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The beatniks were a bunch of pedophile or apologists to ; & should rather be denounced don’t you think & we still have have goregrind & porngrind & that is ok because no one takes it seriously haha
What, you don't want a nonstop 'discourse' about moral panic from all sides of the political spectrum, echoing again and again until all involved are driven mad? That's the BEST outcome! /s
As a subgenre, when it's good, splatterpunk makes some of the greatest material in the horror genre. A Light At The End, and The Books of Blood are classic examples. The Stephen King story Survivor Type is another great example. Addendum: A great deal of some of the current horror literature of the last few decades was influenced by Splatterpunk. It didn't die, or disappear, it very much infused the current material
It's a grain from the chaff thing... even some of the retropulp titles these days have some shining moments, or show some potential. Interestingly, akin to Barker, there's Regina Watts writer on the VHS Terrors trio of books who I think at one time identified as a fetishist in her author blurb, though I might be wrong, but for some reason I left that series thinking those folks seem to have a deft hand at handling the content of the splatter genre well. Either that or I totally mis-identified the niche of that series.
Was "Survivor Type" the one about the disgraced surgeon attempting to smuggle a kg of heroin across the Pacific on a boat that sinks? He's the only survivor on a coral atoll, and all he has is the heroin and his scalpel. I won't ruin the rest. Sorry, haven't read much Stephen King since the 80s
@valvihk3649 ill play along 😃 " uuuuuhhhmmmmm EXCUUUUUSE MEEEE?!? Stine is the one of the most prolific splatter punks in this universe! How dare you sully his name with these inferences you swine!??!" 😁
I was reading Splatterpunk in my teens. My favourite authors were James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, and Graham Masterton. Clive Barker still stands out for me today. There are scenes from those books that live in my head. Shaun Hutson definitely embraces the counter-culture element, not just in the Splatterpunk elements, but he used a lot of heavy metal references as well.
I accidentally ran across Barker’s Weaveworld when I was a teen and it definitely changed me on an atomic level. Every time I see him brought up on the internet I need to talk about it because I don’t have anyone in person to discuss it with. Spoilers ahead, but they are vague. His world so warped me that when he referred to gay sex as one man impaling another with his flesh I took it literally. I was like, “oh, right, one Arab guide has stabbed the other with his hand, alright, that makes sense.” I was even confused as to why Uriel would kill them for such an act (it’s not like it killed the guy) that I had to go back and reread the passage a couple of times before I realized it was a metaphor. I had read gay sex scenes before, I had no excuse!
I'm reading Damnation Game right now, love Cliver Barker. I miss the raw realism of the world. I'm pretty young, but even I see that everyone around me is either living in a fluffy fantasy or pushing for a fluffy fantasy. It feels ignorant and fake, makes me derealize often watching how people behave. The dark and gritty realism is comfortable, reminds me we are imperfect humans in an imperfect world and that's okay.
When I was 8 years old I bought Books of Blood because of the Steven King quote on the front calling Clive Barker the "new king of horror" or whatever it was. Soon as I started reading I was like "I'm too young for this" but kept reading till the end of the book.
@nothingelse1520 It's crazy to think Stephen King came before Clive Barker. Clive Barker's reading is much harder to read. Props to you for reading through him at a young age.
@@cornsyruptruckerI’ve totally had similar experiences too, my first feeling of this was arguably the stanly parable as well as the book world war Z, it’s an important experience I think
It's maybe my favorite story out of Books of Blood. The end is right out of Lovecraft. The narrator and reader both go from being horrified to understanding why the horror was necessary. The person the narrator was in the beginning is gone, and he's become the thing he was afraid of.
Barker's always great. I was rereading Hellbound Heart about a week ago and I was taken back by a passage I forgot, about how "Winter dreams as February creeps on, of the flame that will presently melt it away." It was a gorgeous little poem almost, and also served as to show the passage of time in the timeskip. I was surprised I'd forgotten it tbh, it was genuinely a lovely paragraph.
@sainsburyshopper Imajica, Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show, and The Damnation Game were so good, I had 1st edition hardcovers in the 80s and maybe early 90s of all of these, and reading every one was something I'll never forget. Like savoring a fine wine, amongst the only novels I consciously slow down my reading and take my time with. Talk about world-building, Clive Barker is a master artist.
Mr. Schow's name is pronounced "skow" like "scowl". Also, another unfortunately underrated but important writer of this genre is Billy Martin, aka Poppy Z. Brite. His early works 'Lost Souls', 'Wormwood', 'Drawing Blood' and 'Exquisite Corpse' are splatterpunk classics.
I think 'Exquisite Corpse' is one of THE best novels in the genre. I used to do readings from that one at goth parties in the 90's when things were starting to get too quiet. ;)
Serling, goddammit. His name is Rod _Serling._ Also, The Skins of Our Fathers is an amazing title. 6:11 "I know writers who use subtext and they're all cowards." - Garth Marenghi
Clive Barker is basically the "Talking Heads" of Splatter*punk* inasmuch as he arose in the milieu and had some thematic overlap but pretty quickly outgrew both the subgenre and his peers. Plus there was always a bit more actually going on in his work. Not besmirching Splatterpunk at all, I really adore it (Skipp/Spector are idols of mine) but there's not necessarily a lot going on under the hood in most of the Splatterpunk books, which is fine. Theres nothing wrong with just making the the text the text, loud and proud without any subtext. Punk music does that really well but can be something that starts droning on you
@@cokergorefan Interesting guy with an admirable career & whom always gives a good candid interview. Really like a few of his short stories as well as an anthology or two that he's edited but I have to admit his novels have never quite clicked with me all the way through. Wouldn't call them bad and they're frequently entertaining, but just as frequently cranked up to *11* in a way that reads (To me, at least) less transgressive than as hollow gesturing. Tbh I think I enjoy his work as a screenwriter most of all. He shares a screen credit on "The Crow" but he's widely acknowledged as the guy who really hammered that script/adaptation into shape. Additionally while he seems to have had a turbulent time on set with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" and the film isn't that well liked, I actually really enjoy it. Definitely has not only a distinct splaterpunk sensibility but particularly Schow's sensibilities (Bikers in black leather, graphic violence as comedy and a general veneer of grime). Idk. All in all he might be someone who's work I appreciate more than I enjoy? If that makes any sense at all lol
It's really awesome that you used a Clive Barker's story as an exsample. The guy is one of my favorite authors. His sardonic language feels at home whatever he writes (be it a splatterpunk or a young adult fantasy).
“Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine” carried the of Rod Serling (not Sterling) in the title since he created the TV series but he passed away years before the magazine existed. The magazine was licensed to his widow, Carolyn Serling.
I would recommend to everybody the tabletop RPG 'KULT'. It's a horror game heavily inspired by Clive Barker and his works, and it combines nasty splatterpunk horror with the philosophical ideas of Gnosticism and Kabbalah.
And this whole time I was waiting for some mention of this subculture within actual Punk music. Without actually labeling them as such, some Punk bands out there seem to touch on such a theme in their music, or at least their image, mixing it in with Streetpunk sound. You can feel it a little bit when listening to Acidez from México, or even the band called Splatter who formed in Austin. This doesn’t include any full-on Metal acts that may have incorporated the subculture into their music and image such as Cannibal Corpse or even Slipknot to use [arguably] bigger American acts as examples. I already know that I could be misinterpreting these bands with this subculture, but I definitely got me to think about my own experiences. Great video either way, friend! Gotta love videos that were made with real passion by real human effort!
A lot of (brutal) death metal bands would fit with this genre (or/and have been inspired by it) considering their lyrics and their artworks. I was also surprised that none of that has been mentionned at all.
im not a fan of splatterpunk but i thought that the book Cows by Matthew Stokoe was an extremely philosophical read, it uses the grossest things you can think of to paint a picture of the invisible 'greed spirit' within every man and being. i heavily recommend it if you are to ever re-visit this subject. it is the only book i have ever read that I needed to take breaks for.
Cover by Jack Ketchum is also very good, I am a fan of the genre but Cover is a genuinely great book. It’s also pretty tame especially compared to cows
Interesting; I've read a few of the books mentioned, but never heard the term "splatterpunk". (Btw, I got my name from a Seattle hardcore/metal/punk band called the Accüsed whose ghoulish cartoon mascot is named Martha Splatterhead. The band calls their music "Splatter rock". One of my favorite bands of all time!)
