Clive Barker working on Books of Blood TV series!

Last Updated on July 21, 2021

Let me start this off by saying that I'm a major fan of Clive Barker and his BOOKS OF BLOOD. So this is probably the coolest news I've heard in a long time. Yes, it looks like I might be getting my ultimate wish as Barker himself has just announced that there is a TV series based on BOOKS OF BLOOD in the works. Barker has been working on it with Brannon Braga (24, SALEM, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION) and he even goes so far as to say that the series will be expanded from the original stories to include new tales from the mind of Mr.Barker. He says these new stories are aimed to at very least match, and in some cases surpass, the intensity of the original Books of Blood. 

Specifically, Clive Barker says:

Next, [is the] the television adaptation of The Books of Blood, a series I'm working on with Brannon Braga, [Star Trek, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Salem, 24, and more] is going forth, speedily, and working with Brannon is an absolute joy.

On his new stories being used:

I should add I think, because this is tasty, the series has been expanded from the stories in the Books of Blood with stories that have been developed by me along the style of the Books of Blood stories – because it's thirty years since I wrote the Books of Blood and my mind has certainly not remained empty of those kinds of ideas. So there are, I think, about thirty narratives which I have developed which you could call 'Books of Blood stories', as narrative outlines, but I haven't yet turned them into stories. We will probably turn at least some of those into episodes for the television series.

What he plans to accomplish with this new series:

What I'm trying to do is at very least match, and in some cases surpass, the intensity of the original Books of Blood. Some of those stories have a nod and a wink to another kind of narrative – I mean New Murders in the Rue Morgue, is an example, obviously a nod to Poe, but then there's Rawhead Rex which is a straight-off monster story, and I want to revisit those kinds of stories. I want to do a new monster story for instance, something that is fresh and for a modern audience.

And finally, he says:

I am hoping that in the Books of Blood series we will not only go to the most chilling and intense of the books but I will add to that sum of stories new tales that perhaps wouldn't even have occurred to me thirty years ago. The world has changed. The world has become a darker, scarier place since then, unbelievably but it's true.

Sounds good to me! Again, I am a major fan of Clive Barker and his BOOKS OF BLOOD so this is probably the coolest news I've heard in a long time. RAWHEAD REX is my favorite horror short story of all-time, and my love for the stories doesn't stop there with THE YATTERING AND JACK, PIG BLOOD BLUES, CONFESSIONS OF A PORNOGRAPHER'S SHROUD, THE FORBIDDEN, and NEW MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE being some of my other absolute favorites. Hell, I even have a big tattoo on my arm with the words SON OF CELLULOID written across it. 

Anyhow, I'm going to be staying on top of this BOOKS OF BLOOD: The TV Series as close as I can. I'll make sure to always pass along word when I hear more as well. Until then, make sure to hit us up and let us know what your favorite short story from Clive Barker's BOOKS OF BLOOD is below!