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The Thief of Always is a novel by Clive Barker that was published in 1992.

It is a fable written for children, but it has enough layers of meanings to also be enjoyed by adults. The book contains many color paintings by the author, and the cover is also illustrated by him.

The story begins with Harvey Swick, a boy who is bored with his life. He meets Rictus, a strange goblin-like man, who invites Harvey to a place called the Holiday House, which he describes as a place of endless pleasures. Harvey follows Rictus to the house, where he meets Wendell, a boy who has been there for a while; Lulu, a girl who has stayed even longer; and Ms. Griffin, an old woman that cooks for the house who has been there longer than anyone. Harvey is told that the creator and current owner of the house is a man named Mr. Hood, and that Rictus and his three siblings, known as Jive, Marr (who can transform the image of a person) and Carna (a winged beast) are keepers of the house. It is soon discovered that the Holiday House has a dark side; Harvey discovers a cold lake with fish swimming in it. When Lulu falls in and turns into a fish herself, Harvey realizes that the House is an illusion powered by dark magic, and that the fish are actually the souls of children who spent too long in the House and were captured by Hood. Harvey decides to escape with Wendell, and though they are hindered by an attack from Carna, they manage to escape.

However, when they return to the outside world, it is discovered that while Harvey and Wendell appeared to stay only a month in the Holiday House, 31 years had passed outside. Harvey decides to re-enter the house in an attempt to reclaim the lost years, bringing Wendell with him. Upon entering the house, Wendell is distracted by its petty pleasures and forgets Harvey's goal. Harvey, using the fact that the entire house is illusion, destroys Marr, Jive and Carna in turn, and it is discovered that they, along with Rictus, are all illusions. After the destruction of Carna, Harvey meets Mr. Hood, who it appears died long ago and is now the house itself. Hood attempts to bribe Harvey with offers of whatever he wants. Harvey craftily decides to ask for all the seasons at once, which Hood tries to grant. The power of such an illusion tears down the house, freeing all the captive children. However, Hood rebuilds a body from the debris of the house, resulting in a final confrontation in which Hood is knocked into the lake, which has turned into a vortex (or whirlpool) and sucks him in. The children all leave the remains of the house to go back to their respective times.

Since its 1992 publication, it has been released in paperback & audiobook formats.

The novel has been serialized as a graphic novel under the name Clive Barker's The Thief of Always, published by IDW Publishing. The graphic novel was adapted by Kris Oprisko and illustrated by Gabriel Hernandez.

A live action adaptation of the novel was negotiated between Seraphim Films and 20th Century Fox on or before August 4, 2004. ^[1] According the IMDB, the movie is scheduled for release in 2007 but is still listed as in production so the date is subject to change.

• Revelations - The Official Clive Barker Resource Constantly updated news and archive of fascinating comment.

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