by Clive Barker
For years the prolific writer-director Clive Barker—the man behind Hollywood's Hellraiser movies—has toiled at the intersection of horror and fantasy, keeping audiences mesmerized. Now he seems to be leaving horror for what he calls "a romance." Galilee chronicles the interwoven histories of two powerful families, one human and one divine. The Gearys are one of America's wealthiest and most beloved dynasties (think Kennedy), but their dark secrets threaten to unseat them. The Barbarossas are a family of gods whose rule may also be on the decline. At the heart of this sprawling work lies an enraged matriarch waiting for the return of Galilee, her favorite son, as well as a stock heroine with a heart of gold and an outcast who's determined to set this tale to paper. In this heavily allegorical saga, Barker pits black against white, parent against child and man against God, tackling such lofty themes as the nature of humanity and history. More a spellbinding treat than a thought provoker, Galilee leaps through time and space to reveal an impressively majestic vision told in beautiful prose. (HarperCollins, $26)
Bottom Line: A fantastic, engrossing war of the worlds
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