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Voices of the Damned
Enter into the mind of Barbie Wilde, whose disturbing interior world teems with the voices of rebellious female demons, devilish witches, semen-hungry neo-vampires, raging gods and home invaders, the fiends of sleep paralysis, pint-sized store-front preachers with a whiff of sulfur, body horrors of the most grotesque kind, clandestine aliens and Zulu zombies.
These truly are the Voices of the Damned: eleven short horror stories from Barbie Wilde, actress (Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Death Wish 3) and dark crime-horror novelist (The Venus Complex). Fangoria has called Wilde “one of the finest purveyors of erotically charged horror fiction around.”
Each story is accompanied by seductive, haunting, full color artworks and illustrations created by some of the most imaginative artists in the genre: Clive Barker, Nick Percival, Steve McGinnis, Daniele Serra, Eric Gross, Tara Bush, Vincent Sammy, & Ben Baldwin.
These truly are the Voices of the Damned: eleven short horror stories from Barbie Wilde, actress (Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Death Wish 3) and dark crime-horror novelist (The Venus Complex). Fangoria has called Wilde “one of the finest purveyors of erotically charged horror fiction around.”
Each story is accompanied by seductive, haunting, full color artworks and illustrations created by some of the most imaginative artists in the genre: Clive Barker, Nick Percival, Steve McGinnis, Daniele Serra, Eric Gross, Tara Bush, Vincent Sammy, & Ben Baldwin.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2015
18 people are currently reading
1,147 people want to read
About the author
Barbie Wilde
24 books95 followersBarbie Wilde is a Canadian-born British actress and writer. She is best known for portraying the Female Cenobite in 'Hellbound: Hellraiser II'.
#1 best selling horror magazine Fangoria has called Wilde "one of the finest purveyor of erotically charged horror around".
Barbie Wilde's first dark crime novel, 'The Venus Complex', is out now and is published by Comet Press. The cover art for 'The Venus Complex' is by award-winning artist Daniele Serra.
A collection of Wilde's short horror stories, entitled Voices of the Damned, will be published by SST on Halloween 2015. Nine stories have been previously published in anthos and Gorezone, two are new to the collection. Each story has been illustrated by some of the top artists of the genre and Clive Barker himself has contributed three artworks to the collection.
Wilde's well-received short horror stories include:
Sister Cilice for the Hellbound Hearts anthology (Pocket Books 2009)
U for Uranophobia [AKA Gaia] (Phobophobia, Dark Continents 2011)
American Mutant: Hands of Dominion (Mutation Nation: Tales of Genetic Mishaps, Monsters, and Madness, Rainstorm Press 2011)
Polyp (The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, Constable & Robinson 2012, reprinted in The Unspoken 2013)
A is for Alpdruck (The Demonologia Biblica, (Western Legends Press 2013)
Z is for Zulu Zombies (Bestarium Vocabulum, Western Legends Press 2013, reprinted in Fangoria's Gorezone 2014)
Botophobia (Phobophobias, Western Legends 2014)
W is for Writer's Block (Grimorium Verum, Western Legends December 2014)
Crime Stories:
Mr Duggins' Stigmata (Noir Nation No. 5 2014)
Beauty and the Skell: A Noir Fable (Noir Nation)
Reviews for The Venus Complex:
"Barbie Wilde – best known to the horror community as The Female Cenobite from Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 – has crafted a serial killer story every bit as warped as Level 26, as exacting as Harris’s “Hannibal” series and more sexually adventurous than Fifty f***ing Shades of Gray could ever hope to be." -Brutal As Hell
"But I think what I like most about this news story is that she kicked my ass so hard with her first novel. Turns out Barbie Wilde is even scarier than we thought. And that is a terrible, beautiful thing."
- New York Times bestselling author John Skipp, Fangoria Online
"A novel by a female Cenobite that gives the world a smart, artistic, cynical, cultured serial killer who could give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money. On top of that, this is a poignant, funny, sexually-charged, hardcore critique of popular culture and a deconstruction of relationships, academia, and art."
- Gabino Iglesias, HorrorTalk's Top Books of the Year
"The book has been garnering great reviews, firmly confirming the literary course that is now defining Wilde's life. Damaged people, ultraviolence, murder and explicit sex - what's not to love about her work?"
- Chris Alexander, Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria Magazine, Issue #321
"Read the damn book. Watch every moview the lady's been in, read every antho in which this woman's appeared. Fall in love with tainted love and fight the frightfuls, The Venus Complex is, in every sense of the word, the real thing."
- Garrett Cook, The Imperial Youth Review
#1 best selling horror magazine Fangoria has called Wilde "one of the finest purveyor of erotically charged horror around".
Barbie Wilde's first dark crime novel, 'The Venus Complex', is out now and is published by Comet Press. The cover art for 'The Venus Complex' is by award-winning artist Daniele Serra.
A collection of Wilde's short horror stories, entitled Voices of the Damned, will be published by SST on Halloween 2015. Nine stories have been previously published in anthos and Gorezone, two are new to the collection. Each story has been illustrated by some of the top artists of the genre and Clive Barker himself has contributed three artworks to the collection.
Wilde's well-received short horror stories include:
Sister Cilice for the Hellbound Hearts anthology (Pocket Books 2009)
U for Uranophobia [AKA Gaia] (Phobophobia, Dark Continents 2011)
American Mutant: Hands of Dominion (Mutation Nation: Tales of Genetic Mishaps, Monsters, and Madness, Rainstorm Press 2011)
Polyp (The Mammoth Book of Body Horror, Constable & Robinson 2012, reprinted in The Unspoken 2013)
A is for Alpdruck (The Demonologia Biblica, (Western Legends Press 2013)
Z is for Zulu Zombies (Bestarium Vocabulum, Western Legends Press 2013, reprinted in Fangoria's Gorezone 2014)
Botophobia (Phobophobias, Western Legends 2014)
W is for Writer's Block (Grimorium Verum, Western Legends December 2014)
Crime Stories:
Mr Duggins' Stigmata (Noir Nation No. 5 2014)
Beauty and the Skell: A Noir Fable (Noir Nation)
Reviews for The Venus Complex:
"Barbie Wilde – best known to the horror community as The Female Cenobite from Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 – has crafted a serial killer story every bit as warped as Level 26, as exacting as Harris’s “Hannibal” series and more sexually adventurous than Fifty f***ing Shades of Gray could ever hope to be." -Brutal As Hell
"But I think what I like most about this news story is that she kicked my ass so hard with her first novel. Turns out Barbie Wilde is even scarier than we thought. And that is a terrible, beautiful thing."
- New York Times bestselling author John Skipp, Fangoria Online
"A novel by a female Cenobite that gives the world a smart, artistic, cynical, cultured serial killer who could give Hannibal Lecter a run for his money. On top of that, this is a poignant, funny, sexually-charged, hardcore critique of popular culture and a deconstruction of relationships, academia, and art."
- Gabino Iglesias, HorrorTalk's Top Books of the Year
"The book has been garnering great reviews, firmly confirming the literary course that is now defining Wilde's life. Damaged people, ultraviolence, murder and explicit sex - what's not to love about her work?"
- Chris Alexander, Editor-in-Chief, Fangoria Magazine, Issue #321
"Read the damn book. Watch every moview the lady's been in, read every antho in which this woman's appeared. Fall in love with tainted love and fight the frightfuls, The Venus Complex is, in every sense of the word, the real thing."
- Garrett Cook, The Imperial Youth Review
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 24, 2015
I believe that Voices of the Damned might be the best story collection I've ever read! Every. Single. Story. Rocked. There wasn't even one dud hiding within these gems. What there was was perversity, erotically charged horror, body horror, bizarro horror, aliens and unbelievably awesome artwork. The artwork was a feast for the eyes, as much as the stories were a feast for my twisted brain and soul. Artists like Daniele Serra and Clive Barker shine within and each tale is prefaced by works (paintings, drawings) representing some facet of the story. Speaking of which, these were my favorites:
Sister Cilice - starts us off. She appears in three stories in this collection and I loved all three. The Sister is a nun, albeit an unsatisfied one. Since masturbation is a sin last I knew, there's no way the Sister is making it into heaven. But she is making it.
Zulu Zombies-This was an unusual zombie tale. Words of caution to you: If you ever find yourself in possession of a bottle which contains the spirits of Zulu warriors, be careful with it! This tale made me chuckle in horrified delight.
American Mutant - In which Reverend Billy Bob discovers he has a son. But his son isn't normal, and the good Reverend immediately begins to scheme as to how he can exploit his son's aberrations.
Botophobia - is a fear of basements. Lorraine is afraid of her parents' basement and for damn good reason. She is scared of face sucking spiders, but there are things much, much worse than that waiting for her in the cellar.
Polyp - Definition: Colon polyps are growths on the lining of your colon or rectum. I loved this messed up, NASTY little short and the artwork for this tale was disturbing-but not nearly as disturbing as what happens when Vincent heads to the doctor for his yearly colonoscopy. (I strongly advise you not read this story while you're eating.)
Writer's Block -Started off reminding me of Misery, but then veered off somewhere into hot sex with a 500+year old witch and you know it can only go downhill from there.
There's no other way to say it-this collection KICKED ASS! It had everything-hot sex and erotic horror, bizarre bloody situations, messed up fairy tales, humor and excellent writing. I can't help but admire the imagination from which a collection like this could emanate. Seriously, Barbie Wilde's imagination is a place only the brave and twisted should enter. I warn you though, once you enter, you might not want to leave. I was sad when this collection was over.
My highest possible recommendation to those horror readers that love bizarro, erotic horror, body horror and just plain messed up fun!
*I received a free e-ARC of this book from Barbie Wilde, in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*
******************************************************************************
SST Publications has decided to do two editions of Voices of the Damned:
1. A full color, standard print, Trade Hardback
and
2. A full color, premium print, Deluxe Edition Hardback. When ordered directly from SST’s website, the Deluxe Edition will come with a free collector’s edition full color paperback of just the artwork. Both these editions will be available on Amazon on the 31st of October (but not the free paperback art book, as mentioned before.)
