useswith a brush and ink. ... Read more

Product Description
It begins here! The first half of an adaptation of master of horror Clive Barker's epic journey into the fantastic, The Great and Secret Show. Adapted by Chris Ryall (Shaun of the Dead) and artist Gabriel Rodriguez (Land of the Dead), this first collection presents the beginning of a battle between good and evil that will span many decades and different dimensions. Featuring a special introduction from Clive himself! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Failed attempt
I am somewhat troubled with works of Clive Barker. I can't deny certain appeal, the sheer invention of horror and dread in his novels and work inspired by him, but nevertheless I can't close my eyes to the fact that he never managed to step out of the boundaries of genre writer. Barker writes good horror fiction, fiction which is, up to a certain degree, predictable and sort of expected, and fiction which is, on the other hand, deeply disturbing. My trouble lies in this - whether I should look on Barker as an intentional writer of trash (in this aspect he becomes good writer), or I should look on him as an incompetent writer who tries so hard to deliver some kind of message but fails to do so in the most awesome way (in which case he is simply bad)? Maybe there is a third approach to the entire problem, but currently I fail to see it. Now, why am I pointing this out? Because, this graphic novel on whose Amazon-page you just stumbled upon, is perfect example of Clive Barker's writing. Now, I never read a novel upon which this graphic thing was built upon, so maybe I should blame Chris Ryall for everything, but somehow I don't think that this option may hold any value at all. If for anything, than for foreword from Barker himself in which he praises this incarnation of his novel. So, let's try to discuss (at least, I will be discussing and you're going to act as a something completely different), what went wrong here.

I will put all of the horror bits away. If someone has a hard-on on bunch of demons, nightmarish visions, ghouls, dead souls flying around and battle of mystic energies then this book is good as any one out there. I will try to dig deeper and discover what lies beneath the sparkly effects of demons galore. If we take Barker seriously (and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't), than this book is all about the destruction of "American dream". Or better, it's a kick-in-the-face-making-it-plain show and tell about the darkness and psychological dementia that lies beneath that concept. It's a story about peculiar little town (in Stephen King's own terminology), and ordinary people which struggle with forces completely outside their power of comprehension. It's a story about struggle between living a simple (and sort of prescribed) life, and being a part of a greater picture. Of course, taking an active role in this big picture of ours, often leads to a total destruction of the simpler mode of existence. Destruction of roles, of tradition, customs and (taking it to the whole new level), destruction of family and town (community) as well. Up to this point, everything goes according to plan. There are no narrative leaps that contradicts the logic, there are no obtrusive ideas, and everything seems rational enough and follows a certain tradition of philosophical thought. Horror part works well and we have an interesting, evocative, and somewhat drab book, which fit in nicely with the rest of the Clive Barker's work. And than we start meddling with nature of Art, psyche, and metaphysics and everything falls apart. This level of story is rather shallow, and Barker fails to do anything of interest with it. It's a cheap philosophy that doesn't stand to scrutinizing, and in a way it's way over the top. Barker tries to tell an all-encompasing story about life, universe and everything and ends up with bunch of pages filled with demon battle and rather standard notions of good and evil. We may call that metaphysics, and we may call it something else. I prefer the latter.

Now, considering the art (work of Gabriel Rodriguez), it's all well and kicking but it looks too computerish for my taste. It's that kind of generic comic art that somehow gotten in the contemporary American comics (at least their mainstream variant). Technically it's correct, and it's shiny and angular and everything, but somehow it lacks the spirit. Much like the script does in itself.

I have read far better stuff out there, and I won't be giving this a second look. I don't know, maybe this just ain't stuff for me. But I sincerely doubt that you will be thrilled with this title. So, as there is a vast array of books to choose out there, maybe you should look elsewhere. If you find this (comic not my blabbering) interesting please do share your thoughts.

The Story Intrigued Me; The Art Blew Me Away
I've never read a Clive Barker book.I actually own the first volume of his "Abarat" series, but I've yet to crack the book open.The only reason that I'm starting this review by stating this is because of the fact that I haven't experienced a Barker book, I'm going to review this trade paperback as a separate entity, not an adaptation.

That being said, "The Great and Secret Show" makes a good comic.It's a wild and complex story that may take a couple of flip-back-a-few-pages to understand properly, but once you do, the tale is enthralling.There are many characters--enough that you may need a pen and a pad--but each person that plays a part in this story is easily discerned from the rest of the cast because of strong characterization and the skill of the artist.

And speaking of the artist.I was about fourteen paces past impressed with the art in this book.Gabriel Rodriguez's art is some of the best I've ever seen; he makes women sexy without that pesky unrealistic proportions, facial features are sharp and detailed, and the monsters, setting, and pretty much everything else looks like it leaped right out of a dream.Seeing as a 'dream sea' is a big factor in this book, that's a major plus.The vast majority of IDW artists are usually average at best, but Rodriguez wowed me.

The trade paperback itself was very sturdy, which was a huge relief for me.In the past, IDW's trades would quite literally fall apart after one read.My "SPIKE" trade was losing pages before I was 1/3 through with it, and the first time I opened "Angel: The Curse" the entire cover came off.This trade paperback saw none of these problems.The pages are sturdy as well, so if you're worried about quality, you can breathe easy.Chris Ryall (the man who adapted Clive's story into a comic script, an IDW editor, and an all around awesome guy) did IDW fans good this time.

8/10

Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show, Volume 1
It's always interesting to see how graphic novel adaptations of complex and long books are going to turn out.Thankfully, Ryall's and Rodriguez's adaptation of Barker's book is one that he is proud of, and will make fans happy.For a summary of the novel, see my review for The Great and Secret Show.

The key here is that this is the first volume in an at least two-volume series, because the forty or fifty pages would not be able to cover the whole story.What's so refreshing is the art.Clive Barker has a very vivid imagination and to see these crazy and complex images show in art form rich with color and detail is a truly enjoyable experience.Along with a brilliantly written script that manages to condense a six hundred page book, or three hundred in this case, into this slim graphic novel.

Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show is perfect for the fan of the book looking to see it done in a whole new way, as well as those not sure if they want to tackle a long dense book, and looking for a Cliffnotes version.Of course, once they've read it, they will probably want to read the novel version, which of course, is highly recommended.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Beginning to A Beautiful Friendship..
This Is an outstanding adaptation of an equally amazing novel.I am amped to see the continuation, and the Everville adaptation hinted and hoped for by Clive himself in the introduction.After perusing this graphic novel, I am wanting to read the novel again. ... Read more

Product Description
In this sequel to Film, Horror, and the Body Fantastic, Badley examines horror fiction as a fantastic genre in which images of the body and the self are articulated and modified. Badley places horror fiction in its cultural context, drawing important connections to theories of gender and sexuality. As our culture places increasing importance on body image, horror fiction has provided a language for imagining the self in new ways--often as ungendered, transformed, or re-generated. Focusing on the works of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Anne Rice, Badley approaches horror as a discourse that articulates the anxieties of our culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not for the casual fan
While Badley raises a few interesting points, she takes the literature far too seriously and will lose many readers because of her writing style, which is too heavy with academia.She also seems to have a feminist axe to grind, as she spends a great deal of space writing about feminist elements in the authors' work.

I would recommend looking for this at the library if you feel you must read it.There's not enough here to merit the cover price. ... Read more

Product Description
Legions of Clive Barker fans will relish three early works from the wicked imagination of one of the best-known fantasy/horror writers of the decade.

Incarnations is a cross-disciplinary marvel, a great, glorious feast of the imagination taking us on a journey through wildly varied theatrical and emotional terrains, from the pain and intrigue of domestic transgressions to the monstrous horrors wrought by war; from lustful garden liasons to subterranean cannibalism.Barker uses unpredictable rhythms that draw less from theatrical convention and more from life itself, with apocalyptic spectacle and intimate reality sharing the stage as equal and sometimes indistinguishable partners.

The three works that make up Incarnations - Colossus; Frankenstein in Love, or the Life of Death; and The History of the Devil, or Scenes from a Pretended Lifecombine the shock and magic and heartbreak that has made Barker's unique vision a compelling force in all the media he has touched. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Into the mind of genius
In the realm of books filled with a play (or plays) this one is a real delight. Barker always satisfies in drawing the reader into highly imaginative realms of mythology, psychology and suspense - with wonderful surprises along the way.

If you are in the mood for a handful of soul stirring plays, I recommend this one along with The Walls Came Tumbling Down by Wilson.

My only complaint is that Barker's usually intriguing forwards sometimes give too much away, akin to a reviewer who provides just a tad too much insight. However, one could save the forward for after the plays.

Barker is a literary genius who spins the most amazing stories. To visualize them as theatrical releases on the stage is very intriguing.

Great work.

Meet the devil
Arguably the best play of this collection is The History of the Devil. Where the other two plays are a nice potent dip into the macabre, the Devil is a mind-blowing experience that gets you where it hurts the most: your conscience. What is evil? What is good? Can we judge anything? It isn't surprising that even Dante has a cameo role in this play.

I would love to see this play in production somewhere near me. Although it would not be as visually appealing as the other two plays in Incarnations, since it lacks scenes of cannibalism and dismemberment for instance, it surely must be a wonderful experience to see the actual Devil on stage.

Nice to know is that the actor that gave live to the Devil in the World Premiere of The History of the Devil as presented by the Dog Company at The York and Albany Theatre, London, in 1979 was none other than Doug Bradley, the guy that plays Pinhead in the famous Hellraiser movies.

As a conclusion I can reveal that the end of the play as a very nice twist to it. This collection shows Clive barker at his best. A must read for all fans of the macabre.

One Astonishing Play, One Good, One Unsuccessful
A few years ago, I picked up a copy of PANDEMONIUM, a softcover overview of Clive Barker's works.While I found most of the material interesting, what blew me away was the first ever printing of Barker's THE HISTORY OF THE DEVIL.Quite simply, it is one of the best plays I have ever read.It is demanding, thought-provoking, funny, obscene, and brilliant.

HISTORY is centred around the trial of the Devil.It is not so much a criminal proceeding, than it is an evaluation of his works on Earth.If he wins, he may re-enter Heaven.And as his history is re-enacted on stage, lawyers both for and against his case struggle to find a legal way to keep him where he belongs.

As in most of Barker's works,a simple description doesn't do it justice.HISTORY is an amazingly theatrical experience, all rooted in one of the most intriguing views of the Devil that I have read.While not being familiar with the more classical works of Dante and Milton, I can say that Barker's Devil is a far more satisfying and frightening figure than the demon presented in Anne Rice's MEMNOCH THE DEVIL.The play also presents one of the most original and shocking endings I have ever read, in a play or a novel.

The other two plays presented in INCANTATIONS are a mixed bag.FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE is the more satisfying of the two.In a re-imagining of Mary Shelley's work, FRANKENSTEIN occurs in third world dictatorship, full of chaos and mystery.If I am not as enthusiastic as I am about HISTORY, it is that Barker's ideas in FRANKENSTEIN don't wholly combine.It has humour, horror, an astonishing amount of gore (I don't know HOW this would ever be staged), but by the end, the horror has taken over the story.It leaves you wishing for more of a coherent ending.Still, some scenes do remain in the mind, especially the scenes involving the dead, but still animated narrator.

Barker's third play, COLOSSUS, is the least of the three.Ostensibly, it surrounds the Spanish painter Goya, as he stumbles around after a tremendous bombing has destroyed a large portion of an estate.As I don't know anything of Goya, I can't speak as to the effectiveness of the sets in bringing out the mood of his paintings, as Barker suggests.But the play doesn't hold water.It is a amalgamation of confusing characters and odd dialogue.It has an unfinished feel to it.As this was one of Barker's earlier works, perhaps he can be forgiven it biting off more than he can figuratively chew.But as a published work, it functions as a curiosity, not a fully-formed play.

