Welcome to my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at Chapter 1 of the Damnation Game, Providence. "After serving six years of his sentence at Wandsworth, Marty Strauss was used to waiting. He waited to wash and shave himself every morning; he waited to eat, he waited to defecate; he waited for freedom." - The opening of Scene 5, Clive Barker's The Damnation Game. In the opening sentence (which is beautifully crafted by the way) we meet the hero of the story, Marty Strauss. Marty is a prisoner who is in prison for some crime he committed while trying to pay back some gambling debts (It is hinted at being theft related.) The opening chapter has Marty being summoned to a private meeting by the Warden. At this meeting, Marty meets Mr. Toy. Mr. Toy works for a man by the name of Joseph Whitehead, a rich businessman, and is looking for a prisoner to act as Mr. Whitehead's personal bodyguard. At first, Marty is not that interested in the job (which would provide him with an early release) but after some consideration, Marty decides he wants the job. Mr. Toy finishes the interview and will let Marty know of his decision. While Marty waits a few days to find out if he got the job or not, Marty's wife Charmaine comes to visit. Charmaine wants to get a divorce and wants to know how they should split the money between the two. Marty tells Charmaine to keep everything and apologizes for the hurt he has caused her due to his imprisonment. About 2 weeks later, the warden summons Marty and tells him that he's got the job, and will be released from prison in a few days. The night before his release, Marty experiences a bizarre dream but doesn't think much of it. The next day, Mr. Toy and Luther, a limo driver, pick up Marty. On the way, they come across a car accident that has a fatality. To match the context of the scene, Barker uses this brilliant simile. 'The procession of cars slowed, like a line of mourners pausing to glance into a coffin." -Damnation Game, scene 9. As the group drives by, Marty sees a woman madly clapping at the scene of her own accident. - There are 2 things I took note of in this chapter. 1. The Motif of being a Gambler and Thief becomes apparent in this chapter. I think Motifs (A repeating image, phrase, or idea) are a cool concept more writers should use. 2. I really like Barker's use of a simile at the end of the chapter. I noticed that, Grammatically, an Absolute phrase follows the 'like' and I might start playing around with this construction in my own writing. - This concludes my look at chapter 1 for The Damnation Game. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-33-the-damnation-game-prologue.64193/ Next Post:
Welcome to part 33 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his first novel, The Damnation Game. - The Damnation Game is a Faustus story, a story about a man who makes a pact with the devil. The story begins with a Character simply called 'The Thief' looking for a person by the title of 'The Card player.' 'The Card player' is a rumored figure is said to never have lost a poker game. The Thief's motivation for wanting to play and beat 'The Card Player' is simply that he wants to dethrone 'the king.' The setting for the prologue takes places in Warsaw just after being liberated from Nazi control by the Russians. Barker paints a gruesome picture of the city as a place where women are raped, then killed if they complain, children are sold like cattle, gambling of all sorts take place, and C. Marlow's play 'Doctor Faustus' plays nightly (see that nice hint to what type of story this is going to be?) As The Thief looks through the city trying to find The Cardplayer, he sees some disturbing graffiti of people who've painted pictures of the Card player (An idea used in his short story, The Forbidden) and becomes somewhat afraid. He eventually finds a Russian Soldier who has played against The Card player called Mamoulian. The Solider is terrified to even talk about the poker game and tells the Thief not to seek him out. The soldier explains he is transferring out of the city as soon as possible but does tell the Thief where he can find Mamoulian. A few days later, while stilling trying to find Mamoulian, The thief learns that the soldier had his throat slit and his body was found floating down a river of flaming shit (A result that occurred after a tank fired a shell into the sewer lines.) The Theif eventually finds a woman who will take him to Mamoulian. The woman is described as having a mutilated face, a beautiful body, and would be naked if not for the giant fur coat she wears around herself. The prologue ends The Thief meeting Mamoulian and the two sitting down to play poker against each other. - There are a lot of great ideas that occur within this Prologue that I'd made note of and would use myself in my own writing. 1. Referencing the canon the story is based on by introducing it into the story (Like how the play Dr. Faustus appears in the opening scene.) 2. The use of Graffiti as a way to hint at the monstrous beings that exist in the world. 3. This one I've already began to incorporate into my work, but often, my characters don't have names, they have titles Examples: The Thief, The Card player. 4. Creating hell-like scenes using logical events. (A river of flaming shit is a hell-like scene. The idea that a tank blasting into a sewer line is the cause of this is a very logical event. I might use this formula to create my own type of Horror-based Rhetoric.) 5. Creating a Juxtaposition of having a beautiful woman with a mutilated face are the type of images I strive for. Juxtapositions, paradoxes, and compare & contrast are a big factor in my own writing, and I love it when I see other writers do such things. - This concludes my look at the Prologue for The Damnation Game. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-32-on-jerusalem-street-books-of-blood-final-story.64187/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-34-the-damnation-game-providence.64197/
