Weaveworld (Book)
Steve Dillon
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Written by Clive Barker
Published by Harper Collins
Nothing ever begins – or so begins the story of Weaveworld; written by Clive Barker in 1987, these words weren’t accidental; they were assembled with the precision of a literary genius. Astutely crafted to be the beginning of Barker’s first fantasy novel. I find it absorbing to think how much truth and irony hides behind these three disarming little words that marked (if not began) Barker’s own journey from the darkness of his earlier work to a much lighter form of fantasy for children. It’s a road that has led Barker to the production of three parts of a five-part series of inspirational children’s books set in the world of Abarat; his own Neverland.
Weaveworld appears at first to be a marked (and brave) departure from the horror genre he’d come to be associated with and even acclaimed for by such luminaries as Stephen King and Ramsey Campbell. Yet, the opening itself – “Nothing ever begins” – is like a glass of water thrown in our faces. While you challenge its merit at first, the truth overtakes denial, and you are left marveling at the simplicity of it all, as Barker continues:
There is no first moment; no single word or place from which this or any story springs. The threads can always be traced back to some earlier tale, and the tales that preceded that; though as the narrator’s voice recedes, the connections will seem to grow more tenuous, for each age will want the tale told as if it were of its own making.
Weaveworld itself delivers to us a magical tale that evokes memories of Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Neverending Story, or many other fantastical imaginings conjured up by Tolkien or CS Lewis. Unsurprisingly, given that one of the major subtexts of Weaveworld is about the fragility of memory.
Apart from beginning the story itself, the words hold such subliminal power and meaning that memories of previous tales come flooding back almost instantly upon their reading. Clive himself was inspired by many of these great children’s fantasies, and he pays homage to his childhood passions repeatedly. Nothing ever begins after all. At one level, we’re left agreeing that nothing ever begins; how could it? If time is infinite, then there was no beginning; the same with space and with the human condition; nothing is new, after all. At another level, these words clearly marked the beginning for me and many other Clive Barker fans. The start of a lifetime fascination with Clive Barker and his workings.
Besides being an inspired, intelligent and lyrical writer, Clive Barker has written and produced and directed his own plays and movies; he paints copiously; often they are the inspiration for his stories, and they vividly bring his Abarat book series to life. Reading Weaveworld is almost like a trip to a gallery of Bosch or Breughel’s work.
With those words, however, we are also tricked into believing that is how the story begins. But the story for us actually began when we first heard about Weaveworld; by word of mouth or the eye-catching cover art, through Clive Barker’s other workings or, I’d like to think for some people, this article. My journey into Clive Barker’s worlds began with an invitation from Harper Collins in the summer of 1987 to attend the launch of the book from this fantastic new writer. Oh, and would I care to interview the author for my fantasy and science fiction magazine, Adventurer? Over 25 years later, I can still recall that meeting vividly. More memories, more beginnings.
It seems astonishing to recall that Clive’s literary journey began, it is claimed (nothing ever does) with the notoriously visceral and shocking Books of Blood, The Damnation Game, and in big-screen movies like Hellraiser, with themes of gore revisited in Candyman and The Midnight Meat Train. This is a circuitous journey, for he still returns to those dark places at times (The Scarlet Gospels).
Notably, though, some of Clive’s earlier work was recently published for the first time, both in the written and the visual form. The imagery and the themes seem immediately familiar to us; they were seminal milestones in the development of one of the greatest literary and visual artists of our times. As though to complete the circle, it has been recently announced that Weaveworld will soon be transcending the printed page and is being re-imagined as a TV series. Another new beginning, opening up the fantasy for a whole new audience.
But then… Nothing ever begins – Steve Dillon
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Book
Categorized:Retrospectives Reviews
