Best Clive Barker work? And why?

Question

Clive Barker is one of the best thinkers in fiction. None of his stories are predictable, mainly because they're so far out. But they're not too far out be enjoyable or downright disturbing. Some of my favorite stories came from the Books of Blood (particularly "Hell's Race"). What imagination!

Answer 1

I am only starting my Barker obsession. I love "Hellraiser," and "Candyman" was cool, but I've only read two of his books: "The Damnation Game" and "Imajica." I can't wait to get the Books of Blood, but I can't see how they could top "Imajica." I was not a fan of TDG, but wow. I don't even know what to say about "Imajica." It just blew my mind. I think he outsourced some chapters--that was a lot of freaking work for one person to do on his own.
There are the numerous plot twists, goal switches, character flips...the list goes on forever. I think the way I would best describe it is thus: A Dan Brown book is like a fast-paced table tennis game. "Imajica" was like watching eight players at an octagon table hitting a dozen balls seven different ways. Take that, Robert Langdon.
The first chapter kicked me in the face so hard that I was too shocked to care that I got kicked in the face. The Pie o' Pah (probably spelled that wrong and I don't care) character rocked hardcore.
Barker created not just one world, but half a dozen. You have Earth and her four sister Dominions. Discounting Earth and the Fifth Dominion--the one we can't know anything about because nobody returns from it--and we still have three. But then Gentle has his history--so much of it that it counts as another world. So does Judith...and so does Pie...and Judith's ex-brother in law...and the other guy that hunted her down and controlled those weird beetle things. And what about those people in the cult? And then the emperor and his wife. I swear Barker must have birth certificates for every character in that book. More than once I said, "I want to know what happens, but I don't want it to end." Then I'd look up and realize I had over 700 pages to go. I hope they never make this into a movie, unless it's got more installments than "Roots."
If I were on a deserted island with 5 books, "Imajica" would be 3 of them. I don't even want to say any more. The more I talk about it the more I take away from its brilliance.

Answer 2

Imajica is his best, Barker himself thinks so. It's complex in every level, it contains many references to Western civilization and the way man has understood divinity throughout the ages and how that idea might be modernized. The imagery is awesome. It's curious, I just finished rereading it this past week.

I still like Weaveworld, too, the monsters are just great. He depicts a gigantic world with very few strokes.

Anyway, everybody has forgotten about The Great and Secret Show and Everville, those are terrific novels too.

Hellraiser (well, "The Hellbound Heart") and The Books of Blood are very different compared to the big novels, so you should see for yourself. Dan Brown is a joke, by the way.

Answer 3

the I'magica was his best by far, im hoping that he contracts HBO to do a full budget 10-20 part mini series for it,

my next fave is weave world and then cold heart canyon
but i have read all his full length novels and he is by far the best fantasy writer out there and also the best horror writer out there

but I'm screaming for more, i almost wish he didn't have so many other interests like plays and paintings so he could turn out more books