Ladies and Gentlemen, we've made it to the last story in Clive Barker's Books of Blood short story collection. Today we will be looking at the epilogue story, On Jerusalem Street. The epilogue is only a few pages long and tells of the last moments of McNeal, the young man from the first story whose body the ghost carved with stories into. He's been tracked down by a man by the name of Wyburd, who plans on flaying McNeal and turning his skin into an actual book. Wyburd kills and skins McNeal, but before he can reap his award, the ghost return and seek their revenge on him. In the afterlife, McNeal and Wyburd walk side by side down the highway of the dead. A fitting ending to this collection of stories. - This concludes my look at Clive Barker's Books of Blood. I've learned a lot from this series, and it has inspired me to write my own, small collection of short stories. I look forward to what other things Clive Barker can teach me as I continue to work through his canon. The next work of Clive Barker's we will be looking at will be his first novel, The Damnation Game. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-31-the-last-illusion.64182/ Next Post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-33-the-damnation-game-prologue.64193/
Welcome to part 31 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story The Last Illusion. The Last Illusion introduces Clive Barker's second most famous character (his first being the Cenobite Pinhead) Harry D'Amour. Harry is a private detective that handles supernatural and occult-based cases. In the story, Harry is hired to corpse-watch the body of a man named Swann. Swann is a magician that made a deal with a devil; his soul for magical powers. Harry must protect the body from a group of demons who wish to claim it (and in the process taking Swann's soul to hell). Harry learns that there is a loop-hole in Swann's 'contract' that might save Swann's soul. If the demons do not claim the body after a certain time-frame, the body can be cremated, which voids the demon's claims on Swann's soul. During his struggle, Harry squares off against a demon called 'The Castrato,' a rotting corpse imbued with bright, white light. After defeating the demon, Harry hides the corpse at a local funeral home and dials up the director, hoping they can burn the body before the demon's find them. The lead demon, Mr. Butterfield, finds Harry and unleashes a new group of demons upon Harry, a marching band of twisted monsters that use human organs as their instruments. The story needs in a kinda Deus ex Machina where Swann's corpse performs one final magic trick, which drives the demons away, before being burned to a crisp. With Swann's corpse now ashes, Mr. Butterfield promises to seek revenge on Harry at a later date before leaving. The story ends with Harry wondering what the future will bring for him. - The one aspect of this story I really like is the depiction of the demons in the story. I found the glowing corpse and the marching band very creative. Actually, the marching band reminds me a lot of the monsters that appear in 'The skins of the fathers.' Also, Harry is a character that appears in a number of Clive Barker's stories. I look forward to seeing him in future adventures (such as Everville, and the Scarlet Gospels.) - This concludes my look at 'The Last Illusion.'' If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-30-twilight-at-the-towers.64142/ Next post:
Welcome to part 30 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story 'Twilight at the Towers.' Summary: The story, set in Berlin during the Cold War, tells the story of Ballard and his dealings with KBG member named Mironenko. Ballard is a spy for London who is trying to get Mironenko to defect to Britain. Mironenko, however, is really a werewolf (they are not called werewolves in the story but that would be the best way to describe them) who is looking for more of his kind. As the story progresses, Ballard learns that both the Allies and the Soviets have found werewolves and brainwashed them as a way to make them soldiers for them. Ballard is such a soldier. At first, Ballard does believe such a story (would anyone?) until he -under stress- transforms. Ballard, now no longer human, seeks out Mironemko and finds him along with a pack of wolves, werewolves, and things in between. The story ends with Mironemko preaching to from the bible. - There are some really solid moments in this story, but I feel that the best is the ending. I thought when Ballard goes to the Sanctuary (at the end of the story) had some really great Imagery. - '...he asked two lovers who were rutting in the shelter of the wall if they knew of a man called Mironenko. The bitch had a smooth and hairless back, and a dozen full teats hanging from her belly. 