Hellbound Hearts
Edited by: Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan

Clive Barker's iconic masterpiece The Hellbound Heart, the novella adapted into the film Hellraiser, unleashed a new mythology of horror, brilliantly conceived and born of the darkest imagination. Now, enter the visionary world - the merciless realm of the demonic Cenobites - in this collection of stories inspired by The Hellbound Heart. Featured here is the graphic work "Wordsworth", from bestselling author Neil Gaiman and artist Dave McKean, who unlock an explicit way to violate innocence - one torturous puzzle at a time... New York Times bestselling author Kelly Armstrong logs onto a disturbing website for gamers, where the challenge is agonizing, and the solution is beyond painful. When his father disappears, an Oxford student returns to his family's mansion, where a strange mechanism in the cellar hold a curious power, in a haunting illustrated work by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola.

This is a compilation of short stories by various writers that are all set in the Hellraiser world which was created by Clive Barker. Each story shows a different slice of that world - with and without the notorious Cenobites - in horrific aspects. This is not a book for kids. It is extremely graphic and sexual in nature.

For those who have read The Hellbound Heart, are fans of Barker, or just like the Hellraiser series of movies this book is an exciting journey back into that world from the views of other authors. It's fresh and I honestly can't think of a single short story that was disappointing. I really enjoyed them all and some should be expanded into full novels.

Two of the actors from the original Hellraiser movies (the chattering Cenobite and the female Cenobite) both have pieces in this as well.

Personally, I think this is worth a read and I really enjoyed it, but then again I knew what to expect and am a fan of this mythos. If you have never been exposed to this mythos, then I would recommend you either read The Hellbound Heart or watch Hellraiser to see what you're getting yourself into. There are graphic scenes of violence, torture, and bizarre sexual fetishes, so this book is not for those who are remotely squeamish. That being said, every single story hits the Hellraiser mythos right on the head. It's a treat to see so many authors get this world not only right, but add their unique views to Barker's world.

As long as you know what you're getting yourself into, I highly recommend this book.

My rating: Four and a half out of five snails.