I just watched the 2008 Midnight Meat Train, i can’t wait to read the short story and compare them. Thank you for this video! I woke up and I can’t tell you why, but this made me feel better about my place in the world
Well this video just opened a new door of fiction that tickles my fancy I was aware of Clive Barker's works, and I've heard of Playground, but I didn't realize how deep this rabbithole went, thanks for the taking the plunge.
happy to learn about spatterpunk. weirdly though, the first three minutes of this video goes into how counterculture and its influence, and sometimes lack of recognition during its time. then goes on to say that some artistic creations go too far, and maybe shouldn't have existed? like, how would we know?
People aren't taking creative risks anymore and are catering more to gaining popularity on the internet. Not exactly sure why but the internet is keeping most creative risks from becoming popular and those taking artistic risks remain relatively unknown
@the-engneer I think that's because nearly all commonly used websites are social media sites with an algorithm that boosts content that creates engagement from as many people as possible. I think among social media sites, tumblr is the only exception, and there I've seen some truly creative writing
Oftentimes, truly subversive counterculture is not well known until it has burnt itself out. There are people all around us who have opted out of the economy and popular culture, but precisely because of that, they go mostly unnoticed. Unless you happen to be plugged into one of these subcultures, you would be completely unaware of them. That is, at least until it has exhausted itself and someone makes a UA-cam video about it afterwards.
The Sammon Splatterpunks collection, as well as its sequel, are an excellent overview. Love Barker's Books of Blood, as well. David J. Schow's short stories are excellent, although Fangoria readers will recognize him from his old Raving and Drooling column. Splatterpunk is not a perfect movement, but it's a damn sight more interesting than the boring ghost stories and vampire romance of the day. EDIT: Forgot to mention these, but Jack Ketchum's short stories are some of the best I've read, especially "The Box." Joe Lansdale's "Fish Night" is absolutely hilarious.
I expected Ketchum, was slightly surprised to see Lansdale, but even more surprised not to see Poppy Z Brite mentioned. Ketch seems tame in comparison. I completely disagree with McCammon, his work is on par more with King, just better in my opinion. I will check out David Schow. (:
@sumrose7972 Poppy's pretty good. I read Drawing Blood ages ago. Another good Lansdale: "The Dump." Most of these writers were raised on EC Comics, so they wrote great monster stories.
Sammon's "Outlaws" essay (in the first SPLATTERPUNKS anthology) is the best overview and exploration of the literary style I've ever read. It Is still one of my favorite examinations of the extremes of 1980s-1990s artistic expression.
Dead Inside (book on the thumbnail) has probably one of my favourite book covers ever, it’s really pretty and that’s something you cannot often if not ever say about splatterpunk books.
As someone who was an adult at the time. I would say your fourth point is more accurate. There were plenty of horror stories and commerical novels written at the time that could be termed 'splatter punk' It was not different enough to stand out
I’ve read the genre since the early days of it, it can be a bit of a mixed bag. There’s still a good amount of it being made these days, some has been good. I’m currently rereading the Hater trilogy by David Moody, surprisingly good take on the genre, some parts have been extremely violent.
Fascinating video! I never knew this type of horror genre actually had a name. I grew up in the late 70s and early 80’s so I am familiar with some of the titles you listed here but had no clue they were actually part of a “counterculture movement”. I clicked on your video because of the name of your channel (reading my channel name should explain why) and the title of the video not knowing what to expect. So glad I decided to watch and I am now subscribed! 🙏❤️
Fellow Slowdive fan here. I read Closer by Cooper during the lockdowns and it was really disturbing, I will read more for sure. I read somewhere on reddit that he took regularly speed to get in the paranoid mood he needed for Closer.
@synthzz9178 slowdive fan too 👍 seen them live a few years back and was a cool experience. Wouldve been around 2017 - 2018. Also that's pretty interesting haha
Please someone correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis be a very fitting mainstream example of Splatterpunk? Or even aspects of David and Brandon Cronenberg’s work like Possessor or Videodrome?
I feel like the Cronenbergs get more associated with Body Horror. You could argue that some splatterpunk is body horror but I think in this case they “feel” different. Idk how to explain it.
The problem with splatter punk is it ends up becoming boring, repetitive, and pointless. It didn’t leave either it just fails constantly to be relevant.
Only time I ever heard of the term was in "Never Sleep Again" the Nightmare on Elm Street documentary, as some of the writers for 4 or 5 or 6 had written treatments, and I loved the term, but didn't delve into the genre. The writing for the time I imagine was incredibly shocking, but after listening to death metal for over half my life, it seems par for the course, but doesn't take away from how good the writing is.
See, my problem isn't with Splatterpunk as a genre, it's that these new authors and their publishers are in Horror book groups online. I'm in a Facebook group and Dead Inside was brought up (a general discussion) and when someone asked if it was [insert topic] friendly, I linked a video of what the book had. And yes, the review was scathing, but it resonated with the person asking aka: a reviewer of a book getting a review. The publisher (or publishing partner) of it then came in and started beef with the both of us because we didn't want to read it. We already have enough of big authors being too in touch with their audience and behaving badly because of it. Book reviews are not for the author, they're for the reader. Many of these authors/publishers don't understand that. In this capacity I'd say these authors are behaving mainstream 🤷🏻♂
The questioning is shallow, and criteria is never mentioned except to (rightly) question the status quo. This is across the board. And we know the CIA role in art, bound to be similar in publishing and academic philosophy.
Great channel ! Just found in "New to You," the final algorithmic optimization that started with a Liked playlist, subscriptions, and but also using "not interested / not recommended" to de-echo the echo chamber of the 'ole same-same same-old UA-cam feed.
A friend of mine writes Splatterpunk books and he introduced me to the genre and I discovered Splatterpunk's Japanese cousin (maybe?), Ero Guro in my teen years. I proclaim myself as a guro artist, much to rhe chagrin of those that happen upon my artwork. I use this as a means to vent my anger, sadness, isolation due to feelings of being an outsider looking in due to being a disabled person. I'm looked at as weird and I've grown accustomed to it.
I would like to point out that one of my biggest personal regrets was peeking into what r/guro was about to see what actual, well guro, is. (It makes me recoil even to this day when I see that word) But I just took a peek at your channel's work, and with help of the context you provided, there's a notable difference between your 'guro' art and what is usually labeled 'guro' online. I'll watch a few videos right now of yours and then leave a better review on one of the them.
@valutaatoaofunknownelement197 Off UA-cam, I draw guro that would be classified as NSFW/NSFL, depending on the perception or how the viewer feels. I go by the quote, "Art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable." I do try to stay within the rules of UA-cam and keep my art SFW, there's some on here that aren't.
Really amazing video! I love splatterpunk novels such as Exquisite Corpse, Piercing, and splatterpunk-adjacent novels like American Psycho and The Girl Next Door. One footnote- The creator of The Twilight Zone is named Rod Serling, not Sterling, small mistake; But it bothered me just as someone who has spent years studying him. Anyway, splatterpunk is meant to induce thought hidden beneath it's brutalism- which is why I hate authors like Aron Beauregard who write to exploit the distastes of his readers. Beauregard poses no questions and no commentary on society in his novels, it's just characters who exist merely to die or be violated horribly. It's an insult to the genre to refer to Beauregard as a splatterpunk novelist, he doesn't care about the craft and he simply likes writing about women and children in distress. His novels have no catharsis and as someone who loves gore it's not even fun to read. His work is more extreme horror esc, because there's no value outside of it other than the grotesquery. It's also such a disservice to label him splatterpunk to those few who write interesting novels within the genre. Some splatterpunk novelists who often get swept the rug include Eric Larocca, Jack Ketchum, Ryan C Thomas, and Ryu Murakami (my personal favorite.) Then we have more popular authors who can be considered splatterpunk such as Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Poppy Z Brite (Now goes by William Joseph Martin) and Dennis Cooper. I've been reading the genre for years and it's a really mind opening subsection of horror literature once you move last the blood and guts. Really excellent video, I love that we're opening the splatterpunk conversation back open again!
As someone who went through child abuse and has a spouse and best friend who also did, Playground is one of the most visceral depictions of child abuse and the ending makes me sob my eyes out. All the child and adult characters have very defined personalities and character arcs, and the core character is an adult that has been horribly abused that gets hope and a change of heart from seeing loving parents actually want to help children. Exhausted with the one sided conversation. You do not have to like his work, but speaking as if it's this objectively closed case of him being a bad author with zero emotional depth, and implying disgust cannot be horrifying, is kneejerk hate mob stuff.
