Clive Barker, the author, filmmaker, and artist known for his work in horror, has announced not one but three new books. The Library of the Dead trio of anthologies are described as “the spiritual successor to his debut Books of Blood” and are currently seeking backers on Kickstarter.

Barker is a horror and dark fantasy luminary whose work evokes fear through artistic creativity rather than blunt shock value, notably seen in his novella, The Hellbound Heart. He also explored what defines monsters and violence against marginalized people in Cabal and the story “The Forbidden,” which was adapted as the movie, Candyman. Barker is also known for books like Weaveworld, Imajica, and Sacrament, and for writing and directing Hellraiser (based on The Hellbound Heart), Nightbreed (based on Cabal), and Lord of Illusions (based on his story “The Last Illusion”).

The Library of the Dead books – titled Fear Eternal, Pyres of Bedlam, and Dark Descents – contain new original stories, alongside out of print short stories and poetry, and Barker’s black and white illustrations, all curated by the author himself. The three books are only available via the Kickstarter campaign and will be distributed to backers quarterly throughout 2027.

Books feature cover art by Franck Besançon and are available in hardcover, leather, and special limited edition numbered, signed, and lettered editions. Campaign rewards include a portfolio of nine fine art prints that Barker created for the project, a limited edition polystone book coffin inspired by his art, and a remastered edition of his Books of Blood in a six-volume series.

Pledge levels start at $39 for one of the new books, $49 for all three in Ebook format, and $59 for all three as audio books. The three books in a slipcase are $119, followed by many pledge levels with other perks.

The campaign set a goal of $25,000, that was quickly surpassed and is up to over $444,000 at press time. The Kickstarter campaign runs through September 8, 2026.