The pre-order page is: https://www.sstpublications.co.uk/Voi...
Sister Cilice - starts us off. She appears in three stories in this collection and I loved all three. The Sister is a nun, albeit an unsatisfied one. Since masturbation is a sin last I knew, there's no way the Sister is making it into heaven. But she is making it.
Zulu Zombies-This was an unusual zombie tale. Words of caution to you: If you ever find yourself in possession of a bottle which contains the spirits of Zulu warriors, be careful with it! This tale made me chuckle in horrified delight.
American Mutant - In which Reverend Billy Bob discovers he has a son. But his son isn't normal, and the good Reverend immediately begins to scheme as to how he can exploit his son's aberrations.
Botophobia - is a fear of basements. Lorraine is afraid of her parents' basement and for damn good reason. She is scared of face sucking spiders, but there are things much, much worse than that waiting for her in the cellar.
Polyp - Definition: Colon polyps are growths on the lining of your colon or rectum. I loved this messed up, NASTY little short and the artwork for this tale was disturbing-but not nearly as disturbing as what happens when Vincent heads to the doctor for his yearly colonoscopy. (I strongly advise you not read this story while you're eating.)
Writer's Block -Started off reminding me of Misery, but then veered off somewhere into hot sex with a 500+year old witch and you know it can only go downhill from there.
There's no other way to say it-this collection KICKED ASS! It had everything-hot sex and erotic horror, bizarre bloody situations, messed up fairy tales, humor and excellent writing. I can't help but admire the imagination from which a collection like this could emanate. Seriously, Barbie Wilde's imagination is a place only the brave and twisted should enter. I warn you though, once you enter, you might not want to leave. I was sad when this collection was over.
My highest possible recommendation to those horror readers that love bizarro, erotic horror, body horror and just plain messed up fun!
*I received a free e-ARC of this book from Barbie Wilde, in exchange for an honest review. This is it.*
******************************************************************************
SST Publications has decided to do two editions of Voices of the Damned:
1. A full color, standard print, Trade Hardback
and
2. A full color, premium print, Deluxe Edition Hardback. When ordered directly from SST’s website, the Deluxe Edition will come with a free collector’s edition full color paperback of just the artwork. Both these editions will be available on Amazon on the 31st of October (but not the free paperback art book, as mentioned before.)
The pre-order page is: https://www.sstpublications.co.uk/Voi...
September 9, 2015
I must admit to never having heard of Barbie Wilde before she kindly sent me a review copy of Voices of the Damned and after reading it, I'm overcome with the sense of discovering something new, something horrifically bloody, lascivious and wickedly shocking.
Voices of the Damned contains eleven short horror stories, each story is prefaced by a piece of artwork malefic in origin, provocative and enticing hallucinatory visions. Produced by artists synonymous with the genre, Clive Barker, Nick Percival, Steve McGinnis, Daniele Serra, Eric Gross, Tara Bush, Vincent Sammy, & Ben Baldwin. Published by SST publications in Birmingham and available for pre-order now.
The spine of this collection is three stories set in the world of Clive Barkers Hellraiser, Barbie Wilde played the female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II released in 1988, a mutilated visage that inspired the exploration of 'Sister Cilice' in the Cilicium trilogy. Sister Veronica's life was work and prayer, her prayers were replied with a cruel empty silence and so the depraved dreams took over. There was a darkness in Sister Veronica that could not be abated, her sanity slowly slipped away and obsessed with her desires, she continually tormented her wretched body until laced with scars. Finally assigned to the library archives she found an ancient manuscript that allowed her passage into the world of the Cenobites.
'The good Sister's adoration for mutilation, sensation and agony would be legendary, even in Hell.'
The Zulu Zombies takes its origins from Rorke's Drift where in 1879, 150 British Soldiers took on a small army of Zulu warriors and if you've ever wondered how powerful an orgasm you'd get whilst being 'seen to' by a zombie, then Trish will arrest your wonder. John Jones holds unbeknownst to him a container that imprisoned the spirits of the dead Zulu warriors and in a fit of panic he's just thrown it out of the window. Now it's time for a Zulu Zombie calamity, Zombie rape and rituals of spirit trapping proportion. Great fun in a dark and twisted fashion.
In American Mutant the Reverend Billy Bob Bannon is the epitome of the smarmy religious TV personality, charismatic, smooth as silk, he owns a cable TV company and preaches to his adoring flock as the donations come in. About to knock one off while dreaming about his last sexual conquest all those years ago he's woken from his reverie by a cough.
'Holy Roller levitation was not Billy Bob's specialty, but it almost looked like it as he leapt out of bed.'
A woman and child, no, could it be the call girl from his dreams, things slide neatly into place in Billy Bob's mind, ruination and blackmail beckon. But she's giving him the kid, what to do? Damage limitation and much more.
Next up is The Alpdrucke, a weirdly nightmarish tale of demon harassment, sleep deprivation and the offer of help from an old men who seems to know all about demons and their wicked ways. Botophobia sees Lorraine go back to her parents’ house after the recent car accident that killed them both, a surprise awaits when she discovers an underground shelter and a devastating discovery.
Valeska, is a woman, a Seminal who drains the very essence of a man through his sexual fluids, an erotic story that leaves you hanging on every word for a number of reasons. After a kill she's kidnapped by the Sanguines and we take a trip into the history of the Saguine, the blood, the fluid and a powerful race that live somewhere in the shadows. Now this is a vampire tale at its heart, blood drinking, cannibalism and plenty of sex, only without the happy ending you'd normally get.
Joining the erotic horror theme is Gaia, a girl raped in the younger years of her life, she shuns contact unless strictly necessary and when two thieves break into her house, hiding is the last thing on her mind. She lies on the floor, and starts to, you know, do something a little unexpected, but hidden in the most unlikely of places is a knife and guess who's going to feel it glide across their throat.
Polyp is a bit of a worrying creature feature, when Vincent goes into hospital for a colonoscopy, something awakens in his bowels and you might say it objects to the attempted biopsy, it’s not fucking happy.
'Finally, the endoscope came shooting out of Vincent's rectum like a missile, whacking one of the nurses so hard on the forehead that she collapsed.' And then something else, with pretty bad intentions.
In Writers Block, Bartholomew Atkins is going through a bit of a phase, hopefully a trip to Brighton and the Frighteners horror convention can pull him round. Just finishing his wine in the bar before bed, an incredibly attractive woman makes a beeline for him and he's instantly smitten. And when she asks if he'd like to go to bed with her, well how could he say no. This isn't a Misery style fan this is something much worse, dominatrix sex, tied up with no way out and the added ingredient of the Prince of Darkness. Can't go wrong.
Did I like this? no I absolutely loved it, Voices of the Damned is hotter than sex in a sauna, bloody as a severed artery and more twisted than a Zombie's stomach churning acid orgasm. My favourites? all of them, they all seriously rock and they're all as captivating as the old handcuffs to the bed post, and we all know you never want out of them unless you're the guy in Writers Block. If testosterone jumping erotica combined with heart racing fear is your bag of horror then this is just what you're looking for and Voices of the Damned ranks highly in my box of favourites.
Highly recommended.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
Voices of the Damned contains eleven short horror stories, each story is prefaced by a piece of artwork malefic in origin, provocative and enticing hallucinatory visions. Produced by artists synonymous with the genre, Clive Barker, Nick Percival, Steve McGinnis, Daniele Serra, Eric Gross, Tara Bush, Vincent Sammy, & Ben Baldwin. Published by SST publications in Birmingham and available for pre-order now.
The spine of this collection is three stories set in the world of Clive Barkers Hellraiser, Barbie Wilde played the female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II released in 1988, a mutilated visage that inspired the exploration of 'Sister Cilice' in the Cilicium trilogy. Sister Veronica's life was work and prayer, her prayers were replied with a cruel empty silence and so the depraved dreams took over. There was a darkness in Sister Veronica that could not be abated, her sanity slowly slipped away and obsessed with her desires, she continually tormented her wretched body until laced with scars. Finally assigned to the library archives she found an ancient manuscript that allowed her passage into the world of the Cenobites.
'The good Sister's adoration for mutilation, sensation and agony would be legendary, even in Hell.'
The Zulu Zombies takes its origins from Rorke's Drift where in 1879, 150 British Soldiers took on a small army of Zulu warriors and if you've ever wondered how powerful an orgasm you'd get whilst being 'seen to' by a zombie, then Trish will arrest your wonder. John Jones holds unbeknownst to him a container that imprisoned the spirits of the dead Zulu warriors and in a fit of panic he's just thrown it out of the window. Now it's time for a Zulu Zombie calamity, Zombie rape and rituals of spirit trapping proportion. Great fun in a dark and twisted fashion.
In American Mutant the Reverend Billy Bob Bannon is the epitome of the smarmy religious TV personality, charismatic, smooth as silk, he owns a cable TV company and preaches to his adoring flock as the donations come in. About to knock one off while dreaming about his last sexual conquest all those years ago he's woken from his reverie by a cough.
'Holy Roller levitation was not Billy Bob's specialty, but it almost looked like it as he leapt out of bed.'
A woman and child, no, could it be the call girl from his dreams, things slide neatly into place in Billy Bob's mind, ruination and blackmail beckon. But she's giving him the kid, what to do? Damage limitation and much more.
Next up is The Alpdrucke, a weirdly nightmarish tale of demon harassment, sleep deprivation and the offer of help from an old men who seems to know all about demons and their wicked ways. Botophobia sees Lorraine go back to her parents’ house after the recent car accident that killed them both, a surprise awaits when she discovers an underground shelter and a devastating discovery.
Valeska, is a woman, a Seminal who drains the very essence of a man through his sexual fluids, an erotic story that leaves you hanging on every word for a number of reasons. After a kill she's kidnapped by the Sanguines and we take a trip into the history of the Saguine, the blood, the fluid and a powerful race that live somewhere in the shadows. Now this is a vampire tale at its heart, blood drinking, cannibalism and plenty of sex, only without the happy ending you'd normally get.