'Listen,' she said. ' (Clive Barker's Twilight at the Towers, page 96.) - I really love the above passage; it is so salvaged and raw at the same time. Also, this story's theme: Being faithless and lost, echoes beautifully. The story starts with Mironenko telling Ballard that he has lost all faith in the world and ends with Mironenko preaching about faith. Throughout the whole story, Ballard also questions his faith (faith in his country, faith in his friends, faith in if what he is doing is right or wrong). - The last thing I took note of was a new word, Din. Used as either a noun or verb, it means: (to make) a loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise. It is also good to build your vocabulary by finding new words through reading. - This concludes my look at Twilight at the Towers.'' If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-29-how-spoilers-bleed.64137/#comment-11115 Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-31-the-last-illusion.64182/
Welcome to part 29 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story 'How the Spoilers Bleed.' Summary: The story tells the tale of Locke, and his men, as they try to drive a group of Indians of a piece of land in South America. The men shoot and kill a young boy which invokes the Indian's mystic to curse the group of men. The curse causes the men's bodies to fall apart from the simplest touch (A piece of dust cuts one of the men's arms wide open), and one by one each man dies. After all of his men have died, and he has realized he is the curse, Locke returns to the tribe only to discover the group has all died from a death blanket (I'll explain this in the notes) and that no one is alive to remove the curse. The story ends with someone patting Locke and his body beginning to bleed. - There are four great notes I took while reading this short story. 1. The story reminded me a lot of the movie 'Cannibal Holocaust.' This story is an exploitation story, a story about 'civilized' people taking advantage/mistreating the 'uncivilized' natives. Like all exploitation stories, it ends badly for the civilized people. So here we learn an important story-telling concept, when you have an exploitation story, the exploiter (the spoiler) is always killed/punished because he or she under-estimated the person or persons they were exploiting; also, the MC is always the exploiter (showing us that an MC doesn't have to be a 'good' person.) This is a really important concept to understand -story-telling-wise- that all writers should be aware of. 2. The next thing I really like is the use of a Death Blanket. When Europeans came to America, they brought with them all the diseases that they were immune to/head resistance against; The Indians who did not have these immunities or resistances died by tens of thousands to these new diseases. A Death Blanket is where they'd take the Blanket from a sick European, and give it to the Indians. The germs off of the Blanket would kill entire tribes, and no blood-shed/battle would have to have. 3. Another thing I've noticed is that Clive Barker compares rotting Fruit to rotting Flesh in a lot of his stories. While I have no plans on burrowing this comparison, I do like how the repeating on this idea in his works gives his a writing a unique voice. (Now every time I see someone compare Rotting Flesh to Rotting Fruit, I am going to be like 'that is very Clive Barker of you.') 4. The last thing I took a note on was when the tribe's mystic casts the curse, he speaks in the voice of the jungle. His voice sounds like a trigger, then insects chirping, then a pig. I really like the concepts of a humanoid speaking in the voice of an animal. I find the concept unsettling and I'd like to use the idea in the future in my own writings. - This concludes my look at 'How Spoilers Bleed.' If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-28-the-life-of-death.64131/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-30-twilight-at-the-towers.64142/
Welcome to part 28 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story, The Life of Death. Summary: The story tells the tale of Elaine, a woman who has just had a Hysterectomy and struggles to find meaning in her life. As she wanders the streets of her city, she comes across All Saints Church, which is being demolished. There, she meets a man by the name of Kavanagh and become interested in him; this interest leads Elain to explore All Saints Church were she stumble upon a tomb full of plague victims. Elaine contracts the plague which leads her spreading it her friends (who die one by one.) Elaine eventually is killed by Kavanagh, who is a serial killer. As she dies, she realizes that Kavanagh will contract -and spread- the plague; this insight gives her a gleeful happiness as she dies. What I really like about this story is that Elaine is a very sympathetic character. The sentence that made me fall in love with this character is as followed: "She had feared their sympathies, feared that she would be held too close in their affections and quickly come to rely upon them." (Clive Barker's The Life of Death, page 8) Being afraid of becoming attached to other's people sympathies is something I can relate to. So that sentence hit me hard. - The other thing I made note of was the name of the church, All Saints. For anyone who doesn't know, All Saints Day (The Sunday that hollows Holloween) is a day where those who have died over the last day are remembered. Since the theme of the story is about Death, I thought the idea of naming the Church 'All Saints,' to be very fitting. - This concludes my look at 'The Life of Death.' If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-27-in-the-flesh.64127/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/a-study-on-clive-barker-part-29-how-spoilers-bleed.64137/