@@eldritchtourist First of all, so sorry what and your loved ones have been through. I honestly completely forgot that Playground had that saving grace, mainly because it's been a while since I've read it, and because my memory of the book is tainted by the very odd wise-cracks that are inputted between the child brutality. Your experience is valuable, but in the end- it is unfortunately only reflective of yourself. I don't like his work *because* of how it can effect victims of the content he's writing, but I'm glad it had a somewhat positive and meaningly impression on you; Which- more power to you. He told critics of Playground to kill themselves in a special edition of the book he recently sold. I however am open to conversation about his work, and I thank you for giving me a perspective I've never seen before. Didn't mean for my comment to come off as hate-mob-y, since I have read his entire catalogue and my distaste remained consistent throughout; And I'm not basing my opinion off of a single book of his that got popular. I have subjected myself to his other works which were incredibly unpleasant and my opinion was built from there. My opinion is firm on him as an author but I do, again, appreciate the different perspective on Playground, and I'm open to critical discussion about it.. His other works, though? No thank you, I think I'm alright having just read them
Didn't expect to be reminded of Ryu Murakami here. I read coin locker babies when I was way too young for it, but it was so fascinating and weird that it stuck with me since. Where would you position Murakami in splatterpunk? Or more like, which of his works? (Genuine question, I haven't read much Murakami in a good while, but this makes me want to go back)
Just popping in to point out that I love everyone's recommendations on here, have read them all multiple times, but I have been down most of the comment thread and seen no mention of: Wetbones, by John Shirley. If you guys don't know this one, SEEK IT OUT. One of the greats.
Oh my god yay Most of the time, even if they're well written, I can't watch low subscriber video essays because of the microphone quality. Thankyou for not sounding like youre in my garage yelling
As I'm listening to this Violence In My Mind of The Last Resort comes to mind. Very cool genre indeed dude, you sure did ignite a new interest for something new in me, thanks.
It's in the volume of the collected books of blood books, the one with the first 4, I think. You'll get a bunch of other short stories; some are really good, while some are a little silly. Barker is a good writer.
In my experience, most current-day, mainstream fiction is so poorly written and dull. Even the extremely popular stuff. It all seems very YA. I've noticed a lack of action or fantastic elements, even in settings that seem to demand them, which I can only assume is to keep costs down when it's pitched as a Netflix show. Maybe this has more to do with publishers, or even my own evolving tastes, but I haven't really been blown away by any new fiction in a long time. Something like "The Bighead" may be dumb, but at least it's entertaining and original.
@banditq8991 Maybe. Recently, I've read Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance. I saw some pretty relatable themes in them about things like self-perception and coming to terms with harsh reality, by people who seemed to have insight into such things, along with being good stories. Then I read something new and popular (Don't want to name anyone's current fave) on recommendation, and it just feels completely lifeless. Maybe just my taste.
Hurm. I'm glad UA-cam's Overlord Algorithm brought this video essay to me. I know a little bit about Splatterpunk, as I came of age in the bloody heart of it all--Los Angeles, late 80s. I was a creative writing student at UCLA who made it through middle and high school thanks to horror movies and heavy metal music. I hung out with Dave Schow (and as other commenters said, his surname is pronounced with the hard "k"), Skipp and Spector (I still sorta know Skipp, I'll link him to this for his thoughts), Poppy Brite (William J Martin), and went to as many Clive Barker book signings as I could. I collected the horror magazines (often featuring splatterpunk stories) Cemetery Dance, Iniquities, and Midnight Graffiti, which I interned for. My hot take: Horror was becoming popular in the 80s (movies like Evil Dead, music like Slayer's Reign in Blood), so some writers were trying to scratch a name for themselves. Stephen King was snorting coke and banging out bestsellers, so many wanted to suckle the teat on that cash cow. But how to separate, differentiate? PUSH MORE. Oh, and BRAND IT. Just like we now have thrash metal, doom metal, black metal, etc., creators were trying to elevate their name in a glutted market--kinda like how modern UA-camrs slap clickbait titles onto their videos to snatch eyeballs from the vast swamp of content, no? If you ask many counterculture creators, they hate being shackled with a label or category (ask some 1st gen punks if they are punks). I also think it's a stretch to bless (or curse) splatterpunk as a "literary counterculture". The authors I know just wanted to get paid to write stories, and they wrote what they wanted, what they thought would sell. I don't think they were reacting to anything except their rent, mortgage, utility or grocery bills. And the term fell out as the market moved on--the ruinous dystopia of Reagan's America was repaired and polished by the economic growth of Clinton and the 90s boom (for some people, certainly not all). Horror movies and heavy metal went back underground, people got introspective (grunge music) and changes in book publishing, as well as the collapse of bookstores due to Amazon (also in the 90s) fractured the industry in general, and niche genres (I contend that horror is already a niche genre, Stephen King having outgrown the horror genre into a genre himself) were deleted by the dotcom arrogation of the world economy. I don't think the lack of a leader, aesthetic, avoidance of splatterpunk camaraderie or rebranding as extreme horror had much to do with it. IMHO, that splatterpunk even had 15 minutes in the limelight was more remarkable than its obscurity. Side notes: It's "Serling" not Sterling, and The Twilight Zone magazine started in 1981, with TED Klein as the editor--six years after the death of Rod Serling. I never heard of Aron Beauregard, but I do recall the splatterpunk novel "Slob" by Rex Miller: www.goodreads.com/book/show/363118.Slob I contend that Bret Easton Ellis's "American Psycho" is one of the best splatterpunk books, as it is a commentary on the pure evil Wall Street culture that continues to make us shlubs miserable. Anyway..just some random dude's thoughts. Thanks for kicking the dust off some of my synapses.
Really cool presentation. I expected metal music and seizure fast clips of the topic. I appreciate the history not to mention the art in said history. Keep keepin on looking forward to more uploads mate.
My wife has been collecting his work slowly over the past 15 years. She is obsessed with getting only first prints, only UK or Australian, the collection is almost complete, the only one's left are the one off short stories in multi writer short story collections. Those are very hard to find in the wild here in the US
@@ronaldowens5025 here in Germany they started pretty late with releasing Laymons work. I think, I started around 20 years ago reading his books. and I just love his style. Still a lot of people dont know about him.his books would make some awesome movies.
Judith Sonnet and Jayson Dawn have EXCELLENT work to my commenters looking for recs! No one rides for free and bloodbag: a floridian love story are what pulled me into the genre
really well made video. i had the same initial impression of this genre even as someone who loves horror, but i love the work of clive barker that ive read, so its cool to hear that theres a deeper history than i realized. still waiting for a modern release that i find compelling however
I’ve only read the Paul M Sammon Future Noir book. It’s a great film school in a book sort of. I’m interested in his other books now. Well made video. As you’ve probably seen, it is Rod Serling btw. Cheers!
Gonna read every book mentioned in this video now. Great one though, as part of the counter culture myself I think more forms of rebellion will be needed, as more of us become less accepted and more governed, the punk movement in general is really starting to rise again and I love that, we need it more than ever, and if it takes blatant disgust (which isn’t downright needed usually) to get our point across than so be it, this must be a strange way to do it, nonetheless I think art should offend if it can’t stand out, but in a repressive system, that could be the only way to have our voices heard, I hope more people will belt out, in any way they can.
John Shirley is my all-time favorite. His writing is sublime even at it's most grotesque. And his influence on everything from splatterpunk, cybperpunk, and underground punk-rock lit is massive.
Huh.... now that you point it out I see splatterpunk's influence in every thriller and other story that tries to use gore to lend a little extra gravitas or irony to a scene. Sometimes it even works :D
I feel like one of the best examples of a more modern take on splatter punk can be reflected in more interactive horror content. Amnesia A Machine For Pigs comes to mind, as it fits that sort of idea of the horror of reality given a supernatural sort of lens, to blatantly address said topic. Another more new example I would say that has elements of the genre is Fear and Hunger, Termina more so than the original game, but there are definitely those elements present in the first entry into the series too. Not to mention Mouthwashing being maybe one of the most mainstream creative projects, which I would say the more surreal hallucination sequences in the game fit the themes of the sub genre, specifically near the climax of the game. I’d even argue the Coffin of Andy and LeyLey falls under that umbrella, as controversial as the game is.
