SOURCE: Review of The Books of Blood, by Clive Barker. Science Fiction Chronicle 10, no. 113 (February 1989): 38.

In the following review of the compilation The Books of Blood, the critic asserts that Barker is a major innovator in modern horror fiction.

Sixteen of the 17 stories in this book [The Books of Blood] were originally published as the first 3 volumes in Barker's Books of Blood series. They are undeniably among the most powerful and impressive short stories published in the horror genre in recent years. Among the best are “Rawhead Rex”, recently made into a full length movie, but almost all of the others are of first class quality. This omnibus hardcover collection should establish him beyond question as one of the major movers in the modern horror movement.