Letters From the Labyrinth 336

Splatterpunk Summer School

Jun 25, 2023

Over the last week, about a dozen and a half of you asked for a general definition on the difference between Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror.

In the interest of clarification — what follows is simply my definition. But it’s a definition based on discussions with all of the major players — the writers, editors, publishers, and critics. Therefore, what follows is a widely-accepted consensus. I’m simply putting it into my own words. If you disagree, that’s cool. You can go off and have your own definition elsewhere.

Recently the horror fiction sub-genres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror have seen a resurgence in popularity, with the advent of their own literary awards (now in their sixth year as of this writing), the Oxford Dictionary's official recognition and inclusion of the word 'Splatterpunk', and a third generation of writers using the terms to describe their own works. However, with that popularity comes uncertainty of which work fits which label, and confusion on whether or not the two literary labels are interchangable.

As one of the founders (along with Wrath James White) of the Splatterpunk Awards, and as an author who has had some of his works described as either Splatterpunk or Extreme Horror, it is my learned opinion -- and the opinion of the vast majority of horror fiction's other scholars, academics, and historians -- that while the two share a kinship, they are separate categories. To understand why, we must first examine the history of both.

Splatterpunk came about in the 1980s, as a revolt against the "traditional, meekly suggestive" horror stories of the previous decades. Splatterpunk was always more violent, gory, and excessive than traditional horror fiction. The term was coined in 1986 by David J. Schow as a means to describe the individual works of himself, Joe R. Lansdale, Clive Barker, John Skipp and Craig Spector, Poppy Z. Brite, Wayne Allen Sallee, Brian Hodge, and other horror authors who had been writing such material. Splatterpunk stories and novels were distinctly countercultural and often political. While the more mainstream horror fare was content with straightforward stories about vampires, zombies, demons and serial killers, Splatterpunk often subverted those tropes to talk about the environment (Skipp and Spector's The Bridge), racism (Lansdale's "Night They Missed The Horror Show"), or representation of the issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community at the time (various works by Barker and Brite).

During this same era, another revolt against the "traditional, meekly suggestive" horror stories of the previous decades was taking place. Unlike Splatterpunk, it wasn't distinctly countercultural, and it didn't always reflect the socio-political issues of the day. But it was more violent, gory, and excessive than anything else being published in the field. Although it had no genre label yet, this type of fiction would become known as Extreme Horror, and it was typified by works such as Richard Laymon's The Cellar, Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door, and Edward Lee's Ghouls. While it did sometimes have a message, it usually examined the psyche of the individual, rather than the psyche of society. And it did so unflinchingly. The overall tone of these works could best be described in a blurb one critic used in reference to Laymon -- "Stephen King without a conscience".

To put it in layman's terms -- Splatterpunk is punk rock and Extreme Horror is heavy metal. Splatterpunk is Black Flag, The Misfits, the Cro-Mags, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash. Extreme Horror is Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motley Crue, and Metallica.

And both Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror are Motorhead.

Some critics and historians proposed a decline in the popularity of Splatterpunk by the mid-1990s, but what they don't take into account is that there was a decline in horror fiction overall at this same time. But yes, it is accurate to say that Splatterpunk authors like Skipp and Spector, who had sold hundreds of thousands of paperbacks just a few years before, were suddenly absent from bookstores due to the market's overall slump. Some, like Schow, turned to writing for film and television. Others, like Lansdale, switched to other genres.

That same bookstore decline hit Extreme Horror, as well. Some authors, such as Rex Miller, stopped writing altogether. Others, such as Laymon, Ketchum, and Lee, found homes in the then blossoming professional small press, where publishers such as Gauntlet, Cemetery Dance, Obsidian, and Necro Publications would issue their works in signed, limited edition hardcover format. Horror fans, unable to buy these works in stores anymore, flocked to these new publishers via mail-order and the then-new Internet. The results were financially successful, and with that success came the opportunity to push the limits even farther. While Edward Lee had been constrained at what he could do in mainstream paperback, publishers like Necro's Dave Barnett issued no such editorial restrictions. The result was some of Lee's most seminal novels, beginning with The Bighead and The Pig. Ultimately, this led to the creation of the Extreme Horror brand -- a label to describe what these authors were writing, and an easy way for readers to find publishers who produced it.