Still, Barker is one of the more interesting writers around.He's always willing to try and push the envelope, instead of resting on his laurels (anyone read Dean Koontz lately?).Read FRANKENSTEIN IN LOVE and COLOSSUS for the ideas.Read THE HISTORY OF THE DEVIL for the experience.It really is that good.

It Just Dosn't Get Any Better.
This book of plays was one of the best I have ever read. My fav of the three was Frankenstein in Love. The monolouges by Maria were superb and amasing. Her monolouges made me want to put the play on myself. Colossus was a little harder to get into but it was well worth it. In The History ofThe Devil speaks for itself. In all three plays the wrighting is some ofClive's best. It's well worth the effort to find this out of print book andkeep it for a life time.

History of the Devil is the best
My name is Christian Panaite and I'm from Romania.I was in the team who worked at the production of History of the devil in Princeton High School, NJ.Till then I hadn't heard about Clive Barker but reading"Incarnations" I discovered a new world full with horror andmistery- it was a very interesting experience.Acting in his play was agreat event for me -I was Milo Milo and I was very proud that I had thesmallest part from the play.There are so many things to say about his books-I think that his style is unique, he is unique ,his world is unique. ... Read more

Product Description
In this richly illustrated volume--masterfully complied from the BBC television miniseries by Stephen Jones--Clive Barker, the modern master of horror, takes you on a terrifyingly intimate tour of his personal sources and secrets. Here is the unspeakable stuff of which Barker's vision was formed: a wonderfully eclectic and wide-ranging collection of nightmares from the literature and film. Meet serial killers and serious authors, outlaw directors and rebel artists, legendary monsters and movie stars from Psycho to Silence of the Lambs. From exorcisms to zombie dances, chaos to cannibalism, Lovecraft to Elm Street, Dracula to Deuteronomy, discover the dark and grisly world of Clive Barker.Amazon.com Review
This splashy, high-concept book with glossy pages (designed toaccompany a BBC-TV series) is not so much an encyclopedia, as a colorscrapbook of Clive Barker's horror obsessions. After an introductionin which Barker examines such questions as "What is horror?"and "Why does it fascinate us?," the book takes the form of26 heavily illustrated historical essays about assorted topics in thegenre--one for each letter of the alphabet (e.g., "B is forBeelzebub"). The pictures include numerous paintings and drawingsby Barker, stills from movies, movie posters, author/director bioinserts, and photographs of all types. A partial list of the topicscovered: serial killers, H. P. Lovecraft, Dennis Wheatley, JohnCarpenter, H. R. Giger, Grand Guignol, makeup, killer clowns, killerkids, body horror, Japanese monsters, Barbara Steele, Shirley Jackson,fairy tales, and sculptor Franz Messerschmidt. A fun toy for horrorbuffs! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Gems of Information at a Glance
I join the ranks of those who have given high praise to this superb, vibrant compilation of facts and other curious oddities about horror in books and film.The layout design is graphically pleasing with dozens of photos and illustrations in both black and white and color. These are attractively aired with white space on the pages and, though interesting in themselves, never compete or distract from the text.Essential bibliographic data or curious informational tidbits are smartly set in gray screen and/or block frames.All of these design elements make for a highly attractive book but, most importantly, aid in gleaning facts at quick glance. In fact, much of the book's design strategies help disguise the fact there is an abundance of information that might seem tedious or less interesting if presented less imaginatively.The book is actually quite dense with facts, dates, and quotes--all visually displayed in a palatable, readily accessible presentation.Though this reviewer has not seen the acclaimed BBC television series to which this book is the official companion, he suspects it to be equally energetic and ambitious in its presentation; and the inspirational basis for the book's high-concept, stunning design. A detailed index gives added value to this concisely written, well-organized guide to the best horrific frights in cinema and print.

It really looks amazing! Great layout.
This is an excellent book about all things horror, but is mostly concerned about books and movies. I got this book after flicking through the pages in the local bookstore and was taken aback by the wonderful layout and colorful images of what Clive Barker has to tell us about the world of horror. It is completely illustrated from start to finish and has lots of art work from Barker himself and there is plenty to read about in between images and pictures of all things diabolical.

Essentially the book donates a few pages to each letter of the alphabet like "M" is for "Murder" and then Barker starts ranting about that topic in as many of its different forms as he sees fit - however the book is primarily written by Stephen Jones, but there is plenty of Barker inside. There is lots and lots of references to artists, writers, actors, filmmakers, makeup artists and directors. Barker also talks about real life horror with such topics as Ed Gein the serial killer.

I would highly recommend this volume of work to anyone who wants to know more about horror. By flicking through the pages they will come across lots and lots of things that they would probably like to know more about. Whenever I am thinking about buying a horror movie or a horror novel I always turn to this guide to see what Barker or Jones recommend. As a horror writer Barker is into the whole scene and is never short of coming up with something interesting that you might like to know more about.

This is highly recommended companion guide to all things horror. The book is really well designed and you will find yourself turning to it time and time again.

Should be in your Barker library!
This book is not written by Clive Barker, but is based on the tv-series that took its que after the successful author. As far as i can see most of the text is written by Stephen Jones. But this should not scare away the Barker fans, because the book is packed with illustrations and qoutes from our favourite author. On top of that the book contains a lot of interesting essays about a lot of horrorrelated subjects(A-Z).
Great buy and beautiful book!

A worthwhile coffee table book of the macabre
Combining short but insightful text with a visually stunning layout design, _Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror_ provides a light read on some very dark subjects. It would make an excellent gift for both those making their first steps into this genre as well as for old hands looking for something to keep around for visitors to squeal about.

