In this article we will talk about such an interesting writer as Clive Barker. Biography, books and features of creativity will be considered in detail. Barker is a very significant figure among British writers. He is known not only as a best-selling author, but also as an artist, photographer, screenwriter and director. He is the creator of such films as Hellraiser, Holy Sinner, Lord of Illusions, Gods and Monsters.
Biography
Clive Barker (whose biography is presented here) was born on October 5, 1952. This event happened at one in the morning near the town of Penny Lane, near Liverpool (England). The parents of the future writer were of Italo-Irish descent. His father, Lin, was a simple employee in the human resources department, and a mother named Joan was an employee in the educational system. Clive is not the only child in the family. He has a brother Christopher. Clive studied at a very prestigious institution Quarry Bank School, which John Lennon once graduated from. Since school, Barker has been writing and editing, working in the school newspaper. Upon graduation, he enters the Faculty of Philosophy and English Literature at the University of Liverpool.
Moving to London and the beginning of a creative career
In 1974, Clive Barker with friends organizes his group called The Dog Company. Musicians play in the Grand Gignol genre, performing plays in the horror genre.
Soon, Clive begins to engage in cinema and shoots several short films - Forbidden and Salome. The last film was shot when Barker was 21 years old, the first - at 26 years old. In these pictures, the friends of the writer starred in a musical group.
Soon after, Clive Barker moved to London, here he is actively involved in drawing and writing stories and plays. Clive became 1981. At this time, he covers the album for the band The Who. Two years later, examples of Barker's work fall into the hands of Ramsey Campbell, who introduces the talented artist and writer to the editor and critic Douglas Winter.
In 1984, the first Barker short story collection was published, consisting of 3 volumes under the general title Blood Books. Books in the UK itself did not arouse much interest, but they were very successful in the USA. And in 1985, Clive was awarded the World Fantasy Award. In the same year, the writer publishes his first novel, called the Cursed Game.
In 1985, Barker wrote the script for the film "Underworld." There are two film adaptations of the stories of the writer Transmutation and Rawhead Rex. He did not like any of them, and then Clive decides to become a director himself. So, he shoots in 1987 the film "Hellraiser." The budget of the film was scanty, and the role of Pinhead was played by former B. Doug Bradley, a former classmate and friend of the author.
From that moment, Barker’s novels began to be actively released.
Relocation to the USA
In 1989, Clive Barker published the first book of the upcoming trilogy, The Appearance of Secrets. And a year later he was filming the book “Tribe of Darkness”. The film was a success and after a while an illustrated script was released in the Epic Comics comic book series. The loan appeared 2 arcade games based on the product.
In 1990, the writer takes ownership of an old Georgian house built in London. Here he begins to work on his biggest and most beloved project - the book “Imagika”. Barker spend a year and a half writing it.
In 1991, the Horror Writers Association awarded the author the title of Grandmaster. In 1991, the Pandemonium album was released, where unknown plays and paintings of Clive were published.
1992 was marked by a move to the United States. Here I chose for myself a large house in the Spanish style, built in the 20s. In the same year, a fairy tale for children was published The Thief of Aiways, where Barker acted as an illustrator. Subsequently, this book was included in the list of literature required to be read in high school by the UK Department of Education. Soon, a film based on the Forbidden story begins to be shot. The picture was called "Candyman", but Clive decided to appear in it as a producer, not a director.
In 1993, the first exhibition of paintings by the writer opens. It was called One Person Show. Comics created by him are published. In addition, Barker paints the interior of the New York nightclub Light Wisdom and Sound. The second novel of the Apparition of Secrets trilogy, entitled Everville, is released.
In 1995, Barker returned to the role of director. Now he begins shooting the film "Lord of Illusions." The Film Distributors Association reduced the picture by as much as 12 minutes. In 1996, the book "Sacrament" was published, in which the author introduced many autobiographical facts. And a year later, the Quicksilver Highway is released, in which the writer plays a small role. A small episode of the film was shot according to the script of Barker. Also, a cultural figure puts on the Universal Pictures studio a Halloween show, which was a great success.
Continuation of a creative career
In 1998, Clive Barker (books by that time had already brought him world fame) gives the work of Galile to print, in which he mixes romantic history with a Gothic novel. This year brings the film “Gods and Monsters”, produced by Barker, to Oscar in the nomination “Best Screenplay Adaptation”. In October of the same year, the writer again puts on a Halloween show at Universal Pictures. It lasts all of October. In August 1999, the father of the writer, Lin, dies.
In 2000, Bracker officially marries Emilian D. Armstrong, a photo artist.
In 2001, a new book, Canyon of Frozen Hearts, was published, the same year the computer game Clive Barker's Undying was released, and Barker created the plot and characters for it.
Features of creativity
The author has always worked in the genre of horror, which is confirmed by his best books. Clive Barker from the very beginning of his career, while still in a musical group, had an incredible craving for mysticism and beyond. All plays and films of the author were created precisely in the framework of this genre. Nevertheless, Clive creates illustrations for children's books, which speaks of its versatility.
Clive Barker, The Cursed Game
The book was published in 1985 and was nominated for the “Best Debut” nomination for the Stoker Award, as well as for the Booker Prize.
At the heart of the novel's story is Martin Strauss, a former prisoner who received freedom prematurely. But the joy does not last long, the hero begins to understand that prison is not the worst place, especially when corpses come to life. And now, promising work as a security guard for a reclusive millionaire does not seem such a good way out of this situation.
"Woven World"
The second major work, which was written by Clive Barker. The novel was published in 1987.
The book tells the story of twenty-six-year-old Calhoun Mooney, who, setting off to look for a flying dove, finds himself in an unfamiliar courtyard. Here, the workers take out the things of the owner of the house, dying in the hospital. He accidentally notices among the many old junk a beautiful carpet on which a wonderful country is woven. Muni does not even know that this is the Woven World, the guardian of which is the dying Mimi Laschensky.
Reviews
A lot of fans in our country have Clive Barker. Reviews about the works of the author are mostly positive. The depth of seemingly completely entertaining books is noted. So, in the writer’s horror stories, you can find interesting and deep topics that are close to many. Among the shortcomings, readers note a violation of logic, a boring plot, predictability of denouement. However, there are few such reviews about the writer's work. On the contrary, fans of the writer focus on an exciting plot.
Clive Barker Quotes
Here are a few quotes from the writer's books:
- "The most cruel torture begins - torture with hope."
- “What do you prefer — pain or pleasure?” I personally prefer pain. ”
- "The sun drains the souls, the wind carries away thoughts, the light disappears."
- “People’s dreams are great soil for flour seeds.”
- “Fear is a topic in which each of us will find true pleasure, just a kind of painful pleasure.”
- “If there is no reason to live, then there is no need to die, it seems to be so?”
Thus, Clive Barker can be called one of the best writers of our time, working in the genre of fantasy and horror.