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'Twilight at the Towers' seemed promising for a while, but fell to mediocrity towards the end. An unfortunate closing story, though hopefully the postscript will make for a sweeter final note.

"The scars themselves still looked and felt tender, but her eyes read their lividness as a sign of her cunt's ambition, as though any day now her sex would grow from anus to navel (and beyond perhaps) opening her up; making her terrible."

'The Last Illusion' is probably my favorite story of the collection. Perhaps less horror than adventure, it concerns a mad dash to have the remains of a famous magician cremated before his body and soul can be claimed by the infernal beings with whom he made the deal to gain his powers.

'In the Flesh' was a bit longer than most of the other works in this anthology, and it was of above average quality too. Instead of stretching too thin a single gem of an idea, Barker weaves together a few loose threads to keep things interesting throughout the whole story. There are a couple of interesting characters and a couple of really nifty locales too. This isn't your standard transformation story.

'Babel's Children' is a familiar tale of the secret rulers of the world - they who pull the strings from behind the scenes - but with a fatalist turn.

'The Madonna' had some tinge of Lovecraft but, on the whole, felt more of Unknown Armies (the RPG). Another story that was alright without being great.

'The Forbidden' could have gone in any number of ways, and while the chosen direction had a gem or two of interesting idea, I didn't think it was all that great.

'The Age of Desire' contains more rape than any other story I've read - short or otherwise. Though while it's presented with a visceral brutality befitting the act, the fantastical nature of the story prevents it from feeling too dark.

''Down, Satan!' was a promising tale of a rich man's contrived plan to find himself in God's good grace; basically, by first meeting with the Devil. The ending was anticlimactic, but there was still some atmosphere to the story worth wading through.

'Revelations' was average, but I'm not one for the standard sort of ghosts.

'The Body Politic' was brilliant! It depicts the most troublesome of rebellions. The resolution of the main plot was a little bit disappointing, but the final scene of the story was grand.

'The Inhuman Condition' had me curious for most of the story, and I quite liked the knotted rope (which reminded me of the puzzle box from Hellraiser), but the ending was a disappointment.

'Human Remains' concerns itself with a statuesque creature gradually stealing the identity of the story's protagonist. It feels like a familiar premise, but it's a decent read nevertheless.

'Scape-Goats' sees a handful of seafaring holiday-makers shipwreck on a seemingly deserted island with an unexpectedly dark nature.

'Confessions of a (Pornographer's) Shroud' was a wonderfully ridiculous twist on the classic revenge story motif. Instead of coming back undead, the protagonist's unfortunate possession of a shroud makes his work all the more challenging.

'Rawhead Rex' was fantastic. More even than the destruction wrought by the titular Titan, I loved the Lovecraftian way that it inspires awe and madness in almost equal parts among those who encounter it (and who survive long enough to react at all).

'Son of Celluloid' was a bit camp for my taste at times, but it had it's redeeming moments. The antagonist, once truly revealed, is quite memorable in its oddness.

'New Murders in the Rue Morgue' was the least inspired of the stories I've read so far; a rehash of a classic that I never much cared for in the first place.

'The Skins of the Fathers' is one of my favourite stories so far. It concerns a small desert town and the demon creatures that harangue its citizens every dozen or so years.

'Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testement' is quite a strange story of woman empowerment. What's creepiest for me isn't how Jacqueline uses her power on others, but the way it grows to affect her while she sleeps.

'Hell's Event' only further cements my conviction that each of Barker's stories are fresh; even when they're a riff on a classic premise, they're completely unlike anything else

'Dread' lost some of it's shine towards the end, as I felt that the object of Quaid's fear could have been something more interesting.

'In the Hills, The Cities' ... I can't even.

'Sex, Death and Starshine' further cemented for me the way that Barker marries horror to sexuality. It's popped up in a couple of the other stories, but I'm only now appreciating it as a motif of his.

'Pig Blood Blues' maintains the established quality of story in its pleasurable straightforwardness

Woah, wait, is that implied homosexual paedophilia? Uh, okay.

'Yattering and Jack' concerns a demon tasked with driving to insanity a man seemingly too inane to affect. The characterisation of the demon, Yattering, inspires sympathy and the whole story is a strange sort of comedy.

If 'The Midnight Meat Train' is indicative of the rest of this collection, I'll be pleased.

Barker's style is simple while not without refinement and lends the story a pulpy, visceral impact.

'The Book of Blood' seems a fitting opener, setting a fine standard with its powerfully Barkeresque style.