Avant-Pop: Fiction for a Daydream Nation
Encyclopedia
Avant-Pop: Fiction for a Daydream Nation is a Fiction Collective Two book published by Black Ice Books in 1992 edited by Larry McCaffery
. This collection of innovative fiction, graphic art, and various unclassifiable texts written by some of the most radical literary talents who McCaffery classifies as Avantpop
. In his introductory chapter, McCaffery calls these writers "a new breed of pop-culture demolition artists". These writers include cult figures such as Kathy Acker
, Samuel R. Delany
, Harold Jaffe and Derek Pell
, as well as young new writers such as Euridice, Mark Leynor, and William T. Vollman.
called Avant-Pop "A cluster-bomb of crazy fiction from a generation of writers too sane to repeat yesterday's lies". In his 1993 review in Science Fiction Eye, Trace Reddell writes "Here we have a group of writers who have been informed by cyberpunk, postmodern and modern writing, pop culture, and postmodern theory, and they deliver an energetic mix othat is anything but redundant". Russ Kirk describes claims the book is "designed to activate your nervous system directly, bypassing the normal brain centers that are triggered when reading 'normal' material".
Larry McCaffery
Lawrence F. "Larry" McCaffery Jr. is a literary critic, editor, and retired professor of English and Comparative Literature at San Diego State University...
. This collection of innovative fiction, graphic art, and various unclassifiable texts written by some of the most radical literary talents who McCaffery classifies as Avantpop
Avantpop
Avantpop is an American artistic movement which derived from postmodernism in the 1990s.According to its proponents, among which there are literary critic Larry McCaffery and writer Mark Amerika, Avantpop is characterized by the use of materials coming from the mass media , that are mostly...
. In his introductory chapter, McCaffery calls these writers "a new breed of pop-culture demolition artists". These writers include cult figures such as Kathy Acker
Kathy Acker
Kathy Acker was an American experimental novelist, punk poet, playwright, essayist, postmodernist and sex-positive feminist writer. She was strongly influenced by the Black Mountain School, William S...
, Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein...
, Harold Jaffe and Derek Pell
Derek Pell
Derek Pell is a visual artist, photographer, and writer. He is the editor in chief of Zoom Street Magazine. He was editor of DingBat Magazine, a contributing editor to PC Laptop, and founder of the international anticensorship art collective Beuyscouts of Amerika...
, as well as young new writers such as Euridice, Mark Leynor, and William T. Vollman.
Critical Reception
Author Tom RobbinsTom Robbins
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins Thomas Eugene "Tom" Robbins (born July 22, 1936 is an American author. His best-selling novels are serio-comic, often wildly poetic stories with a strong social and philosophical undercurrent, an irreverent bent, and scenes extrapolated from...
called Avant-Pop "A cluster-bomb of crazy fiction from a generation of writers too sane to repeat yesterday's lies". In his 1993 review in Science Fiction Eye, Trace Reddell writes "Here we have a group of writers who have been informed by cyberpunk, postmodern and modern writing, pop culture, and postmodern theory, and they deliver an energetic mix othat is anything but redundant". Russ Kirk describes claims the book is "designed to activate your nervous system directly, bypassing the normal brain centers that are triggered when reading 'normal' material".
Contents
- Larry McCafferyLarry McCafferyLawrence F. "Larry" McCaffery Jr. is a literary critic, editor, and retired professor of English and Comparative Literature at San Diego State University...
"Tsunami" - Stephen Wright "Blessed"
- Doug Rice "Of Lightening and Disordered Souls"
- Derek PellDerek PellDerek Pell is a visual artist, photographer, and writer. He is the editor in chief of Zoom Street Magazine. He was editor of DingBat Magazine, a contributing editor to PC Laptop, and founder of the international anticensorship art collective Beuyscouts of Amerika...
"The Elements of Style" - Eurudice "Once upon a real woman"
- Mark Leyner "I'm writing about Sally"
- Rob Hardin "When Sleep Comes Down" and "Gunpowder Come"
- Harold Jaffe "Sex Guerrillas"
- Ricardo Cortez Cruz "EbonY MaN"
- Samuel R. DelanySamuel R. DelanySamuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein...
"On the Unspeakable" - Kathy AckerKathy AckerKathy Acker was an American experimental novelist, punk poet, playwright, essayist, postmodernist and sex-positive feminist writer. She was strongly influenced by the Black Mountain School, William S...
"Politics" - William T. VollmannWilliam T. VollmannWilliam Tanner Vollmann is an American novelist, journalist, short story writer, essayist and winner of the National Book Award...
"San Diego, California, U.S.A. (1988)" - John BerginJohn BerginJohn Bergin is a writer, graphic novel artist, and musician best known for his book From Inside and his music to The Crow. For his graphic novel work, Bergin was nominated for the Harvey Award for Best New Talent in 1991.Bergin Attended from 1984-1988....
"The Water Tower" - Harry Polkinhorn "Consumimur Igni"
- Gerald VizenorGerald VizenorGerald Robert Vizenor is a Native American writer, and an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, White Earth Reservation. One of the most prolific Native American writers, with over 30 books to his name, Vizenor also taught for many years at the University of California, Berkeley, where...
"Wingo on the Santa Maria" - Richard MeltzerRichard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
"Okay with You?" "Days of Beer and Daisies" and "What Is This Thing Called Night?" - David Matlin "Dreams of a Mind Ruptured Prince and Mouth Play"
- Tim Ferret "Through the Wire"
- Jill St. Jacques "Lady-Boy"