As a matter of fact...
I would recommend this book for all passing horror fans and experts alike;Clive Barker, that well respected mentor of modern English horror, hascreated a fine compendium. If at times a little pretentious, particularlyin the sprawling and philosophical introduction, the layout is first-classand it doesn't dwell on the statistics-for-anoraks that so many of thesetype of film book do. Enjoyable, perhaps even essential for your filmshelf. It is at times a little lightweight; at others, snobbish and frothy. ... Read more

Product Description
Five stories of horror and intrigue include, "Dread," "Hell's Event," "Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament," "The Skins of the Fathers," and "New Murders in the Rue Morgue." Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

not too bad!could have been better,or worse!
I could give this book five stars,but I guess that would be pushing it a bit too much.After all this book deserves three stars!I am only giving four because of two reasons 1)I am a Clive Barker fan 2)These books of blood are his debut books.And I wouldn't expect more from debut books.

But overall this book was simple to read.It was highly violent.And at times,dirty.
I am going to give you my opinion of each of the stories and a brief "sneak peek".

1)Dread............................................(not too bad)
2)Hell's event.....................................(good)
3)Jacqueline Ess:her will and testimony............(good)
4)The skins of the fathers.........................(okay)
5)New murders in the rue morgue....................(stupid,dumb)

1)In "Dread",a college student becomes horrified by his own fears.And sets out to experiment on other people's fears.Trying to make them trip.He basically used other people's fears to torcher them hoping that his own fears would leave him alone.
But in the end,his own fears kill him.(his fear was that one day a guy would hack him to death).And one of his "experiments",a college studient,driven mad,kills him!
A very cool story,just good enough to start the book with.

2)In hell's event,things get a little better that the previous story.
Once every century a race takes place.Humankind against Hell!If humankind wins the race,life goes on.But if hell wins the race,then the world would end!
This race I am talking about issort of like a marathon.
And in the race described in the book,hell decides to play the game a bit unfair,and things start to turn messy!

3)Jaqueline Ess,not too bad but from here the book starts too lose its touch.This story is simply about a woman who has the power to destroy someone with her mind!There is a great detailed description of how she uses her mind to turn her husband to dead meat.She can also will someone to do whatever she wants them to do.(believe me,this woman is no woman you would like to mess with).

4)This skins of the fathers.(again the book is on its way to getting stupid).
In this story,there is some strange race of monsters.They,and women(human women)have existed long before human men!Human men came as a result of the monsters reproducing with human women!(I know this sounds dumb,but the story fails too impress me).
Now,after one of the monsters in the present time mates with a woman,she has a son.
Now,all these monsters want is their son back from the humans.(yes,there son,the boy has more that one fathers!monster fathers)...The humans start to fight back,thereby killing the son just as he was beginning to transform into a monster and things get a little mess.(not a very facinating read,but short a fast paced though)

5)Now,this story "new murders in the rue morgue" is dumb,it spoils the end of the book.Losing my trust in the books of blood.
It is simply with a man who has trained a gorilla to act like a human.And this gorilla turns into a pervert after the man goes to prison.
...This story is too stupid and confusing to understand and read.I literally forced myself to read it.It is just a waste of paper...

Anyway,the book overall is not too bad.The first one is way better though.
But then again,in every book of short stories,there are some good ones,some stupid ones and some dumb ones.
There are very few exeptionally good short stories because a short story is normally too short to develop a momentum of length that would reveal a lot of information and greatness.And a good plot to follow.
These short stories are so simply written that you can close your eyes and read them...enjoy...Nigel

Not Clive Barker at his best
This second volume of Clive Barker's Books of Blood pales in comparison to the first volume, four of its five stories coming up short in my estimation.The book does get off to a rousing start with Dread, a somewhat sadistic tale of one man's obsession with death and the fear of it.According to the mysterious grad student Quaid, true philosophy, not what passes for philosophy in the universities, is a beast; everything really comes down to one thing only, which is fear.So begins Quaid's personal instruction course of Dread 101.His is a hands-on endeavor, as he seeks to look the beast directly in the eye by studying the effects of dread and the realization of imminent death in the eyes of his fellow man, the closest two representatives of which are two of his "students."Dread is a psychologically disturbing read, one which succeeds quite well indeed in spite of a rather pat ending.From this point, the book is all downhill.

Hell's Event tells the story of a charity race, only this is no ordinary race.Once every century, this particular race pits a minion of the underworld against human runners, with the state and control of the whole government hinging upon the outcome.Much like Stephen King's The Long Walk, it does not pay to finish behind the winner, for truly to the victor go the spoils.Next up is Jacqueline Ess: Her Last Will and Testament, a story in which the main character's very special abilities for controlling her environment and those in it winds up wasted with little to show for the effort.The Skins of the Fathers is not a bad story, but it is quite on the weird side.A sometimes almost comical group of inhuman, bizarre creatures comes to a small desert town to reclaim one of their own, born five years earlier to its human mother.A puffed up sheriff and belligerent posse of townsfolk lend comic relief as much as tension to the story's plot of borderline absurdity.The final story here is New Murders in the Rue Morgue, and it is almost surely the worst piece of fiction Clive Barker ever wrote.The protagonist is a retired artist and, so we are told, descendant of M. Dupin.Yes, we are led to believe, Edgar Allan Poe's classic story The Murders in the Rue Morgue was based on fact and not fancy, and now the modern representative of the Dupin blood finds himself mired in an extraordinary, eerily similar, and exceedingly ludicrous case of his own.

Obviously, I don't consider Volume 2 of the Books of Blood to represent Clive Barker at anything near his best; this is not to say these stories (excluding New Murders in the Rue Morgue) are not worth reading, though.Dread is a fine piece of work, and the next three stories will hold your attention throughout, although they may well leave you feeling indifferent and more than a tad disappointed.

Not the best one, but still...
Clive Barker's 'Books of Blood' contain some of the best horror-short-stories ever written. Barker's talent to scare and impress you both with his literary genius is at his best here.

This second book is not as good as the rest, but especially the first one is really good. Still very good horror.

Better than Vol 1.
Having read the first Volume of 'Books of blood' I was eager to find stories as good as 'The Yattering and Jack'. This book provides such stories. Apart from 'Dread' these are all first class. Dread is good, butthe subject matter is a bit sadistic for my liking and the plot lacksBarker's usual imagination.

