Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0563371528 ISBN 13: 9780563371526

Publisher: BBC Books, 1997

Embark on a highly illustrated guided tour into the realms of horror led by Clive Barker. From his bestselling books, including his most recent. "Sacrament", to his hit movies such as the "Hellraiser" and "Candyman" series, Clive Barker has again and again proven himself a master of horror, a man whose brand of dark imaginings makes him uniquely qualified to host this exploration of his genre. Covering everything from "American Psycho" to "Zombie", here is the ultimate guide to the world of horror. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of photos, this is a must-have for fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice and Clive Barker himself, as well as viewers of the classic movies from "Dracula" to "Interview with a Vampire". It is at once a fascinating collection of stories, history and facts behind pop culture's icons of horror and an essential reference guide to the field.

Review:

This splashy, high-concept book with glossy pages (designed to accompany a BBC-TV series) is not so much an encyclopedia, as a color scrapbook of Clive Barker's horror obsessions. After an introduction in which Barker examines such questions as "What is horror?" and "Why does it fascinate us?," the book takes the form of 26 heavily illustrated historical essays about assorted topics in the genre--one for each letter of the alphabet (e.g., "B is for Beelzebub"). The pictures include numerous paintings and drawings by Barker, stills from movies, movie posters, author/director bio inserts, and photographs of all types. A partial list of the topics covered: serial killers, H. P. Lovecraft, Dennis Wheatley, John Carpenter, H. R. Giger, Grand Guignol, makeup, killer clowns, killer kids, body horror, Japanese monsters, Barbara Steele, Shirley Jackson, fairy tales, and sculptor Franz Messerschmidt. A fun toy for horror buffs!

About the Author:

Stephen Jones is the winner of three World Fantasy Awards, three International Horror Guild Awards, four Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Awards, and eighteen British Fantasy Awards, and has also been nominated for a Hugo Award. One of Britain's most acclaimed horror and dark fantasy writers and editors, he has nearly one hundred books to his credit, including Stardust: The Visual Companion, Creepshows: The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Guide, The Essential Monster Movie Guide, Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror, and the poetry volume Now We Are Sick: An Anthology of Nasty Verse, coedited with Neil Gaiman. Jones lives in London.