Few people get to be called living legends, but two that exist right now in our lifetime are literary giants Clive Barker and Robert McCammon.
Both of these men are being given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Horror Writer’s Association, showing that they have made their mark on the industry as well as on society itself through their work.
According to horror.org, “The Lifetime Achievement Award is the most prestigious of the Bram Stoker Awards®, given by the HWA in acknowledgment of superior achievement not just in a single work but over an entire career. Past Lifetime Achievement Award winners include such noted authors as Stephen King, Anne Rice, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Ramsey Campbell and Peter Straub. Winners must have exhibited a profound, positive impact on the fields of horror and dark fantasy, and be at least 60 years of age or have been published for a minimum of 35 years. Recipients are chosen annually by a committee; this one chaired by Yvonne Navarro and including John Everson, Kathy Ptacek, Lucy Snyder and Tim Waggoner.”
The Lifetime Achievement Awards are going to be presented on June 15 during the Bram Stoker awards banquet at the World Horror Convention 2013 in New Orleans.
A man of many talents, Barker is a poet, painter, novelist and screenwriter. His artistic vision has captivated audiences both young and old all over the world, beginning with writing plays for The Dog Company. Moving into the publication of numerous short fiction collections, titled The Books of Blood, he magnified his influence through his debut novel The Damnation Game.
In addition to his books Weaveworld and the Abarat series, Barker wrote a novella titled The Hellbound Heart, which later became the movie Hellraiser under his direction.
His art has also been shown in massively successful galleries across the nation. Earning extreme praise for his neo-expressionist style, his paintings are available for easy viewing in the books Clive Barker: Illustrator volumes one and two.
The HWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award Committee Chair, Yvonne Navarro commented, “Clive Barker has had an enormous influence on Gen-X horror authors and has a marked influence on horror as a whole through his writing and movies; his Cenobites have become imprinted in the darkest corners of the public imagination. From his The Books of Blood in 1984 to the volumes of his Abarat Quintet, he has continually pushed the boundaries of horror genre to extend above and beyond any kind of stock definition. His vision extends beyond the written word, encompassing art, film, comics, video games, toys and more. He is truly a 21st century multimedia artist.”
Clive responded, “The timing of this award is entirely unexpected. It has been a difficult year personally and I am very honored by this and I accept it with great gratitude. It’s a lovely thing to get and I’m incredibly moved. Truly. I look back over the list of past winners – Ray Bradbury, Vincent Price, Harlan Ellison, Steve King – and see that I am in unparalleled company, so I’m doubly honored by that. From the bottom of my heart, I thank the Horror Writers Association.”
McCammon is a New York Times bestselling author who calls Birmingham, Alabama his home. He has won the World Fantasy award for his work and has also received the French Grand Prize of the Imagination Award for Best Foreign Novel for The Wolf’s Hour. His book The Queen Of Bedlam was nominated for the 2008 Thriller Award from the International Thriller Writers, and he is very pleased to be published in dozens of languages around the world. He won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel for Swan Song (1987), Mine (1990) and Boy’s Life (1991).
Accordng to horror.org, McCammon is one of the founders of the Horror Writer Association, along with Dean Koontz and Joe and Karen Lansdale. He is currently working on the fifth in the Corbett series, titled The River Of Souls, and also on a large-scope science-fiction/horror novel.
Yvonne Navarro said, “Robert McCammon is one of the original masters of horror fiction who was influential on those who began reading horror during the boom of the 70s and 80s; the “New Twilight Zone” adaptation of his story “Nightcrawlers” further influenced a generation of horror media fans. The excellence of his earlier work continues to delight new readers, and now that he’s returned to writing after a nearly 20 year break, both long-time and new fans eagerly await his future books. McCammon was instrumental in the creation of the Horror Writers Association and has mentored numerous authors throughout his career.”
Rick responded, “I’m pleased and honored to have been part of the creation of the Horror Writers of America (now the Horror Writers Association), and doubly pleased and honored to be given this award. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans.”
The Lifetime Achievement Awards are going to be presented on June 15 during the Bram Stoker awards banquet at the World Horror Convention 2013 in New Orleans.