I think that this book is more consistentthan the first volume of 'Books of Blood' and fully deserves five stars.

This is possibly the best collection of horror stories I have read.

Very good read!
It just goes to show you that everyone's tastes are different!I had to type a review because I thought that "Dread" was the best, albeit short, horror story that I have ever read.I read the book when itoriginally came out... it says 1987, I thought it was a year or two earlierthan that. The Books of Blood were my introduction to Clive Barker.I haveread other works by him, but I feel that the blood books were his best. ... Read more

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A complete rip-off
There are many things wrong with The Essential Clive Barker. For starters, the title is simply incorrect. This book does not give you an overview -or even a hint for that matter- of what Clive Barker is all about. At best it gives you a set of teasers that hopefully will entice you to read the full novels. But why not start by picking up a real novel and explore the craftsmanship of the author yourself. Indeed, a concise version of The Essential Clive Barker should read: close this book, go to the bookstore, buy Imajica and enjoy. If you have never read any of his books, this collection is only going to annoy you to death. Right at the moment you are really getting into the flow of a story, it breaks off and leaves you to crave for more.

So if beginners are not supposed to buy this book, should the avid Clive Barker fan invest some dough in it? Why should he? Any self-respecting fan will own all Clive's books anyway. Ah, but there's a catch, indeed. The Departed, a short story that previously only appeared in The New York Times, gets its book premiere in this tombstone of a collection. Sounds like a rip-off? Well, it definitely is. The only real extra's are Clive Barker's explanations for why he selected these particular stories, but these short interludes do not give you any better insights into the stories themselves. This book was clearly only published because the publishers needed some quick money. Just read the real stuff, you won't regret it. ... Read more

Product Description
Hard cased Cassette UNABRIDGED tapes of another great Clive Barker work. Read by Ron Keith. Another ambitious and challenging dark fantasy from the popular author and filmmaker who is almost single-handedly elevating supernatural fiction to new levels of both literacy and intensity. ... Read more

Product Description
Following extensive cosmetic surgery, Hollywood superstar Todd Pickett needs somewhere to hide away while his scars heal. His manager finds the ideal location, Coldheart Canyon – a dream-palace hidden away in a corner of the city so secret it doesn’t even appear on a map.In the 20s, ‘A’ list stars came to the Canyon to have the kind of parties nobody was supposed to know about. It wasn’t just the wild sex and the drugs that made Katya’s parties so memorable. There was a door in the bowels of the dream-palace, which reputedly opened onto another world – the Devils’ Country – where nothing was forbidden. Nothing.With his refuge now a prison, Todd needs to get out of Coldheart Canyon. But to do that he must not only solve its mysteries but also face the powers that have protected it for seven decades, and that means stepping through the door…As a Hollywood insider with a keen eye for its idiocies and horrors Clive Barker is uniquely positioned to write this vitriolic Tinseltown ghost story. Coldheart Canyon is an irresistible and unmerciful picture of Hollywood and its demons, told with all the style and raw narrative power that have made Barker's books and films a worldwide phenomenon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

didn't like it
I picked up "Coldheart Canyon" by Clive Barker because it was a Hollywood ghost story and I enjoy those Hollywood stories. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong book to start reading Clive Barker. I heard that his books were great, but although this story started out okay, it soon become drawn out and slow and boring. I could not connect to the story or the characters whatsoever. I was looking for horror not sex. Can anyone recommend a better Clive Barker story?

As strange as the Canyon depicted
While there are some interesting things about this book, and some compelling scenes, it is a *very* long story that lacks the kind of coherence you expect in a sprawling tale, encompassing gruesomeoccult scenes, Hollywood dirt-dishing, and downright action-packed adventure. Somehow we trust a published author to take us through 700 pages with authority--that each scene is a needed piece of the puzzle; but that's not how it goes. Whole sections of this book go nowhere, or only tangentially move the plot along (such as the endless scenes of the protagonist Todd's dog being put down: we get it, we get it); then a scene of unbearable gruesomeness and wanton sexual play comes in, followed by a poetic few paragraphs of descriptions of the sunset and the flowers and the hills of Hollywood.One senses that Clive has the run of a very expensive toy store here, but he doesn't know how to play very well with what's given him. His bravura consists in writing vivid, shortscenes, but not in the overarching picture. This book is really three stories (at least), with an ending that goes on for hundreds of pages, listlessly. Once Todd is dead, when we later find out that he matter-of-factly returns is increasingly dull (exception: his reluctance to go off with an angel because 'he never trusted agents' is a nice line, one of the few in this section). I think a good editor would have made it into something better with judicious cutting. The sex scenes stand out as being brutal and not terribly erotic; the mutilation scenes as excessive and not terribly imaginative, reminding one of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" brought to a slimier plane.Too bad, as I think it could have been an uncommonly good story, especially since Barker demonstrates that he can turn an effective phrase on many pages.

Underrated masterpiece by my favorite author
While to much attention was paid in the last Clive barker interview in Rue Morgue about Clive Barker's return to horror I am finding increasingly annoying that people ever thought he left. Sacrament has many elements of Clive Barker in his classic form and Coldheart Canyon is no different. There is fantasy but not in the way that books like Weaveworld or even his Art books (Great and secret show/Everville) Sure CC often has a biting tongue in cheek satire of the imagine consciousness of Barker's new home town of Hollywood. This is the man who wrote the books of blood it might be fairer to say it is a shredded and pierced tongue in cheek.

The Dark and fantastic Barker we all know and loved from the Books of blood is alive and well in all his twisted glory. Don't be fooled by the sarcastic Classic Hollywood pretty boy photo fool you...this is a savage horror novel. Barker has like many of the great modern horror authors taken the classic haunted house story and given it a twist that is 100% Barker original. The dark fantasy and twisted sexuality that is a part of barker country is raging.