I got introduced to splatterpunk when I found a copy of David Schow's "The Shaft" on the NYC subway back in I think 1992. Yes, really, not even joking. I was already a general horror fan (and a metal fan, and into a lot of counterculture and occult studies back in the 1980s) so this find was a rather serendipitous occurrence. I already enjoyed authors like King, Ellis, Lansdale, etc. Authors I'd call sort of adjacent to splatterpunk: Certainly gory, brutal and transgressive but *not quite* splatterpunk as I saw it. American Psycho is the perfect example of what I mean by an adjacent work. Anyway I really consider it more of a sub-genre or movement within a genre than a distinct category of its own I guess. Just my take. I love most of it though, and some authors like Ligotti, Laymon, Schow, Masterton, Hutson, etc are legends of the movement. I'll grant Clive Barker legendary status too, but for me personally his work is really hit or miss. There are some other authors I just can't stand at all, legendary or not. Poppy Z. Brite comes to mind (I'm really not into the LGBT stuff s/he is so obsessed with). Anyway I don't think splatterpunk has died either -- more like blended diffusely into broader horror/weird culture to become a diluted, more pop version of itself. The same way punk music "died". If you know, you know. Not to say it's _all_ watered down mind you. Take Stokoe's "Cows" for a modern example; it's not splatterpunk in the strict traditional sense perhaps, but it owes a hell of a lot to the style and tropes of the movement. By the way, it's Rod _Serling,_ (there's no 'T'), and David's surname is pronounced 'skow', so it rhymes with "cow".
I think it's good that the genre ended before it started, from what you said, it seems like it would get lost in itself at some point and then there would only be indignation.
Going to have to disagree that the 80s is where the seed of Splatterpunk started. The Italian horror film makers of the 70s were more violent and messy than the 80s. For example Bay of Blood had some influence and story beats that Friday the 13th used. Cannibal Holocaust, New York Ripper and many others that came before it. Mario Bava was making violent "Slasher" type movies like 1964s Blood and Black Lace. In the 60s horror was influenced by Yellow books (Giallo). These Yellow books were violent murder mystery stories that at the time were becoming controversial in Italy. That then inspired Giallo Movies from above list. The sex, violence and gore were more prevalent on 70s horror than the 80s. 70s horror was more gritty, underground and independent film making. This is where Mondo filmmaking started, a direct influence of Splatterpunk. By the time of the 80s horror media including litature came around they became mainstream and polished. Thats the direct opposition to any type of punk culture. Think alot more research needs to be done here. Your time line is a bit off. The term Splatterpunk was a mainstream term by the 80s. Once the mainstream embraces a movement (especially in punk culture) that movement is already dead. No longer underground.
Ok but none of those things were actually counter cultures like the sex pistols started out to sell stuff from a sex shop. I don't think how many people realise this stuff wasn't really ever "counter" it was offered by the mainstream. Again sex pistols were on EMI lol. All this stuff is just things you bought from a store and that's not counterculture
Great video. The splatterpunk subgenre as a whole didn't appeal to me, but I loved Joe Lansdale's debut novel *The Nightrunners* and Clive Barker's story "Human Remains." (And still do.)
I love horror books but if anyone suggests Cows to me I immediately reject their opinions. If you think that shite is good then your opinion is worthless to me. It's the horror version of 50 shades
Cows is so gross it's honestly hard to recognize and interpret the symbols and ideas it explores through the narrator's perspective, but it's there. Like on a technical level, it's very deliberate and not entirely gross for the sake of being transgressive. I also don't consider it horror. I think it's transgressive exaggerated nature is less about scaring readers and more about trying to cross boundaries and speak about it's themes of power, autonomy, and gender.
I read nothing but this kind of stuff in the early 2000s when i was in my 20s and severely hopeless and depressed. I recently found the box of them in the attic and sold some and it felt good ro get them out of the house. One book is a rare kind aoparently with a real picture of a tattooed fetus. I do not need this in my life anymore. I bought books for my kids with the money.
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What about the background visuals?
The beatniks were a bunch of pedophile or apologists to ; & should rather be denounced don’t you think & we still have have goregrind & porngrind & that is ok because no one takes it seriously haha
Rod SERLING, not sterling, its Rod SERLING!!!
My dad mentioned splatterpunk to me as a kid, just in passing, he didn’t really explain it, obviously, but that memory just resurfaced.
My dad is the reason I read splatterpunk🥰
@@incredibleedibledez I'm sorry you were abused
@@danialyousaf6456what
@@POOKESEEsubjecting your child to extremely violent content, on purpose, when you know it is not appropriate is abuse
@@beelzemobabbity yeah I got that 4 days ago
Splatterpunk can't become mainstream the discourse would be so fucking mindnumbing
What, you don't want a nonstop 'discourse' about moral panic from all sides of the political spectrum, echoing again and again until all involved are driven mad? That's the BEST outcome! /s
Terrifier is pretty popular
@@soccerthing77 and the discourse surrounding it was so fucking annoying in some internet circles, I'll tell ya that.
@@soccerthing77 Which has horrible discourse around it
Slop genre tbh
As a subgenre, when it's good, splatterpunk makes some of the greatest material in the horror genre. A Light At The End, and The Books of Blood are classic examples. The Stephen King story Survivor Type is another great example.
Addendum: A great deal of some of the current horror literature of the last few decades was influenced by Splatterpunk. It didn't die, or disappear, it very much infused the current material
It's a grain from the chaff thing... even some of the retropulp titles these days have some shining moments, or show some potential. Interestingly, akin to Barker, there's Regina Watts writer on the VHS Terrors trio of books who I think at one time identified as a fetishist in her author blurb, though I might be wrong, but for some reason I left that series thinking those folks seem to have a deft hand at handling the content of the splatter genre well. Either that or I totally mis-identified the niche of that series.
@AdamDoesntReadPinnedComments thank you for the suggestion!
Splatterpunk is in resurgence and there are loads of new authors. A lot of it is shit though
Was "Survivor Type" the one about the disgraced surgeon attempting to smuggle a kg of heroin across the Pacific on a boat that sinks? He's the only survivor on a coral atoll, and all he has is the heroin and his scalpel. I won't ruin the rest. Sorry, haven't read much Stephen King since the 80s
@electriceyeball that's the one.
RL Stine is my favorite splatterpunk author.
😅😂😅😂😅😂 you win
How is RL Stine a splatterpunk?
@@valvihk3649 sarcasm, my guy...sarcasm.
@@thecalmcharismatic Damn it Lol. I was really hoping I'd get something
@valvihk3649 ill play along 😃
" uuuuuhhhmmmmm EXCUUUUUSE MEEEE?!? Stine is the one of the most prolific splatter punks in this universe! How dare you sully his name with these inferences you swine!??!"
😁
I was reading Splatterpunk in my teens. My favourite authors were James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, and Graham Masterton. Clive Barker still stands out for me today. There are scenes from those books that live in my head.
Shaun Hutson definitely embraces the counter-culture element, not just in the Splatterpunk elements, but he used a lot of heavy metal references as well.
Ah man, great picks
I accidentally ran across Barker’s Weaveworld when I was a teen and it definitely changed me on an atomic level. Every time I see him brought up on the internet I need to talk about it because I don’t have anyone in person to discuss it with.
Spoilers ahead, but they are vague.
His world so warped me that when he referred to gay sex as one man impaling another with his flesh I took it literally. I was like, “oh, right, one Arab guide has stabbed the other with his hand, alright, that makes sense.” I was even confused as to why Uriel would kill them for such an act (it’s not like it killed the guy) that I had to go back and reread the passage a couple of times before I realized it was a metaphor. I had read gay sex scenes before, I had no excuse!
I love The House that Jack Built by Masterton. Then again, I get into anything that takes place in the Hudson Valley.
Those aren't splatterpunk 😛
Too mainstream
I'm reading Damnation Game right now, love Cliver Barker. I miss the raw realism of the world. I'm pretty young, but even I see that everyone around me is either living in a fluffy fantasy or pushing for a fluffy fantasy. It feels ignorant and fake, makes me derealize often watching how people behave. The dark and gritty realism is comfortable, reminds me we are imperfect humans in an imperfect world and that's okay.
When I was 8 years old I bought Books of Blood because of the Steven King quote on the front calling Clive Barker the "new king of horror" or whatever it was. Soon as I started reading I was like "I'm too young for this" but kept reading till the end of the book.
@nothingelse1520 It's crazy to think Stephen King came before Clive Barker. Clive Barker's reading is much harder to read. Props to you for reading through him at a young age.
I love this. "oop, I'm too young for this".