Welcome to part 27 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story 'In The Flesh.' Summary: The story tells the tale of Cleve, a prisoner, and his new cellmate, Billy. Billy is a young man who is obsessed with the history of his Grandfather, a man who had been hung at the prison a few decades earlier, and purposely got sent to prison in order to learn more about his Grandfather. While Billy attempts to learn about his Grandfather, Cleve begins to experience bizarre dreams, but pays no attention to them. Cleve eventually learns why Billy is so obsessed; Billy's Grandfather, but just like Billy, are sorcerers. Billy has no one to 'train' him, so he is attempting to contact his Grandfather's spirit. As Billy continues his quest, Cleve comes to learn the nature of his dreams -they are not dreams, as he sleeps he is able to visit the city of the dead. This is because of the fact he is in close proximity of Billy. Cleve -while exploring the city of the dead- learns a terrible truth; Billy's Grandfather is trying to be reincarnated. For this to occur, the Grandfather needs to convince someone to commit a murder so they will take his place in the city when they die. Before Cleve can leave the dream, one of the ghosts warns him that the only people who visit the city are future occupants. Cleve attempts to stop Billy but is unable to, and in a flash of magic, Billy disappears. When asked by the warden where Billy went, Cleve makes a wild guess which proves to be correct. The Grave of the Grandfather is dug up, and they find Billy in the coffin along with the remains of his grandfather. Sometime later, Cleve is released from prison; however, still haunted by the dreams, Cleve becomes a heroin addict to cope with the stress. Cleve addiction becomes so bad that he takes a job as an assassin to feed his habit. Cleve remembers his conversation with the ghost, and decides he has nothing to lose. Cleve murders a man only to later be gunned down by the police as they pursue him. The story ends with Cleve going to the city of the dead, and sometime later being reincarnated back into the world. - My Summary doesn't do this story justice, but the real power of this story is its use of language and the fact that is it built on the other stories in the Books of Blood. Here are a few examples of his language use I found captivating. '...Starring at the dust-infested sunlight... (Clive Barker's In the flesh, page 103) 'a face resembling a plate of rotted fruit, pulpy and peeling, swelling here with a nest of flies, and there suddenly fallen away to a pestilent core. (Page 120) 'On the wind, the same voices Cleve had heard carried before, the cries of mad children, somewhere between tears and howls.' (Page 121) - The most powerful feature in this story, in my opinion, is how this story connect both 'Book of blood' and The Body Politic. This story reinforces that idea that all the books of blood share 1 universe. "The dead have highways (Opening line from Book of Blood)... they have cities too." (Page 130). - The last thing I want to touch on is the theme of the story: How is sin brought into the world? It is a question that Cleve asks himself over and over again as this story unfolds. At the end when he, a murderer, is reincarnated and pushed out of a uterus (since he is being reborn as a baby) he claims to have found his answer. - This concludes my look at In the Flesh. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-26-babels-children.64113/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-28-the-life-of-death.64131/
Welcome to part 26 of my study on Clive Barker. Today we will be looking at his short story 'Babel's Children.' - The story tells the tale of Vanessa and how her curious nature leads to finding a compound in the middle of no-where. There, she is taken a prisoner and tries to figure out what this place really is. Vanessa learns from an old man that is also a prisoner there a terrible secret about the world. All of the world's governments are all for show, and the political decisions are left to a select few who live in the compound. To make matters worse, the select few resort to games, like racing frogs, when deciding major events (like going to war or not.) Vanessa and the select few eventually break out and make a run for it. During the chase they drive off a cliff, killing all but Vanessa and one of the elders. The story ends with Vanessa, having been returned to the compound, and an old man playing poker in order to decide if a war will be started or not. - While a humorous and lighthearted story, there was one thing I made note of. The opening sentence is just excellent. 'Why could Vanessa never resist the road that had no signpost marking it; the track that led to God alone knew where?' (Clive Barker's Babel's Children, page 76) The reason this sentence is great is that 1. It introduces to the MC right off the bat. 2. It has a great hook as we can already tell that Vanessa is going to get herself into trouble. - This concludes my look at Babel's Children. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-25-the-madonna.64107/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-27-in-the-flesh.64127/
