Coldheart Canyon, Clive Barker, 2001
My favorite quote: “There’s always some light in the darkness, somewhere.”
Notable characters: Todd Pickett, the failing movie star; Tammy Lauper, his number one fan’ Katya Lupi, the 20s-era movie star
Most memorable scene: Katya and the snail, because Jesus f*cking Christ …
Greatest strengths: Its effective blend of horror, tenderness, glamour, perversion, erotica, beauty, and repulsion
Standout achievements: A seamless ability to bounce between old and current-day Hollywood without confusing the reader or losing their interest
Fun Facts: The character of Jerry Brahms was inspired by Clive Barker’s close friend, actor Roddy McDowell
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: I remember reading this and wondering what genre it was — but as I kept reading, I realized I didn’t care. Coldheart Canyon taught me that genre doesn’t matter, that a good story is a good story, and to write it regardless of category it might (or might not) fall into
How it inspired me: Looking back on it, I’m sure I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration for my own work from this book. Ghosts, orgies, orgies with ghosts … yeah. This one definitely inspired a few things from me …
Additional thoughts: Coldheart Canyon is a long book — a damned long one. But it needs to be and personally, I like it that way. When any story is placed in the capable hands of writers like Clive Barker, size definitely matters … and as far as I’m concerned, the bigger, the better.
My rating: 4.5 of 5
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
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Published by Alistair Cross
Alistair Cross grew up on horror novels and scary movies, and by the age of eight, began writing his own stories. First published in 2012, he has since co-authored The Cliffhouse Haunting and Mother with Tamara Thorne and is working on several other projects. His debut solo novel, The Crimson Corset, was an Amazon bestseller. The Black Wasp, book 3 in The Vampires of Crimson Cove series is on its way. Find out more about him at: http://alistaircross.com
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In collaboration, Thorne and Cross are currently writing several novels, including the next volume in the continuing gothic series, The Ravencrest Saga. Their first novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting, was an immediate bestseller. Together, they hosted the horror-themed radio show Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! which featured such guests as Anne Rice of The Vampire Chronicles, Charlaine Harris of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and basis of the HBO series True Blood, Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter novels, Jay Bonansinga of The Walking Dead series, Laurell K. Hamilton of the Anita Blake novels, Peter Atkins, screenwriter of Hellraiser 2, 3, and 4, worldwide bestseller V.C. Andrews, Kim Harrison of the Hollows series, and New York Times best sellers Preston & Child, Christopher Rice, and Christopher Moore.
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Currently, Thorne & Cross are hosts of Thorne & Cross: Carnival Macabre, where listeners can discover all manner of demented delights, unearth terrifying treasures, and explore the dark side of the arts.
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