... "better keep reading.".
@@cornsyruptruckerI’ve totally had similar experiences too, my first feeling of this was arguably the stanly parable as well as the book world war Z, it’s an important experience I think
Everyone is a Book of Blood; wherever they're opened, they're red. -Clive Barker
I don’t like that he’s right, but he is right.
Sounds like something found on "I'm 14 and this is deep".
@@danialyousaf6456it’s from the books of blood. Very fantastic series of horror short stories by Clive barker. Check it out
@@danialyousaf6456 Sounds like some very intelligent 14 year olds. Take an example.
I like Clive Barker, but that line is just a glorified version of "What's black and white and red all over?"
*Newspaper
Those "Midnight Meat Train" excerpts remind me of how impeccable Barker's prose is.
It's maybe my favorite story out of Books of Blood. The end is right out of Lovecraft. The narrator and reader both go from being horrified to understanding why the horror was necessary. The person the narrator was in the beginning is gone, and he's become the thing he was afraid of.
Barker's always great. I was rereading Hellbound Heart about a week ago and I was taken back by a passage I forgot, about how "Winter dreams as February creeps on, of the flame that will presently melt it away."
It was a gorgeous little poem almost, and also served as to show the passage of time in the timeskip. I was surprised I'd forgotten it tbh, it was genuinely a lovely paragraph.
@@Gobbostopper That's a great quote. Idk how he can bring such life and beauty to just about anything.
He really is fantastic. I’m going through his shorts right now, and I can’t wait to dig into his artsy stuff like Imagica or Weaveworld.
@sainsburyshopper Imajica, Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show, and The Damnation Game were so good, I had 1st edition hardcovers in the 80s and maybe early 90s of all of these, and reading every one was something I'll never forget. Like savoring a fine wine, amongst the only novels I consciously slow down my reading and take my time with. Talk about world-building, Clive Barker is a master artist.
Rod SERLING. And he died in 1975. I am sure his name appeared on The Twilight Zone magazine, but he did not publish it
Mr. Schow's name is pronounced "skow" like "scowl".
Also, another unfortunately underrated but important writer of this genre is Billy Martin, aka Poppy Z. Brite. His early works 'Lost Souls', 'Wormwood', 'Drawing Blood' and 'Exquisite Corpse' are splatterpunk classics.
Agreed. Lost Souls is my favourite book ever.
I thought Poppy was one of the defining authors of the genre. It really surprised me that they were not mentioned.
I think 'Exquisite Corpse' is one of THE best novels in the genre. I used to do readings from that one at goth parties in the 90's when things were starting to get too quiet. ;)
💯
@@beuks33 I agree. Brite's work was integral to the literary moment that was "splatterpunk".
Serling, goddammit. His name is Rod _Serling._
Also, The Skins of Our Fathers is an amazing title.
6:11 "I know writers who use subtext and they're all cowards." - Garth Marenghi
Garth Marenghi ❤
@@synthzz9178 The greatest horror writer of all time.
Blood, blood, blood...and bits of sick
I had to comment on this too.
Garth Marenghi? You win.
Clive Barker is basically the "Talking Heads" of Splatter*punk* inasmuch as he arose in the milieu and had some thematic overlap but pretty quickly outgrew both the subgenre and his peers. Plus there was always a bit more actually going on in his work.
Not besmirching Splatterpunk at all, I really adore it (Skipp/Spector are idols of mine) but there's not necessarily a lot going on under the hood in most of the Splatterpunk books, which is fine. Theres nothing wrong with just making the the text the text, loud and proud without any subtext. Punk music does that really well but can be something that starts droning on you
Now what would you say about David J Schow ?
@@cokergorefan Interesting guy with an admirable career & whom always gives a good candid interview. Really like a few of his short stories as well as an anthology or two that he's edited but I have to admit his novels have never quite clicked with me all the way through. Wouldn't call them bad and they're frequently entertaining, but just as frequently cranked up to *11* in a way that reads (To me, at least) less transgressive than as hollow gesturing.
Tbh I think I enjoy his work as a screenwriter most of all. He shares a screen credit on "The Crow" but he's widely acknowledged as the guy who really hammered that script/adaptation into shape. Additionally while he seems to have had a turbulent time on set with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" and the film isn't that well liked, I actually really enjoy it. Definitely has not only a distinct splaterpunk sensibility but particularly Schow's sensibilities (Bikers in black leather, graphic violence as comedy and a general veneer of grime).
Idk. All in all he might be someone who's work I appreciate more than I enjoy? If that makes any sense at all lol
I love Splaterpunk . I'd say it's labeled Extreme Horror nowadays. My favorite!
It's really awesome that you used a Clive Barker's story as an exsample. The guy is one of my favorite authors. His sardonic language feels at home whatever he writes (be it a splatterpunk or a young adult fantasy).
I find his style a little overwrought and pretentious, even though his imagination is first class
@TheSpecsShow Have you read "Mister B Gone"?
@V9incent
No, I like the premise though, so maybe one day.
@@TheSpecsShow The premise pretty much compels him to be brief and to the point.
@@V9incent
I like that 👌
It’s a crime that your channel is not more popular. You have made some of my all time favourite videos on UA-cam. Keep up the great work!!!
@@andreasfoerster772 that's very kind, thanks a lot :)
@ You’re welcome! Your video on Hemingway was especially good for me, because as an aspiring writer, Hemingway’s advice was extremely helpful
He doesn't even know the name of the host of The Twilight Zone.
“Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone Magazine” carried the of Rod Serling (not Sterling) in the title since he created the TV series but he passed away years before the magazine existed. The magazine was licensed to his widow, Carolyn Serling.
Yes!! Thank you I was scrolling the comments hoping someone pointed this out. Though he would be very proud such a magazine exists
Aesthetically Barker has roots in the later Pan Books Of Horror, Italian Giallo films and US postwar horror comics.
I would recommend to everybody the tabletop RPG 'KULT'. It's a horror game heavily inspired by Clive Barker and his works, and it combines nasty splatterpunk horror with the philosophical ideas of Gnosticism and Kabbalah.
Rod Serling
I mean it just kills the CREDIBILITY of the video immediately,.lol~
@@matthewmatt5285yep, I immediately stopped watching and told the algorithm to shove this into its own ass.
And this whole time I was waiting for some mention of this subculture within actual Punk music. Without actually labeling them as such, some Punk bands out there seem to touch on such a theme in their music, or at least their image, mixing it in with Streetpunk sound. You can feel it a little bit when listening to Acidez from México, or even the band called Splatter who formed in Austin. This doesn’t include any full-on Metal acts that may have incorporated the subculture into their music and image such as Cannibal Corpse or even Slipknot to use [arguably] bigger American acts as examples. I already know that I could be misinterpreting these bands with this subculture, but I definitely got me to think about my own experiences. Great video either way, friend! Gotta love videos that were made with real passion by real human effort!
We will appreciate 'real human effort' all the more in the future.
A lot of (brutal) death metal bands would fit with this genre (or/and have been inspired by it) considering their lyrics and their artworks. I was also surprised that none of that has been mentionned at all.
im not a fan of splatterpunk but i thought that the book Cows by Matthew Stokoe was an extremely philosophical read, it uses the grossest things you can think of to paint a picture of the invisible 'greed spirit' within every man and being. i heavily recommend it if you are to ever re-visit this subject. it is the only book i have ever read that I needed to take breaks for.
Cover by Jack Ketchum is also very good, I am a fan of the genre but Cover is a genuinely great book. It’s also pretty tame especially compared to cows
Have you read “Hogg” by Sam Delany? It’s the most vile, disturbing work I’ve ever read, even worse than Ketchum.
I cant help myself, its Rod SERLING, not sterling.
Lol and it was on the screen when he said it too
@@brendenlee9043it was on the screen MISSPELLED. He double fucked up and lost all credibility.
Thank you
I came down here just to check if someone had already said something. So, good on you.
Interesting; I've read a few of the books mentioned, but never heard the term "splatterpunk".
(Btw, I got my name from a Seattle hardcore/metal/punk band called the Accüsed whose ghoulish cartoon mascot is named Martha Splatterhead. The band calls their music "Splatter rock". One of my favorite bands of all time!)
