The Painter, the Creature, and the Father of Lies [Hardcover]

Clive Barker (Author, Illustrator), Phil Stokes (Editor), Sarah Stokes (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2011

From the man who has brought you twenty books of dark fiction and fantasy, unforgettable horror movies such HELLRAISER and CANDYMAN, and countless paintings and illustrations, this is the first-ever collection of Clive Barker s nonfiction. Representing nearly 30 years of writing, THE PAINTER, THE CREATURE, AND THE FATHER OF LIES covers the inspirations for his works, insights into the creative process, and musings on art and the horror genre. Not currently scheduled to be published anywhere else, don t miss this landmark collection from a modern master of horror and dark fantasy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A collection of a writer's prefaces and random prose pieces often feels like the mustard-stained bread crusts on a child's plate after lunch. Nutritive quality? Low. Value? Marginal. Overall response? Ugh. That verdict, fortunately, doesn't apply to all collections, especially one by Clive Barker, a writer perhaps best known for his Hellraiser story and Abarat saga. His thoughtful musings on horror and culture have been collected in Clive Barker: The Painter, the Creature, and the Father of Lies. The energy and candor he brings to these pieces make this collection hardly an afterthought. In fact, it's a provocation to read him if you haven't and surrender yourself. --LOS ANGELES TIMES --Los Angeles Times (Aug 10, 2011)

This landmark retrospective comprises twenty-five years of essays and incantations from a modern mastermind of the horror genre. A chance viewing of Jean Cocteau's The Testament of Orpheus as a child planted a seed in Clive Barker that grew into a lifelong obsession with escapism;altered states; and a fetish for all things forbidden. Mysterious by nature, Barker's eloquence transcends absurdity thanks to the editorial expertise of Phil and Sarah Stokes who divided the book thematically into two sections. Barker's brain is sensationally splattered throughout the first half in articulate meditations and critical essays on censorship and taboo. Here the editors include Barker's introductions, forewords, and afterwards sublime compositions in their own right, each revealing another piece of his puzzling mind. The latter half of the book cites influential figures in his life, from fellow authors Ray Bradbury and Neil Gaiman, to an unflagging fervor for such luminaries as Francisco Goya and William Blake. An early endorsement from Stephen King and the cult success of Hellraiser thrust Clive Barker into the mainstream; this volume explicates his notorious motives for eschewing the 'commercial route,' refusing to compromise artistic integrity and endeavoring to 'invent anarchic alternatives to the wretched banalities of life'. --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY --Publishers Weekly

Clive Barker has already earned his place amongst the masters of imagination but THE PAINTER, THE CREATURE, AND THE FATHER OF LIES confirms him to be not only a truly gifted but honest writer who has now become a master of the HUMAN and INHUMAN condition... --FANGORIA MAGAZINE --Fangoria magazine

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Earthling Publications (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979505445
• ISBN-13: 978-0979505447
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #581,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Only for hardcore fans, January 28, 2012

By 

Biledemon3 "bile" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Painter, the Creature, and the Father of Lies (Hardcover)

I've been a fan of Clives since I was 14 years old and I've always been fascinated with his works and ive always wondered what he was thinking while writing, where his mindset was. What makes his work, what was the story behind the man who is living legend. Clives work in my opinion stands above all other writers, when looking for horror, he is simply the best. I've found his works to be very hard to put down once the book has been opened. The more I read, the more I learn, the more respect I have for him as a man, no matter how dark or sometimes repulsive. his thoughts are treasures...most people would deny him his respect on grounds that he is sick or twisted, we are all sick and twisted in our own secret ways, clive is aware of this and he stands firm, speaks on what he feels... Kudos to clive!
With that said, this book is really only something I would suggest to the hardcore fans... It does contain alot of insight, great reflections from clive, but it was quite jumbled in format and sometimes annoying, jumping from topic to topic. I was hoping for more insight on the books of blood, more from his thoughts on his books...sure there is a essay on most of his books, reflections and such, but nothing to revealing...good effort on the stokes part for putting this book together though, I know it must have been tough cataloging all this... Overall the book was a good read, but not what I was looking for as most of the articles can be found elsewhere....