The Inhuman Condition

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Summary: Clive Barker is genius!!!
Review: "The Inhuman Condition" is the first Clive Barker book I've read and its bound not to be the last. Every story in here shines perfectly with all the elements that make good horror stories: panic, revulsion, terror, and just a light dash of black humor (the human protaginists in these stories are often stupified by the events taking place). There is also a good amount of free-form surrealism (or magic realism, if you prefer) lying beneath the surface of each story; Salvador Dali and Gabriel Garcia Marquez would be proud.

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Summary: Great Collection of twisted fiction
Review: Again, I love Clive Barker. His work is just awe-inspiring. This collection borders on classic in the likes of H.P. Lovecraft and Poe. Shoot, it doesn't just border, it crosses over. These stories will be remembered years to come, mark my words. Clive Barker is genius. His work is the real deal, he cannot be immitated. His craft is so incredible. The stories are horrifying, gruesome, and beautiful. The Body politic is terrifying as is the title story about a knot and the demons that hell unleashes when the knot is undone. This is great stuff. Why can't all authors have this ambition?

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Summary: I'm starting to believe Barker is not for me
Review: Aside from the Body Politic, the short stories in this book are not memorable. As a matter of fact I have a hard time recalling them to memory ,even though I finished the books only 7 months ago. At his best Clive Barker can scare the hell out of me, but it doesn't seem that he writes at his best 70% of the time during a book.

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Summary: Thought-Provoking Horror From the Master
Review: Clive Barker is completely original. His storytelling is flawless, his details gruesome, and his voice doesn't insult your intelligence like some cheezy horror novels do. Mr. Barker's brand of horror is for the thinking, discriminating reader. The stories in this book are all excellent, but I agree with the previous reviewer with regards to the hands...

Rating:
Summary: Still one of his best
Review: He was just cutting his teeth when he wrote this, but it still stands strong. There are moments that make you cringe and some that make you look over your shoulder. If you're a fan of Barker's or just of horror in general, don't miss this one.

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read for Horror Fans
Review: I absolutely loved this book. It's a collection of short stories that go from the ironic to the disturbing. The best story by far is the Body Politic. After reading it, you'll never look at your hands the same way again. Another great story is The Age of Desire. In this story, a guy is given an aphrodisiac that makes Viagra look like a vitamin supplement. All of the stories, in fact, are great. Of course, there's some pretty gruesome stuff in here, so it's not for everybody. But if you're a horror fan, you simply have got to check this book out.

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read for Horror Fans
Review: I absolutely loved this book. It's a collection of short stories that go from the ironic to the disturbing. The best story by far is the Body Politic. After reading it, you'll never look at your hands the same way again. Another great story is The Age of Desire. In this story, a guy is given an aphrodisiac that makes Viagra look like a vitamin supplement. All of the stories, in fact, are great. Of course, there's some pretty gruesome stuff in here, so it's not for everybody. But if you're a horror fan, you simply have got to check this book out.

Rating:
Summary: Still one of his best
Review: No doubt about it, Clive Barker has got what it takes to write great horror. these four short stories stir the nerves and haunt the mind. this is edge of your seat terror which wont allow you to stop reading till its over. Having bought the audiobook edition, I found myself glued to my headphones listening to each creeping story. From creatures hidden in knots to sexual lust out of control to body parts bent on destruction this book has it all; if all horror books would only have these elements it would be great. The narrator Dillinger Steele did a pretty good job at reading the book but since most of the stories took place in London he failed to inject any hint of a british accent. His southern one kind of muddles up the voice of the characters at times but he does not shy away from doing his best to give the listener the gory details. A great book to add to a horror fans collection or an audiophile's one. Highly recommended; now I want to buy In the flesh. By the way, Amazon is practically the only etailer which has the audio versions of these books still on hand; get them before they're gone!

Rating:
Summary: Gruesome! Horror at its best!
Review: No doubt about it, Clive Barker has got what it takes to write great horror. these four short stories stir the nerves and haunt the mind. this is edge of your seat terror which wont allow you to stop reading till its over. Having bought the audiobook edition, I found myself glued to my headphones listening to each creeping story. From creatures hidden in knots to sexual lust out of control to body parts bent on destruction this book has it all; if all horror books would only have these elements it would be great. The narrator Dillinger Steele did a pretty good job at reading the book but since most of the stories took place in London he failed to inject any hint of a british accent. His southern one kind of muddles up the voice of the characters at times but he does not shy away from doing his best to give the listener the gory details. A great book to add to a horror fans collection or an audiophile's one. Highly recommended; now I want to buy In the flesh. By the way, Amazon is practically the only etailer which has the audio versions of these books still on hand; get them before they're gone!

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Summary: typographical terrors!
Review: The new edition of one of Barker's best collections contains an ironic bonus for those who are familiar with The Body Politic. Namely: this printing is CRAWLING with typos. It is time for the editors at Pocket Books to turn off the spellcheck and hire a proofreader.