Splatterpunk is a term that David J. Schow coined in the mid-1980s at the World Fantasy Convention in Providence, refers to a movement within horror fiction 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some prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, and as a movement attracted a cult following, the term "splatterpunk" has since been replaced by other synonymous terms for the genre.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 Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Jack Ketchum, Joe Lansdale, Richard Laymon, Richard Christian Matheson, Robert McCammon, David J. Schow, John Skipp, and Craig Spector.

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
• Splatterpunk Sampler

References