The fartz were sick too, the singers previous band
I just watched the 2008 Midnight Meat Train, i can’t wait to read the short story and compare them. Thank you for this video! I woke up and I can’t tell you why, but this made me feel better about my place in the world
Well this video just opened a new door of fiction that tickles my fancy
I was aware of Clive Barker's works, and I've heard of Playground, but I didn't realize how deep this rabbithole went, thanks for the taking the plunge.
happy to learn about spatterpunk. weirdly though, the first three minutes of this video goes into how counterculture and its influence, and sometimes lack of recognition during its time. then goes on to say that some artistic creations go too far, and maybe shouldn't have existed? like, how would we know?
What even is a new counterculture in the 2020s? It seems like all I can find is revivals of old genres
People aren't taking creative risks anymore and are catering more to gaining popularity on the internet. Not exactly sure why but the internet is keeping most creative risks from becoming popular and those taking artistic risks remain relatively unknown
@the-engneer I think that's because nearly all commonly used websites are social media sites with an algorithm that boosts content that creates engagement from as many people as possible. I think among social media sites, tumblr is the only exception, and there I've seen some truly creative writing
counterculture is all about pushing boundaries and in the 2020s that is something you can get in a lot of trouble for.
@snowcloudshinobi not more than before I think
Oftentimes, truly subversive counterculture is not well known until it has burnt itself out. There are people all around us who have opted out of the economy and popular culture, but precisely because of that, they go mostly unnoticed. Unless you happen to be plugged into one of these subcultures, you would be completely unaware of them. That is, at least until it has exhausted itself and someone makes a UA-cam video about it afterwards.
Based on the definition I would like to nominate cormac McCarthy s blood meridian as the apex of splatterpunk
Wrong
@@TheSpecsShow this is a lazy response. Please explain your reasoning instead of giving a glib 1-word response.
@@dorkthrone
This is the internet, I don't have to justify shit
@@TheSpecsShowthis might be the best reply to anything I’ve ever read on the internet.
The Sammon Splatterpunks collection, as well as its sequel, are an excellent overview. Love Barker's Books of Blood, as well. David J. Schow's short stories are excellent, although Fangoria readers will recognize him from his old Raving and Drooling column. Splatterpunk is not a perfect movement, but it's a damn sight more interesting than the boring ghost stories and vampire romance of the day.
EDIT: Forgot to mention these, but Jack Ketchum's short stories are some of the best I've read, especially "The Box." Joe Lansdale's "Fish Night" is absolutely hilarious.
I expected Ketchum, was slightly surprised to see Lansdale, but even more surprised not to see Poppy Z Brite mentioned. Ketch seems tame in comparison.
I completely disagree with McCammon, his work is on par more with King, just better in my opinion.
I will check out David Schow. (:
@sumrose7972 Poppy's pretty good. I read Drawing Blood ages ago. Another good Lansdale: "The Dump." Most of these writers were raised on EC Comics, so they wrote great monster stories.
Sammon's "Outlaws" essay (in the first SPLATTERPUNKS anthology) is the best overview and exploration of the literary style I've ever read. It Is still one of my favorite examinations of the extremes of 1980s-1990s artistic expression.
*Interesting brand new video in my recommended from a UA-camr I'm not subscribed to*
Rare UA-cam W
Dead Inside (book on the thumbnail) has probably one of my favourite book covers ever, it’s really pretty and that’s something you cannot often if not ever say about splatterpunk books.
Agreed, was surprised and disappointed at how little the book is talked about. Especially being used as the thumbnail
@caydeofspaydes pretty you say! I am beyond intrigued at this description of such a gnarly genre
As someone who was an adult at the time. I would say your fourth point is more accurate. There were plenty of horror stories and commerical novels written at the time that could be termed 'splatter punk' It was not different enough to stand out
I’ve read the genre since the early days of it, it can be a bit of a mixed bag. There’s still a good amount of it being made these days, some has been good. I’m currently rereading the Hater trilogy by David Moody, surprisingly good take on the genre, some parts have been extremely violent.
Fascinating video! I never knew this type of horror genre actually had a name. I grew up in the late 70s and early 80’s so I am familiar with some of the titles you listed here but had no clue they were actually part of a “counterculture movement”. I clicked on your video because of the name of your channel (reading my channel name should explain why) and the title of the video not knowing what to expect. So glad I decided to watch and I am now subscribed! 🙏❤️
Edward Lee is probably my fave, with Jack ketchum close second. Got a soft spot for early Shaun hutson for early splatter
I’d love to hear you talk about Dennis cooper! You and plagued by visions are by far the best “booktuber’s” on this site.
@@Slowdive52 thank you for the kind words :) I'll check him out!
Fellow Slowdive fan here. I read Closer by Cooper during the lockdowns and it was really disturbing, I will read more for sure. I read somewhere on reddit that he took regularly speed to get in the paranoid mood he needed for Closer.
@synthzz9178 slowdive fan too 👍 seen them live a few years back and was a cool experience. Wouldve been around 2017 - 2018. Also that's pretty interesting haha
I grew up on splatter. Today's puritans would have a stroke if they har any idea what was in those books. Good thing they can't read.
Please someone correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis be a very fitting mainstream example of Splatterpunk? Or even aspects of David and Brandon Cronenberg’s work like Possessor or Videodrome?
I feel like the Cronenbergs get more associated with Body Horror. You could argue that some splatterpunk is body horror but I think in this case they “feel” different. Idk how to explain it.
Brian Keene's work is pretty solid in terms of Splatterpunk, and Wrath James White is excellent as well.
I personally love the genre. Laymon, Edward Lee, Keene. They’re like watching really sleazy 80s horror flicks. Except better
The problem with splatter punk is it ends up becoming boring, repetitive, and pointless. It didn’t leave either it just fails constantly to be relevant.
Love your videos! Thanks for keeping the great content :)
@@abrahamcamarilloloza4882 thank you for the continued support :)
I don't know why I never thought of Clive Barker as Spatterpunk! Midnight Meat Train is one of my favorite stories of all time.
Only time I ever heard of the term was in "Never Sleep Again" the Nightmare on Elm Street documentary, as some of the writers for 4 or 5 or 6 had written treatments, and I loved the term, but didn't delve into the genre. The writing for the time I imagine was incredibly shocking, but after listening to death metal for over half my life, it seems par for the course, but doesn't take away from how good the writing is.
Finally some SplatterPunk media.
See, my problem isn't with Splatterpunk as a genre, it's that these new authors and their publishers are in Horror book groups online. I'm in a Facebook group and Dead Inside was brought up (a general discussion) and when someone asked if it was [insert topic] friendly, I linked a video of what the book had. And yes, the review was scathing, but it resonated with the person asking aka: a reviewer of a book getting a review. The publisher (or publishing partner) of it then came in and started beef with the both of us because we didn't want to read it. We already have enough of big authors being too in touch with their audience and behaving badly because of it. Book reviews are not for the author, they're for the reader. Many of these authors/publishers don't understand that. In this capacity I'd say these authors are behaving mainstream 🤷🏻♂
The questioning is shallow, and criteria is never mentioned except to (rightly) question the status quo.
This is across the board. And we know the CIA role in art, bound to be similar in publishing and academic philosophy.
Splatterpunk underground dealers in the 90s are delighted right now.
Great channel ! Just found in "New to You," the final algorithmic optimization that started with a Liked playlist, subscriptions, and but also using "not interested / not recommended" to de-echo the echo chamber of the 'ole same-same same-old UA-cam feed.
accidentally left Streetcleaner by Godflesh on while watching this and didn't even notice until midway through
beat generation wasnt so influenced of what they see in the war, since none of them served, well Kerouac was a merchant sailor but no more than that
A friend of mine writes Splatterpunk books and he introduced me to the genre and I discovered Splatterpunk's Japanese cousin (maybe?), Ero Guro in my teen years. I proclaim myself as a guro artist, much to rhe chagrin of those that happen upon my artwork. I use this as a means to vent my anger, sadness, isolation due to feelings of being an outsider looking in due to being a disabled person. I'm looked at as weird and I've grown accustomed to it.
I would like to point out that one of my biggest personal regrets was peeking into what r/guro was about to see what actual, well guro, is. (It makes me recoil even to this day when I see that word)
But I just took a peek at your channel's work, and with help of the context you provided, there's a notable difference between your 'guro' art and what is usually labeled 'guro' online.
I'll watch a few videos right now of yours and then leave a better review on one of the them.
@valutaatoaofunknownelement197 Off UA-cam, I draw guro that would be classified as NSFW/NSFL, depending on the perception or how the viewer feels. I go by the quote, "Art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable." I do try to stay within the rules of UA-cam and keep my art SFW, there's some on here that aren't.
