No horror library is complete without Clive Barker’s Books of Blood. This anthology of short stories is a visceral plunge into horror, where each page is soaked in blood and every tale is a riveting descent into the unknown.
Books of Blood: About | Video | Highlighted Stories | The Movie |
Clive Barker was born in Liverpool in 1952. In addition to being a novelist and playwright, he’s also an illustrator, writer, director, and producer for plays and movies. His films include Hellraiser, Hellbound, Nightbreed and Candyman.
He’s written and produced a number of plays, diverse in subject and style, including The History of the Devil and Frankenstein in Love. With the publication of “Books of Blood” in 1998, Clive Barker became an overnight literary sensation, won both the British and World Fantasy Awards, and was nominated for the coveted Booker Prize.
“Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we’re opened, we’re red.”
The opening story, “The Books of Blood”, introduces the premise of the anthology series by revealing that a fake psychic is attacked one night by genuine ghosts and spirits who decide to make him a true messenger by writing stories into his flesh. This makes him a “Books of Blood” and the narration then invites the reader to read these stories.
Video Book Review
A review of volumes one through three of Clive Barker’s ‘Books of Blood’ short stories. Sam Kench reviews the collection as a whole and each short story individually.
Highlighted Stories
Prepare yourself for a journey into the heart of terror as Barker weaves a narrative that takes unexpected turns with every paragraph. ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ unfolds as a dark and atmospheric exploration of a city’s underbelly, with shocking twists that redefine the boundaries of horror storytelling. Barker’s meticulous attention to detail brings the gruesome scenes to life, making this story a standout in the annals of horror literature.
‘The Yattering and Jack’
In this holiday-themed tale, Barker combines elements of humor and horror with finesse. Meet Jack, a man unwittingly chosen by a mischievous demon, the Yattering, to be the subject of its malevolent antics. As Christmas approaches, the story takes unexpected turns, blending the festive season with spine-tingling suspense. Barker’s ability to inject levity into a horrifying narrative adds a unique flavor to ‘The Yattering and Jack,’ making it a memorable entry in the ‘Books of Blood.’
Barker dives into the psychological realm with ‘Dread,’ a story that confronts the deepest fears residing within the human psyche. The narrative follows a group of individuals compelled to face their most profound terrors, leading to a harrowing exploration of the thin line between fear and madness. Barker’s skill in delving into the intricacies of human psychology elevates ‘Dread‘ into a chilling exploration of existential horror.
As you embark on the journey through ‘Books of Blood,’ each story stands as a testament to Clive Barker’s mastery in blending visceral horror with thought-provoking narratives. The anthology not only showcases the diversity of Barker’s storytelling but also cements his status as a maestro of the macabre.
Movie: Books of Blood 2009
Mary Florescu (Sophie Ward) and Reg Fuller (Paul Blair), experts in the supernatural, are enlisted to probe strange happenings at a family’s home. Joining them is Simon McNeal (Jonas Armstrong), a young student who has a gift for interacting with the spirit world. After staying the night in the eerie dwelling, they discover indecipherable writing on the walls, and Simon finds strange scars all over his body. As their investigation continues, the nightmare deepens.