[Mithfânion]

Has he written some Fantasy as well? I was thinking about the Imajica book(s), are they worthwile?

Also, what do you personally consider his best work? (please provide a short summary of what it is about http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif )

[lukaspriest]

I've seen questions about Clive Barker before, and I always jump at the chance to attempt to deter people from investing in his books. (or, at least Imajica - I can't honestly say I've read any others.)

So in my opinion, no, they are not worthwhile. About the only good part of the book is the beginning, in which an interesting meeting with a hitman (well, hit-THING) takes place. I got about 600 pages into it, and I would have to say that the book belongs more into some kind of side genre called "perverse/bizarre." Its about morally depraved people (these people lives make hardcore porn movies tame) and a hermaphroditic being (more on that later) from another plane caught up in some kind of secret society in modern day New York, eventually leading them to another dimension, or, realm of the Imajica, of which there are I believe five. If one of the characters isnt busy having her sexual organs stimulated in beyond-raunchy metaphoric detail, another is being assaulted and stabbed/pierced in the back of the throat (through the mouth, of course) by another being's sharp, pointed penis. I mean, this stuff is sick. Throw in a quest whose purpose you dont even understand (this is well past halfway through the book...I think one should have SORT OF a clue by then), totally obscure english vocabulary that will make you question your intelligence and have you running to a dictionary every few pages, and you have a book to avoid. Unless you find morbid sexual perversion and shape-shifting genitalia to be fascinating. If so, enjoy!

[estranghero]

Hmmm...

Have to disagree with you on that.

Clive Barker was originally known for his horror stories (i.e. the sub-genre of spatterpunk) and though I'm not so well-versed in horror like Nathan, I've read a lot of Barker's stories because of his dabblings in the fantasy genre. For example, his writings in the Hellbound/ Hellraiser stories are interesting for his hell mythologies (the movies notwithstanding).

And because of Barker's splatterpunk ties, most of his stories really mix it up with the sex/ blood horrificness, which leads me to "Imajica". Now, "Imajica" is almost an out-and-out fantasy story, with its Dominions and various races that are almost fantastical to imagine. (These were also plumbed by Barker in his other books like "Weaveworld", "Cabal", and "The Great and Secret Show".)

And granted, the perversity of some of the characters are too lurid at times, I thought that it fit perfectly in the fantastical context of the story as sex does has its own fantastical context. Context is the key here.

So, does that make me a sexual maniac? Does it matter? I don't really care what other people think of me of what I read. Besides, GRRM does it, why not others? If you read TG, does that mean you like raping women?

Will post a review of his other works when I have time, okay Mith? (Unless someone else does it first...)

[Warewolf]

The only Barker book I've read is Weaveworld and I thought it was one of the most original books I'd ever read. Now, mind you, it's been probably 7 years since I've read it and so a lot of the details have faded, but I recall vivid characters and I loved the idea of an entire world being woven into a carpet and people escaping from that world into ours. I've got a bunch of his other stuff (including Imajica, The Books of Blood, and The Great and Secret Show/Everville) sitting on my shelves and I will definitely be picking it up eventually.

[lukaspriest]

I sure hope no one found my recommendation to be offensive (I guess my closing sentence was a little on the sarcastic side) - I'm not out to attack anyone...as in, I hope I didnt come across as implying that if someone gets a kick out of books like Imajica that they're prone to the behavior found within, as thats certainly not the case. I guess I just found the sex within the book more than I could handle/relate to/sympathize with. I personally found the content of TG/GRRM more along the lines I could be entertained with reading, and Barker, not.

Anyhow, you make a good point about context, and I can see how the fantastical sex that takes place within the novel sort of fits in with the rest of the book.

Well said, Estranghero.

[BigBadMick]

Just like Warewolf, the only Barker novel I've ever read was Weaveworld and it was really, really good - a really fresh blend of fantasy and horror that worked much better than any fantasy / contemporary crossover novel I'd read before.

I've also got the Books of Blood 1-6, Galilee and Coldheart Canyon sitting on my shelves for perusal at a later date, once I get the ever growing pile of books on my reading pile down to a respectable level. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[estranghero]

That's okay, lukaspriest http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

If it's any consolation, the sex scenes in Barker's books kinda made me innured to others (like GRRM).

[Ntschotschi]

I read Imajica and Cabal. I liked Cabal a lot and have been waiting for a sequel which didn't come as far as I know.It's about a crazy killer and a mysterious race of vampires and maybe more horror than fantasy.
I can't agree that Imajica is full of perverted sex. It's been some years since I read it but it didn't struck me as particularly pornographic. So the sex scenes fitted in I guess otherwise I would have remembered.
It's a lot of horror elements though maybe that's why it's a little bit too much for the more sensitive fantasy reader.

[Mithfânion]

Well, mixed reviews, yet again! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

If I'll read one it will either be the Great and secret show or Imajica. Still checking them out.

[Llama]

Weaveworld is good as is Damnation Game. As are The Books of Blood, but those are more in the straight horror vein.