With a mind as colorful as a painter’s palette and a philosophical edge as sharp as a philosopher's stone, Barker navigates a labyrinth of themes in his storytelling. Two recurring motifs stand out prominently. The first, which Barker himself emphasizes in public dialogues, revolves around the notion of profound metamorphosis triggered by an intense and enlightening experience. In Barker’s tales, these moments of insight closely mirror the epiphanies depicted in the works of James Joyce.

"People," he asserts, "are given a moment of revelation, which, I think, is just about the most important thing in the world — moments when they see themselves in relation to the imaginative elements which have erupted into their lives."

Terror and Transformation

What distinctly sets these revelations and transformations apart from Joyce's epiphanies—or those of any other writer—is their harrowing nature. In Barker’s universe, such experiences are terrifying, often gruesome, and not seldom, deadly. Yet, Barker artfully argues that even in demise, his characters find a state far superior to their existence while alive. A striking example is the narrative "Sex, Death and Starshine" (Volume I), where a lackluster acting troupe endeavours to perform Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. They are confronted by the incensed specters—or rather, zombies—of past theatergoers. This extraordinary challenge compels the troupe to transcend their mediocrity, culminating in their finest performance to date. However, upon the curtain's fall, a blaze engulfs the theater, consuming the actors in its fiery embrace.

In the realm beyond life, the cast is reanimated as an inspired zombie troupe, delighting audiences of the deceased across the nation. Much like the actors in "Sex, Death and Starshine," the protagonists in Barker’s stories are often underdogs. Only when faced with extreme circumstances, whether they survive intact, are left impaired, or even perish, do they reach their ultimate spiritual awakening.

The second prominent theme coursing through Barker's oeuvre is somewhat elusive in definition, yet it vividly captures the idea of an essential symbiosis between humanity and its perceived antithesis—those inhuman yet sentient forces that populate creation, whether they be spirits, demons, monsters, or other figments of our boundless imaginations. These tales frequently depict encounters between humans and emissaries from Hell, such as in "The Yattering and Jack" (Volume I). This delightful piece of dark comedy showcases a hapless novice demon dispatched from the underworld with the mission of tormenting a man to claim his soul, only to disastrously fail and become enslaved by his intended prey.

"Hell's Event" (Volume II) envisions a demon disguised as a runner, entering a well-known marathon with the clear goal of soul-winning. Meanwhile, "The Last Illusion" (Volume VI) presents a quirky twist on the Faustian legend, wherein Hell's agents futilely attempt to retrieve a body necessary to balance their infernal books. Intriguingly, in narratives where the conflict involves humans against the traditional forces of Hell, it is often the demons who meet defeat or become subdued. This trend also surfaces in confrontations with otherworldly adversaries, as illustrated in "Rawhead Rex" (Volume III), where a hideously grotesque creature, possibly the manifestation of a Jungian mythic terror, is vanquished by a protagonist who uncovers its lethal vulnerability.

However, more frequently, when mortals clash with the inhuman (excluding conventional Hell's agents), it is indeed the humans who find themselves subjugated, albeit ironically, these new circumstances might usher them into realms of elevated consciousness and profound self-awareness. This thematic exploration surfaces repeatedly in stories such as "The Midnight Meat Train" (Volume I), "Pig Blood Blues" (Volume I), "Scapegoats" (Volume III), "Human Remains" (Volume III), "The Inhuman Condition" (Volume IV), "The Forbidden" (Volume V), "The Madonna" (Volume V), "In The Flesh" (Volume V), and "The Life of Death" (Volume VI).