Search Worlds Without End

This short story originally appeared in the collection Clive Barker's Books of Blood: Volume I. It can also be found in the anthology Night Screams, edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg.

It (together with the very short story The Book of Blood (a postscript): On Jerusalem Street from Clive Barker's Books of Blood, Volume VI) was the basis for the 2009 movie Book of Blood.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction - essay by Ramsey Campbell
• The Book of Blood - (1984) - short story by Clive Barker
• The Midnight Meat Train - novelette by Clive Barker
• The Yattering and Jack - novelette by Clive Barker
• Pig Blood Blues - novelette by Clive Barker
• Sex, Death and Starshine - novelette by Clive Barker
• In the Hills, the Cities - novelette by Clive Barker

Table of Contents:

• Dread - novelette by Clive Barker
• Hell's Event - novelette by Clive Barker
• Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament - novelette by Clive Barker
• The Skins of the Fathers - novelette by Clive Barker
• New Murders in the Rue Morgue - novelette by Clive Barker

Table of Contents:

• Son of Celluloid - novelette by Clive Barker
• Rawhead Rex - (1984) - novelette by Clive Barker
• Confession of a (Pornographer's) Shroud - (1984) - novelette by Clive Barker
• Scape-Goats - (1984) - novelette by Clive Barker
• Human Remains - (1984) - novelette by Clive Barker

Table of Contents:

• The Body Politic - novelette by Clive Barker
• The Inhuman Condition - (1985) - novelette by Clive Barker
• Revelations - novella by Clive Barker
• Down, Satan! - short story by Clive Barker
• The Age of Desire - novella by Clive Barker

Table of Contents:

• The Forbidden - novelette by Clive Barker
• The Madonna - novelette by Clive Barker
• Babel's Children - novelette by Clive Barker
• In the Flesh - novella by Clive Barker

Table of Contents:

• The Life of Death - novelette by Clive Barker
• How Spoilers Bleed - novelette by Clive Barker
• Twilight at the Towers - novelette by Clive Barker
• The Last Illusion - novella by Clive Barker
• The Book of Blood (a postscript): On Jerusalem Street - short story by Clive Barker

With the 1984 publication of Books of Blood, Clive Barker became an overnight literary sensation. He was hailed by Stephen King as "the future of horror," and won both the British and World Fantasy Awards. Now, with his numerous bestsellers, graphic novels, and hit movies like the Hellraiser films, Clive Barker has become an industry unto himself. But it all started here, with this tour de force collection that rivals the dark masterpieces of Edgar Allan Poe. Read him. And rediscover the true meaning of fear.

Table of Contents:

• Introduction (Books of Blood) - (1984) - essay by Ramsey Campbell
• Books of Blood, Volume I - [Books of Blood - 1] - (1984) - collection
• The Book of Blood - (1984) - short story
• The Midnight Meat Train - (1984) - novelette
• The Yattering and Jack - (1984) - novelette
• Pig Blood Blues - (1984) - novelette
• Sex, Death and Starshine - (1984) - novelette
• In the Hills, the Cities - (1984) - novelette
• Books of Blood, Volume II - [Books of Blood - 2] - (1984) - collection
• Dread - (1984) - novelette
• Hell's Event - (1984) - novelette
• Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament - (1984) - novelette
• The Skins of the Fathers - (1984) - novelette
• New Murders in the Rue Morgue - (1984) - novelette
• Books of Blood, Volume III - [Books of Blood - 3] - (1984) - collection
• Son of Celluloid - (1984) - novelette
• Rawhead Rex - (1984) - novelette
• Confession of a (Pornographer's) Shroud - (1984) - novelette
• Scape-Goats - (1984) - novelette
• Human Remains - (1984) - novelette

Here are the stories written on the Book of Blood. They are a map of that dark highway that leads out of life towards unknown destinations. Few will have to take it. Most will go peacefully along lamplit streets, ushered out of living with prayers and caresses. But for a few, the horrors will come, skipping, to fetch them off to the highway of the damned...

From the brilliant World Fantasy Award winner Clive Barker come fourteen spine-chilling stories of darkness unleashed, gathered together in one volume for the first time. These are visionary tales of terror which will curdle the very marrow in your bones...

Table of Contents:

• Books of Blood, Volume IV - [Books of Blood - 4] - (1985) - collection
• 1 - The Body Politic - (1985) - novelette
• 34 - The Inhuman Condition - (1985) - novelette
• 68 - Revelations - (1985) - novella
• 108 - Down, Satan! - (1985) - short story
• 113 - The Age of Desire - (1985) - novella
• Books of Blood, Volume V - [Books of Blood - 5] - (1985) - collection
• 1 - The Forbidden - (1985) - novelette
• 38 - The Madonna - (1985) - novelette
• 76 - Babel's Children - (1985) - novelette
• 103 - In the Flesh - (1985) - novella
• Books of Blood, Volume VI - [Books of Blood - 6] - (1985) - collection
• 1 - The Life of Death - (1985) - novelette
• 35 - How Spoilers Bleed - (1985) - novelette
• 66 - Twilight at the Towers - (1985) - novelette
• 97 - The Last Illusion - (1985) - novella
• 149 - The Book of Blood (a postscript): On Jerusalem Street - (1985) - short story

Although Danr's mother was human, his father was one of the hated Stane, a troll from the mountains. Now Danr has nothing to look forward to but a life of disapproval and mistrust, answering to "Trollboy" and condemned to hard labor on a farm.

Until, without warning, strange creatures come down from the mountains to attack the village. Spirits walk the land, terrifying the living. Trolls creep out from under the mountain, provoking war with the elves. And Death herself calls upon Danr to set things right.

At Death's insistence, Danr heads out to find the Iron Axe, the weapon that sundered the continent a thousand years ago. Together with unlikely companions, Danr will brave fantastic and dangerous creatures to find a weapon that could save the world--or destroy it.

Even though Danr the half troll ended centuries of fighting, he still is not living the quiet life he longs for. Rumors have arisen that certain people are once again wielding the power of the shape. If Danr could learn to use it, he could become fully human and spend his life with his beloved, Aisa. But he is not the only one who craves the gift of changing form....

Slavers have taken Danr's friends captive, demanding the power of the shape as ransom. To obtain it, Danr must cross paths with the Fates, Death, and a giant wyrm that lives at the bottom of the ocean--before other, more dangerous parties uncover the secrets of shape changing....

From their sacred Garden, the three fates control all life and maintain balance in the world. But one of the fates has been captured by the evil elf queen, placing the future of every being, including Death herself, in jeopardy. And only one hero can defeat the elf queen: Danr the half-troll.

In order to rescue the missing fate, Danr must first acquire the fabled Bone Sword. Normally Danr would expect his companions to help. However, they are currently in pursuit of a mysterious creature who seems both oddly familiar yet dangerously unknown. But one thing is certain for all of the adventurers: failure is not an option.