Splatterpunk
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Splatterpunk describes a subgenre of horror fiction distinguished by its graphic depiction of violence.
As a commercial force in horror fiction, splatterpunk never achieved more than a cult following, although its style has somewhat infiltrated contemporary literature, particularly in the work of Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho), Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club and Haunted), Ryu Murakami (Piercing and In The Miso Soup) and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting).
Transgressional fiction shares similarities with splatterpunk, noir and erotic fiction in its willingness to portray forbidden behaviors and shock readers. But it differs in that protagonists often pursue means to better themselves and their surroundings—albeit unusual and extreme ones. Much transgressional fiction deals with searches for self-identity, inner peace and/or personal freedom. Unbound by usual restrictions of taste and literary convention, its proponents claim that transgressional fiction is capable of pungent social commentary.
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