The Cellar - View Single Post - Imajica by Clive Barker: June 2004 Book of the Month Discussion

Slartibartfast · 06-27-2004, 06:41 PM

Its almost the end of the month, and I am very surprised that I finished reading this monster so quickly.

The characters were very well though out, and their relationships interconnect in so many ways its amazing. Looking at the book as someone who aspires to write, I am baffled at how Clive Barker put it all together so well. (and, I just read it took 14 months of 14 hour work days- seven days a week- to write the whole book)

Clive Barker talks about Imajica:
http://www.clivebarker.dial.pipex.co...icabarker.html

***Spoilers***

Nisi Nirvana...
Okay, so the Imajica is a circle, and Nisi Nirvana is through a door under the first dominion that leads into the circle - which is where all the dead are supposed to go, and they finally stop being wandering ghosts when that door is opened. Am I understanding this right?

The five dominions felt a bit claustrophobic to me in that they seemed too small. Each is supposed to be a whole universe, but each fells like just one planet.

Hapexamendios was going to destroy the dominions soon after the reconciliation. Was there a reason given for this, or is it just a given that this is what insane gods like to do?

Barker has Hapex go out and destroy or capture all female goddesses. It seems gods are either male or female, and it is a significant part of what they are. But it is interesting that there is a third gender in the Imajica. The mystifs are male/female/both/neither. Why not a third gender or genderless god? Actually thinking it over, Hapexamendios would have probably just killed or captured that kind of god too. It also seems odd that people can worship one of many goddesses, or worship the one and only male god. Where are all the other male gods, did Hapex absorb them all into himself?
That seems to make sense because when Gentle seens Hapex's true form, it is made of bits and pieces of many 'people' patched together.

06-27-2004, 06:41 PM	#10
Slartibartfast \|-0-\| <-0-> \|-0-\| Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 516	Its almost the end of the month, and I am very surprised that I finished reading this monster so quickly. The characters were very well though out, and their relationships interconnect in so many ways its amazing. Looking at the book as someone who aspires to write, I am baffled at how Clive Barker put it all together so well. (and, I just read it took 14 months of 14 hour work days- seven days a week- to write the whole book) Clive Barker talks about Imajica: http://www.clivebarker.dial.pipex.co...icabarker.html *Spoilers* Nisi Nirvana... Okay, so the Imajica is a circle, and Nisi Nirvana is through a door under the first dominion that leads into the circle - which is where all the dead are supposed to go, and they finally stop being wandering ghosts when that door is opened. Am I understanding this right? The five dominions felt a bit claustrophobic to me in that they seemed too small. Each is supposed to be a whole universe, but each fells like just one planet. Hapexamendios was going to destroy the dominions soon after the reconciliation. Was there a reason given for this, or is it just a given that this is what insane gods like to do? Barker has Hapex go out and destroy or capture all female goddesses. It seems gods are either male or female, and it is a significant part of what they are. But it is interesting that there is a third gender in the Imajica. The mystifs are male/female/both/neither. Why not a third gender or genderless god? Actually thinking it over, Hapexamendios would have probably just killed or captured that kind of god too. It also seems odd that people can worship one of many goddesses, or worship the one and only male god. Where are all the other male gods, did Hapex absorb them all into himself? That seems to make sense because when Gentle seens Hapex's true form, it is made of bits and pieces of many 'people' patched together.