What do you think?
Rate this book
Clive Barker's Hellraiser (1989) #2
Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Book 2
Behind prison walls, hellish box offers freedom--
at a price. Nerves unfeeling, a leper seeks
new sensations with the Cenobites. The limits of
pain probed by computer. At damnation's
heart, a writer's perfect work requires...changes.
A gallery hangs canvasses stretched skin
tight and painted red.
These are pieces eager to slip into their place in the
puzzle, throwing wide the door to hell and
setting loose five all new tales sprung from the dark
and deadly universe of Clive Barker.
Contents:
The Vault by Marc McLaurin, Jorge Zaffino
Driver's Hands by James Robert Smith, Mike Hoffman
Writer's Lament by Dwayne McDuffie, Kevin O'Neil
The Threshold by Mark Kneece, Scott Hampton
The Pleasures of Deception by Philip Nutman, Bill Koeb
at a price. Nerves unfeeling, a leper seeks
new sensations with the Cenobites. The limits of
pain probed by computer. At damnation's
heart, a writer's perfect work requires...changes.
A gallery hangs canvasses stretched skin
tight and painted red.
These are pieces eager to slip into their place in the
puzzle, throwing wide the door to hell and
setting loose five all new tales sprung from the dark
and deadly universe of Clive Barker.
Contents:
The Vault by Marc McLaurin, Jorge Zaffino
Driver's Hands by James Robert Smith, Mike Hoffman
Writer's Lament by Dwayne McDuffie, Kevin O'Neil
The Threshold by Mark Kneece, Scott Hampton
The Pleasures of Deception by Philip Nutman, Bill Koeb
64 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1990
165 people want to read
About the author
Clive Barker
703 books15.2k followersClive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University and his picture now hangs in the entrance hallway to the Philosophy Department. It was in Liverpool in 1975 that he met his first partner, John Gregson, with whom he lived until 1986. Barker's second long-term relationship, with photographer David Armstrong, ended in 2009.
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
In 2003, Clive Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards. This award is presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has stated that he is a believer in both God and the afterlife, and that the Bible influences his work.
Fans have noticed of late that Barker's voice has become gravelly and coarse. He says in a December 2008 online interview that this is due to polyps in his throat which were so severe that a doctor told him he was taking in ten percent of the air he was supposed to have been getting. He has had two surgeries to remove them and believes his resultant voice is an improvement over how it was prior to the surgeries. He said he did not have cancer and has given up cigars. On August 27, 2010, Barker underwent surgery yet again to remove new polyp growths from his throat. In early February 2012 Barker fell into a coma after a dentist visit led to blood poisoning. Barker remained in a coma for eleven days but eventually came out of it. Fans were notified on his Twitter page about some of the experience and that Barker was recovering after the ordeal, but left with many strange visions.
Barker is one of the leading authors of contemporary horror/fantasy, writing in the horror genre early in his career, mostly in the form of short stories (collected in Books of Blood 1 – 6), and the Faustian novel The Damnation Game (1985). Later he moved towards modern-day fantasy and urban fantasy with horror elements in Weaveworld (1987), The Great and Secret Show (1989), the world-spanning Imajica (1991) and Sacrament (1996), bringing in the deeper, richer concepts of reality, the nature of the mind and dreams, and the power of words and memories.
Barker has a keen interest in movie production, although his films have received mixed receptions. He wrote the screenplays for Underworld (aka Transmutations – 1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), both directed by George Pavlou. Displeased by how his material was handled, he moved to directing with Hellraiser (1987), based on his novella The Hellbound Heart. His early movies, the shorts The Forbidden and Salome, are experimental art movies with surrealist elements, which have been re-released together to moderate critical acclaim. After his film Nightbreed (Cabal), which was widely considered to be a flop, Barker returned to write and direct Lord of Illusions. Barker was an executive producer of the film Gods and Monsters, which received major critical acclaim.
Barker is a prolific visual artist working in a variety of media, often illustrating his own books. His paintings have been seen first on the covers of his official fan club magazine, Dread, published by Fantaco in the early Nineties, as well on the covers of the collections of his plays, Incarnations (1995) and Forms of Heaven (1996), as well as on the second printing of the original UK publications of his Books of Blood series.
