Engrossing fantasy from the master horror

Imajica
2002 Annotated Edition
By Clive Barker
Harper Perennial
880 pages
Available at Goodwill Bookstore

The name Clive Barker is synonymous with the macabre. Ask anyone, and what immediately comes to mind are words like Hellraiser and Candyman. Surprisingly and perhaps not-so-surprisingly, from the same mind that birthed all-too unforgettable characters like Pinhead and the hook-handed Candyman ("Stand in front of the mirror, turn off the light, and chant the the word ‘Candyman’ five times. Then he’ll appear behind you... if you believe.") sprung forth Imajica, a fantasy novel that edges out most others in the genre. Containing all the trappings of fantasy – magic, sorcerers, parallel worlds and evil villains – Imajica boasts of a world that the overflowing treasure chest that Barker’s imagination can claim as purely its own.

Barker’s fourth full-length novel is his biggest undertaking so far. The (very simplified) main plot in itself suggests ambition: The Imajica consists of five dominions, the fifth of which is Earth. People can travel between the four others easily, but the Earth is cut off from the rest. Every two hundred years, however, comes the chance to reconcile all five realms – but to do this entails difficult magic.

Enter the three main characters: the art forger John "Furie" Zacharias, also known as Gentle; Judith Odell, a beautiful woman who is on the run from an assassin her ex-husband hired; and Pi oh Pah, the assassin, who also happens to be an androgynous shape-shifter. Their task: to prevent the Earth from being reconciled with the other four realms, thwarting an attempt for total control over the Imajica. Along the way, all three unravel their own histories and the history of all humankind.

As a whole, the fantastic subplots and intricate, well-fleshed out details considered, Imajica is a actually a story (an engrossingly twisted one at that, courtesy of Barker’s hand) that explores mankind’s questions about life, the quest for the true meaning of love, God and the power of self-discovery. The book also considers the possibilities that (a) God is cruel and that (b) our reality is part of a bigger reality from which we had no inkling we are cut off.

It is fortunate that Barker has, as a writer, a most admirable talent to create fascinating, totally believable characters. His vivid prose makes his impossible world seem real, and, fashioning an imagination almost beyond reckoning, he makes his out-of-this-world pronouncements worth considering.

Imajica is rich with characters and fantastic landscapes, with each dominion bearing its own unusual characteristics and creatures. However, despite this book’s distinct flavor, true to Barker tradition, there is still a great deal of sex, death, violence and horror. Needless to say, Imajica doesn’t make for easy reading – the storyline alone makes it really difficult to follow. But, it’s a trip that makes trudging through almost 1,000 pages of four worlds, three main life histories, a couple of convoluted (some cross-species) love stories and a discussion of personal theologies worthwhile. – Althea Lauren Ricardo