Themes Barker is fascinated with are at the heart of this story. Keys, puzzles and in this case tiles painted with a living imagine of the devil's country, the room becomes the gate to this dark world. Painted Lilth the devil's wife to...well that is a spoiler for sure. I was hooked from the first intensely gothic moments of the prologue where a silent screen movie star becomes the owner of the tiles the room and the gateway which is also a fountain of youth. Like all Barker gateways it leads to a sexually perverse and pain filled world that he is so good in creating.

At its heart is Todd Picket the world's greatest action star who in the failing years of his career is being courted by the evil forces of Hollywood to trying regain his youth. After the plastic surgery trying to hide from the media Todd ends up at a Hollywood dream palace hidden in a haunted canyon owned by Silent movie star Kayta Lupie and well you get the basic idea.

The only negative to the book is in the 100 or 200 pages of story that is a big over done. Most importantly the last 100 pages which is more of an extended epilogue, I enjoyed the ending but the book could have benefited from a shorter version.

This book could never have happened had Clive Barker not made the three films or lived in Hollywood; he was having fun grinding his axe about the city he loves and hates at the same time. The book has laugh out loud parts, but most importantly it is a horror novel that reminded me why there is no one in the same league as Clive Barker he is a artist and imagination on his own realm.

Clive Barker Gives Us Hollywood Babylon Up Close And Personal
Upon reading Coldheart Canyon, we understand a few more things about Clive Barker that we may not have known before.One is that he doesn't hold back anything at all.And two, even when he move off and writes for children (Abarat), he still keeps his claws sharp for when he returns to his adult audience.

Coldwater Canyon is Barker's interpretaion of Hollywood Babylon, with all the orgies and ghosts and murders most foul.Debauchery extraordinaire.Barker shows us everything and more.Pornography move over, Clive Barker is here to rewrite the entire existence of hardcore.Talk about your sweaty moments.Centered around a house in the Hollywood Hills of a faded actress, a room holds a mosaic of tiles taken from the old country, tiles that paint a scene and bring an entirly new and different world to life, slong with the terrors it hides.Sex scenes galore.Animals.Ghosts.Oldtime actors and actresses living in sin.Faded romances and torrid affairs.Clive Barker gives us the Hollywood heyday in stark, vivid scenes.Trippy-cool and very erotic. Coldwater Canyon is about power and seduction and eternal damnation the way only Clive Barker has the balls to portray it.Wow!

Dig it!

I like Clive Barker, but I don't like this book.
I'm a big Clive Barker fan. Obviously, that's why I read this book. "Abarat" is a great series. "The Books of Blood" are watershed works in horror. "Dread" and "The Madonna" are two of the best horror stories I've ever read. "Imajica" should be celebrated just for its scope and ambition alone. "The Damnation Game" and "Cabal" are very good horror works as well. "Thief Of Always" and "Sacrament" are very nice and accomplished departures from the usual Clive Barker.

However, I am afraid there is little to be said about Coldheart Canyon to recommend it. It's difficult to explain what I don't like about it without giving some majors spoilers, but I'll try.

First of all, the introduction. I find it rather ironic that in a book that concerns itself heavily with "the pride goeth before the fall" or the pitfalls of ego, Barker writes a largely self-congratulatory introduction in which he speaks of what a multimedia force he's become and how awesome the contracts he gets are. Uh, that's great Mr. Barker. We all know you're a success. I wasn't really old enough to appreciate or remember the release of the movie Hellraiser when it first came out, but I knew from a young age that as far back as I could remember Barker was a seminal name in horror, along with the likes of Stephen King. An introduction where he pats himself on the pat for being such a creative guy and landing contracts that require a table of contents seems like the actions of his main character in the novel, Todd Pickett, somewhat jarring.

Barker then later paints himself as a "Hollywood insider" (people may think of themselves that way, but it takes a lot of chutzpah to actually refer to yourself as a "Hollywood insider.") At this point it's become quite clear Barker has a fantastic opinion of himself. But how is the book?

I am fully aware of when this book was published, but for a "Hollywood insider" Barker comes off like a guy who left Hollywood in 1996-7 and joined the Peace Corps, as has little knowledge of what happened since. Nearly all of his references to real Hollywood movies, actors, and events in actuality and the ones he makes "sly" allusions to are almost painfully dated. It's a little silly.

For a Hollywood insider, Barker disappoints: he gives us the same tired, bland, hackneyed "insider's view" of Hollywood that has been served up countless times, with no twists. Hollywood is a teeming rat's nest where the actors are insincere, attention-starved, and shallow (after two characters presumably drown themselves the actors act shocked for a few seconds then go back to cracking jokes - come on), the producers are angry, short little men who threaten to sue whenever they're crossed, and astonishingly people allow themselves to be goaded this way. If you were holding a party, and someone who wasn't invited broke in and attacked one of your guests, would you go along with the guest to hunt this person down because he made a lame threat to sue you? No, you wouldn't. But in Barker's world of unlikely devices necessary to move the plot along, you can be sure characters will often act in ridiculous ways through the most spurious and unbelievable motivations.

Anyway, Hollywood is full of liars, cheaters, phonies, and sycophants. Stop the presses! The characterization is so shallow, except for Tammy, that it's unbelievable. Even the ways Barker tries to "humanize" the characters (they were once good but greed and Hollywood tainted them) are cliched, trite, and perfunctory.

If you've read the description on the Amazon page, you don't need me to recap the basic plot. The problem in this book is that things happen not because they should happen, but because they need to happen, and Barker gives unconvincing reasons why they do. The Devil's Country, for example. It was built for a very definite purpose, but with this purpose in mind, there's no reason it should have the effect on people that it does. Why does it then? Because there would be no book without it. When you know why the Devil's Country was built, you realize there is no reason why it should enchant and addict people, except that you wouldn't have any story without it.

