This month’s “Your Favorite Author’s Favorite Author” is the first time one of my interviewees has selected a still-living author as their favorite. It was an absolute honor to chat with Paula D. Ashe about one of horror’s living legends, a master of many forms of media, Clive Barker. I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate the influence that Barker’s work has had, especially on the rising generation of horror authors—those who look beyond Puritanical, small-town definitions of good and evil and find an intimacy with monsters to be a rewarding pursuit.

No author perhaps better represents this wholesale embracing of the transgressive and unsettling as means of expression like Paula D. Ashe. Ashe is a writer of dark fiction whose debut short fiction collection, We Are Here to Hurt Each Other, was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award and won a Shirley Jackson award. Paula is a member of the Horror Writers Association and was an Associate Editor for Vastarien: A Literary Journal. She is represented by Lane Heymont at Tobias Literary Agency, and lives in the Midwest with her family. 

With all that said, let’s talk favorites…

Who is your favorite author and why?

Clive Barker, because I too am gay and (respectfully) unhinged.

I think reading Barker’s work was the first time that I (a Xennial white kid growing up in the semi-rural small-town South) was presented with gay and queer characters in a way that wasn’t tokenizing or reducing them to the level of pantomime villainy, that instead showed these characters as heroes, villains, victims, and entities beyond human understanding—and many times all within the same character. Do you see that same freedom and fluidity in presenting these characters and other elements in reading Barker’s fiction? And if so, what impact did that have on you as reader and later as writer?

Oh, for sure! I mean, within The Hellbound Heart, the Cenobites are these genderfluid, genderf*cking entities that care so little for human constructions of sexuality, and I think even before I fully realized what was happening, I very much latched onto that. It’s obvious in retrospect why and how I would find that so intriguing, but I think that in addition to being a “representation” of queerness, it's also a wonderful way to present a queerness that isn’t subservient to normative morality. And that really—in some ways—sort of “ruined” me as a reader and writer (perhaps) because I’m not terribly interested in black-and-white depictions of anthropocentric good versus evil, because nothing is like that. Nothing interesting to me, anyway.

When were you first made aware of this author and when were you first drawn to their work?

I was made aware of Clive Barker’s work when my bestie since seventh grade gave me a copy of The Books of Blood Volume 1 in the 8th grade*. To be honest, a lot of it went over my head at that time. I didn’t know enough to fully appreciate what he was doing, how radical, how revolutionary, how queer, how punk, how transgressive it all was. I was just like, “That story with the giants was cool.” [Interviewer note: assuming “that story with the giants” refers to “In the Hills, the Cities,” which is, indeed, very cool.]

Which, y’know, I wasn’t wrong, but it is a collection whose impact on me has deepened over time.   (*I have a much longer story about how I discovered Hellraiser the film, but it wasn’t until much later in life that I realized the Clive Barker who wrote the Books of Blood and the Clive Barker who created Hellraiser was the same person—I don’t know how I missed that either.)

Is there one particular piece of work from this author that you are especially fond of or that’s had a significant creative impact on you? What is that piece and what makes it so appealing or affecting for you?

I toyed with the idea of picking something a bit more contemporary like the novella Tortured Souls: The Legend of Primordium—which doesn’t get enough attention, I think. However, I have to go with The Hellbound Heart, because, in no small way, it kind of changed my life. I found a lot of who I am in that book. I certainly have my own voice as a writer, but Barker’s influence is evident in terms of my language use, subject matter, sensibility, etc.

That book is my body-shaped hole in the side of a mountain. I’m always interested in family secrets, generational trauma, depraved sexualities, spirituality and self mutilation, queerness…I could go on. And for all of what seems like the trappings of dull, edgelord nonsense, The Hellbound Heart is a profoundly philosophical and cosmic look at the psychology and physiology of desire. It’s a very human story to me and I find that compelling and beautiful.  

Okay, all that and I have to say that The Hellbound Heart (specifically the 1987 film adaptation [Hellraiser]) also allowed me to become a small part of Hellraiser history; and I mention that only because it is absolutely insane to me that you can watch the Quartet of Torment box set and see a conversation between myself, Eric LaRocca, and Arrow Producer Neil Swindon. INSANE.

