Weaveworld
First UK edition
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| Author | Clive Barker |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Dark fantasy, Horror |
| Publisher |
Collins (UK) Poseidon Press (US) |
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Publication date
|
1987 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 672 |
| ISBN | |
Weaveworld is a 1987 dark fantasy novel by Clive Barker.
It was nominated in 1988 for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
The novel, set in Liverpool, England, in the late 1980s, revolves around the secret existence of The Seerkind – a race of people with the capacity to invoke magic, or "raptures" as it is described and their struggles to remain hidden from the non magical world which they refer to as "The Kingdom of The Cuckoo".
Decades prior to the book's opening, the Seerkind combined all of their powers to create a secret world known as "The Fugue" – a carpet into which they wove their most beloved locations, animals, possessions and indeed themselves as a safe haven. Their aim was to avoid persecution by humans (who call them demons and fairies) as well as eradication by a destructive being known as The Scourge. This creature's nature is entirely unknown to the Seerkind, given that none of those assaulted by the Scourge survived to describe it. The Fugue, resembling an ordinary, albeit exquisitely woven carpet is left in the care of a normal cuckoo woman, Mimi Laschenski, who married one of the Seerkind and resides in Liverpool.
As the story begins, Mimi has reached old age and been hospitalised following a stroke. A young man named Calhoun Mooney, chasing an escaped homing pigeon, accidentally gets a glimpse of the Fugue hidden in the carpet, which profoundly affects him.
Simultaneously, Mimi's granddaughter Suzanna Parrish, arrives in the city at Mimi's behest. The mystery surrounding Mimi and the full potential of the carpet brings Cal and Suzanna together and quickly into confrontation with the primary antagonists:
As the novel progresses, Cal and Suzanna acquire new allies and abilities in their goal of protecting The Fugue from destruction, even venturing into it themselves twice. When Shadwell's actions result in The Fugue's seemingly total obliteration, the surviving Seerkind scatter and in a last desperate attempt to finish them once and for all, Shadwell locates and awakens The Scourge which begins systematically destroying any and all traces of rapture it can find.
In the book's final act, Cal, Suzanna and their remaining allies make one final stand against Shadwell by using his own tactics against him and convince The Scourge to abandon its cause and leave the planet in peace. In the aftermath a severely traumatised Cal is cared for by Suzanna whilst their friends adjust to permanent life amongst the cuckoos. Eventually, Cal emerges from his withdrawal with the knowledge of how The Fugue is still alive and can be restored to its full glory.
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Wikipedia