Midian - Clive Barker's novella, Cabal, takes us to the world of Midian and monsters, a city and safehaven for outcasts. (It was also made into a movie called Nightbreed in 1990)

The story goes like this: Boone dreams of a city filled with monsters called Midian. He is also terrified by visions of crimes he may or may not have committed. Boone seeks out the city, which he finds populated by shape-shifting creatures called "Nightbreed" who have unnatural powers.

The human characters of Cabal either abhor the monsters or envy them. As the readers, we're led to Midian through the main character, Boone. We're outsiders, just as he is - we're given an introduction to this world in this manner. That's how Barker draws us into this world.


Halloweentown - Disney & Tim Burton's film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, gives us the land of holidays, but the particular view we get is Halloweentown, where Halloween is celebrated all year long. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, presides over the land but he grows weary of the same celebration year after year. Searching for something new, he discovers Christmastown and decides to try it out for himself.

The world of Halloween town is introduced to the viewer immediately into the film in a very visual manner. Through the song, "This is Halloween," we are introduced to several characters and themes of the world. Many of these are relateable, as we have them in the human world, too. We are outsiders, but we can relate to this world through the similarities.

When Jack finds Halloweentown, he is suddenly the outsider, and we're connected to this world through our knowledge and Jack's ignorance of the themes and images of Christmas.