A deep dive into the creative world and personal archive of the master
of horror Clive Barker, from Hellraiser and Candyman to today
"I've seen the future of horror . . . and his name is Clive Barker."
In the mid-1980s, Stephen King inducted a young English novelist into
the world of great genre writers, and since then, this genius creator
has only continued to expand his field of activity. Created by his two
most loyal collaborators, Phil and Sarah Stokes, Clive Barker's Dark
Worlds is the first book to shed light on the massive scope of Barker's
creative work. With the help of Barker himself, this book contains
exclusive insight from those who have worked with him creatively and
professionally, alongside analyses of his works and comments over four
decades from industry contemporaries and friends such as Ramsey
Campbell, Quentin Tarantino, Neil Gaiman, China Miéville, Peter Straub,
Armistead Maupin, J.G. Ballard, Wes Craven, and many more.
The book spans Barker's world, highlighting classics such as the
character Pinhead, an icon in the pantheon of horror cinema; the
Hellraiser series of ten films and a forthcoming HBO miniseries; and
the cult films Nightbreed and Candyman, the latter of which was
rebooted as a Jordan Peele production in 2021. In literature, Barker has
written the horror anthology series Books of Blood, which was recently
adapted by Hulu, as well as numerous fantasy sagas. Weaveworld and
The Great and Secret Show have become instant genre classics, and
Abarat is a beloved bestselling series for young adults. In the world of
comics, Barker has partnered with major publishers such as Marvel and
BOOM! Studios. This tireless creator has also dipped his toes into the
worlds of toys, video games, and art, and his incredible collection of
paintings, drawings, and photographs have been exhibited in galleries
over the world.
