A necessary and timely study of Barker’s influence in dark fantasy, gothic and horror studies. The book features twelve groundbreaking essays on Barker’s creative legacy and influence, and reevaluates his celebrated and lesser known works in fiction, film and visual art, from the Books of Blood (1984–85) to The Scarlet Gospels (2015).

Clive Barker: Dark imaginer explores the diverse literary, film and visionary creations by the influential British artist Clive Barker. Met with critical acclaim in the mid-1980s for his unique contribution to the horror genre with Books of Blood (1984–85), Barker has remained curiously overlooked in scholarly circles for decades, despite his continued success as a bestselling author, filmmaker and producer, and sought-after visual artist. In this necessary and timely scholarly collection, these innovative essays by leading scholars in the fields of literature, film and popular culture, explore Barker’s contribution to gothic, fantasy, and horror studies, and interrogate his creative legacy.

The volume consists of an extensive introduction and twelve ground-breaking essays that critically reevaluate Barker’s oeuvre. These scholarly examinations range from critical discourses on splatterpunk and body horror, the Thatcher era, and the dark fantastique, to queer(ing) desire, anti-horror, iconic monsters and demons, and the influence of the gothic mode. There are also in-depth analyses of both his celebrated and lesser known novels, his short stories, theme park designs, screen and comic book adaptations, film direction and production, sketches and book illustrations. Clive Barker: Dark imaginer, which also includes various illustrations by Barker himself, reveals the breadth and depth of his distinctive dark vision, which continues to fascinate and flourish.

The book is for fans of Clive Barker, and scholars and students interested in its many disciplines. It is an essential study of an extraordinary polymath.

Clive Barker: Dark imaginer explores the diverse literary, film and visionary creations of the polymathic and influential British artist Clive Barker. In this necessary and timely collection, innovative essays by leading scholars in the fields of literature, film and popular culture explore Barker’s contribution to gothic, fantasy and horror studies, interrogating his creative legacy.

The volume consists of an extensive introduction and twelve groundbreaking essays that critically reevaluate Barker’s oeuvre. These include in-depth analyses of his celebrated and lesser known novels, short stories, theme park designs, screen and comic book adaptations, film direction and production, sketches and book illustrations, as well as responses to his material from critics and fan communities. Clive Barker: Dark imaginer reveals the breadth and depth of Barker’s distinctive dark vision, which continues to fascinate and flourish.