Your videos are masterpieces! Glad i was here early on!! Your future will be awsome!!
Really amazing video! I love splatterpunk novels such as Exquisite Corpse, Piercing, and splatterpunk-adjacent novels like American Psycho and The Girl Next Door. One footnote- The creator of The Twilight Zone is named Rod Serling, not Sterling, small mistake; But it bothered me just as someone who has spent years studying him. Anyway, splatterpunk is meant to induce thought hidden beneath it's brutalism- which is why I hate authors like Aron Beauregard who write to exploit the distastes of his readers. Beauregard poses no questions and no commentary on society in his novels, it's just characters who exist merely to die or be violated horribly. It's an insult to the genre to refer to Beauregard as a splatterpunk novelist, he doesn't care about the craft and he simply likes writing about women and children in distress. His novels have no catharsis and as someone who loves gore it's not even fun to read. His work is more extreme horror esc, because there's no value outside of it other than the grotesquery. It's also such a disservice to label him splatterpunk to those few who write interesting novels within the genre.
Some splatterpunk novelists who often get swept the rug include Eric Larocca, Jack Ketchum, Ryan C Thomas, and Ryu Murakami (my personal favorite.) Then we have more popular authors who can be considered splatterpunk such as Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, Poppy Z Brite (Now goes by William Joseph Martin) and Dennis Cooper. I've been reading the genre for years and it's a really mind opening subsection of horror literature once you move last the blood and guts. Really excellent video, I love that we're opening the splatterpunk conversation back open again!
As someone who went through child abuse and has a spouse and best friend who also did, Playground is one of the most visceral depictions of child abuse and the ending makes me sob my eyes out. All the child and adult characters have very defined personalities and character arcs, and the core character is an adult that has been horribly abused that gets hope and a change of heart from seeing loving parents actually want to help children. Exhausted with the one sided conversation. You do not have to like his work, but speaking as if it's this objectively closed case of him being a bad author with zero emotional depth, and implying disgust cannot be horrifying, is kneejerk hate mob stuff.
@@eldritchtourist First of all, so sorry what and your loved ones have been through. I honestly completely forgot that Playground had that saving grace, mainly because it's been a while since I've read it, and because my memory of the book is tainted by the very odd wise-cracks that are inputted between the child brutality. Your experience is valuable, but in the end- it is unfortunately only reflective of yourself. I don't like his work *because* of how it can effect victims of the content he's writing, but I'm glad it had a somewhat positive and meaningly impression on you; Which- more power to you.
He told critics of Playground to kill themselves in a special edition of the book he recently sold. I however am open to conversation about his work, and I thank you for giving me a perspective I've never seen before. Didn't mean for my comment to come off as hate-mob-y, since I have read his entire catalogue and my distaste remained consistent throughout; And I'm not basing my opinion off of a single book of his that got popular. I have subjected myself to his other works which were incredibly unpleasant and my opinion was built from there. My opinion is firm on him as an author but I do, again, appreciate the different perspective on Playground, and I'm open to critical discussion about it.. His other works, though? No thank you, I think I'm alright having just read them
Didn't expect to be reminded of Ryu Murakami here. I read coin locker babies when I was way too young for it, but it was so fascinating and weird that it stuck with me since.
Where would you position Murakami in splatterpunk? Or more like, which of his works?
(Genuine question, I haven't read much Murakami in a good while, but this makes me want to go back)
Just popping in to point out that I love everyone's recommendations on here, have read them all multiple times, but I have been down most of the comment thread and seen no mention of:
Wetbones, by John Shirley. If you guys don't know this one, SEEK IT OUT. One of the greats.
This novel is INSANE. Taboo-busting, ultra-violent, downright blasphemous LA / Hollywood street fiction smeared in Hell's own sulfuric ash.
This was pretty interesting. I always like looking back at how literature changed over the decades.
"God Laughs When You Die" by Michael Boatman is a great collection of short splatterpunk stories.
Oh my god yay
Most of the time, even if they're well written, I can't watch low subscriber video essays because of the microphone quality.
Thankyou for not sounding like youre in my garage yelling
As I'm listening to this Violence In My Mind of The Last Resort comes to mind.
Very cool genre indeed dude, you sure did ignite a new interest for something new in me, thanks.
I did not look into the origins of the movie, Midnight Meat Train. I would love to find copies of this literature
every Books of Blood story is far superior to their adaptation
It's in the volume of the collected books of blood books, the one with the first 4, I think. You'll get a bunch of other short stories; some are really good, while some are a little silly. Barker is a good writer.
It's in the first one. There's also one of the best short stories ever written "In the hills the cities"
I can't recommend 'The Books Of Blood' highly enough.
In my experience, most current-day, mainstream fiction is so poorly written and dull. Even the extremely popular stuff. It all seems very YA. I've noticed a lack of action or fantastic elements, even in settings that seem to demand them, which I can only assume is to keep costs down when it's pitched as a Netflix show. Maybe this has more to do with publishers, or even my own evolving tastes, but I haven't really been blown away by any new fiction in a long time. Something like "The Bighead" may be dumb, but at least it's entertaining and original.
you just aren't reading enough 🤷♂
@banditq8991 Maybe. Recently, I've read Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance. I saw some pretty relatable themes in them about things like self-perception and coming to terms with harsh reality, by people who seemed to have insight into such things, along with being good stories. Then I read something new and popular (Don't want to name anyone's current fave) on recommendation, and it just feels completely lifeless. Maybe just my taste.
A lot of mashups get boring afyer a bit. This one just keeps getting better as it goes! Well done.
Once in a while the YT algorithm throws me a W. This was is it. Subscribed.
Hurm.
I'm glad UA-cam's Overlord Algorithm brought this video essay to me. I know a little bit about Splatterpunk, as I came of age in the bloody heart of it all--Los Angeles, late 80s. I was a creative writing student at UCLA who made it through middle and high school thanks to horror movies and heavy metal music. I hung out with Dave Schow (and as other commenters said, his surname is pronounced with the hard "k"), Skipp and Spector (I still sorta know Skipp, I'll link him to this for his thoughts), Poppy Brite (William J Martin), and went to as many Clive Barker book signings as I could. I collected the horror magazines (often featuring splatterpunk stories) Cemetery Dance, Iniquities, and Midnight Graffiti, which I interned for.
My hot take: Horror was becoming popular in the 80s (movies like Evil Dead, music like Slayer's Reign in Blood), so some writers were trying to scratch a name for themselves. Stephen King was snorting coke and banging out bestsellers, so many wanted to suckle the teat on that cash cow. But how to separate, differentiate? PUSH MORE. Oh, and BRAND IT. Just like we now have thrash metal, doom metal, black metal, etc., creators were trying to elevate their name in a glutted market--kinda like how modern UA-camrs slap clickbait titles onto their videos to snatch eyeballs from the vast swamp of content, no?
If you ask many counterculture creators, they hate being shackled with a label or category (ask some 1st gen punks if they are punks). I also think it's a stretch to bless (or curse) splatterpunk as a "literary counterculture". The authors I know just wanted to get paid to write stories, and they wrote what they wanted, what they thought would sell. I don't think they were reacting to anything except their rent, mortgage, utility or grocery bills. And the term fell out as the market moved on--the ruinous dystopia of Reagan's America was repaired and polished by the economic growth of Clinton and the 90s boom (for some people, certainly not all). Horror movies and heavy metal went back underground, people got introspective (grunge music) and changes in book publishing, as well as the collapse of bookstores due to Amazon (also in the 90s) fractured the industry in general, and niche genres (I contend that horror is already a niche genre, Stephen King having outgrown the horror genre into a genre himself) were deleted by the dotcom arrogation of the world economy. I don't think the lack of a leader, aesthetic, avoidance of splatterpunk camaraderie or rebranding as extreme horror had much to do with it. IMHO, that splatterpunk even had 15 minutes in the limelight was more remarkable than its obscurity.
Side notes: It's "Serling" not Sterling, and The Twilight Zone magazine started in 1981, with TED Klein as the editor--six years after the death of Rod Serling.
I never heard of Aron Beauregard, but I do recall the splatterpunk novel "Slob" by Rex Miller: www.goodreads.com/book/show/363118.Slob
I contend that Bret Easton Ellis's "American Psycho" is one of the best splatterpunk books, as it is a commentary on the pure evil Wall Street culture that continues to make us shlubs miserable.
