On October 5th, 1952, Clive Barker was born. Clive Barker is without a doubt one of my all-time favorite authors and film directors.

The Books of Blood are probably my favorite collection of horror shorts/novellas (I wrote a bit about the 2nd volume here).

And of course there is the Hellraiser series. I don’t think any character or concept frightened me as much as Pinhead did.

Happy 57th Clive!

Volume 2 of the Books of Blood specifically. Now, I don’t know about you, but I have a terrible habit of quickly forgetting books after reading. I mean, like a week later. Sometimes more quickly. I will even force myself to re-read them, and will not recall a bit of the story. It’s sad I know, but when you do as many unwholesome things as I do, it is bound to happen.

However, even though I couldn’t have recalled one iota prior to picking up the book, every vivid detail of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood Volume 2 crept up from the depths of my memory. I read this book almost 10 years ago. Probably had not though about it since then. But reading it, I felt the exact same way I did sitting on my bed those years ago.

Images that repulse and sicken, images that befuddle, images that amaze, images that make you question our very existence. Basically, everything about the stories in this book are incredible. I could not stop reading any of these stories. Getting on and off of the subway is the only thing that stopped me.

My personal favorite has to be Jacqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament, mainly for the vivid imagery and grotesquely detailed deaths that present physical impossibilities, yet described seem completely plausible. Barker‘s knack of forcing you to consider ideals and personal motives that you wish to avoid continues to baffle me.

You can’t buy them individually anymore, but buying Volumes 1-3 wouldn’t be a bad idea. A good month’s worth of nightmares surely.