Welcome to part 25 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story, The Madonna. The Madonna tells the tale of Jerry Coloqhoun and his plight to get Ezra Garvey to back a financial deal in order to redevelop a swimming pool complex. While the two explore of old complex, Ezra sees, out of the corner of his eye, a naked girl run by; Jerry, however, does not. After the meeting, Ezra returns back to the complex in order to find the girl. He encounters a different girl who is nursing some monstrous creature. Disgusted, Ezra kills the creature, but soon finds himself surrounded by three beautiful, naked women. Ezra blacks out as one, of the girls, puts a noose around his neck. Jerry spends the next day trying to get in contact with Ezra but is unable to. He ends up going out with his girlfriend as a way to forget about his problems. In a twist, Ezra is not dead, but instead back at his apartment unable to remember what happened the night before. Believing that Jerry set him up, Ezra sends his hitmen to find Jerry. Jerry and his girlfriend return to his place to find it trashed. Jerry, knowing that it was Ezra as the pool plans have been stolen, becomes angry. He and his girlfriend have sex, but when she tries to stop the session, as he is too angry for it to be fun, he rapes her. Later, Jerry returns to the complex and faces off against Ezra. During the confrontation, Jerry comes face to face with one of the women and they lead him to the center of the complex (which Jerry has learned is a giant spiral) to meet a strange creature named 'The Madonna." Here, Jerry has sex with one of the girls before returning home. The story concludes with Both Ezra and Jerry being turned into women. Ezra, disgusted by the thought, commits suicide. Jerry, however, submits to his fate and joins the ranks of the women and the strange creature. - There are two things I really like about this story. First, the ironic fates of Jerry and Ezra. Ezra thinks of women as playthings, and Jerry rapes his girlfriend. The fate of these two is that they are both turned into women. While both mistreat women, the difference between the two is that Ezra is unable to accept the results of his actions, while Jerry accepts his punishment. The second thing I really enjoyed about this story is a small passage where one of the girls uses a bit of magic on Jerry. 'And now, at her silent insistence, his mind's eye seemed to be plucked from his head, and suddenly he was speeding over her skin, her flesh a landscape, each pore a pit, each hair a pylon. He was hers, utterly. She drowned him in her eyes, and flayed him with her lashes; she rolled him across her abdomen, and down the soft channel of her spine. She took him between her buttocks, then up into her heat, and out again just as he thought he must burn alive.' - (The Madonna, page 64.) As I've said in the past, I like it when magic is displayed in either sexual or grotesque manner, and this is very sexual. I often find writing 'sex magic' difficult, but might look at this passage in the future as inspiration with my own writing. - This concludes my look at The Madonna. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-24-the-forbidden.64103/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-26-babels-children.64113/
Welcome to part 24 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story 'The Forbidden.' For those who have seen the movie 'Candyman,' 'The Fordibben acts as the basis of the movie. The Forbidden tells the story of Helen, a college student, and her investigation into a run-down apartment complex and the use of bizarre graffiti that is been spray painted all across the complex. During her investigation, Helen hears rumors about a couple mysterious murders, but, no matter how hard she tries to find an actual witness, she is unable to and begins to wonder if the murders ever occurred to begin with. Eventually, Helen comes face to face with a figure who calls himself the Candyman (the bizarre images painted across the complex are pictures of him.) He offers Helen a chance to become a 'rumor' like himself, hence making her immortal. At first, she refuses, but at the end of the story, as she is burned alive after making a terrible mistake, she takes him up on his offer. - There is a really cool, complexed idea that occurs in this story that I would LOVE to explore in my own writing. Did Candyman give birth (commit) to the murders, or did the rumors about the murders give birth to Candyman? The idea of what came first, the monster or the murders is explored a lot in this story, and I just love the idea. It is basically a what came first, the chicken or the egg? Also, I find it creepy when stories use bizarre and unsettling graffiti. It gives the supernatural a gritty/urban feel to it. These are two ideas I will be using -not sure how- in my own works in the future. - This concludes my look at The Forbidden. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-23-the-age-of-desire.64095/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-25-the-madonna.64107/
