In Greek mythology, the Oneiroi (Ὄνειροι, Dreams) were, according to Hesiod, sons of Nyx (Night), and were brothers of Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), Geras (Old Age) and other beings, all produced via parthenogenesis.Cicero follows this tradition, but describes the sons of Nyx as fathered by Erebus (Darkness).

Euripides calls them instead sons of Gaia (Earth) and pictures them as black-winged daemons.^{[clarification needed]}

The Latin poet Ovid presents them not as brothers of Hypnos, but as some of his thousand sons. He mentions three by name: Morpheus (who excels in presenting human images), Icelos or Phobetor (who presents images of beasts, birds and serpents), and Phantasos (who presents images of earth, rock, water and wood).

In Homer's Iliad, an Oneiros is pictured as summoned by Zeus, receiving from him spoken instructions, and then going to the camp of the Achaeans and entering the tent of Agamemnon to urge him to warfare.

The Odyssey speaks of the land of dreams as past the streams of Oceanus, close to where the spirits of the dead are led (Hades).Statius pictures the Dreams as attending on slumbering Hypnos (Somnus in Latin) in a cave in that region.

Clive Barker (born 5 October 1952) is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction. Barker came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a series of short stories which established him as a leading young horror writer. He has since written many novels and other works, and his fiction has been adapted into motion pictures, notably the Hellraiser and Candyman series.

Clive Barker was born in Liverpool, England, the son of Joan Rubie (née Revill), a painter and school welfare officer, and Leonard Barker, a personnel director for an industrial relations firm. Educated at Dovedale Primary School and the former Quarry Bank High School now Calderstones Quarry Bank High School, he studied English and Philosophy at Liverpool University. The Damnation Game and Volume 2 of The Books of Blood are dedicated to John Gregson^[who?].

In 2003, Barker received The Davidson/Valentini Award at the 15th GLAAD Media Awards, presented "to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for any of those communities". While Barker is critical of organized religion, he has identified himself as a Christian and has stated that the Bible influences his work.