These days, if the lines between the two sub-genres seem blurry, that's the fault of the generation of writers that followed. Authors such as myself, J.F Gonzalez, Bryan Smith, Gerard Houarner, Wrath James White, Ryan Harding, Charlee Jacob, Shane McKenzie, Monica J. O’Rourke, and others were influenced by both camps, and the result was that our works were often a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of the two. Even more confusing to readers was the fact that we seldom limited ourselves to just Splatterpunk or Extreme Horror, and also incorporate other categories of horror fiction such as Quiet or Cosmic Horror.

There is now a third generation of writers who proudly wear both badges on either sleeve, such as Aaron Dries, Kristopher Triana, Christine Morgan, Aron Beauregard, Daniel J. Volpe, Carver Pike, Wesley Southard, Chandler Morrison, Wile E. Young, and so very many more. And I would argue that catch-all labels such as Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror are as ill-fitting for some of them as they were for some of us. In the case of Morgan, Young, or Southard, they often write works that are neither Splatterpunk or Extreme, but Mainstream Horror. And indeed (in Young and Morgan’s case) they have written works outside the horror genre altogether. So yes, some of their work would certainly qualify, but they also do more than that. (This is the same trap that J.F. Gonzalez and Nate Southard fell into more than a decade ago, and the same trap some of the O.G. Splatterpunks fell into more than two decades ago. If you don’t believe me, ask Joe R. Lansdale if he considers himself a Splatterpunk). For others, like Morrison and Triana, I argue that saddling them with Splatterpunk or Extreme Horror labels is an injustice, because their work is transgressive enough to have gone beyond those things, just as Schow, Ketchum, Skipp, Laymon and other originators did when going beyond the traditional, meekly suggestive fare of their time. If anything, they are creating new subgenres. You see their influences (Bret Easton Ellis on Chandler and Jack Ketchum on Kristopher) but they have transcended those influences.

And that, in my opinion, is the most important part of all. It is comforting and reinvigorating to know that those who were perhaps inspired by the original instigators and the generation who followed them, are now pushing the boundaries -- and the genre -- even further. That is the incubator in which good art thrives, and it is through those efforts that the form lives on. And good art is what keeps civilization and society from crumbling.

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So, there you go, all who asked. Hope that helps. And if you are a subscriber to Jobs In Hell, the next issue of that newsletter will include a very lengthy article by J.F. Gonzalez — written before his death — that will further flesh out those definitions and history.

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Speaking of David J. Schow, he’s got a new release out this week! And it’s not Splatterpunk. It’s something he’s equally knowledgeable about.

There is nothing wrong with your television set . . . Join Outer Limits expert David J. Schow on a 60th Anniversary exploration of things old, things new, and things to come for the all-time classic TV series. Still going strong in the streaming age and with no fewer than three Blu-Ray incarnations, The Outer Limits has withstood the ravages of time and taste to remain essential viewing for fans of the unknown, the mystical, the different, and — dare we say it? — the outré!

Available right now in paperback and hardcover!

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I did a new Brian Keene Live livestream this past Wednesday. Among the things we discussed were THE LABYRINTH series, writing collaborations, marriage, Brian Hodge, the Grimace milkshake, and more Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror label stuff. I also showed off some cool new comic book additions. You can watch for free here.

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Tickets for AuthorCon III -- a Scares That Care charity event taking place April 12 thru 14, 2024 in Williamsburg, VA -- are now on sale for ALL attendees! Given how fast vendor tables sold out, we expect these will be flying, as well. Click here to purchase your tickets.

We’ll begin announcing Guests of Honor soon. And stay tuned for a second Scares That Care announcement, unrelated to our Williamsburg location, coming soon.

