Clive Barker's Short Stories: Imagination as Metaphor in the Books of Blood and Other Works

The complexity of Barker's writing is best evidenced in the six volume . Many of these short stories are entertaining "hair raisers," yet they do not revel in gratuitous violence, instead relying on style and a masterful sense of language to entertain. This detailed study analyzes the significant themes in Barker's writing, placing him in the British Gothic tradition of Marlowe, Saki and others.