Welcome to part 23 of my Study on Clive Baker. Today, we will be looking at his short story 'The Age of Desire.' The Age of desire is very much a mad scientist/Frankenstein story told from the POV of the monster and the cops that pursue him. The 'monster' of this story is a man named Jerome, who is given a medical shot that turns his sex drive violent. The experiment causes his body to become inflamed in a fire-like sensation, destroys all his sexual preferences (he is willing to have sex with man, woman, animal, or in one-scene, a brick-wall,) and causes him to become murderous as the rapid beating of a heart is so seductive to him that he tears out the heart of his victims while he is raping them. Jerome, however, is not an evil man and often laments over his actions and wonders how to keep himself under control. In essence, this story shows what happens when a man loses control of his sexual and violent desires. An officer by the name of Carnegie pursues him for most of the story, and the story ends with the two meeting as Jerome is dying due to his injuries and the toll the drug has taken on his body. The ending scene is Jerome laughing at some private joke as he dies, and Carnegie wondering what the joke was. - This is a great story, and no summary I could ever write can do it justice. There are three great things that can be taken away from this story for all writers to use. 1. Jerome is an allegory for what happens when a man loses control of his sexual and violent urges, and the internal conflict of his mind (logic) vs. his flesh (desire) is such a classic battle that is great. 2. Fire/burning sensation is such universal symbol for sex and desire that any other element could never be used. Perhaps it is the skin on skin contact where body heat is transferred from one person to another that gives rise to this symbol, or perhaps because of an open flame has a seductive quality to it. 3. This being a rape story. Generally, I don't like rape stories; most writers use rape/molestation as a way to gain sympathy for their characters from the reader. I find this distasteful. However, this story attempts -rather it accomplishes will be up to the individual reader- for the reader to gain sympathy for the rapist, as his actions are caused by a drug that has been injected into him. We often find Jerome mourning his actions, and wondering what the hell they put into his body. There is a lot more I can discuss about this story as it has a tone of philosophical conversations and has a 'Silence of the Lambs' vibe to it, but in the end, I feel this is a short story people should read. - This concludes my look at The Age of Desire. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-22-down-satan.64091/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-24-the-forbidden.64103/
Welcome to part 22 of my study on Clive Barker. Today we will be looking at his short story, and I do mean short (only four pages) Down, Satan! The story tells the tale of Gregorius, and his quest to meet God. At first, Gregorius attempts to do good deeds in hopes that God will show himself to him. Obviously, this fails so Gregorius attempts a different plot. He builds a 'pleasure palace' for Satan in hopes that God will intervene. Gregorius constructs that palace -in all its horror- and Satan makes his presence known through bizarre sounds; however, he does reveal himself to Gregorious. Gregious spend the next five years inside the Palace hoping that Satan will show himself. After five years, A police raid occurs on the palace (due to a number of disappearances) and the police find and apprehend Gregious for mass murder. Gregious is convicted and dies a few months later in prison. - While this story reads more like a treatment than a story, it does create a sense of terror. It hints at the monster (Satan) being at the story, but it never reveals Satan. In fact, one questions if Satan is there at all or if Gregorious is just 'hearing' what he wants to hear; hence the lesson of the day, hinting that a monster exists in the background, but never showing it can add a real sense of unease to your story. - This concludes my look at Down, Satan! If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-21-revelations.64089/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-23-the-age-of-desire.64095/
Welcome to part 21 of my study on Clive Barker. Today, we will be looking at his short story Revelations. 'Revelations' tells the story of two ghosts, Sadie and Buck. Sadie, tired of her husbands cheating way, had murdered her husband by shooting him in the chest with a gun. After a trail, Sadie was executed by the state of Texas. 