Rawhead Rex

   

     When it comes to terrifying monsters, Clive Barker doesn't disappoint. I may be a tad bias as I'm a big fan of his, but the story Rawhead Rex from Clive Barker's Books of Blood is an exemplary example of Barker's ability to create a believable monster that crawls into your deepest nightmares. Rawhead Rex is a unique and terrifying take an the ancient evil creature that rises to prowl the unprepared modern streets. I ate up this story, no extra rows of teeth required,

      Let's start with the monster this story is named after, Rawhead Rex. The descriptions of the creature are disturbing and clear. There is plenty to get a solid idea of what this being looks like without being overburdened by imagery that isn't needed. Barker gives Rex enough of a backstory for the audience to understand his motivation and yet leaves enough mystery to keep the fear of the unknown vibe about the monster. The reader also gets some glimpses into Rex's perspective, which make his attacks all the more horrific. He has no regard for human life, in fact, he relishes destroying it. He is also more complex than a creature simply bent on rage and destruction. Rex has the capacity to learn and plot, which makes him all the more dangerous.

       This story has a heavy does of gore. Barker is careful to create a plot and strategically plan out each death so as not to cross over into the realm of mindless gore-porn. Many of the characters that meet a grisly end have an flaw that Barker focuses on before their end. The farmer in the beginning is stubborn to a fault, Detective Sergeant Gissing has a pedophilic recurring dream, and Declan has become demented. In each of these cases, the audience is able to accept the gore as they see the fault in the character. Their fates may have been extreme, which still ramps up the terror, and yet the audience doesn't feel they are witnessing innocent people being mutilated for the sake of splatter alone. The Nicholson family is left intentionally vague, especially the child that Rex devours. Barker doesn't give us the detail or the needed time to fully invest in those characters so that the carnage becomes akin to watching the nightly news and hearing about a horrible murder. It's scary, but since we don't know them personally, it's easier to swallow the murders since they are distant. Ian's death is soften by his submission. The boy has seen this happen to him in dreams and therefore accepts his fate. Barker has masterfully given us a story that turns the stomach while the reader keeps flipping pages as the gruesome deaths all have a cushion.

     The real jewel of this story for me is the numerous themes that flow through it. One being this is a story about worship and what is worthy of worship. Rawhead Rex has ambition to be a king or, more likely, a god. Declan indulges him in this aspiration, but Rex has his sights set upon all of humanity. Coots is devoted to his Christian beliefs, yet even he wavers in the face of the monster. His role is that of the wise man that points our Protagonist, Ron, to the Creature's weakness. Yet, he is more than that. In many ways, Coot is the representation of our modern disillusion with religion. His God doesn't save him and he must make peace with the knowledge that either God wished him to die  or that God doesn't exist. Ron ends up finding the fertility idol that is Rex's weakness. It is up for debate if the Goddess had some unique power over Rex or if it simply preyed upon his fear. After all, it was the people that ended up taking the monster down and not some divine power. It leaves the reader to ponder if any of the potential deities were really worth worship or if humanity in itself was the true power of this story.

      Another theme is the concept of female fertility plays an important role in this tale. Rawhead Rex ponders his strange relationship with human woman at several points in the text. He has an aversion to women on their period, yet also muses about how he (and presumably other creatures like him) dragged women off into the woods to rape them and then watch die as they wouldn't survive the birth of a half-bred. This was to gain power over them. Whether it is the woman themselves that frighten the monsters or the Goddess that represents fertility is interesting to consider. As much as the female power of procreation scares him, the results of that ability are a delight to him. Children are his favorite treat. Thus, he has a strange dynamic that leads to his demise.

      I did find a few things I felt detracted from the story. The third person omniscient POV was distracting at times as the jump from one person's head to another was often sudden and without warning. This POV isn't generally my taste as it makes stories feel impersonal and I can't fall into them as much as I want to. I also really wanted this to be a longer work, preferably a novel length story. There was so much that could have been expanded upon and the town and characters could have been more dynamic in a longer piece.

      Overall, this is an amazing read. If you get your hands on any of the Books of Blood, make sure to savor every bite.