Mister B. Gone
By Clive Barker
Harper (November, 2007) $24.95

Mister B. Gone is being touted as Barker’s return to the horror genre after a long detour into dark fantasy and children’s books. That description may be a bit misleading. After all, Barker’s fantasy work has always included elements of horror, just as Mister B. Gone includes elements of fantasy.

The only problem with his new work is it’s just not scary.

That’s not to say it’s not an entertaining read. The short novel is supposedly a memoir written in 1438 by a minor demon named Jakabok Botch. The demon has somehow become trapped inside the book, which Barker hopes has added an element of danger to reading it.

Barker breaks down the barrier between reader and text, with Botch addressing the reader from the very beginning, imploring him to burn the book so that he may be freed. His methods are seductive at first, offering bits and pieces of his story in the hope that you’ll do what he wants.

He appeals to all aspects of human nature -- your greed, your compassion, your fears – throughout the tale, in which he reveals how he came to be embedded in the text before you.

We hear about his unpleasant childhood (yes, demons have parents too) in the lower world, how he came to be lured into ours and his complicated relationship with Quitoon, a nasty fellow demon with whom he roamed the earth.

Barker intends to unsettle the reader with Botch’s threats, which start when he realizes appealing to our compassion isn’t getting him anywhere. The problem is that the reader knows Botch is trapped in the book, otherwise he wouldn’t be begging to be let free. End of threat. Some readers may also find the constant entreaties from Botch a bit distracting. A little less of that and a little more of the story would have been better.

Those expecting that return to classic horror that the dust jacket proclaims will be very disappointed. Despite using what could easily be dismissed as a gimmick, Barker can still weave an interesting tale and, like Botch, has plenty to say about the tenuous balance between good and evil and the power of the written word.

--Jeff Cercone