Even more galling, after the book reaches its natural conclusion, Barker tacks on an extra, and totally unnecessary 110 pages or so on to the book. Why? I have little idea. Perhaps to make it more epic. I'm afraid I must use spoilers here:

START SPOILERS - DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK

The Angel and Todd. We all know Todd should go with the Angel. Tammy and Maxine even suggest as much. Ghosts are not meant to be roaming the human world, clearly. But Todd doesn't want to go with the Angel. So the book spends a lot of useless time trying to figure out how to avoid the Angel. Then they put into action the plan to avoid the Angel. Then they get wrecked, and Todd decides to go with the Angel anyway. Brilliant. This is one of the most clear-cut examples of "book filler" that I've ever seen since the Wheel of Time series. Also, the whole ending that the national tabloids are going to be interested in Tammy (this would never happened in real life) or that Maxine is going to fall in love with Tammy is simply ludicrous.

END SPOILERS - CONTINUE READING FROM HERE

I did appreciate the character of Katya. I felt it was interesting that she got more sympathetic in the middle of the book's sequence of events, but then she took the standard character route of villains and that was something of a disappointment. The Devil's Country was interestingly described but Barker has done a much better job describing the sins of the flesh and the degredation mankind and the supernatural can inflict and the horrors they bring in the past.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend this book to general horror fans or even Clive Barker fans. ... Read more

Product Description
Following extensive cosmetic surgery, Hollywood superstar Todd Pickett needs somewhere to hide away while his scars heal. His manager finds the ideal location, Coldheart Canyon – a dream-palace hidden away in a corner of the city so secret it doesn’t even appear on a map.In the 20s, ‘A’ list stars came to the Canyon to have the kind of parties nobody was supposed to know about. It wasn’t just the wild sex and the drugs that made Katya’s parties so memorable. There was a door in the bowels of the dream-palace, which reputedly opened onto another world – the Devils’ Country – where nothing was forbidden. Nothing.With his refuge now a prison, Todd needs to get out of Coldheart Canyon. But to do that he must not only solve its mysteries but also face the powers that have protected it for seven decades, and that means stepping through the door…As a Hollywood insider with a keen eye for its idiocies and horrors Clive Barker is uniquely positioned to write this vitriolic Tinseltown ghost story. Coldheart Canyon is an irresistible and unmerciful picture of Hollywood and its demons, told with all the style and raw narrative power that have made Barker's books and films a worldwide phenomenon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

didn't like it
I picked up "Coldheart Canyon" by Clive Barker because it was a Hollywood ghost story and I enjoy those Hollywood stories. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong book to start reading Clive Barker. I heard that his books were great, but although this story started out okay, it soon become drawn out and slow and boring. I could not connect to the story or the characters whatsoever. I was looking for horror not sex. Can anyone recommend a better Clive Barker story?

As strange as the Canyon depicted
While there are some interesting things about this book, and some compelling scenes, it is a *very* long story that lacks the kind of coherence you expect in a sprawling tale, encompassing gruesomeoccult scenes, Hollywood dirt-dishing, and downright action-packed adventure. Somehow we trust a published author to take us through 700 pages with authority--that each scene is a needed piece of the puzzle; but that's not how it goes. Whole sections of this book go nowhere, or only tangentially move the plot along (such as the endless scenes of the protagonist Todd's dog being put down: we get it, we get it); then a scene of unbearable gruesomeness and wanton sexual play comes in, followed by a poetic few paragraphs of descriptions of the sunset and the flowers and the hills of Hollywood.One senses that Clive has the run of a very expensive toy store here, but he doesn't know how to play very well with what's given him. His bravura consists in writing vivid, shortscenes, but not in the overarching picture. This book is really three stories (at least), with an ending that goes on for hundreds of pages, listlessly. Once Todd is dead, when we later find out that he matter-of-factly returns is increasingly dull (exception: his reluctance to go off with an angel because 'he never trusted agents' is a nice line, one of the few in this section). I think a good editor would have made it into something better with judicious cutting. The sex scenes stand out as being brutal and not terribly erotic; the mutilation scenes as excessive and not terribly imaginative, reminding one of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" brought to a slimier plane.Too bad, as I think it could have been an uncommonly good story, especially since Barker demonstrates that he can turn an effective phrase on many pages.

Underrated masterpiece by my favorite author
While to much attention was paid in the last Clive barker interview in Rue Morgue about Clive Barker's return to horror I am finding increasingly annoying that people ever thought he left. Sacrament has many elements of Clive Barker in his classic form and Coldheart Canyon is no different. There is fantasy but not in the way that books like Weaveworld or even his Art books (Great and secret show/Everville) Sure CC often has a biting tongue in cheek satire of the imagine consciousness of Barker's new home town of Hollywood. This is the man who wrote the books of blood it might be fairer to say it is a shredded and pierced tongue in cheek.

The Dark and fantastic Barker we all know and loved from the Books of blood is alive and well in all his twisted glory. Don't be fooled by the sarcastic Classic Hollywood pretty boy photo fool you...this is a savage horror novel. Barker has like many of the great modern horror authors taken the classic haunted house story and given it a twist that is 100% Barker original. The dark fantasy and twisted sexuality that is a part of barker country is raging.

Themes Barker is fascinated with are at the heart of this story. Keys, puzzles and in this case tiles painted with a living imagine of the devil's country, the room becomes the gate to this dark world. Painted Lilth the devil's wife to...well that is a spoiler for sure. I was hooked from the first intensely gothic moments of the prologue where a silent screen movie star becomes the owner of the tiles the room and the gateway which is also a fountain of youth. Like all Barker gateways it leads to a sexually perverse and pain filled world that he is so good in creating.

At its heart is Todd Picket the world's greatest action star who in the failing years of his career is being courted by the evil forces of Hollywood to trying regain his youth. After the plastic surgery trying to hide from the media Todd ends up at a Hollywood dream palace hidden in a haunted canyon owned by Silent movie star Kayta Lupie and well you get the basic idea.

The only negative to the book is in the 100 or 200 pages of story that is a big over done. Most importantly the last 100 pages which is more of an extended epilogue, I enjoyed the ending but the book could have benefited from a shorter version.

This book could never have happened had Clive Barker not made the three films or lived in Hollywood; he was having fun grinding his axe about the city he loves and hates at the same time. The book has laugh out loud parts, but most importantly it is a horror novel that reminded me why there is no one in the same league as Clive Barker he is a artist and imagination on his own realm.