Out of curiosity, before we delve deeper into The Hellbound Heart, what is it about Tortured Souls: The Legend of Primordium that placed it in contention for you? In considering these pieces, what, if any, connections did you make between the two pieces? Is there anything in particular you take away from seeing the changes over time in Barker’s work—as represented by these two pieces?

Largely just because Tortured Souls: The Legend of Primordium is rarely mentioned, though it has significant overlap with The Hellbound Heart. Tortured Souls is, in some ways, less concerned with an examination of the influence of desire on human nature and more concerned with revenge and the intersections of criminality and institutional power. The Hellbound Heart is a very…interior sort of story. We are rarely outside of the house on Lodovico Street,  whereas in Tortured Souls we are all over the city of Primordium; from its sewers and streets, to the public houses and palaces. I hope in saying this it doesn’t sound pejorative, but it reads a bit like The Hellbound Heart Lite. Instead of transdimensional beings who have tortured their bodies for pleasure, these are people who purposefully submit themselves to be “reconfigured” by a being named Agonistes (also known as, The Secret Face of Genesis), often in pursuit of vengeance. While The Hellbound Heart has a lot of dark humor, Tortured Souls is fun in a more action-centered sort of way. It’s important to note that the Tortured Souls books were created when Barker partnered with McFarlane Toys to create a limited line of exceptionally detailed, exceptionally disturbing adult-oriented action figures in the early 2000s. Barker always has such sights to show us, and the Tortured Souls stories are no exception.

How often do you revisit The Hellbound Heart or Barker’s work in general? What lessons have you learned at various times from the work?

I try to read it every year, but I sometimes will read it more often. It’s a stabilizing, grounding read for me. When I am writing and I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it, The Hellbound Heart reminds me why. It’s not the only book that does that for me, but it is one of the most important. It’s a good reminder that you can tell a story that’s dangerous and transgressive and exciting and that’s also gorgeously written without being heavy-handed.

It's very short so you can read it in…an hour, maybe two. I think Crossroads Press released an audio version with Clive Barker reading the story and Bafflegab Productions did an audio drama version. I mention those because that means it's accessible so everyone should read/listen.

Are there any pieces in the author’s oeuvre that have not worked as well for you? If yes, which ones and why do you think that connection was not as strong?

I find it really hard to relate to the Harry D’Amour stuff like The Great and Secret Show, Everville, and later The Scarlet Gospels. I’m not sure why, I think it’s maybe the most accessible character (or one of the most) accessible characters that Barker has created and I find [D’amour] a little too…normie? That sounds very stupid, I’ll admit, but I just have never found him particularly compelling. Which is fine, not everything has to be for me and I don’t expect it to be.

What writing lessons have you taken, purposefully or accidentally, from your favorite author?

 Probably the most obvious has been to follow your passions, your obsessions, your fascinations, indulge all of that (in your fiction at least—but I mean, since we’re talking Clive Barker I’m pretty sure he’d encourage that in your day to day too). It makes for a richer reading experience and I think readers catch the authenticity in that.

Also, have some fun? It’s okay to have fun in your work (and in your life). Barker writes some of the darkest shit out there but from what I can tell he is a pretty upbeat person in real life.

100% agree. Barker has written some of the most terrifying and unsettling things I’ve read. But then followed with some of the funniest, most absurd bits of fiction right alongside those “scarier” parts. Are there any specific takeaways from the humor side of Barker’s writing that you’ve incorporated into your own work or that you would like to some day?

I feel like Barker is constantly reminding us that agony and ecstasy are two ends of the same spectrum, and they may not even be that far apart. I’m one of those curmudgeonly people who really hates comedic horror (but clearly I don’t hate it as much as I think I do, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this discussion), but I think there is room for that. I don’t know if it’s something I’d explore at length, but I have found that letting my character’s be a little snarky, a little sarcastic, can go a long way in making them seem (hopefully) a bit more relatable. Also, life is hard and largely unpleasant. Barker reminds us that art, laughter, sex, and love can offer some much needed balms to our uniquely human misery.