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Here’s the remainder of my signings and appearances for 2023:

Killercon 2023
August 11 to August 13
Holiday Inn Austin-Town Lake, 20 N Interstate 35, Austin, TX 78701

Dark Delicacies
September 24 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
822 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505

Voidcon
October 13 and October 14
DoubleTree by Hilton 1001 3rd Ave, Huntington, WV

Brownsville Screams
October 21 - 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Snowdon Square, Brownsville PA 15417

Barnes & Noble
November 3 and 4
Barnes & Noble 5501 West Broad St Richmond VA 23220

BizarroCon 15
November 16 to November 19
McMenamins Edgefield 2126 S.W. Halsey St. Troutdale, OR 97060

And there may be one or two more bookstore or library dates added, but no Necon for us this year. We love the convention, but we need a break. Congratulations to Sephera Giron and Weston Ochse on your induction into the Legends. We will be there cheering for you in spirit. No Merrimack Valley Halloween book Festival for us this year either, sadly.

Next year will see a drastic scaling back of signings and conventions. I suspect the days of cross country tours are done.

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Earlier this week, I said:

With the last two administrations (John Palisano and John Edward Lawson, both backed by Vice President Meghan Arcuri), the Horror Writers Association (HWA) has become the organization I'd always hoped it could be. As such, I'm throwing my hat in the ring for Trustee, if you'll have me. Official campaign statement forthcoming.

Since making the above announcement on social media earlier this week, I have received a number of exasperated texts and bewildered phone calls from my old and dearest friends, all of which can be summed up as, “Are you insane? What the hell are you doing? Do you have a death wish? Have you forgotten that being HWA President killed Dick Laymon? What are you really up to? Has your brain disease progressed so significantly?” Etc.

Look, gang. Here’s the thing. When we get together, what do we talk about? A few things. We talk about the authors who are older than us — the folks in their 70s and 80s now, and our fears for some of them, and our fears that the same thing is gonna happen to some of us. And we talk about the authors who are younger than us — the folks in their 20s and 30s, and how we’re starting to see some of the same pitfalls and bullshit that got thrown at us get thrown at them, because either its new perpetrators or its old perpetrators who think we’ve since gotten old or soft or weak or have simply stopped paying attention. Well, I’m not asleep, and I’m still paying attention.

We can sit around and talk about these things, but you know where that will get us? In the same situation we stood together and fought our way out of once before. And it will be double jeopardy because we’ll then be in the twilight of our years and dealing with the same stuff our elders are dealing with now. I refuse to go out like that. I’ve got 25 years of hard-earned wisdom and knowledge regarding this field, and a deep appreciation, love, and facts regarding its history. If I can offer one voice among many, and one perspective among many, and one bit of guidance to an organization whose decisions and actions impact the rest of us whether we are members or not, then I reckon it’s time to do just that.

This industry was a mess when we first started. It was still in the throes of the 90s-crash. We’ve done a lot of hard work to get it to where it is today. I’d like to see it stay in that shape, or ideally improve beyond that shape, before I leave for good. This is one small way I can do that. That’s all I’m up to.

One friend told me, “You won’t be able to please everybody. Eventually, they’ll all get mad at you and hate you for it.”

But when have they not? During the Dorchester Publishing / Leisure Books fiasco, do you remember how many people were initially mad at me, Mary, J.F. Gonzalez, and Bryan Smith? Do you remember the crap we took for “rocking the boat” and not simply “keeping quiet about things”?

You don’t act so that what you want to protect will love you. You act because you love what you want to protect.

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Thanks to everyone who took advantage of the new Manhattan On Mars storefront — where you can buy my books directly from me, and have them signed directly by me. We ship anywhere in the world, five days a week. You can check out our current inventory here.

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Currently Playing: Fallout 76, Magic the Gathering, Clash of Clans, and The Boys board game.

Currently Listening: Brian Keene Radio (just uploaded some really rare Lemmy solo-tracks).

Currently Watching: The Sopranos (Max), Doctor Who (Max), Army of One (Prime), Wither (Tubi)

Currently Reading: Reincursion by Ryan Harding and Jason Taverner and Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science by Jeff Meldrum

Army of One is a quirky comedy based on the real-life story of the American construction worker who tried to capture Osama bin Laden. Adorable film with some good performances.

