ORBzine - Book Reviews

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Books of Blood: Volume 1 Although best known for his novels and the screen adaptations, Clive Barker wrote a series of short stories that are now available in a number of compilations known as the Books of Blood. The Book of Blood This is the story that sets us up for the other tales. It's nothing in itself, not even really a bookend ... The Midnight Meat Train A serial killer is knocking people off on the New York Subways at night, and butchering the bodies in slaughterhouse fashon. The Yattering And Jack This is probably the best story of the bunch. The Yattering is a demon, sent to torment Jack. Is Jack just another victim, or will he manage to turn the tables? Pig Blood Blues An ex-cop gets a job in a Borstal. However, the teenage inmates have a supernatural secret ... This is the most mainstream horror tale in the compilation, but sadly it's also one of the best. Sex, Death and Starshine It's the last night of a great English theatre, but the theatre's ghosts have different ideas ... In The Hills, The Cities Two gay englishmen go for a holiday, driving through Yugoslavia. They encounter a strange local tradition that strains the reader's suspension of disbelief. As with many of the tales, there is no real moral or purpose to the story. Search This Site
Books of Blood: Volume 2 Dread A Psychology Freshman at an English University finds himself part of a sick experiment into fear. Hell's Event To most people, athletics competitions like the 800 metres running race seem pointless. However, it is the ultimate battle of good against evil. Apparently. Jaqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament Barker is a gay man, so he decided to write a tale about a heterosexual woman. It is told in part from her point of view, and involves her relationships with men. The Skins Of The Fathers This tale is set in the desert of the American Mid-West. A small redneck town comes into conflict with the local demons. Barker's demons here are the Third Sex - that appears to have something to do with the moral of the story. New Murders in the Rue Morgue Barker gives us his homage to Poe's most infamous work. In truth, all he does is show how much he is Poe's inferior. Search This Site
Books of Blood: Volume 3 Son Of Celluloid A cinema - err, Movie Theater, because it's set in the USA - is scene to supernatural events. Rawhead Rex This is the story that was later adapted into a straight-to-video film. A demon is awoken, and goes on a kill-crazy rampage. The tale is a nice counter-point to a story in the previous book, The Skins Of The Fathers. The demon here is the Third Sex too, but in a completely different way. Confession of a (Pornographer's) Shroud The shroud of a dead man wreaks revenge on his tormentors. Scape-Goats Once again Barker's protagonist is a heterosexual woman. She's part of a foursome of teenagers that wind up on a remote island off the coast of Scotland. They do something stupid, and a supernatural force avenges itself on them. Original, huh? Well, at least it's pretty well done. Human Remains Barker returns to the kind of character he should best understand - a rent-boy. The body-proud protagonist is hired for unspecified tasks, and ends up involved in dealings with an entity that assumes his identity. Search This Site