Joining the erotic horror theme is Gaia, a girl raped in the younger years of her life, she shuns contact unless strictly necessary and when two thieves break into her house, hiding is the last thing on her mind. She lies on the floor, and starts to, you know, do something a little unexpected, but hidden in the most unlikely of places is a knife and guess who's going to feel it glide across their throat.
Polyp is a bit of a worrying creature feature, when Vincent goes into hospital for a colonoscopy, something awakens in his bowels and you might say it objects to the attempted biopsy, it’s not fucking happy.
'Finally, the endoscope came shooting out of Vincent's rectum like a missile, whacking one of the nurses so hard on the forehead that she collapsed.' And then something else, with pretty bad intentions.
In Writers Block, Bartholomew Atkins is going through a bit of a phase, hopefully a trip to Brighton and the Frighteners horror convention can pull him round. Just finishing his wine in the bar before bed, an incredibly attractive woman makes a beeline for him and he's instantly smitten. And when she asks if he'd like to go to bed with her, well how could he say no. This isn't a Misery style fan this is something much worse, dominatrix sex, tied up with no way out and the added ingredient of the Prince of Darkness. Can't go wrong.
Did I like this? no I absolutely loved it, Voices of the Damned is hotter than sex in a sauna, bloody as a severed artery and more twisted than a Zombie's stomach churning acid orgasm. My favourites? all of them, they all seriously rock and they're all as captivating as the old handcuffs to the bed post, and we all know you never want out of them unless you're the guy in Writers Block. If testosterone jumping erotica combined with heart racing fear is your bag of horror then this is just what you're looking for and Voices of the Damned ranks highly in my box of favourites.
Highly recommended.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
Want to read
November 16, 2015This is the Hardcover version of Voices Of The Damned signed by:
Barbie Wild
Nick Percival
Tara Bush
Ben Baldwin
The book is unnumbered.
The book comes with a large separate paperback copy of "The Art Of Voices Of The Damned".
The Publisher states:
Deluxe Hardcover Edition
The first 100 copies of the Deluxe Hardcover Edition sold direct from our site will be SIGNED by Barbie Wilde and by three of the artists: Nick Percival, Tara Bush, and Ben Baldwin.
The Deluxe Hardcover Edition comes with a FREE exclusive 8" x 11" Full Color Paperback Art Book: The Art of Voices of the Damned. But ONLY when ordered direct from SST.
Barbie Wild
Nick Percival
Tara Bush
Ben Baldwin
The book is unnumbered.
The book comes with a large separate paperback copy of "The Art Of Voices Of The Damned".
The Publisher states:
Deluxe Hardcover Edition
The first 100 copies of the Deluxe Hardcover Edition sold direct from our site will be SIGNED by Barbie Wilde and by three of the artists: Nick Percival, Tara Bush, and Ben Baldwin.
The Deluxe Hardcover Edition comes with a FREE exclusive 8" x 11" Full Color Paperback Art Book: The Art of Voices of the Damned. But ONLY when ordered direct from SST.
September 8, 2015
As a Clive Barker and Hellraiser geek, I’m a bit of a fanboy when it comes to Barbie Wilde. You’ll most likely remember her as the female cenobite from Hellraiser II. In addition to her acting, she’s established a deserved name for herself with her horror fiction. I reviewed her previous book The Venus Complex on this blog and I loved it. Now, Wilde is back with a collection of 11 short stories, Voices of the Damned. Most of these stories have appeared as part of other anthologies or in Fangoria’s Gorezone magazine, but there are two stories making their debuts. Three of the stories make up the Cilicium Trilogy, which are part of the Hellraiser cenobitical universe.
The first thing you’ll notice before you even crack the book open is the amazing cover art from Clive Barker. It’s titled She Waits. What a way to grab the attention! The book also has an afterward from the Soska Sisters, intent on world domination, who seem to be involved in all manner of horror. Each of the stories is accompanied by an illustration. My favorites were Valeska by Daniele Serra and The Cillium Pandoric by Eric Gross.
Sister Celice– Sister Veronica, a nun heavily repressed by both her parents and her order, has dark fantasies. She discovers a gateway to another order – that of the Cenobites. This story is a thrilling start to the collection, dark, erotic, and completely engulfed in the Hellraiser tone and mythology. You could call it the ultimate coming of age story.
Zulu Zombies– What more could you ask for than zulu zombies in the middle of London? A gory and brutal train ride.
American Mutant– An extravagant southern televangelist, Billy Bob, suddenly and surprisingly has to face up to the fact that he has a 13 year old son, Mikey. Mikey’s not an ordinary boy though, he has a gift. A televangelist is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, when there is money to be made. I loved both the characters, Billy Bob and Mikey. The over the top Billy Bob you can instantly visualize and enjoy, and Mikey too, with his intelligence and creepy kid vibe. Really strong entry to the collection.
The Alpdrücke– Nightmares, sleep paralysis and German folklore. This story realizes the fear we all have of being so vulnerable while we sleep. Devilish!
Valeska– A tale about an irresistible femme fatale succubus and the two sides of her vampiric kind: the Sanguines who feed off blood, and the Seminals who feed off, shall we say, the energy of males. I really enjoyed this story and the history of the factions. It was a very fresh approach and one of my favorites in the collection. A full length novel based on this would be amazing.
The Cilicium Pandoric– We follow Sister Celice, now a Cenobite, as she crosses over to our world from hell with the desire to start her own Order. This story offers a further expansion of Clive Barker’s mythos, drenched in pain and desire.
Gaia– A lady living in fear, due to stories of Greek mythology from her heritage, and abuse from her uncle, seeks solitude and safety in a custom built basement. Two intruders find that they have messed with the wrong lady. Gaia was a fun and pretty cosmic tale.
Polyp– This one is truly bizarre, as a polyp leaves the bowels of its host to grow and go on a murder spree. It’s a real spree too. There is plenty of gore and unpleasantness in this one. This story will resonate well with body horror fans and will definitely make the squeamish squeam.
Botophobia– Following the death of her parents, Lorraine returns to her childhood home. She finds some unexpected things. I didn’t see the twist in this one coming. A very surprising ending.
Writer’s Block– An unusual answer to Bart’s writer’s block comes in the form of a stunning muse at a convention. Be careful what you wish for.
The Cilicium Rebellion– Sister Cilice leads her order of female Cenobites in a civil war against hell’s establishment. It’s a fantastic end to the trilogy and the Voices of the Damned. I’d really love a whole book about the adventures of Sister Cilice. That would be amazing.
This is an outstanding anthology, and I enjoyed every story. A delightful collection of the darkest hors d’oeuvres. There are no weak links here. I raced through the entire book in no time. The themes of sex and death are inextricably linked, dripping a dark eroticism through many of the stories. Another common theme is that of strong female characters. They are powerful, they are in control, and they are the hunters. When crossed, their vengeance is absolute. Wilde has a strong voice. In a genre that is often dominated by male authors, she has taken on a leading role. I can’t recommend this highly enough. These dark tales will entertain, and come back to visit you in the dark of night.
The first thing you’ll notice before you even crack the book open is the amazing cover art from Clive Barker. It’s titled She Waits. What a way to grab the attention! The book also has an afterward from the Soska Sisters, intent on world domination, who seem to be involved in all manner of horror. Each of the stories is accompanied by an illustration. My favorites were Valeska by Daniele Serra and The Cillium Pandoric by Eric Gross.
Sister Celice– Sister Veronica, a nun heavily repressed by both her parents and her order, has dark fantasies. She discovers a gateway to another order – that of the Cenobites. This story is a thrilling start to the collection, dark, erotic, and completely engulfed in the Hellraiser tone and mythology. You could call it the ultimate coming of age story.
Zulu Zombies– What more could you ask for than zulu zombies in the middle of London? A gory and brutal train ride.
American Mutant– An extravagant southern televangelist, Billy Bob, suddenly and surprisingly has to face up to the fact that he has a 13 year old son, Mikey. Mikey’s not an ordinary boy though, he has a gift. A televangelist is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, when there is money to be made. I loved both the characters, Billy Bob and Mikey. The over the top Billy Bob you can instantly visualize and enjoy, and Mikey too, with his intelligence and creepy kid vibe. Really strong entry to the collection.
The Alpdrücke– Nightmares, sleep paralysis and German folklore. This story realizes the fear we all have of being so vulnerable while we sleep. Devilish!
Valeska– A tale about an irresistible femme fatale succubus and the two sides of her vampiric kind: the Sanguines who feed off blood, and the Seminals who feed off, shall we say, the energy of males. I really enjoyed this story and the history of the factions. It was a very fresh approach and one of my favorites in the collection. A full length novel based on this would be amazing.
The Cilicium Pandoric– We follow Sister Celice, now a Cenobite, as she crosses over to our world from hell with the desire to start her own Order. This story offers a further expansion of Clive Barker’s mythos, drenched in pain and desire.
Gaia– A lady living in fear, due to stories of Greek mythology from her heritage, and abuse from her uncle, seeks solitude and safety in a custom built basement. Two intruders find that they have messed with the wrong lady. Gaia was a fun and pretty cosmic tale.
Polyp– This one is truly bizarre, as a polyp leaves the bowels of its host to grow and go on a murder spree. It’s a real spree too. There is plenty of gore and unpleasantness in this one. This story will resonate well with body horror fans and will definitely make the squeamish squeam.
Botophobia– Following the death of her parents, Lorraine returns to her childhood home. She finds some unexpected things. I didn’t see the twist in this one coming. A very surprising ending.
Writer’s Block– An unusual answer to Bart’s writer’s block comes in the form of a stunning muse at a convention. Be careful what you wish for.
The Cilicium Rebellion– Sister Cilice leads her order of female Cenobites in a civil war against hell’s establishment. It’s a fantastic end to the trilogy and the Voices of the Damned. I’d really love a whole book about the adventures of Sister Cilice. That would be amazing.