Wither is a fantastic Swedish take on Evil Dead. Blood-soaked, fantastic practical effects, and some gorgeous cinematography. Definitely recommended. But make sure you’re watching the Swedish film, rather than the American film of the same name.

I added Currently Playing by popular request. In truth, that above list will probably stay pretty steady. We play Magic the Gathering every Sunday — me, Mary, John Urbancik, my oldest son David, and my godson Devon. Occasionally my youngest son joins us, although he’s sort of Magic’ed out. He purchased The Boys board game this week, so we all agreed that we’d give that a spin today, instead of Magic. (He’s watched the show and read all my comics).

Clash of Clans — our clan is Dragon King and my screen name is BrianKeene. You are welcome to join our clan, if you like. We are very chill and just about having fun. We’re primarily looking for folks who play regularly. (Currently our clan has a lot of folks who only log on occasionally, and that makes group efforts difficult).

Fallout 76 — I dropped out for about a full year, but have recently been running it about an hour per evening, while Mary is working. It will never be my favorite in the franchise (that remains New Vegas and 3) but it’s a fun little mindless distraction. My screen name is either ObRulz13 or ObRules13 (I can’t remember which). You’re welcome to friend me, although I’ll warn you — I do not use a microphone or headset and I hate sending messages back and forth. But if you want to run around a post-apocalyptic wasteland with me and communicate using in-game emojis, cool.

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Work this week was very, very busy:

*Continued the first draft of BENEATH THE LOST LEVEL.
*Began planning out all of the customer-purchased short stories for THE LOST LEVEL.
*Did edits and revisions on the second drafts of SPLINTERED: THE LABYRINTH Book 3 and INVISIBLE MONSTERS (or whatever I’ll end up calling the published version).
*Worked on layout and revisions for OTHER WORDS.
*Waited on cover art for AN OCCURRENCE IN CRAZY BEAR VALLEY.
*Worked on layout for a new definitive edition of J.F. Gonzalez’s Survivor.
*Signed off on cover art for new edition of CLICKERS VS. ZOMBIES. (Unfortunately, the publisher was unable to get in touch with the artist who did the previous version, so they had to go with something different).
*Worked on the next issue of Jobs In Hell.
*Worked on Scares That Care stuff.
*Took a huge leap forward on OPERATION: WALKABOUT (for new readers, that’s a code name I came up with for something secret that Christopher Golden and I are working on).
*Signed signature sheets for the Thunderstorm Books edition of ISLAND OF THE DEAD.

Most of that was done from my ex-wife’s house (when she travels for work, I stay there and dog-sit). I’m back in my office now, though, and it looks like a bomb went off, because Dallas expressed his displeasure with me being gone by getting into everything and then scattering it across the floor.

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Speaking of Dallas, here’s a photo from the archives — Rick Hautala, Jack Ketchum (aka Dallas Mayr), F. Paul Wilson and myself on a panel at a Necon from many years ago. When we talk about Imposter Syndrome? I was feeling it right here. You can see it in my expression. (But I was also delighted because right before the panel started, F. Paul gave me a Howard the Duck Marvel Treasury Edition, sort of like how you give a little kid a comic book to occupy themselves with at the start of a long drive).

And here’s another one from the archives, because I’m feeling nostalgic and because you folks seem to enjoy these things.

That’s Dallas (Ketchum) and Mary watching Rio Youers and I speed sign some signature sheets at a convention. I don’t remember what the sheets were for but I remember that we only had an hour to sign about 400 of them.

Okay. One more of Dallas?

That’s from the opening ceremonies of World Horror Convention 2001 in Seattle. To Dallas’s left you’ll see a very young me double over in laughter at the table.

When Mary and I tell Somer Canon, Wesley Southard, Wile E. Young, and Stephen Kozeniewski about how conventions used to be back in the day, they often stare at us in a mixture of shock and disbelief. But it’s all true, kids.

It was a different time…

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Okay, that does it for this week. As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate it. Remember to get your AuthorCon III tickets! It’s gonna be lit, as the young people say. ;-) I’ll see you back here next Sunday.

— Brian Keene