Clive Barker Gives Us Hollywood Babylon Up Close And Personal
Upon reading Coldheart Canyon, we understand a few more things about Clive Barker that we may not have known before.One is that he doesn't hold back anything at all.And two, even when he move off and writes for children (Abarat), he still keeps his claws sharp for when he returns to his adult audience.

Coldwater Canyon is Barker's interpretaion of Hollywood Babylon, with all the orgies and ghosts and murders most foul.Debauchery extraordinaire.Barker shows us everything and more.Pornography move over, Clive Barker is here to rewrite the entire existence of hardcore.Talk about your sweaty moments.Centered around a house in the Hollywood Hills of a faded actress, a room holds a mosaic of tiles taken from the old country, tiles that paint a scene and bring an entirly new and different world to life, slong with the terrors it hides.Sex scenes galore.Animals.Ghosts.Oldtime actors and actresses living in sin.Faded romances and torrid affairs.Clive Barker gives us the Hollywood heyday in stark, vivid scenes.Trippy-cool and very erotic. Coldwater Canyon is about power and seduction and eternal damnation the way only Clive Barker has the balls to portray it.Wow!

Dig it!

I like Clive Barker, but I don't like this book.
I'm a big Clive Barker fan. Obviously, that's why I read this book. "Abarat" is a great series. "The Books of Blood" are watershed works in horror. "Dread" and "The Madonna" are two of the best horror stories I've ever read. "Imajica" should be celebrated just for its scope and ambition alone. "The Damnation Game" and "Cabal" are very good horror works as well. "Thief Of Always" and "Sacrament" are very nice and accomplished departures from the usual Clive Barker.

However, I am afraid there is little to be said about Coldheart Canyon to recommend it. It's difficult to explain what I don't like about it without giving some majors spoilers, but I'll try.

First of all, the introduction. I find it rather ironic that in a book that concerns itself heavily with "the pride goeth before the fall" or the pitfalls of ego, Barker writes a largely self-congratulatory introduction in which he speaks of what a multimedia force he's become and how awesome the contracts he gets are. Uh, that's great Mr. Barker. We all know you're a success. I wasn't really old enough to appreciate or remember the release of the movie Hellraiser when it first came out, but I knew from a young age that as far back as I could remember Barker was a seminal name in horror, along with the likes of Stephen King. An introduction where he pats himself on the pat for being such a creative guy and landing contracts that require a table of contents seems like the actions of his main character in the novel, Todd Pickett, somewhat jarring.

Barker then later paints himself as a "Hollywood insider" (people may think of themselves that way, but it takes a lot of chutzpah to actually refer to yourself as a "Hollywood insider.") At this point it's become quite clear Barker has a fantastic opinion of himself. But how is the book?

I am fully aware of when this book was published, but for a "Hollywood insider" Barker comes off like a guy who left Hollywood in 1996-7 and joined the Peace Corps, as has little knowledge of what happened since. Nearly all of his references to real Hollywood movies, actors, and events in actuality and the ones he makes "sly" allusions to are almost painfully dated. It's a little silly.

For a Hollywood insider, Barker disappoints: he gives us the same tired, bland, hackneyed "insider's view" of Hollywood that has been served up countless times, with no twists. Hollywood is a teeming rat's nest where the actors are insincere, attention-starved, and shallow (after two characters presumably drown themselves the actors act shocked for a few seconds then go back to cracking jokes - come on), the producers are angry, short little men who threaten to sue whenever they're crossed, and astonishingly people allow themselves to be goaded this way. If you were holding a party, and someone who wasn't invited broke in and attacked one of your guests, would you go along with the guest to hunt this person down because he made a lame threat to sue you? No, you wouldn't. But in Barker's world of unlikely devices necessary to move the plot along, you can be sure characters will often act in ridiculous ways through the most spurious and unbelievable motivations.

Anyway, Hollywood is full of liars, cheaters, phonies, and sycophants. Stop the presses! The characterization is so shallow, except for Tammy, that it's unbelievable. Even the ways Barker tries to "humanize" the characters (they were once good but greed and Hollywood tainted them) are cliched, trite, and perfunctory.

If you've read the description on the Amazon page, you don't need me to recap the basic plot. The problem in this book is that things happen not because they should happen, but because they need to happen, and Barker gives unconvincing reasons why they do. The Devil's Country, for example. It was built for a very definite purpose, but with this purpose in mind, there's no reason it should have the effect on people that it does. Why does it then? Because there would be no book without it. When you know why the Devil's Country was built, you realize there is no reason why it should enchant and addict people, except that you wouldn't have any story without it.

Even more galling, after the book reaches its natural conclusion, Barker tacks on an extra, and totally unnecessary 110 pages or so on to the book. Why? I have little idea. Perhaps to make it more epic. I'm afraid I must use spoilers here:

START SPOILERS - DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK

The Angel and Todd. We all know Todd should go with the Angel. Tammy and Maxine even suggest as much. Ghosts are not meant to be roaming the human world, clearly. But Todd doesn't want to go with the Angel. So the book spends a lot of useless time trying to figure out how to avoid the Angel. Then they put into action the plan to avoid the Angel. Then they get wrecked, and Todd decides to go with the Angel anyway. Brilliant. This is one of the most clear-cut examples of "book filler" that I've ever seen since the Wheel of Time series. Also, the whole ending that the national tabloids are going to be interested in Tammy (this would never happened in real life) or that Maxine is going to fall in love with Tammy is simply ludicrous.

END SPOILERS - CONTINUE READING FROM HERE

I did appreciate the character of Katya. I felt it was interesting that she got more sympathetic in the middle of the book's sequence of events, but then she took the standard character route of villains and that was something of a disappointment. The Devil's Country was interestingly described but Barker has done a much better job describing the sins of the flesh and the degredation mankind and the supernatural can inflict and the horrors they bring in the past.

In conclusion, I cannot recommend this book to general horror fans or even Clive Barker fans. ... Read more