Splatterpunk is a movement withinhorror fiction originating in the 1980s, distinguished by its graphic, often gory, depiction of violence,countercultural alignment[1] and "hyperintensive horror with no limits."[2][3][4] The term was coined in 1986 byDavid J. Schow at the TwelfthWorld Fantasy Convention inProvidence, Rhode Island. Splatterpunk is regarded as a revolt against the "traditional, meekly suggestive horror story".[5] Splatterpunk has been defined as a "literary genre characterised by graphically described scenes of an extremely gory nature."[6]
Michael Shea's short story "The Autopsy" (1980) has been described as a "proto-splatterpunk" story.[7]
Splatterpunk provoked considerable controversy among horror writers.Robert Bloch criticized the movement, arguing "there is a distinction to be made between that which inspires terror and that which inspires nausea".[8]William F. Nolan andCharles L. Grant also censured the movement.[9] However, critics R. S. Hadji and Philip Nutman praised the movement, the latter describing splatterpunk as a "survivalist" literature that "reflects the moral chaos of our times".[9]
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prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, and, as a movement, attracted a cult following, the term "splatterpunk" has since been replaced by other synonymous terms for the genre.[10] The last major commercial endeavor aimed at the splatterpunk audience was 1995'sSplatterpunks II: Over the Edge, an anthology of short stories which also included essays on horror cinema and an interview withAnton LaVey. By 1998, one commentator suggested interest in splatterpunk was declining, saying it "seemed to have reached a peak" in the mid-1990s.[11] The term is still sometimes used for horror with a strong gruesome element, such as Philip Nutman's novelCities of Night.[12]
In 2018, the organizers of KillerCon established the Splatterpunk Awards (or "Bernies") to honor achievement in the fields of splatterpunk and extreme horror.[13] An author who won a Splatterpunk Medal for his novel,Full Brutal, was Kristopher Triana.
Though traditionally associated with literature, splatterpunk has also gained influence in other media, namely video games.The Coffin of Andy and Leyley, a 2023 indie horror game, gained notoriety from this expansion. Initially banned in Australia due to its controversial themes, the game was later reinstated with an R-18+ rating due to primarily splatterpunk characteristics such as gore and high impact violence. The game is not the first in the splatterpunk genre within gaming, but is one of the more notable.[14]
Writers known for writing in this genre includeClive Barker,[3][15][16]Poppy Z. Brite,[3]Jack Ketchum,[3]Richard Laymon,[3]J. F. Gonzalez,Joe Lansdale,Brian Keene,Richard Christian Matheson,[3]Robert R. McCammon,[3] Shane McKenzie,[3] Wrath James White,[3]David J. Schow (described as "the father of splatterpunk" byRichard Christian Matheson),[3][4]John Skipp,[3] Craig Spector,[3]Edward Lee,Ray Garton,[17][18] Dan Shrader, andMichael Boatman.[19] Some commentators also regardKathe Koja as a splatterpunk writer.[9]
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