''Hellbound Hearts'' is a 2009 anthology of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

set in the world of

Clive Barker Clive Barker (born 5 October 1952) is an English novelist, playwright, author, film director, and visual artist who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories, the ''Books of Blood'', which established him as a leading h ...

's ''

Hellraiser ''Hellraiser'' is a 1987 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, and produced by Christopher Figg, based on Barker's 1986 novella ''The Hellbound Heart''. The film marked Barker's directorial debut. Its plot invol ...

''. It was edited by ''Hellraiser'' expert

Paul Kane Paul Kane (September 3, 1810 – February 20, 1871) was an Irish-born Canadian painter, famous for his paintings of First Nations peoples in the Canadian West and other Native Americans in the Columbia District. A largely self-educated artis ...

and his wife

Marie O'Regan Marie O'Regan is a British horror writer and editor. Biography Marie O'Regan is based in Derbyshire where she is the co-editor of a number of books and has written for horror magazines including ''Fortean Times'', '' Rue Morgue'', and '' Death ...

. The book features works by several authors.

Development

In his interview, Kane said that he is a longtime fan of Clive Barker and after writing his book ''The Hellraiser Films and Their Legacy'' he felt that someone should do something similar to the ''Hellraiser'' comics but in prose form, since the mythos of the franchise is so appropriate for it. Kane "mentioned the idea to Clive on the phone, who really liked it. He still owns the fiction rights to the original novella and the mythology created in ''

The Hellbound Heart ''The Hellbound Heart'' is a horror novella by Clive Barker, first published in November 1986 by Dark Harvest in the third volume of its '' Night Visions'' anthology series. The story features a hedonist criminal acquiring a mystical puzzle ...

'', just not the movie rights, so we came up with the notion of doing an anthology based in that world. He even said he'd do an original painting for the cover, which was brilliant of him".

Reception

The collection received a negative review from ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

''. HorrorNews.net's Adrian Halen praised it for not having a short story approach with endings but instead deeper looks into those who summon the Cenobites. David McWilliam of ''

Strange Horizons ''Strange Horizons'' is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry and nonfiction in every issue, including reviews, essays, interviews, and roundtables. History and profile It was launched in September 2000, and ...

'' enjoyed the book, expressing that "despite the occasional misstep, ''Hellbound Hearts'' serves as a testament to the visceral, otherworldly impact of the scarified, magisterial Cenobites and the seductive mystery of the puzzle box that summons them, which are used as archetypes robust enough to withstand extensive reconfiguration and reimagining. For the most part, these stories breathe new life into a well-worn franchise and serve to flesh out an as-yet barely explored mythology".

Legacy

Kane has stated that working on the collection inspired him to write his own ''Hellraiser'' book, which ended up being ''

Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell ''Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell'' is a Sherlock Holmes pastiches, Sherlock Holmes pastiche by Paul Kane (writer), Paul Kane. The book thrusts Sherlock Holmes into the world of Clive Barker's ''Hellraiser (franchise), Hellraiser''. Pr ...

'', a

Sherlock Holmes pastiche Sherlock Holmes has long been a popular character for pastiche, Holmes-related work by authors and creators other than Arthur Conan Doyle. Their works can be grouped into four broad categories: *New Sherlock Holmes stories *Stories in which Holm ...

References

{{Hellraiser Hellraiser mass media 2009 anthologies British anthologies Horror anthologies