Are there any works in your bibliography that you feel are closest to the work of your favorite—whether in terms of style, subject matter, length, etc.? Talk a little about those similarities.

We Are Here to Hurt Each Other, my first short story collection, owes a lot to Clive Barker. I love exploring the spirituality of the dichotomy between beauty and ugliness and that’s a direct influence of The Hellbound Heart. Some of the projects I’m currently working on examine the themes of sexuality, self-mutilation, and spiritual transformation, and that connects to The Hellbound Heart because it’s also a horror story for grown folks. The Hellbound Heart hits a LOT different now in my early forties than when I read it back then in my late teens, just…my god.

We Are Here to Hurt Each Other was truly one of those “this feels special”-types of works seemingly right out of the gate, and it seemed like the Barker comparisons were made just as early (and favorable ones at that!). What was that like to see and hear those comparisons?

Thank you, I appreciate that. I mean, that book came out in 2022 and I am still riding high from those comparisons (don’t think I will ever not be). Initially I was worried that people thought I was just “copying” Barker but none (or at least very few that I’ve seen) suggested that. Most folks seem to rightfully understand that I am happily and enthusiastically influenced by Barker, but that I also have my own voice.

Where does your writing diverge from your favorite author’s? Are there any elements from your favorite author’s work that you would like to incorporate in your own? If yes, what are these?

The divergence of natural inclination, for the most part. I feel as comfortable with being influenced by Barker’s work as I could be. I think I sometimes worry that the influence overshadows my work, but I’m also incredibly paranoid about things that…aren’t actually happening. So I think that’s overthinking, if nothing else. Not necessarily to incorporate his elements into my work anymore (other than some sort of media tie-in or whatever anyone wants me to do something involving Hellraiser I’m generally game, and you can find my agent’s info at the end of this interview), but his sense of fun and joy in creation, I definitely admire that and seek to authentically embody and express that.

You’ll be my first interviewee who’s selected a still-living author and who, in the case of Barker, still has his creations very much an active and thriving part of the cultural zeitgeist. As a creator, to what degree do you think about your creations beyond the printed page? Do you have similar multimedia ambitions as Barker?

I do have some ambitions but I think the key is for me to make those things happen and not wait around for someone else to make it happen. Looking at Barker’s corpus, it is clear he is a person who feels very confident about his work and approaches it with a pretty solid business sense and a sense of pride. He approaches his work with a very DIY ethos and I think that’s really powerful. As someone who writes transgressive horror, I often joke that my work isn’t fit for anyone to read. But the truth is I’m very proud of what I do and I would love the opportunity for people to encounter it more widely. I know that has its own set of pitfalls and risks, but so does everything. 

If a reader wanted to start reading your favorite author, what piece would you recommend they start with?

He’s so prolific, so if any of what I mentioned above sounds interesting then definitely start with The Hellbound Heart. If short fiction is more your bag, any of the Books of Blood will do (there are six volumes). The Thief of Always and Abarat are for younger readers and he’s also written nonfiction, poetry, plays, comics, and so much else. Just dive in anywhere and see where you end up.

And yet, across all these media, I think one can recognize a Barker work—whether it’s horror short story, dark fantasy novel, painting, YA fiction, etc.—as distinctly a Barker work. Do you feel that’s true as well? And, if so, do you have any thoughts/theories on what that connective tissue shared between all the works might be? 

I do feel that’s true and I think it comes back to the sense of joy Barker has with what he creates. There’s a vibrancy, an energy, a sense of movement in his work that is unmistakable. Nothing about what he (alone, mind you…) creates feels stale in any way. It’s why we keep coming back to his work, much of it feels timeless.

What do you have coming out next on the writing and publishing front? What are you working on now?

I am currently working on a novella (Transubstantiation Blues) for Clash Books that will be out in summer 2026 and I have a few short stories I’m working on for various anthologies that will be coming out later this year. I’m also in the planning stages for a visually oriented project that I’m terribly excited about, but that’s all I can say right now.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your favorite author.

You’re so welcome! Thank you for contacting me, this is such a cool project.

Where can readers find you online?

My Linktree is probably the best place to start.