A longtime comics fan, Barker achieved his dream of publishing his own superhero books when Marvel Comics launched the Razorline imprint in 1993. Based on detailed premises, titles and lead characters he created specifically for this, the four interrelated titles — set outside the Marvel universe — were Ectokid,
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 20, 2019
Largely following in the same steps as the first, mind-melting horror permeates as much tethers each of these micro-tales set within the HellRaiser Universe. Lament configuration, Cenobites, and a heaping helping of the real spooky shit drives each self-contained narrative. Whether its set within a South American jail, a hospital, or a modern urban wasteland, each enraptures with its unique take on Clive Baker’s classic.
While the quality of each yarn is certainly up for debate, the art is the true driving factor here. Bordering across the experimental, searing water-colors find themselves placed adjacent to more classic comic-styled levels of illustrations. All presented with expert application, the visuals all never fall short of a level of excellence that drenches our beloved horror shit in all its deserved glory.
While the quality of each yarn is certainly up for debate, the art is the true driving factor here. Bordering across the experimental, searing water-colors find themselves placed adjacent to more classic comic-styled levels of illustrations. All presented with expert application, the visuals all never fall short of a level of excellence that drenches our beloved horror shit in all its deserved glory.
March 13, 2012
OK...For starters, this is a graphic novel. I was surprised to find that out but I have not regretted it. This is a great piece of work and is the second in a series. As it is not a novel I wont be doing the usual plot/spoilers. I will let you know the series is the final chapter of Pinhead as a character and wraps up the series as Clive Barker sees it. Anything else wont be Barker and is just another story set in the universe.
Now, having said all that, this is a bloody (and I mean that literally) great story. All the fav' characters are there and the art work is amazing. The story will forever change the Cenobites…and Pinhead.
If you are a fan of Hellraiser and enjoyed the movies (especially the first, second) then this is a must read.
***Warning*** The series is only just coming out with the first edition released in 2011 and the second in 2012. It might be some time before the next book is released and it is fiendishly frustrating having to wait!!!
Now, having said all that, this is a bloody (and I mean that literally) great story. All the fav' characters are there and the art work is amazing. The story will forever change the Cenobites…and Pinhead.
If you are a fan of Hellraiser and enjoyed the movies (especially the first, second) then this is a must read.
***Warning*** The series is only just coming out with the first edition released in 2011 and the second in 2012. It might be some time before the next book is released and it is fiendishly frustrating having to wait!!!
June 18, 2022
Some stories really make you think about the philosophies of life. But a few were very hard to follow due to the drawing styles.
March 28, 2024
Not as good as book one, the best story is the last one. It was nice to see pinhead. And the art style was very cool. The other stories are forgettable, especially the baby one which seems totally irrelevant
June 5, 2020
Full issue review coming soon at Kendall Reviews!!
November 16, 2024
Just some light Saturday morning reads ☠️
December 23, 2013
this second hellraiser anthology features 5 stories:
The vault - in which the creator of a south American prison discovers what hell is really like.
Dives hands - a leper needs his nurse to solve the puzzle box for him as his hands no longer feel - excellent story.
Writer's Lament - probably my absolute favourite story of the whole series, not very hellraiser-y but a glorious black satire on the nature of writers and agents.
The threshold - A sadist trying to learn what lies beyond pain finally gets his wish.
The pleasures of deception about an artist's decent into madness in order to gain inspiration - Hate this one. Its confusing and the artwork does nothing for me.
The middle three stories are excellent enough to merit this volume getting 4 stars, but I wasn't so keen on the first and last tales which were dark, but predictable.
The vault - in which the creator of a south American prison discovers what hell is really like.
Dives hands - a leper needs his nurse to solve the puzzle box for him as his hands no longer feel - excellent story.
Writer's Lament - probably my absolute favourite story of the whole series, not very hellraiser-y but a glorious black satire on the nature of writers and agents.
The threshold - A sadist trying to learn what lies beyond pain finally gets his wish.
The pleasures of deception about an artist's decent into madness in order to gain inspiration - Hate this one. Its confusing and the artwork does nothing for me.
The middle three stories are excellent enough to merit this volume getting 4 stars, but I wasn't so keen on the first and last tales which were dark, but predictable.
May 3, 2014
I enjoyed this one more than the first one, there seemed to be more variation on the box theme, Kevin Oneils baby was grotesque, the leper story was quite beautiful and surprising and the last story combined beautiful art and nightmare really well.
July 31, 2019
nice follow up to the previous one
January 7, 2024
I used to love this book many years ago. Now upon re-reading it my preferences have changed.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews