Ep. 13: Let's Talk Splatterpunk
Splatterpunk, or what many label as extreme and graphic horror, seems to be quite popular among certain readers. But just how graphic and violent are these books?
Go Straight to the Episode:
What is Splatterpunk?
Maybe you are not as ancient as I am. Splatterpunk might be a term you are already familiar with. As I stand looking out the window making sure nobody uses my driveway to turn around in, while complaining about the HOA, I admit living in a world where splatterpunk was not in my vocabulary until I started exploring more horror novels.
Splatterpunk is a movement within horror fiction originating in the 1980s, distinguished by its graphic, often gory, depiction of violence, countercultural alignment and "hyperintensive horror with no limits." The term was coined in 1986 by David J. Schow at the Twelfth World Fantasy Convention in Providence, Rhode Island.
I dipped my toe in the splatterpunk waters solely for the seven people who listen to this podcast. If reading books that include scenes with a dead baby nailed to a wall for such a small listening audience is not a sign of dedication to the craft, I don’t know what is.
Mentioned in the Episode:
Talia by Daniel J. Volpe
Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana:
My Vice Is Your Unfathomable Agony by Otis Bateman:
Playground by Aron Beauregard:
Cows by Matthew Stokoe
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
If you love this genre and need to continue reading these books, this website is another place to fill your TBR. You may also sort through Goodreads using the splatterpunk tag. Or, if you’re like me, you will end up over the kitchen sink scrubbing your eyes out while trying to remove from your mental Rolodex the terrible things you just read.