Splatterpunk—a term coined in 1986 by David J. Schow at the Twelfth
World Fantasy ConventionThe World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. It places emphasis on literature and art, while de-emphasizing dramatic presentation, gaming, masquerade, and the like. The World Fantasy Award is presented at the event...
in Providence, Rhode Island—refers to a movement within
horror fictionHorror fiction is a genre of fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle and horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a disturbing supernatural element into everyday human experience...
distinguished by its graphic, often gory, depiction of violence and "hyperintensive horror with no limits." It is regarded as a revolt against the "traditional, meekly suggestive horror story".
Though the term gained some prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, and as a movement attracted a cult following, the term "splatterpunk" has since been replaced by other synonymous terms for the genre.
Writers known for writing in this genre include
Clive BarkerClive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction....
,
Poppy Z. BritePoppy Z. Brite is an American author. Brite initially achieved notoriety in the gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s after publishing a string of successful novels. Brite's recent work has moved into the related genre of dark comedy, of which many are set in the New Orleans...
,
Jack KetchumJack Ketchum is the pseudonym of American horror author Dallas Mayr. Born in 1946, Mayr has been praised by such literary icons as Stephen King, and condemned by a Village Voice critic who dismissed his work as violent pornography...
,
Joe R. LansdaleJoe R. Lansdale is an American author and martial-arts expert. He has written novels and stories in many genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense...
,
Richard LaymonRichard Carl Laymon was an American horror writer. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and lived as a child in California...
,
Richard Christian MathesonRichard Christian Matheson is an American writer of horror fiction and screenplays. He is the author of the short story collections Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks and Dystopia; the novel Created By; and the screenplay for the Showtime Masters of Horror installments Dance of the Dead and...
, Robert McCammon,
David J. SchowDavid J. Schow is an American author of horror novels, short stories, and screenplays. His credits include films such as The Crow and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Most of Schow's work falls into the sub-genre splatterpunk, a term he is sometimes credited with coining...
,
John SkippJohn Skipp is a bestselling author and screenwriter whose eleven books have sold millions of copies and are reprinted in nine languages. His early works were considered seminal to the "splatterpunk" style of modern horror fiction; Skipp split with Spector in 1993 to begin his successful solo career...
,
Craig SpectorCraig Spector is a bestselling author and screenwriter whose eleven books have sold millions of copies and are reprinted in nine languages.-Biography:...
, and
A. M. HomesAmy M. Homes is an American writer. She is best-known for her controversial novels and unusual stories, most notably The End of Alice , a novel about a convicted child molester and murderer...
.
- "Inside the New Horror" — Philip Nutman, The Twilight Zone, October 1988
- "The Splatterpunks: The Young Turks at Horror's Cutting Edge" — Lawrence Person, Nova Express, Summer 1988
- Splatterpunks: Extreme Horror — Paul M.
Splatterpunk—a term coined in 1986 by David J. Schow at the Twelfth
World Fantasy ConventionThe World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. It places emphasis on literature and art, while de-emphasizing dramatic presentation, gaming, masquerade, and the like. The World Fantasy Award is presented at the event...
in Providence, Rhode Island—refers to a movement within
horror fictionHorror fiction is a genre of fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle and horrify the audience. Historically, the cause of the "horror" experience has often been the intrusion of a disturbing supernatural element into everyday human experience...
distinguished by its graphic, often gory, depiction of violence and "hyperintensive horror with no limits." It is regarded as a revolt against the "traditional, meekly suggestive horror story".
Though the term gained some prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, and as a movement attracted a cult following, the term "splatterpunk" has since been replaced by other synonymous terms for the genre.
Writers known for writing in this genre include
Clive BarkerClive Barker is an English author, film director and visual artist best known for his work in both fantasy and horror fiction....
,
Poppy Z. BritePoppy Z. Brite is an American author. Brite initially achieved notoriety in the gothic horror genre of literature in the early 1990s after publishing a string of successful novels. Brite's recent work has moved into the related genre of dark comedy, of which many are set in the New Orleans...
,
Jack KetchumJack Ketchum is the pseudonym of American horror author Dallas Mayr. Born in 1946, Mayr has been praised by such literary icons as Stephen King, and condemned by a Village Voice critic who dismissed his work as violent pornography...
,
Joe R. LansdaleJoe R. Lansdale is an American author and martial-arts expert. He has written novels and stories in many genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense...
,
Richard LaymonRichard Carl Laymon was an American horror writer. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and lived as a child in California...
,
Richard Christian MathesonRichard Christian Matheson is an American writer of horror fiction and screenplays. He is the author of the short story collections Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks and Dystopia; the novel Created By; and the screenplay for the Showtime Masters of Horror installments Dance of the Dead and...
, Robert McCammon,
David J. SchowDavid J. Schow is an American author of horror novels, short stories, and screenplays. His credits include films such as The Crow and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Most of Schow's work falls into the sub-genre splatterpunk, a term he is sometimes credited with coining...
,
John SkippJohn Skipp is a bestselling author and screenwriter whose eleven books have sold millions of copies and are reprinted in nine languages. His early works were considered seminal to the "splatterpunk" style of modern horror fiction; Skipp split with Spector in 1993 to begin his successful solo career...
,
Craig SpectorCraig Spector is a bestselling author and screenwriter whose eleven books have sold millions of copies and are reprinted in nine languages.-Biography:...
, and
A. M. HomesAmy M. Homes is an American writer. She is best-known for her controversial novels and unusual stories, most notably The End of Alice , a novel about a convicted child molester and murderer...
.
Critical bibliography
- "Inside the New Horror" — Philip Nutman, The Twilight Zone, October 1988
- "The Splatterpunks: The Young Turks at Horror's Cutting Edge" — Lawrence Person, Nova Express, Summer 1988
- Splatterpunks: Extreme Horror — Paul M. Sammon, St. Martins, 1990 ISBN 0-312-04581-6
- Splatterpunks II: Over the Edge — Paul M. Sammon, Tor Books, 1995 ISBN 0-312-85786-1