This is an outstanding anthology, and I enjoyed every story. A delightful collection of the darkest hors d’oeuvres. There are no weak links here. I raced through the entire book in no time. The themes of sex and death are inextricably linked, dripping a dark eroticism through many of the stories. Another common theme is that of strong female characters. They are powerful, they are in control, and they are the hunters. When crossed, their vengeance is absolute. Wilde has a strong voice. In a genre that is often dominated by male authors, she has taken on a leading role. I can’t recommend this highly enough. These dark tales will entertain, and come back to visit you in the dark of night.
January 15, 2021
Voices of the Damned is a collection of short stories by Barbie Wilde that can be graphic, very sexual and sometimes violent in ways that some readers may find disturbing.
The first story, Sister Cilice, is about a woman who was coerced into becoming a nun by parents who repeatedly told her she was sinful. She indulges in self flagellation and is tormented by sexual fantasies about her priest, eventually equating pleasure with pain. She finds an ancient book that guides her to a way to indulge her perverse needs.
The story is dark and disturbing, graphically detailing sado-masochistic acts. The author has invented a new word, scrupulosity, which fits oddly well in context.
The stories that follow have similarly disturbing themes. Zombie gang rape, a creepy kid who can heal or kill with a touch, a soul-sucking succubus, a demon who attacks through sleep paralysis and more. If you have any triggers, there is sure to be at least one of the stories that will confront you with it. There are no holds barred in either horrific torture or graphic sexuality in all its most perverse forms.
The writing itself is good and depicts some of the most disturbing imagery I've ever read far too effectively. Extreme Horror readers will find a real treasure in this one. The book is extremely well presented, with brilliant artwork in full color and a lot of thought put into layout and graphic design.
Though the subject matter may be a little too over the top for my personal taste, I have to appreciate the artistry that has been put into both the visual and verbal presentation of the work. This could well become a collector's item among those who are drawn to the unusual and offbeat in the Horror realm.
It feels weird to give a high star rating to something I actually found difficult to read, but it was only my own squeamishness that caused that difficulty and the quality of the all too effective prose is deserving of the 4.5 stars I've given it.
The first story, Sister Cilice, is about a woman who was coerced into becoming a nun by parents who repeatedly told her she was sinful. She indulges in self flagellation and is tormented by sexual fantasies about her priest, eventually equating pleasure with pain. She finds an ancient book that guides her to a way to indulge her perverse needs.
The story is dark and disturbing, graphically detailing sado-masochistic acts. The author has invented a new word, scrupulosity, which fits oddly well in context.
The stories that follow have similarly disturbing themes. Zombie gang rape, a creepy kid who can heal or kill with a touch, a soul-sucking succubus, a demon who attacks through sleep paralysis and more. If you have any triggers, there is sure to be at least one of the stories that will confront you with it. There are no holds barred in either horrific torture or graphic sexuality in all its most perverse forms.
The writing itself is good and depicts some of the most disturbing imagery I've ever read far too effectively. Extreme Horror readers will find a real treasure in this one. The book is extremely well presented, with brilliant artwork in full color and a lot of thought put into layout and graphic design.
Though the subject matter may be a little too over the top for my personal taste, I have to appreciate the artistry that has been put into both the visual and verbal presentation of the work. This could well become a collector's item among those who are drawn to the unusual and offbeat in the Horror realm.
It feels weird to give a high star rating to something I actually found difficult to read, but it was only my own squeamishness that caused that difficulty and the quality of the all too effective prose is deserving of the 4.5 stars I've given it.
March 5, 2016
If you've followed me for any length of time, you know I am a horror addict. That being said, you should also know who Barbie Wilde is. I've spoken of this beautiful and talented lady many times - even reviewing her first novel "The Venus Complex". When she mentioned that she was having a book of short stories published, I knew I had to forgo spending money on other books and immediately placed my order for "Voices of the Damned".
Before I delve into providing you with feedback on each story, I have to make mention of the book itself. If you are a bibliophile like myself, the first thing you notice is the quality. It is an oversized book, printed on thick paper, with a very nice hard cover to enclose the wonders within; and what better way to showcase the book than by an exclusive Clive Barker drawing for the cover. While I'm on the subject, Barbie garnered some of the most talented artists to provide drawing for each story - enhancing the overall feel. Add to all of that a forward by Chris Alexander (editor-in-chief of Fangoria) and an afterword by The Soska Sisters (way too many credits to list - Google them) - well, you have something truly special in your hands. So, without further ado, I present the following stories of "Voices of the Damned":
Sister Cilice - Artwork by Clive Barker: This anthology can only be set off with a story like this one. As you know (and if you don't, shame on you), Barbie is best known for playing the Female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. In this, the first of three stories that make up the Cilicium Trilogy, Barbie finally gives us the backstory to the Female Cenobite. She was a nun by the name of Sister Veronica, who decided she wanted, no, needed, more from her meager existence - and she found it in the form of pleasurable pain after reading from the Grimorium Enochia.
Zulu Zombies - Illustrated by Nick Percival: Word to the wise - when an elder tells you a story, no matter how fantastic you think it sounds, LISTEN to them. If they tell you not to play around with an urn that's been sitting on the mantle for your entire life, they mean it. But, should you go ahead and let curiosity get the better of you, don't say Barbie didn't warn you. Too bad John didn't listen, he might have been able to avoid unleashing an horde of zulu zombies.
American Mutant - Illustrated by Vincent Sammy: What an interesting tale about good and evil - and the consequences of each. The Reverend Billy Bob Bannon - you typical "tent revival" preacher who speaks with a silver tongue, and at the same time is picking your pocket, finds out he has a son with a special talent. Mickey was born with two deformed hands - one black as night, the other white as bone. The Reverend find that the touch from one punishes, while the touch from the other heals. In true form, he tries to exploit this with dire consequences.
The Alpdrücke - Illustrated by Ben Baldwin: Alpdrücken is German for nightmare. We've all had one at least once in our lives. But, what if it isn't all in our head? Jim keeps having a nightmare about a tiny demon smacking a tennis ball and trying to take his breath away - a little like the demon in the movie Cat's Eye. Next time you have a nightmare - or worse yet, sleep paralysis - you might want to check into a hospital for a sleep study. The camera may just show something entirely different.
Valeska - Illustrated by Daniele Serra: This is a story about two groups of vampires - one drinks blood, the other, well let's just say they feed off the male species for a specific fluid. One of the more erotic stories of the lot.
The Cilicium Pandoric - Illustrated by Eric Gross: Part two to the Cilicium Trilogy. Sister Veronica is now afirst level Female Cenobite of the Order of the Gash and is know known as Sister Cilice. She grows bored and elicits the help of a toymaker to create a very special toy.
Gaia - Artwork by Clive Barker: One of the best stories of the lot. Gaia has a distrust of everything and everyone, becoming a hermit in her own house. She builds a safe room in her mansion's basement and lives there. Two teens hear of a fortune in the house and decide to take it for themselves. They certainly weren't prepared for what they find.
Polyp - Illustrated by Steve McGinnis: No. No, no, no, no, NO ! I just turned 50 in February (2016 in case you're reading this at a later date) and as we all know, 50 is the age for your first colonoscopy. I probably should have scheduled it before reading this story. In fact, I know I should have since it will now take an act of God to get me to the doctor's office. This story fits right in with the horror sub-genre known as bizarro. Disclaimer - bizarro is not for everyone. If you haven't read that genre before, you may find this story a bit shocking and definitely off the wall. Oh, and like me, you aren't getting a colonoscopy any time soon.
Botophobia - Illustrated by Tara Bush: What can I say about this story without giving away too much? This was one of those stories that I love reading. It starts you off down one path - one that has clear signals as to the direction it's going. So much so that you feel as if you already know the ending since you've been there before. Surprise, the path takes an unexpected turn and takes you to a place you didn't know existed. Curiosity again - what a bitch.
Writer's Block - Illustrated by Daniele Serra: I have to admit, I can be one of those "crazed fans". I'm sure authors, actors, etc. get tired of going to conventions to meet their fans. It has to be emotionally draining - especially when you meet one of those Annie Wilkes type of fans (read Misery by Stephen King if you don't get the reference). But what happens to Bartholomew Atkins cures his writer's block in a very interesting way.
The Cilicium Rebellion - Illustrated by Eric Gross: The last of the Cilicium Trilogy. The women of Hell - Sister Cilice, Lilith, Eve, Cleopatra, and Joan of Arc team up to take control of Hell. They tinker with the toy created earlier, and unwittingly unleash a demon that... well, read the story to find out.
Yes, I am a fan of Barbie's work. Yes, we are friends on FaceBook. No, I did not write this glowing review because of that. This book has something for everyone. I have read many books in my 50 years - and a lot of them have been anthologies. And usually an anthology is designed to revolve around one specific theme. While there isn't anything wrong with that, it does tend to get boring. Not with "Voices of the Damned". Don't like a story? That's OK - in a few pages, you will be presented with something completely different that you will like.
I would love to see the Cilicium Trilogy expanded, and could absolutely see it as a movie.
Barbie has proven time and again that she has more than enough talent to excel in anything she puts forth. I eagerly await her next foray into the writing game.
Before I delve into providing you with feedback on each story, I have to make mention of the book itself. If you are a bibliophile like myself, the first thing you notice is the quality. It is an oversized book, printed on thick paper, with a very nice hard cover to enclose the wonders within; and what better way to showcase the book than by an exclusive Clive Barker drawing for the cover. While I'm on the subject, Barbie garnered some of the most talented artists to provide drawing for each story - enhancing the overall feel. Add to all of that a forward by Chris Alexander (editor-in-chief of Fangoria) and an afterword by The Soska Sisters (way too many credits to list - Google them) - well, you have something truly special in your hands. So, without further ado, I present the following stories of "Voices of the Damned":
Sister Cilice - Artwork by Clive Barker: This anthology can only be set off with a story like this one. As you know (and if you don't, shame on you), Barbie is best known for playing the Female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. In this, the first of three stories that make up the Cilicium Trilogy, Barbie finally gives us the backstory to the Female Cenobite. She was a nun by the name of Sister Veronica, who decided she wanted, no, needed, more from her meager existence - and she found it in the form of pleasurable pain after reading from the Grimorium Enochia.
