Horror: A study on Clive Barker part 22, Down, Satan!

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.

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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.

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This concludes my look at Down, Satan! If you have a thought or a question, please leave a like or comment!

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