Anyway..just some random dude's thoughts. Thanks for kicking the dust off some of my synapses.
You're welcome.
Really cool presentation. I expected metal music and seizure fast clips of the topic. I appreciate the history not to mention the art in said history. Keep keepin on looking forward to more uploads mate.
4:20 i'm not sure if the abrasive fuax-graffiti text was supposed to mirror splatterpunk's unreadability, but it certainly accomplishes the task
splatterpunk: "let's write as disgusting as possible to provoke change"
modern day terrorists and cartel: "hold my beer"
This essay was absolutely fascinating and enjoyable. Subscription gladly earned.🤩
Fantastic video, huge Clive Barker fan and I'm impressed by the general quality of your channel, onwards and upwards
nobody tell this guy about slamming brutal death metal
Richard Laymon was the best of em all.
My wife has been collecting his work slowly over the past 15 years. She is obsessed with getting only first prints, only UK or Australian, the collection is almost complete, the only one's left are the one off short stories in multi writer short story collections. Those are very hard to find in the wild here in the US
@@ronaldowens5025 here in Germany they started pretty late with releasing Laymons work. I think, I started around 20 years ago reading his books. and I just love his style. Still a lot of people dont know about him.his books would make some awesome movies.
…and even censored the Island in Germany.
Judith Sonnet and Jayson Dawn have EXCELLENT work to my commenters looking for recs!
No one rides for free and bloodbag: a floridian love story are what pulled me into the genre
Your videos are always great and really informative!
Splatterpunk is to literature what Black Metal is to music.
More grindcore than black metal tbh. If it was black metal it'd be more occult and less gory. Grindcore is the gory socially aware critique.
More like Goregrind.
Splatter Punk was underrated; it was about something universally true and analyzed through a filter of repulsion and terror.
really well made video. i had the same initial impression of this genre even as someone who loves horror, but i love the work of clive barker that ive read, so its cool to hear that theres a deeper history than i realized. still waiting for a modern release that i find compelling however
I’ve only read the Paul M Sammon Future Noir book. It’s a great film school in a book sort of. I’m interested in his other books now. Well made video. As you’ve probably seen, it is Rod Serling btw. Cheers!
Gonna read every book mentioned in this video now. Great one though, as part of the counter culture myself I think more forms of rebellion will be needed, as more of us become less accepted and more governed, the punk movement in general is really starting to rise again and I love that, we need it more than ever, and if it takes blatant disgust (which isn’t downright needed usually) to get our point across than so be it, this must be a strange way to do it, nonetheless I think art should offend if it can’t stand out, but in a repressive system, that could be the only way to have our voices heard, I hope more people will belt out, in any way they can.
Splatterpunk = Literary vulgarity in the vernacular.
I recommend all of Skipp and Spector's splatterpunk books. Their poetic descriptions combine beauty with horror...like Lovecraft and Poe before them.
Miss reading Ray Garton, John Shirley, and Skipp & Spektor.
John Shirley is my all-time favorite. His writing is sublime even at it's most grotesque. And his influence on everything from splatterpunk, cybperpunk, and underground punk-rock lit is massive.
Huh.... now that you point it out I see splatterpunk's influence in every thriller and other story that tries to use gore to lend a little extra gravitas or irony to a scene. Sometimes it even works :D
I feel like one of the best examples of a more modern take on splatter punk can be reflected in more interactive horror content. Amnesia A Machine For Pigs comes to mind, as it fits that sort of idea of the horror of reality given a supernatural sort of lens, to blatantly address said topic. Another more new example I would say that has elements of the genre is Fear and Hunger, Termina more so than the original game, but there are definitely those elements present in the first entry into the series too. Not to mention Mouthwashing being maybe one of the most mainstream creative projects, which I would say the more surreal hallucination sequences in the game fit the themes of the sub genre, specifically near the climax of the game. I’d even argue the Coffin of Andy and LeyLey falls under that umbrella, as controversial as the game is.
Goregrind for literaries
I got introduced to splatterpunk when I found a copy of David Schow's "The Shaft" on the NYC subway back in I think 1992. Yes, really, not even joking. I was already a general horror fan (and a metal fan, and into a lot of counterculture and occult studies back in the 1980s) so this find was a rather serendipitous occurrence. I already enjoyed authors like King, Ellis, Lansdale, etc. Authors I'd call sort of adjacent to splatterpunk: Certainly gory, brutal and transgressive but *not quite* splatterpunk as I saw it. American Psycho is the perfect example of what I mean by an adjacent work. Anyway I really consider it more of a sub-genre or movement within a genre than a distinct category of its own I guess. Just my take. I love most of it though, and some authors like Ligotti, Laymon, Schow, Masterton, Hutson, etc are legends of the movement. I'll grant Clive Barker legendary status too, but for me personally his work is really hit or miss. There are some other authors I just can't stand at all, legendary or not. Poppy Z. Brite comes to mind (I'm really not into the LGBT stuff s/he is so obsessed with).
Anyway I don't think splatterpunk has died either -- more like blended diffusely into broader horror/weird culture to become a diluted, more pop version of itself. The same way punk music "died". If you know, you know. Not to say it's _all_ watered down mind you. Take Stokoe's "Cows" for a modern example; it's not splatterpunk in the strict traditional sense perhaps, but it owes a hell of a lot to the style and tropes of the movement.
By the way, it's Rod _Serling,_ (there's no 'T'), and David's surname is pronounced 'skow', so it rhymes with "cow".
I think it's good that the genre ended before it started, from what you said, it seems like it would get lost in itself at some point and then there would only be indignation.
There a few extreme horror novels that get lumped in with splatter punk but are actually worth the read.
Joe Lansdale's writing is amazing.
So splatterpunk is cosmic horror when the void stares back at you and says “I see you”
Going to have to disagree that the 80s is where the seed of Splatterpunk started. The Italian horror film makers of the 70s were more violent and messy than the 80s. For example Bay of Blood had some influence and story beats that Friday the 13th used. Cannibal Holocaust, New York Ripper and many others that came before it. Mario Bava was making violent "Slasher" type movies like 1964s Blood and Black Lace. In the 60s horror was influenced by Yellow books (Giallo). These Yellow books were violent murder mystery stories that at the time were becoming controversial in Italy. That then inspired Giallo Movies from above list.
The sex, violence and gore were more prevalent on 70s horror than the 80s. 70s horror was more gritty, underground and independent film making. This is where Mondo filmmaking started, a direct influence of Splatterpunk. By the time of the 80s horror media including litature came around they became mainstream and polished. Thats the direct opposition to any type of punk culture. Think alot more research needs to be done here. Your time line is a bit off. The term Splatterpunk was a mainstream term by the 80s. Once the mainstream embraces a movement (especially in punk culture) that movement is already dead. No longer underground.
Lore of Splatterpunk: The Disturbing Rise of a Literary Counterculture momentum 100
Tbh American Psycho fits the bill of splatter punk
A Splatterpunk video with zero mention of Laymon, blasphemy.
I wish there was more Splatterpunk readings. It hits different when someone else is reading.
Ok but none of those things were actually counter cultures like the sex pistols started out to sell stuff from a sex shop. I don't think how many people realise this stuff wasn't really ever "counter" it was offered by the mainstream. Again sex pistols were on EMI lol. All this stuff is just things you bought from a store and that's not counterculture
Too late now but more respect and recognition needs to go to Bob Kaufman as one of the original Beatnik poets.
Great video. The splatterpunk subgenre as a whole didn't appeal to me, but I loved Joe Lansdale's debut novel *The Nightrunners* and Clive Barker's story "Human Remains." (And still do.)
I love horror books but if anyone suggests Cows to me I immediately reject their opinions. If you think that shite is good then your opinion is worthless to me. It's the horror version of 50 shades
Its the equivalent of saying Citizen Kane is the best film of all time.
Cows is so gross it's honestly hard to recognize and interpret the symbols and ideas it explores through the narrator's perspective, but it's there. Like on a technical level, it's very deliberate and not entirely gross for the sake of being transgressive.
I also don't consider it horror. I think it's transgressive exaggerated nature is less about scaring readers and more about trying to cross boundaries and speak about it's themes of power, autonomy, and gender.
I read nothing but this kind of stuff in the early 2000s when i was in my 20s and severely hopeless and depressed. I recently found the box of them in the attic and sold some and it felt good ro get them out of the house.
One book is a rare kind aoparently with a real picture of a tattooed fetus. I do not need this in my life anymore. I bought books for my kids with the money.