Zulu Zombies - Illustrated by Nick Percival: Word to the wise - when an elder tells you a story, no matter how fantastic you think it sounds, LISTEN to them. If they tell you not to play around with an urn that's been sitting on the mantle for your entire life, they mean it. But, should you go ahead and let curiosity get the better of you, don't say Barbie didn't warn you. Too bad John didn't listen, he might have been able to avoid unleashing an horde of zulu zombies.
American Mutant - Illustrated by Vincent Sammy: What an interesting tale about good and evil - and the consequences of each. The Reverend Billy Bob Bannon - you typical "tent revival" preacher who speaks with a silver tongue, and at the same time is picking your pocket, finds out he has a son with a special talent. Mickey was born with two deformed hands - one black as night, the other white as bone. The Reverend find that the touch from one punishes, while the touch from the other heals. In true form, he tries to exploit this with dire consequences.
The Alpdrücke - Illustrated by Ben Baldwin: Alpdrücken is German for nightmare. We've all had one at least once in our lives. But, what if it isn't all in our head? Jim keeps having a nightmare about a tiny demon smacking a tennis ball and trying to take his breath away - a little like the demon in the movie Cat's Eye. Next time you have a nightmare - or worse yet, sleep paralysis - you might want to check into a hospital for a sleep study. The camera may just show something entirely different.
Valeska - Illustrated by Daniele Serra: This is a story about two groups of vampires - one drinks blood, the other, well let's just say they feed off the male species for a specific fluid. One of the more erotic stories of the lot.
The Cilicium Pandoric - Illustrated by Eric Gross: Part two to the Cilicium Trilogy. Sister Veronica is now afirst level Female Cenobite of the Order of the Gash and is know known as Sister Cilice. She grows bored and elicits the help of a toymaker to create a very special toy.
Gaia - Artwork by Clive Barker: One of the best stories of the lot. Gaia has a distrust of everything and everyone, becoming a hermit in her own house. She builds a safe room in her mansion's basement and lives there. Two teens hear of a fortune in the house and decide to take it for themselves. They certainly weren't prepared for what they find.
Polyp - Illustrated by Steve McGinnis: No. No, no, no, no, NO ! I just turned 50 in February (2016 in case you're reading this at a later date) and as we all know, 50 is the age for your first colonoscopy. I probably should have scheduled it before reading this story. In fact, I know I should have since it will now take an act of God to get me to the doctor's office. This story fits right in with the horror sub-genre known as bizarro. Disclaimer - bizarro is not for everyone. If you haven't read that genre before, you may find this story a bit shocking and definitely off the wall. Oh, and like me, you aren't getting a colonoscopy any time soon.
Botophobia - Illustrated by Tara Bush: What can I say about this story without giving away too much? This was one of those stories that I love reading. It starts you off down one path - one that has clear signals as to the direction it's going. So much so that you feel as if you already know the ending since you've been there before. Surprise, the path takes an unexpected turn and takes you to a place you didn't know existed. Curiosity again - what a bitch.
Writer's Block - Illustrated by Daniele Serra: I have to admit, I can be one of those "crazed fans". I'm sure authors, actors, etc. get tired of going to conventions to meet their fans. It has to be emotionally draining - especially when you meet one of those Annie Wilkes type of fans (read Misery by Stephen King if you don't get the reference). But what happens to Bartholomew Atkins cures his writer's block in a very interesting way.
The Cilicium Rebellion - Illustrated by Eric Gross: The last of the Cilicium Trilogy. The women of Hell - Sister Cilice, Lilith, Eve, Cleopatra, and Joan of Arc team up to take control of Hell. They tinker with the toy created earlier, and unwittingly unleash a demon that... well, read the story to find out.
Yes, I am a fan of Barbie's work. Yes, we are friends on FaceBook. No, I did not write this glowing review because of that. This book has something for everyone. I have read many books in my 50 years - and a lot of them have been anthologies. And usually an anthology is designed to revolve around one specific theme. While there isn't anything wrong with that, it does tend to get boring. Not with "Voices of the Damned". Don't like a story? That's OK - in a few pages, you will be presented with something completely different that you will like.
I would love to see the Cilicium Trilogy expanded, and could absolutely see it as a movie.
Barbie has proven time and again that she has more than enough talent to excel in anything she puts forth. I eagerly await her next foray into the writing game.
December 9, 2015
Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Barbie Wilde and being given the chance to review her novel 'The Venus Complex'. I really enjoyed TVC so when I heard there was going to be a collection of her short horror fiction published I jumped at the chance to read it.
What we have here is a mixed bag of scares, each one a delectable treat. I read in a picky fashion, a story every few days with a break between - as with the best of feasts you don't want to gorge yourself, you take bites and savour them.
Barbie Wilde is well known in Horror circles for her role as 'female cenobite' in the second Hellraiser film and that character, Sister Cilice, is the starting point for these stories (the first of three stories that feature her). Sister Cilice is what amounts to an origin story telling of how she went from being a nun to becoming one of Hell's finest. Her story is told, as I said, over three tales, all are good but this is the strongest. The rest of the collection features such joys as Zulu Zombies, Sexual Vampires, Gods, Demons, Body Horror and the locked door in the corner of the basement (in Botophobia, one of my favourites). Through it all Barbie Wilde keeps you looking over your shoulder, listening for the creak of a floorboard or the tinkle of little bells that may just bring horrors beyond your wildest imaginings.
These tales are not for the faint hearted, the horror and violence is graphic as is the erotic element to the stories (but all relevant, not just for titillation). Each story is also accompanied by some lovely (though gruesome) art which shows well on my Kindle Fire, with its' colour screen.
This collection is heartily recommended so prepare to step into the bizarre, horrific, twisted imagination of one of the nicest ladies you could ever hope to meet
What we have here is a mixed bag of scares, each one a delectable treat. I read in a picky fashion, a story every few days with a break between - as with the best of feasts you don't want to gorge yourself, you take bites and savour them.
Barbie Wilde is well known in Horror circles for her role as 'female cenobite' in the second Hellraiser film and that character, Sister Cilice, is the starting point for these stories (the first of three stories that feature her). Sister Cilice is what amounts to an origin story telling of how she went from being a nun to becoming one of Hell's finest. Her story is told, as I said, over three tales, all are good but this is the strongest. The rest of the collection features such joys as Zulu Zombies, Sexual Vampires, Gods, Demons, Body Horror and the locked door in the corner of the basement (in Botophobia, one of my favourites). Through it all Barbie Wilde keeps you looking over your shoulder, listening for the creak of a floorboard or the tinkle of little bells that may just bring horrors beyond your wildest imaginings.
These tales are not for the faint hearted, the horror and violence is graphic as is the erotic element to the stories (but all relevant, not just for titillation). Each story is also accompanied by some lovely (though gruesome) art which shows well on my Kindle Fire, with its' colour screen.
This collection is heartily recommended so prepare to step into the bizarre, horrific, twisted imagination of one of the nicest ladies you could ever hope to meet
October 1, 2016
The mix of short stories and horror art in this collection works really well. The formatting of the book is delicious and Barbie's mix of horror and erotica is both chilling and stimulating. She is the queen of BDSM horror. The stories were fun and easy to read and none of them (even those set in the Hellraiser universe) felt cliche or derivative. I have to admit to preferring her novel, but I did thoroughly enjoy most of the stories in the collection. If you love Clive Barker's style of horror you should definitely check this out.
September 3, 2022
Blasphemous and perverse, equal parts horrific and erotic, Voices of the Damned is as compelling as it is disturbing. While other authors may be equally adept at getting their hooks into the reader, Barbie Wilde has that rare literary talent to be able to twist the chains, to drive those hooks even deeper . . . and to make the reader cry out for more.
Sister Cilice serves as a fitting introduction, inspired as it is by her most famous role - the Female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. Here, Wilde explores the erotic, blasphemous descent of a masturbatory nun, and introduces us to the making of a Cenobite, painfully eager to take her place in Hell.
“Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. Glorified be pain!” They are the only words that can still make her laugh.
Zulu Zombies is maybe the best zombie story I've ever come across, mixing a classic bit of historical horror with a very modern (and sexual spin) on the slow-moving monster. It's dark and twisted, with a great sense of atmosphere.
American Mutant is a gleefully chilling tale of power and corruption, secrets and lies, as a church charlatan comes face-to-face with true power . . . which he exploits to the world's horror. If you thought Damien and Regan were chilling, wait until you meet this kid.
The Alpdrücke is a shorter tale, based in German folklore, with a very Twilight Zone type twist. They say the devil is in the details, and it's those seemingly innocuous details that make this work. Nightmarish and laced with dread.
Valeska is one of two stories new to the collection, an original twist on the vampire mythos that strips it of its spiritual elements, making it instead a cannibalistic matter of survival, pitting Sanguine vs Seminal in an age-old rivalry.
"Necrophilia is so good for the soul, even if you don’t have one."
The Cilicium Pandoric continues the story of Sister Cilice and introduces a feminist twist to the tale of the Cenobites as she requisitions a new Pandoric box, designed specifically to recruit the darkest and most depraved of female victims.
Gaia was one of the more surprising tales in the collection, with a pair of disaffected youths picking the wrong house (and the wrong woman) to rob. As much as they wanted to get inside that panic room, they probably wish the door had remained locked. Insanity has never been so much fun.
Polyp is pure Bizarro horror, a disgusting tale of infection, infiltration,and invasion from within - literally. I'm not sure I've ever read anything so horrible as the endoscopic camera being forced out of Vincent's anus quickly enough to burn the doctor's hands. Disgustingly imaginative.
Botophobia was the lone soft spot in the collection, a tale with some nice atmosphere and a few genuine chills, but one that's a little too predictable to be effective.