30 years later, the two ghosts have returned to the motel where the murder took place in an attempt to work out their differences. The two ghosts come to the room and find it is occupied by a couple, Virginia and John, who are having troubles of their own. Virginia is a psychic, who can sense the ghosts, and John is a touring preacher who abuses his wife whenever she does something he deems ungodly. As the night progresses, Sadie whispers into Virginia's ear, telling her to stand up for herself, while Buck -disgusted by the fact that Sadie will not have sex with him- attempts to rape Virginia. After a series of events, Virginia obtains the same gun that killed Buck and attempts to use it to vanquish Buck. Firing the gun does vanquish Buck but the bullet hits and kills John. Virginia decides to kill herself when Sadie convinces her that it would be a mistake. The story ends with Virginia surrendering to the police. - This is a great short story and there are four things I've taken away from it. 1. I really like the idea of Ghost whispering ideas into people's ears. I think Ghost stories are better when the ghosts try to manipulate vs. chase people around and kill them. 2. This story is very suspenseful. Each scene the tension becomes tighter, the conflict more personal and dangerous, and the stakes are raised. If you want to read a story that executes the concept of building towards the climax, this is the story to look at. 3. I really like the parallel between Sadie and Virginia. Sadie acts as a mentor to Virginia, and Sadie's plea for Virginia not to commit suicide almost acts as a redemption scene for the fact she's a murderer. 4. "Me getting shot. You getting the chair. It gives you some perverse satisfaction." ...."Yes." (Revelations by Clive Barker, page 89). The above conversation is between Buck and Sadie as they talk about the murder. What I like about it is the honesty in their conversation. Sadie enjoyed killing and being killed. This concept -enjoying forbidden pleasures- repeats over and over again in Clive Barker's works and in many different forms. In fact, all the major and supporting characters attempt to gain some forbidden pleasure. 1. Sadie enjoyed the fact she killed her husband and was killed for it. 2. Buck tries to Rape Virginia. 3. Virginia takes forbidden pills. 4. Earl (a driver) cheats on his wife. 5. Lauran has sex with Earl, an older man. 6. John take pleasure in depriving himself of earthly pleasure. The repeating of themes, Its one of the reasons I enjoy his work so much as it is a theme I like to explore as well. This concludes my look at Revelations. If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment! Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-20-the-inhuman-condition.64085/ Next post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-clive-barker-part-22-down-satan.64091/
Welcome to part 20 of my study on Clive Barker. Today we will be looking at Clive Barker's short story The Inhuman Condition. The story begins with a gang of youths beating up Pope, a vagrant. Karney, the MC, is part of the group and ends up stealing a string with three knots on it (a knot puzzle) from the homeless man. Karney becomes obsessed with solving uniting the knots and works endlessly to solve the riddle. One night, while Karney is out with his friends, he unties the first knot and releases a monster, a reptile looking creature. The monster attacks one of Karney's friends which results in the friend's death. Afterword, the monster disappears into the wild. At the Funeral, Pope finds Karney and demands that he return the knots before any more damage can be done. Karney refuses and Pope attacks him. Karney's friend Red and Red's girlfriend Anelisa comes to the rescue and they are able to get away from Pope. During the struggle, the knot finds its way into Anelisa's hands; Later, when she is at home, she ends up untieing the second knot. A new Ape-like monster appears and kills Red. Karney arrives at Red's home to discover Red's body, the knot, and the new monster. When Red's father comes home, Karney and the monster flee from the house. Karney returns home with the knot, only to receive a phone call from one of his friends. Pope is holding the friend hostage and demands that Karney returns to him the knot. Karney confronts Pope, however, Pope slits the friend's throat and gives chase to Karney. Karney, in a moment of desperation, undoes the last knot and releases that last monster, a giant, mutilated fetus. The Fetus, capable of human speech, calls the other two monsters to him. The three monsters merge together to form a full grown man. The man, who is Pope's brother, disembowels and kills Pope, then disappears. The story ends with Karney finding a book full of spells next to Pope, hinting at the fact that Pope was a wizard of some type. - This is a really great story and I highly recommend it. There are two things I made note of that I thought were really brilliant. 1. I really like the way Clive Barker uses puzzles in his works. The hellbound heart is very similar in that a puzzle box calls forth monsters. What I really like that the use of puzzle though isn't the fact that they summon monsters, it is the fact that part of the 'magic' of the puzzle is that is causes a person to become obese, dangerously, with solving it. The puzzle doesn't frustrate but invites the solver deeper and deeper into its mystery until it is too late. I'd really like to incorporate this idea/theme into my own work. 2. I like the display of magic that occurs in this work. I have nothing against Harry Potter-like magic, but, as an adult, I like when magic is displayed in a more sexual or grotesque manner. - This ends my look at The Inhuman Condition. If you have any questions or thoughts, please leave a comment or a like. Previous post: https://www.writingforums.org/entry/horror-a-study-on-cliver-barker-part-19-the-body-politic.64076/ Next post: