The Essential Clive Barker: Selected Fiction

By Clive Barker

Book Overview

"I wonder if the reverse is not also in some way true. That the artist is constantly working on anelaborate and fantasticated self-portrait, but at the end has drawn, unbeknownst, a picture of the world." -- Clive Barker, "Private Legends: An Introduction" Clive Barker, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, playwright, artist, producer, director, screenwriter, and one of the world's master storytellers, writing in the haunting and moving traditions of Poe and Dickens, invites us to join him on a dazzling, wondrous journey through the worlds of his imagination and to experience visions, dreams, love, terror, heaven and hell, and revenge. As we read, we discover and explore the dream-sea Quiddity and the islands of Ephemeris; the five Dominions of the Imajica, of which the Earth is but an imperfect facet; the rapturous world woven into an ancient, threadbare carpet in a derelict house in Liverpool; Hood's Holiday House where each day contains four seasons and children's wishes may come true; the Sky Room of Galilee, where the creation of the universe may be witnessed; and the clubs and bars of San Francisco and New York, in which all manner of sexual adventures lie in wait. In these stories, the real and the miraculous are within a breath of one another, life gives way to death, and death to life; doorways open into other states of existence, and each doorway leads us back to our own dreams and fears. The Essential Clive Barker is an irresistible narrative compendium that superbly represents the impressive quality and range of Barker's fiction, spanning more than twenty years of writing. It contains more than seventy excerpts from novels and plays and four full-length short stories, all personally selected by Barker, and offers a privileged insight into a remarkable writer and his art.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060195290
• ISBN13: 9780060195298
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 608 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.8" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

A good resource for established Barker fans...

I'll admit, I was pretty dissapointed at this book when I first cracked it open. It's a rather thick hardcover with excepts which mostly come from his novels, which I'd already read. "Why don't I just go read the novels?" I thought. Clive himself gives us a good reason in his introduction. The idea isn't to read it straight through, it's to open the books and drift around to whatever catches your interest. In effect, it's the sort of book you read when you're not sure what to read. And, to be honest, Clive Barker's writing lends itself particularly well to this format. His novels often drift off into self-contained vignettes, easily appreciated on their own. New readers are better off getting either one of the full novels, or an actual short-story collection, but for someone who has read a sizeable chunk of Barker's work and simply wants to relax with some of the best passages from it, this book is perfect.

"Must" reading for all Clive Barker fans.

The Essential Clive Barker (019529-0) will prove important to any who are avid followers of his various horror and supernatural scenes and writings. For over twenty years Barker has created distinguished and vivid horror scenes: this provides a range of his writings, from early works to recent literary novels. Excerpts from plays and short stories are included within thirteen themes which examine his works.

Clive Can Write No Wrong

This is an awesome collection of dreams and nightmares. A must read

A Sampling Of A Master

A book that lets readers experience bits and pieces of an underrated, misunderstood master. Merely teasers or appetizers, that wet the palette, and succumb the mouth to salivation, in insatiable desire for more. Read this, but have a full Barker novel near by. Or else face the consequences of wanting more, just like a life long Barker fan who waits for more from him everyday. An enchanting read! with a brilliant and personal introduction by Clive, worthy to be essential!

A truly Essential book for lovers of great storytellers!

This is a great book for old and new Barker fans. If you have not tried any Barker fiction before, buy this book. But the problem then will be deciding which full length Barker novel are you going to buy first! I would recommend IMAJICA, a true masterpiece. But all of Barker's books are worth reading and the Essential Clive Barker proves that. (Contains pieces of Clive's fictions up to 1999 only,no Coldheart Canyon,Abarat.)