Writer’s Block was absolutely brilliant, a darkly twisted and shockingly humorous twist on the Misery of psychotic fans, but with a demonic twist. Probably the most genuinely terrifying tale in the collection.
Why suffer a life of misery and enslavement to a woman-hating God of the Christians when you could give yourself to a fallen angel?
The Cilicium Rebellion is the other new story here, a fitting conclusion to both the collection and the story of Sister Cilice. The nun has fallen, she's converted her new sisters, and now it's time for a war of the sexes deep within the bowels of Hell.
Barbie Wilde's most famous role may have revealed something dark within her soul, but its in Voices of the Damned that the darkness takes root, spreads its arms, and embraces a new audience. It's not just a collection that's shocking and obscene, however, but one that's imaginative, meaningful, and
exceptionally well-written.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Sister Cilice serves as a fitting introduction, inspired as it is by her most famous role - the Female Cenobite in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. Here, Wilde explores the erotic, blasphemous descent of a masturbatory nun, and introduces us to the making of a Cenobite, painfully eager to take her place in Hell.
“Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. Glorified be pain!” They are the only words that can still make her laugh.
Zulu Zombies is maybe the best zombie story I've ever come across, mixing a classic bit of historical horror with a very modern (and sexual spin) on the slow-moving monster. It's dark and twisted, with a great sense of atmosphere.
American Mutant is a gleefully chilling tale of power and corruption, secrets and lies, as a church charlatan comes face-to-face with true power . . . which he exploits to the world's horror. If you thought Damien and Regan were chilling, wait until you meet this kid.
The Alpdrücke is a shorter tale, based in German folklore, with a very Twilight Zone type twist. They say the devil is in the details, and it's those seemingly innocuous details that make this work. Nightmarish and laced with dread.
Valeska is one of two stories new to the collection, an original twist on the vampire mythos that strips it of its spiritual elements, making it instead a cannibalistic matter of survival, pitting Sanguine vs Seminal in an age-old rivalry.
"Necrophilia is so good for the soul, even if you don’t have one."
The Cilicium Pandoric continues the story of Sister Cilice and introduces a feminist twist to the tale of the Cenobites as she requisitions a new Pandoric box, designed specifically to recruit the darkest and most depraved of female victims.
Gaia was one of the more surprising tales in the collection, with a pair of disaffected youths picking the wrong house (and the wrong woman) to rob. As much as they wanted to get inside that panic room, they probably wish the door had remained locked. Insanity has never been so much fun.
Polyp is pure Bizarro horror, a disgusting tale of infection, infiltration,and invasion from within - literally. I'm not sure I've ever read anything so horrible as the endoscopic camera being forced out of Vincent's anus quickly enough to burn the doctor's hands. Disgustingly imaginative.
Botophobia was the lone soft spot in the collection, a tale with some nice atmosphere and a few genuine chills, but one that's a little too predictable to be effective.
Writer’s Block was absolutely brilliant, a darkly twisted and shockingly humorous twist on the Misery of psychotic fans, but with a demonic twist. Probably the most genuinely terrifying tale in the collection.
Why suffer a life of misery and enslavement to a woman-hating God of the Christians when you could give yourself to a fallen angel?
The Cilicium Rebellion is the other new story here, a fitting conclusion to both the collection and the story of Sister Cilice. The nun has fallen, she's converted her new sisters, and now it's time for a war of the sexes deep within the bowels of Hell.
Barbie Wilde's most famous role may have revealed something dark within her soul, but its in Voices of the Damned that the darkness takes root, spreads its arms, and embraces a new audience. It's not just a collection that's shocking and obscene, however, but one that's imaginative, meaningful, and
exceptionally well-written.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the author in exchange for review consideration.This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my honest review.
June 23, 2020
So if you're like me, you know Barbie Wilde mainly from this particular image:
Yeah, Wilde was the female Cenobite in Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Hellbound, a movie which I consider one of the better horror movie sequels made. So it was kind of a surprise to me to see that Wilde herself was a published author with her own anthology of stories under her belt. So after reading them, what do I think overall?
Well, they're certainly something. Honestly, I'm not sure where I stand on them as a whole, so I'll do what I always do and break them one at a time.
The Cilicium Trilogy
Split over three stories across the anthology, it is the tale of Sister Veronica, a nympho nun driven to insanity by her faith and desires, who willingly seeks out the cenobites, joins their ranks and plots a rebellion.
Overall, I'd say its the most fleshed out of the stories. The first part starts strong, evoking a good sense of dread with some very florid descriptions of pain and suffering that actually made me wince. The second part is decent but ultimately feels like a bridge to the third part and suffers a little in that respect. The third part is the weakest because it feels like its too quickly moving towards a conclusion. This is a story that should've been longer.
Zulu Zombies
After accidentally releasing the spirits of ancient Zulu warriors from their slumber to possess the living, John Jones must team up with his neighbour Maven to stop them.
This one is weird. It starts off with a very unsettling opening sequence of two drunk chav women getting killed and raped by the titular Zulu Zombies, only to cut to the inciting incident with John. At which point, the story almost feels like some 1980's schlocky comedy horror movie with all the goofy trappings you'd expect. It's a real tonal shift that never really rights itself, especially since the end seems to imply a sequel that never happens. Fun and goofy, but kind of weird.
American Mutant
Bob Bannon is a skeezy televangelist of old like Jim Bakker or Peter Popoff....
I am such a child.
Anyway, who discovers that a former fling of his has conceived and he's a daddy. And this kid has a good hand and a bad hand. And he plans to make good use of those hands.
Okay, so this story is probably one of the more tightly focused of the yarns. The plot is solid, both Bannon and Mikey (his kid) are decently defined as characters and the tone is consistent throughout. I'd say the biggest weakness is that Mikey's hands are too quickly revealed and explained. There's no buildup or pacing to set up the scene; Mikey literally just plotdumps his hands into Bannon's lap. Which isn't the best image to end on, sooooooo.......
PUPPIES
The Alpdrucke
Jim is having nightmares of a strange little creature whacking tennis balls against the wall before crawling up on his bed. Turns out he might be the victim of the titular monster. But is it really after him?
Another strange one that is definitely distinct. I'll give Wilde some credit in that the ideas she brings to the table are certainly things that I haven't read much before. Jim and his girlfriend Marney are okay in terms of character, but without getting into spoilers, the setup for the twist near the end feels a little contrived and while it does end on an interesting note, it also feels a little goofy, given the Alpdrucke's weapon is a tennis racket.
Valeska
The start of a war between conventional vampires and semen vampires.
You heard me. Valeska is a Seminal, a breed of vampire from Eastern Europe borne out of the evolution of the original vampires. Sanguines feed on blood, while the female Seminals feed on semen. The story follows Valeska as she feeds, is kidnapped, fucks and kills her kidnapper and contemplates the coming war and child in her womb. This is a story that feels like it should've been novel length. There is so much put to paper here that it feels rushed and overwrought. Valeska is a decent character with agency and independence, but Wilde falls into the same trap of dumping the backstory down the reader's throats, particularly at a point in the story that breaks the flow of the narrative. Decent but suffering from consistent issues I notice in Wilde's work.
Gaia
Gaia is a not a very happy person. Growing up in a childhood defined by fear and paranoia, her mind filled with the tales of her namesake, sexually assaulted at a young age, she grows into a woman who hides from the world. But what happens when the world comes calling?
This is probably one of the strongest pieces in the anthology. A solid character study of the main character, sad, terrifying and angering all at the same time as we see her come apart at the seams. Wilde's style of exposition actually works here because it gives us just enough understanding of Gaia's life going forward and the ending is suitably horrifying and nasty.
Polyp
Vincent has to go to the doctor's for a colonscopy. Except what he doesn't know is that a polyp inside his bowels has gained sentience. And this polyp doesn't like intrusions
I got a bit of The Body Politic by Clive Barker from this, a story in the similar vein of body parts gaining sentience and going rogue. This one starts off a little goofy given the premise but quickly flies off the Holy Shit Quotient as things get bad really fast. What follows is a pretty blood-spattered experience that goes back to being a bit goofy, only to return to nasty towards the end with a twist that dives right into cuckoo-cuckoo lala territory. Fun, silly, gooey and nasty. Impossible to take seriously given the constant tonal shifts but enjoyable.
Botophobia
Lorraine has returned to her childhood home. She's not looking forward to it given she didn't like the basement. But she's about to find out what her dad was hiding down there.
I'll be honest, I barely remembered this one looking back, until I flicked through to the ending and remembered that this story went right off the deep end into Crazytown. This is a story that hinges completely on whether you can accept the ending and personally I found there wasn't enough meat to the main story to justify the ending. Not recommended.
Writer's Block
Bart Allen has Writer's Block. So he decides to go to the pub for a drink to loosen his lips and brain. There he meets a superfan of his. She offers to get his dick wet, so he follows her back to her hotel room. Except he's about to find out what she'll offer him to help him write.
Another one that dives in crazytown territory but makes up for its crazy ending with a suitably gory denouement. Again though Wilde breaks the pacing by having the superfan explain her motivations mid-shagging in a plotdump but this one isn't as bad as previous ones.
So overall what do I think about Barbie Wilde as a writer?
Eh she's alright. I can definitely see Barker's influence over her work and she definitely has a flair for the nasty, the graphic and the distinct. But there were some distinct issues across most of the stories including:
- A lack of focus on the main plot
- A tendency to infodump important plot details instead of naturally lengthening the story
- Sometimes going for batshit insane to make up for a lacking plot
It wasn't a bad anthology, although some of the stories were weaker than others. I'd say Part One of the Cilicium Trilogy and Gaia were the strongest pieces while Botophobia hit rock bottom. Would I recommend it? Yes and no. There's definitely enough unique qualities to make this worth reading but some stories don't get my rocks off in any way. Although given Wilde was a Cenobite, maybe I shouldn't talk smack.
After all, she might....
I think I pissed her off.
P.S If I wasn't so turned on right now, I'd be shitting myself.
