Clive Barker

My Barker top 5:
1. Books of the Art (Great and Secret Show, Everville, and one that's unreleased.)
2. Imajica (Too long? I guess LotR is too...)
3. Books of Blood (Only read the first three volumes, but they're all short horror stories, none with happy endings.)
4. Weaveworld (I actually liked how every few chapters it seemed as though the conclusion was at hand, it made it impossible to tell where it was going next. Also, one of the few books I've dreamed.)
5. Galilee (Different and very good- almost like Barker does Anne Rice.)

Also, I'm currently waiting for the third book of the Abarat, and I believe it to be superior to Rowling's popular series in any way that counts.
 
Just a few comments, in random order.

"Galilee" was very good. But if that is Barker doing Rice, he does it much better than Rice (and I say that having liked what work of hers that I've read).

The "Books of Blood" were my introduction to Barker, and I'm not sure what it says about me that I liked them so much.:eek:

I never did quite finish "Imajica", although I liked it very much. I think I just never read the last 100 pages or so because I didn't want it to end.

I once began "The Great and Secret Show" (and I might have mentioned this before), but I could never get past the beginning becuase it is set at least partly in Simi Valley, a very real place and the place where I grew up, and it seemed to me that he got the geography wrong, which bugged me. I'm going to have to go back and make myself read the thing.

I think my favorites of Barker's work are "Coldheart Canyon" and "Galilee". "Coldheart Canyon" is a Hollywood ghost story and it is, in my opinion, a very good book.
 
I liked Coldheart Canyon, but I'm just not that interested in Hollywood, and the book relies on that to an extent. More backstory set in the past, during the creation of the Devil's Country, would've been welcome. For what it's worth, I thought the Devil's Country was mighty slick. Lovecraftian holodeck.
 
Well, I grew up in southern California with the whole Hollywood/entertainment industry thing as a background, including neighbors who were in the business and attending school with kids whose families were involved in that, so while I'm perhaps the least star-struck person I know, I also have a fascination with the history of Hollywood and the business, so this was right up my alley. Actually, there are some very interesting legends surrounding some of the goings on in Hollywood in the early days. I imagine that Barker drew on that history to some extent.
 
Hi, how are you? Saint Sinner the movie is not based on the actual story of 'Saint Sinner' by Clive Barker, it came out a few years ago as a comic, not many released unfortunately but they were excellent and even pinhead made a appearance! :)
 
A note for all you Clive Barker fans out there: Here is an article on all things Barker that may be of interest. He discusses Hellraiser, Arabat, his sexuality, Hollywood, imagination, and more.

And just for the sake of full disclosure, yes, I have an interest in this piece; I wrote it, after all. ;)
 
Clive Barker is an interesting guy. His rant on imagination - and that's what it was, a rant - walked that great line between illumination and madness.

Well, not to that extreme maybe, but you get my point. :)

I like how the guy is driven to create, no matter what he's creating. I can't claim to be his biggest fan (his films have been interesting but not great, and my thoughts on Weaveworld are above), but if he's driven to create, more power to him. I respect that.

And I kind of want to read the Arabat series now ...
 
I really like what he said about imagination, about how anything you can imagine being good. I think that's absolutely true. Of course, it has to be channeled - but that's true about imagining sweet, pretty, lovely things and not just about imagining the sort of morbid, ugly, frightening things Barker tends to imagine in his books. And certainly, he's done a wonderful job channeling his imaginings into his work, be it writing, filmmaking, or painting or whatever medium he chooses to work in at a given time.
 
I'm currently reading Coldheart Canyon and I think it's pretty good. It actually enticed me to buy a few more of Barkers books. Anyone read it?
 
Barker...read his Book of Blood,The Great and Secret Show,Everville,Imajica,Weaveworld both Arabat books some other horror and The Thief of Always he's ok a bit lengthy at times,but The Thief of Always was brilliant imo his best ever work even it was aimed at YA
 
I really liked The Thief of Always too. I was searching Clive Barker's stuff online one day and was there was a second book to The Thief of Always and was wondering if anyone had read it or knew anything about it.
 
Ghostwriter said:
I'm currently reading Coldheart Canyon and I think it's pretty good. It actually enticed me to buy a few more of Barkers books. Anyone read it?
Click to expand...

Yes. Coldheart Canyon is one of my favorites of Barker's novels. Very atmospheric, and it captures the narcissism of Hollywood nicely, I think. It also seems to have been influenced by some of the stories that have circulated about supernatural goings-on in that area, historically speaking.
 
It's funny, after reading Coldheart Canyon, I find myself wanting to someday explore the canyons in California.

I'm halfway through Weaveworld and I think it's excellent. It's not quite as dark as Coldheart though. It has alot more fantasy in it and that's something I just started introducing to myself. Barker has such a vivid imagination.
 
I haven't read 'Coldheart Canyon', I do have a copy though, I am going to have a read. What can I say about Weaveworld, what a great book, it has everything in it and you are right, - Clive Barker has an amazing imagination, if you ever get the chance, read 'Galilee'.

Stay Cheery :)
 
I was pleasantly surprised by 'Gailiee', a very enjoyable read, have you read 'The Thief Of Always', Books Of Blood, 'The Great and Secret Show', there is a sequel to 'The Great and Secret Show' called Everville which is really good.

Stay cheery:)
 
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