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Hellbound Heart and Scarlet Gospels

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Attention Clive Barker fans: St. Martin’s Press have announced a release date for the novel that will end the Hellraiser mythology; The Scarlet Gospels is due May of 2015!

scarlet gospels clive barker

This is exciting news considering the original novella that started it all, The Hellbound Heart, was first published in 1986—nearly thirty years ago! There are so many dodgy feature films that abuse the franchise that Clive Barker thought it was time to reclaim his precious story and put an end to the horror icon Pinhead.

The Hellbound Heart is a quick, satisfying read. We learn of a Lament Configuration, which is a puzzle box that when solved summons the Cenobites: an order of sadomasochistic priests, presumably from Hell, who use humans in their experiments of pleasure and pain—mostly pain.

the hellbound heart

The infamous leader of The Order of the Gash has no name other than the physical description: Pinhead. The scarified man/thing has pallid skin and rows upon rows of iron nails poking out of his cranium. Spooky.

The concept is freaky and the story delves into all kinds of themes from greed and devotion to misdirection and delusion. If you’re familiar with Books of Blood then you will be right at home.

The beauty of The Hellbound Heart is that it suggests rather than blatantly explains things as they are. We can make up our own minds as to the true nature of Pinhead and his Cenobite pals. They could be aliens from beyond the stars or they could be fallen angels from the heavens. Perhaps the cenobites are us from the future?

The charm of not knowing makes Pinhead all the more enigmatic. Scary too.

Apparently The Scarlet Gospels will expand on the lore to the point where there will be no ambiguity as to the origins of The Order of the Gash. Next year we will find out whether full disclosure will enhance the canon or weaken the impact of the chilling novella.

News – The Scarlet Gospels
St Martin’s Press
Our pal with the pins Scott Bakula as Harry D’Amour

Clive is delighted to announce that St Martin’s Press has acquired world English rights to publish The Scarlet Gospels, his upcoming novel featuring Pinhead and Harry D’Amour.
The Scarlet Gospels

Featuring iconic characters, Pinhead and Harry D’Amour, in a good versus evil saga that goes straight to Hell, The Scarlet Gospels is Barker’s first novel for adults since 2007.

The Scarlet Gospels takes readers back many years to the early days of two of Barker’s most iconic characters in a battle of good and evil as old as time: The long beleaguered detective Harry D’Amour, investigator of all supernatural, magical, and malevolent crimes faces off against his formidable, and intensely evil rival, Pinhead, the priest of hell. Barker devotees have been waiting for The Scarlet Gospels with bated breath for years, and it’s everything they’ve begged for and more. Bloody, terrifying, and brilliantly complex, fans and newcomers alike will not be disappointed by the epic, visionary tale that is The Scarlet Gospels. Barker’s horror will make your worst nightmares seem like bedtime stories. The Gospels are coming. Are you ready?
St Martin’s has now scheduled a 19 May 2015 publication date as follows:

19 May 2015
Hardcover
ISBN: 9781250055804
ISBN10: 1250055806
6.13 x 9.25 inches, 352 pages
$ 25.99

Also available on audio CD with unabridged reading by John Lee, list price $39.99: ISBN 9781427261571

The Scarlet Gospels takes readers back many years to the early days of two of Barker’s most iconic characters in a battle of good and evil as old as time: The long-beleaguered detective Harry D’Amour, investigator of all supernatural, magical, and malevolent crimes faces off against his formidable, and intensely evil rival, Pinhead, the priest of hell. Barker devotees have been waiting for The Scarlet Gospels with bated breath for years, and it’s everything they’ve begged for and more. Bloody, terrifying, and brilliantly complex, fans and newcomers alike will not be disappointed by the epic, visionary tale that is The Scarlet Gospels. Barker’s horror will make your worst nightmares seem like bedtime stories. The Gospels are coming. Are you ready?

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Posted by on Saturday, October 11th, 2014. Filed under Books, Fiction, Headline, Horror. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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