Yeah, Wilde was the female Cenobite in Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Hellbound, a movie which I consider one of the better horror movie sequels made. So it was kind of a surprise to me to see that Wilde herself was a published author with her own anthology of stories under her belt. So after reading them, what do I think overall?
Well, they're certainly something. Honestly, I'm not sure where I stand on them as a whole, so I'll do what I always do and break them one at a time.
The Cilicium Trilogy
Split over three stories across the anthology, it is the tale of Sister Veronica, a nympho nun driven to insanity by her faith and desires, who willingly seeks out the cenobites, joins their ranks and plots a rebellion.
Overall, I'd say its the most fleshed out of the stories. The first part starts strong, evoking a good sense of dread with some very florid descriptions of pain and suffering that actually made me wince. The second part is decent but ultimately feels like a bridge to the third part and suffers a little in that respect. The third part is the weakest because it feels like its too quickly moving towards a conclusion. This is a story that should've been longer.
Zulu Zombies
After accidentally releasing the spirits of ancient Zulu warriors from their slumber to possess the living, John Jones must team up with his neighbour Maven to stop them.
This one is weird. It starts off with a very unsettling opening sequence of two drunk chav women getting killed and raped by the titular Zulu Zombies, only to cut to the inciting incident with John. At which point, the story almost feels like some 1980's schlocky comedy horror movie with all the goofy trappings you'd expect. It's a real tonal shift that never really rights itself, especially since the end seems to imply a sequel that never happens. Fun and goofy, but kind of weird.
American Mutant
Bob Bannon is a skeezy televangelist of old like Jim Bakker or Peter Popoff....
I am such a child.
Anyway, who discovers that a former fling of his has conceived and he's a daddy. And this kid has a good hand and a bad hand. And he plans to make good use of those hands.
Okay, so this story is probably one of the more tightly focused of the yarns. The plot is solid, both Bannon and Mikey (his kid) are decently defined as characters and the tone is consistent throughout. I'd say the biggest weakness is that Mikey's hands are too quickly revealed and explained. There's no buildup or pacing to set up the scene; Mikey literally just plotdumps his hands into Bannon's lap. Which isn't the best image to end on, sooooooo.......
PUPPIES
The Alpdrucke
Jim is having nightmares of a strange little creature whacking tennis balls against the wall before crawling up on his bed. Turns out he might be the victim of the titular monster. But is it really after him?
Another strange one that is definitely distinct. I'll give Wilde some credit in that the ideas she brings to the table are certainly things that I haven't read much before. Jim and his girlfriend Marney are okay in terms of character, but without getting into spoilers, the setup for the twist near the end feels a little contrived and while it does end on an interesting note, it also feels a little goofy, given the Alpdrucke's weapon is a tennis racket.
Valeska
The start of a war between conventional vampires and semen vampires.
You heard me. Valeska is a Seminal, a breed of vampire from Eastern Europe borne out of the evolution of the original vampires. Sanguines feed on blood, while the female Seminals feed on semen. The story follows Valeska as she feeds, is kidnapped, fucks and kills her kidnapper and contemplates the coming war and child in her womb. This is a story that feels like it should've been novel length. There is so much put to paper here that it feels rushed and overwrought. Valeska is a decent character with agency and independence, but Wilde falls into the same trap of dumping the backstory down the reader's throats, particularly at a point in the story that breaks the flow of the narrative. Decent but suffering from consistent issues I notice in Wilde's work.
Gaia
Gaia is a not a very happy person. Growing up in a childhood defined by fear and paranoia, her mind filled with the tales of her namesake, sexually assaulted at a young age, she grows into a woman who hides from the world. But what happens when the world comes calling?
This is probably one of the strongest pieces in the anthology. A solid character study of the main character, sad, terrifying and angering all at the same time as we see her come apart at the seams. Wilde's style of exposition actually works here because it gives us just enough understanding of Gaia's life going forward and the ending is suitably horrifying and nasty.
Polyp
Vincent has to go to the doctor's for a colonscopy. Except what he doesn't know is that a polyp inside his bowels has gained sentience. And this polyp doesn't like intrusions
I got a bit of The Body Politic by Clive Barker from this, a story in the similar vein of body parts gaining sentience and going rogue. This one starts off a little goofy given the premise but quickly flies off the Holy Shit Quotient as things get bad really fast. What follows is a pretty blood-spattered experience that goes back to being a bit goofy, only to return to nasty towards the end with a twist that dives right into cuckoo-cuckoo lala territory. Fun, silly, gooey and nasty. Impossible to take seriously given the constant tonal shifts but enjoyable.
Botophobia
Lorraine has returned to her childhood home. She's not looking forward to it given she didn't like the basement. But she's about to find out what her dad was hiding down there.
I'll be honest, I barely remembered this one looking back, until I flicked through to the ending and remembered that this story went right off the deep end into Crazytown. This is a story that hinges completely on whether you can accept the ending and personally I found there wasn't enough meat to the main story to justify the ending. Not recommended.
Writer's Block
Bart Allen has Writer's Block. So he decides to go to the pub for a drink to loosen his lips and brain. There he meets a superfan of his. She offers to get his dick wet, so he follows her back to her hotel room. Except he's about to find out what she'll offer him to help him write.
Another one that dives in crazytown territory but makes up for its crazy ending with a suitably gory denouement. Again though Wilde breaks the pacing by having the superfan explain her motivations mid-shagging in a plotdump but this one isn't as bad as previous ones.
So overall what do I think about Barbie Wilde as a writer?
Eh she's alright. I can definitely see Barker's influence over her work and she definitely has a flair for the nasty, the graphic and the distinct. But there were some distinct issues across most of the stories including:
- A lack of focus on the main plot
- A tendency to infodump important plot details instead of naturally lengthening the story
- Sometimes going for batshit insane to make up for a lacking plot
It wasn't a bad anthology, although some of the stories were weaker than others. I'd say Part One of the Cilicium Trilogy and Gaia were the strongest pieces while Botophobia hit rock bottom. Would I recommend it? Yes and no. There's definitely enough unique qualities to make this worth reading but some stories don't get my rocks off in any way. Although given Wilde was a Cenobite, maybe I shouldn't talk smack.
After all, she might....
I think I pissed her off.
P.S If I wasn't so turned on right now, I'd be shitting myself.
November 22, 2015
I remember reading Barbie Wilde's incredible, noir crime novel "The Venus Complex" just a few tears back, and being completely blown away. My only prior exposure to the writer Barbie Wilde's work had been "Sister Cilice" a short story based on the Cenobite Demon character that Barbie Wilde the actress had portrayed in "Hellraiser 2 : Hellbound, in the Paul Kane and Marie O'Regan edited anthology "Hellbound Hearts". That story blew my mind as well, and for those who are of like mind, there are two equally brilliant Sister Cilice stories in this book that complete a Sister Cilice trilogy. I also recall Barbie commenting, when approached to write and put together this collection of genre spanning short stories something along the lines of, "But I don't write Horror". I for one, am so glad that she went for it and was mistaken in that thought. But the horror genre doesn't nearly even begin to encompass what she accomplishes here. There's Horror, a touch of Sci-Fi, and well, such a blend of imagination and creativity that labels might just as well be checked at the door, or perhaps, portal. This is a wild (see what I did there) ride of dark, erotic, frightening, creepy, and sometimes graphic content, that is never predictable, formulaic, or clichéd. This is clearly an author possessed of the kind of rare talent, creativity and imagination to take the reader anywhere she chooses, in a thoroughly gripping, engaging, and well structured manner. You don't ever see it coming, and even after it does, you're left thinking and sometimes simply stunned, in a sort of deep set afterglow. There is also some spectacular art included here, by the likes of Clive Barker, Nick Percival, Eric Gross, Tara Bush, and others, that nicely supplements the brilliant imagery already firing in the reader's imagination. Brilliantly done, both epic and intimate, chilling and erotic, and completely mesmerizing. Godspeed with the next work or works that Barbie Wilde decides to bring us.
July 23, 2020
VOICES OF THE DAMNED is a book with a fascinating lineage. Not only were these dark and varied tales written by the actor who played the female Cenobite in HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II, but three of them actually give us a history of that character. The book is worth the price of admission for that seductive trilogy of stories alone, but Wilde has many more sights to show you. Oh, and the artwork throughout, by various hands, is also splendid.
The existence of this book is kind of a miracle, in other words. How often does a gifted actor turn out to be a gifted fiction writer, after all? And even given both of those talents, what are the odds that she would have any interest in further exploring a character she has portrayed by writing about that character? On top of these happy accidents, there’s the obvious connection to Clive Barker, who is similarly unique in belonging to a rare breed of writers who have adapted their own work for the big screen. It’s as if some kind of deal was struck with the very Devil himself, somewhere along the line ...
Well, that ought to give you something to think about while you’re waiting for your copy of VOICES OF THE DAMNED to arrive, anyway. Because you’re going to order it, right? Thought so.
The existence of this book is kind of a miracle, in other words. How often does a gifted actor turn out to be a gifted fiction writer, after all? And even given both of those talents, what are the odds that she would have any interest in further exploring a character she has portrayed by writing about that character? On top of these happy accidents, there’s the obvious connection to Clive Barker, who is similarly unique in belonging to a rare breed of writers who have adapted their own work for the big screen. It’s as if some kind of deal was struck with the very Devil himself, somewhere along the line ...
Well, that ought to give you something to think about while you’re waiting for your copy of VOICES OF THE DAMNED to arrive, anyway. Because you’re going to order it, right? Thought so.
June 9, 2017
Something delightfully wicked this way comes!
What a wonderful collection of dark tales are contained within this extraordinary book. Ms Wilde has the enviable ability to jump from extreme horror to surreal humor to dangerous sexuality at the turn of a page. Each story is radically different in content and style from those that precede and succeed the one that currently delights the reader and that is the mark of a genuinely skillful and in many ways unique writer. Every one of the eleven tales appeals to me in different ways, which is in itself the signature of a new and brave talent but the gross-out that is 'Polyp', the somewhat recognizable situation of the male protagonist in 'Writer's Block', the vengeful intensity of 'Gaia' and the nostalgic vibe of 50s Americana in 'Botophobia' were my personal favorites. Ah, what the Hell, every tale is more than worthy of the price of admission.
