Clive Barker
 

I'm a big fan of Clive Barker's work as an artist, screenwriter, director, and (of course) author. I was lucky enough to get the chance to meet him at the Second Annual "Rue-Morgue: Festival of Fear," in Toronto, last summer. He's probably the nicest guy I've ever met and he seems really humble about his work. Out of any "celebrity" that I've met, he's definitely the most down to earth. He doesn't value himself over any of his fans, and even held up his seminar, so that he didn't miss signing anything for his fans who were still in line to meet him.

I haven't been reading his literary works for long, but I've read "The Thief of Always," which is excellent, and I'm over half-way through his first "Abarat" book. I highly recommend both of them.

Are there any other Clive Barker fans here?

I like his stuff. The one book that stays with me is <b>IMAJICA</b> with its crazy story, rich characters, imaginative worlds, and what would a "Barker book" be without its kinky sexual themes. It took me the longest time to read it and frankly, I didn't like the first several hundred pages ;). I had stopped reading it for like a year or two. But then I started it again and I really ended up liking it. In fact, I had recently entertained the thought of re-reading it. We'll see...

I started reading Clive Barker years ago after I saw Hellraiser. When I found out it was based on a story, I had to read it. After that I read everything of his I could find. Most recently I read the Abarat books, and even though there weren't the horror/sex/gore books he used to write that got me hooked, I still liked them.

I've been a fan since his Books of Blood came to the US. Those stories were really influential to me in my college years, shaping my own writing. I recently met Barker in Denver and couldn't get over how the man has aged. Made me feel old. And what's up with that raspy-as-hell voice?

Honestly, he hasn't written a lot lately that interests me. But I dig his art.

I am also a big fan, and met him while he was shooting "Nightbreed" (not as he was shooting it, but during that time perod). Very affable, and with a sharp sense of humor. He's a lot more of a fanboy than many people realize.

I agree Books of Blood are great, haven't read anything of his in a few years, is he still putting out books?

I've been a big fan Barker since "Books of Blood". Those stories just seemed to give the horror genre a huge kick in the ass. My favorites of his are still the earlier things: "Books of Blood", "Weaveworld", "Great and Secret Show". Though his more recent stuff has still shown enough creativity and skill to keep me reading (I haven't read "Arabat" though -- I don't like buying books in a series until the whole thing is out).

How's the man looking in person. I too was struck by how old he seemed in recent photos/videos I saw of him (and the raspy voice is a bit surprising). Did he seem in good health? I'm not trying to start any ill rumors -- I'm a fan, and get concerned when someone's appearance seems to change so much so quickly. Of course, some people seem to hit a "wall" with aging. Like with Billy Joel: for years he looked the same (maybe aging gradually) then all of sudden he was this pudgy bald old guy!

The raspy voice is supposedly due to his love of smoking cigars (and inhaling them.) I guess his look is different now because he's started to age. He seems like he's in really good health.

I tried to get into Barker starting and stopping a handful of his novels. Many have great premises and characters but they all take a turn for the worse about halfway through. Almost like From Dusk Til Dawn(release date aside) is his template.

I did however love the Thief of Always. Great book.

I guess that's a matter of personal taste ... some people love the turn FDTD took at the halfway point. I suppose your referring to the style many of his novels have of starting well-grounded in reality, introducing the characters and dropping hints of the fantasy elements. And later you're usually thrown full-blown into the hard-core fantasy/horror element. I don't know -- for me that's the pay-off: the protagonist visiting the alien worlds in "Weaveworld", "Imajica", "Great and Secret Show". All-tease and no payoff would kind of be like ... well, maybe like tv's "Lost" :)

I'd still say to give "Books of Blood" a shot, especially if you like Barker's imagination and basic writing style. There's more creativity in just one of his short stories than in most people's novels -- just undiluted, stream-lined imagination and horror.

I remember reading the Books of Blood and The Damnation Game when they came out in the eighties and really enjoying them. I haven't been really interested in his recent books, but his early horror stories and novels were great. I liked Weaveworld and Imajica also, but I don't think I've read anything newer than those. Maybe I should give them a chance, but the synopses didn't sound all that interesting to me.

Great writer, very talented. Got into his stuff in my early teens and always buy his novels. Only one he really dropped the ball with was Coldheart Canyon, which really bored the hell out of me! Everything else is fabulous.

That is the EXACT feeling I pull away from the few I have attempted. Very talented, like the writing style, and love the premise, setup & characters up until the mid-point where one of the characters ends up being satan/evil incarnate himself(exaggeration of course), when the story was chugging along well enough without that element.