The design of the book is exemplary and the inclusion of unique and original artwork by such luminaries as Clive Barker, Nick Percival, Daniele Serra, et al, make it truly a collector’s item that it is not only revelatory to read, but also to have and to hold.
What a wonderful collection of dark tales are contained within this extraordinary book. Ms Wilde has the enviable ability to jump from extreme horror to surreal humor to dangerous sexuality at the turn of a page. Each story is radically different in content and style from those that precede and succeed the one that currently delights the reader and that is the mark of a genuinely skillful and in many ways unique writer. Every one of the eleven tales appeals to me in different ways, which is in itself the signature of a new and brave talent but the gross-out that is 'Polyp', the somewhat recognizable situation of the male protagonist in 'Writer's Block', the vengeful intensity of 'Gaia' and the nostalgic vibe of 50s Americana in 'Botophobia' were my personal favorites. Ah, what the Hell, every tale is more than worthy of the price of admission.
The design of the book is exemplary and the inclusion of unique and original artwork by such luminaries as Clive Barker, Nick Percival, Daniele Serra, et al, make it truly a collector’s item that it is not only revelatory to read, but also to have and to hold.
February 13, 2019
One of the best horror collections I've read to date. Even the (very few) predictable ones included were still enjoyable. Wilde's writing style is unique and I enjoyed it very very much. She brings about an aura that only Clive Barker can (rightfully so). I found myself wanting to read it all in one sitting even though I knew I couldn't. Reading it became a highlight of my day and when it finally came to an end, I found myself sad. I truly hope Barbie comes out with another collection soon, I miss her writing!
September 24, 2019
Holy shit...
Well, quite the opposite of holy, actually. If saying this book is ‘delicious’ is wrong- I don’t want to be right. I could NOT put this down. The ending of each story burns in my soul (and other places?) and I HAD to read them all. The urge to devour this beautiful collection was almost stronger than my love for Barbie herself. The true queen of horror and horror/erotica. If you like gore, sex, demons, and the like... or just like to get your rocks off to some messed up sh*t, READ THIS!
Well, quite the opposite of holy, actually. If saying this book is ‘delicious’ is wrong- I don’t want to be right. I could NOT put this down. The ending of each story burns in my soul (and other places?) and I HAD to read them all. The urge to devour this beautiful collection was almost stronger than my love for Barbie herself. The true queen of horror and horror/erotica. If you like gore, sex, demons, and the like... or just like to get your rocks off to some messed up sh*t, READ THIS!
April 22, 2016
These are the words I would use to describe this book:
Vile, disgusting, gory, depraved, immoral, horrid, offensive, perverted, nauseating, vulgar and...
I LOVED IT!!
If you love gruesome horror, this is the book for you. All fans of Hellraiser will be well acquainted with some of the characters. Some of these stories can turn you on one minute and turn your stomach the next.
Vile, disgusting, gory, depraved, immoral, horrid, offensive, perverted, nauseating, vulgar and...
I LOVED IT!!
If you love gruesome horror, this is the book for you. All fans of Hellraiser will be well acquainted with some of the characters. Some of these stories can turn you on one minute and turn your stomach the next.
September 28, 2018
Meh...
I wasn’t particularly offended, but is not a particularly good piece of writing now, is it?
The Cenobite Trilogy was interesting.
I wasn’t particularly offended, but is not a particularly good piece of writing now, is it?
The Cenobite Trilogy was interesting.
March 25, 2020
I love Barbie Wildes writing
June 26, 2018
OK. Look, I know it's not easy to write fiction. It's not easy to be an author. You sit down and pour your heart into some make believe and then you get it published and some doughy midwesterner who's never written anything gets to abuse it like a pinata on Goodreads. Whack whack whack, but with no sweet goodness to stop him. It's all whacking. I get it.
But seriously. This book needed an editor big time. BIG TIME. If it wasn't such a beautiful production (more on that in a minute) then I'd have crossed out so much to make it read better if I ever wanted to go another round.
The ideas here are very original--a boy with a god-hand and a demon hand, a murderous polyp that won't kill his dad, a Cenobite who breaks the glass ceiling--but the execution reads like Hellraiser fan fiction. In the very last story there are entire scenes that the author glosses over with phrases like "and they had a big bloody battle and there was blood everywhere." Kinda easy for me to not care if I was only given the gist of it.
The writing was good enough to keep me going. It wasn't like Haven or Dog Days O' Summer. But it was a chore to get through the last few stories. What kept me going was the ideas in the stories. I wanted to see what weird cool thing was going to happen. If only there was an editor to smooth the rough edges.
The best part of the book was the artwork and the production by SST. This is a beautiful book with stunning artwork for each story. It's a prize in my collection just for that. And that's why I'd recommend buying it.
I don't know why I'm so picky with authors. Maybe it's because I don't have much time to read so I want it to be worth it. Maybe I'm just getting to be an old curmudgeon.
But seriously. This book needed an editor big time. BIG TIME. If it wasn't such a beautiful production (more on that in a minute) then I'd have crossed out so much to make it read better if I ever wanted to go another round.
The ideas here are very original--a boy with a god-hand and a demon hand, a murderous polyp that won't kill his dad, a Cenobite who breaks the glass ceiling--but the execution reads like Hellraiser fan fiction. In the very last story there are entire scenes that the author glosses over with phrases like "and they had a big bloody battle and there was blood everywhere." Kinda easy for me to not care if I was only given the gist of it.
The writing was good enough to keep me going. It wasn't like Haven or Dog Days O' Summer. But it was a chore to get through the last few stories. What kept me going was the ideas in the stories. I wanted to see what weird cool thing was going to happen. If only there was an editor to smooth the rough edges.
The best part of the book was the artwork and the production by SST. This is a beautiful book with stunning artwork for each story. It's a prize in my collection just for that. And that's why I'd recommend buying it.
I don't know why I'm so picky with authors. Maybe it's because I don't have much time to read so I want it to be worth it. Maybe I'm just getting to be an old curmudgeon.
December 22, 2021
3.5 stars
First of all, the artwork along would make this a 5 star book, unfortunately for me, the stories fell a bit flat.
I absolutely loved The Cilicium Trilogy, especially the first one, Sister Cilice. Dark and delicious, it sets the mood of the humble nun and how her desire for pain leads her to become a priestess of Hell, ready to rule.
It was the artwork of some of my favourite currant artists that makes this book worth keeping in my collection. Of course there is the brilliant chaotic mind of Clive Barker with his harsh strokes illustrating Sister Cilice to start off the book. But it is the brilliance of Daniele Serra, with his whispy water colours that always draws me in and crave a story to match his piece. I can't tell you how often it is his artwork that draws me to pick up a book when his artwork graces its cover.
Tho not as good a book as I hoped for, it has its gems and a nice book to have in one's collection of horror.
First of all, the artwork along would make this a 5 star book, unfortunately for me, the stories fell a bit flat.
I absolutely loved The Cilicium Trilogy, especially the first one, Sister Cilice. Dark and delicious, it sets the mood of the humble nun and how her desire for pain leads her to become a priestess of Hell, ready to rule.
It was the artwork of some of my favourite currant artists that makes this book worth keeping in my collection. Of course there is the brilliant chaotic mind of Clive Barker with his harsh strokes illustrating Sister Cilice to start off the book. But it is the brilliance of Daniele Serra, with his whispy water colours that always draws me in and crave a story to match his piece. I can't tell you how often it is his artwork that draws me to pick up a book when his artwork graces its cover.
Tho not as good a book as I hoped for, it has its gems and a nice book to have in one's collection of horror.
November 17, 2017
Waaaaaaayy too weird for me to get freaked out. Compared to Wilde's 'The Venus Complex', this is more fantastical in nature, which I suppose requires a certain suspension of belief I cannot fulfil. The horror seems sprung on you, doesn't rest, and is a relentless waterfall rather than carefully rationed out. There isn't any suspense, which I think is integral to any horror piece. If you like visual-prominent, graphic horror, I would strongly recommend this one. But other than that, this book feels outdated.
May 29, 2023
Barbie Wilde is an absolute rock star, and the Cilicium Trilogy proves it.
Our favourite hell priestess finally gets an origin story, and an epilogue fit for the queen of hell.
As good as the other short stories in this book are, I can’t help but feel like these three outshine them.
In the name of Leviathan, oh how I hope we’ll see more of Sister Cilice on day…
Our favourite hell priestess finally gets an origin story, and an epilogue fit for the queen of hell.
As good as the other short stories in this book are, I can’t help but feel like these three outshine them.
In the name of Leviathan, oh how I hope we’ll see more of Sister Cilice on day…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2024
Definitely not as good as it was hyped up to be. Their definition of sensual horror is just r*pe with some grody monsters. The Cilice trilogy was just a self insert main character syndrome I’m totally a girlboss cliche whatever. The dialogue is severely lacking. The concepts were super random. It was alright for a quick little book but not worth the hype and one of the top spots on ratings.
March 25, 2019
Wonderfully twisted and creepy group of short stories
October 6, 2020
I’m not particularly impressed but it was a fun read
May 31, 2021
I enjoyed Each and every story in this collection they were so dark and deliciously explicit.
All the illustrations are phenomenal. 🖤
Highly recommend to all horror and dark fiction fans!
All the illustrations are phenomenal. 🖤
Highly recommend to all horror and dark fiction fans!
October 28, 2022
The absolute perfect book for spooky season!
June 11, 2023
Didn't know what I getting into, but it's just mostly subpar Hellraiser fanfic that IMO doesn't get what makes it any interesting.
April 6, 2024
3,5 weirdest book i have ever read (affectionate)
the cilicium trilogy got me from start i need a full 300 pages book
the cilicium trilogy got me from start i need a full 300 pages book
January 16, 2025
Si no dijera en la portada que es de Barbie Wilde, pensaría que es de Clive Barker.
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