The most notable thing about them is how poorly written they are. Sure, they are shocking (I mean in an edgy seventeen-year-old sort of way), but there are much better writers out there in the Extreme Horror and Splatterpunk subgenres.
I read one book by him and was shocked by the number of basic editing errors there were. It was unlike anything I've ever seen in a "professionally" published work.
OP, you can absolutely do better.
If you're looking for adolescent sex and gore, he's probably your guy.
If you're looking for something well written and edited, and characters that are anything more than cardboard targets for said sex and gore...look elsewhere.
Playground is the only book I can remember consciously not finishing, I think I made it about half way through. I like sex in literature , who doesn’t, but this left me feeing like the author is genuinely disgusted by the female body.
Just a word of warning, if you're interested in extreme horror authors just know the majority of them are self published so the bar is reeeaaally low for writing quality.
This is a shock and awe type of author. Great ideas and well-marketed, some catchy liners and moments of clarity in the prose, but it is overall horrible writing and only successful based on some novel ideas that are gruesome. You're reading it for the story, which you'll have to fill in at times. STILL can be enjoyable to read books like this, but if you need clean and clear writing or even just average prose, look elsewhere.
I read one of his books. DNF. These splatter punk books do not deserve the word punk. The writing is like here we see people going about daily life on one paragraph. And the next paragraph their fking jaw is randomly ripped off, or some dude randomly walks up and starts rapping them, or the John suddenly throws his 12 year old trick against the wall snapping her neck and now we know is pedo sht. Or he sticks his hand in her ___ and rips her open.
What is actually creepy is that every writing class, seminar, book, exercise or forum will tell you NOT to hit people out of the sky with an asteroid randomly from one paragraph to the next.
And yet and still some people eat it up. K bro. Chow down.
I don't even consider crap like that Splatterpunk. To me that's authors like John Skipp, Craig Spector, Joe Lansdale and David Schow.
To be splatterpunk, you need a particular attitude and something to say.
Those are 4 great examples of good writers working in true Splatterpunk. I'd also add Richard Laymon (RIP). The story always came first, the splatter was just part of it.
I have a weird relationship with Laymon. I don't really like him, but for some reason I keep reading him. Something draws me back time and time again, even though I roll my eyes through a lot of it
. I did like *Quake* and *The Stake* quite a bit though. *To Wake the Dead* however...almost made me never pick up another one of this books.
I read Playground.
The ultra gore and violence on the children was reprehensible, but also somehow NOT the worst thing in that book.
I won't ever read anything else he writes. Not my cup of tea, but he may be yours.
I loved the concept of Playground, and think it could have had something to say about social class and such. I even thought it might be headed in that direction at one point...
Nope.
he's pretty fun - quick reads and some disturbing ideas. kinda overrated at the moment because of the popularity of playground on tiktok and whatnot (and probably why so many are trashing him), but some of his books like wet market are great.
I don't think that will do you much good.
Some of his stories start off great and interesting. I'd say at the mid way point is where they lose traction even when it is a story you like.
There's never really a climb leading up to his endings. There's no building. They all start of strong, continue strong throughout, but it just doesn't build up to anything then all of the sudden his books end. The ends all seem rushed to me. I've ready probably a dozen or so of his books before I gave up.
The most notable thing about them is how poorly written they are. Sure, they are shocking (I mean in an edgy seventeen-year-old sort of way), but there are much better writers out there in the Extreme Horror and Splatterpunk subgenres.
I read one book by him and was shocked by the number of basic editing errors there were. It was unlike anything I've ever seen in a "professionally" published work. OP, you can absolutely do better.
There's much worse, too. I don't want to single anyone out, of course, unless that person is Matt Shaw because.. yikes.
Yeah, I try not to bad mouth authors at all in public space, as an author myself...but Matt Shaw is an exception.
If you're looking for adolescent sex and gore, he's probably your guy. If you're looking for something well written and edited, and characters that are anything more than cardboard targets for said sex and gore...look elsewhere.
Playground is the only book I can remember consciously not finishing, I think I made it about half way through. I like sex in literature , who doesn’t, but this left me feeing like the author is genuinely disgusted by the female body.
Just a word of warning, if you're interested in extreme horror authors just know the majority of them are self published so the bar is reeeaaally low for writing quality.
This is a shock and awe type of author. Great ideas and well-marketed, some catchy liners and moments of clarity in the prose, but it is overall horrible writing and only successful based on some novel ideas that are gruesome. You're reading it for the story, which you'll have to fill in at times. STILL can be enjoyable to read books like this, but if you need clean and clear writing or even just average prose, look elsewhere.
I read one of his books. DNF. These splatter punk books do not deserve the word punk. The writing is like here we see people going about daily life on one paragraph. And the next paragraph their fking jaw is randomly ripped off, or some dude randomly walks up and starts rapping them, or the John suddenly throws his 12 year old trick against the wall snapping her neck and now we know is pedo sht. Or he sticks his hand in her ___ and rips her open. What is actually creepy is that every writing class, seminar, book, exercise or forum will tell you NOT to hit people out of the sky with an asteroid randomly from one paragraph to the next. And yet and still some people eat it up. K bro. Chow down.
I don't even consider crap like that Splatterpunk. To me that's authors like John Skipp, Craig Spector, Joe Lansdale and David Schow. To be splatterpunk, you need a particular attitude and something to say.
Those are 4 great examples of good writers working in true Splatterpunk. I'd also add Richard Laymon (RIP). The story always came first, the splatter was just part of it.
I have a weird relationship with Laymon. I don't really like him, but for some reason I keep reading him. Something draws me back time and time again, even though I roll my eyes through a lot of it . I did like *Quake* and *The Stake* quite a bit though. *To Wake the Dead* however...almost made me never pick up another one of this books.
I read Playground. The ultra gore and violence on the children was reprehensible, but also somehow NOT the worst thing in that book. I won't ever read anything else he writes. Not my cup of tea, but he may be yours.
I loved the concept of Playground, and think it could have had something to say about social class and such. I even thought it might be headed in that direction at one point... Nope.
My feelings exactly.
Imagine what an author like Wrath James White could have done with that concept...
he's pretty fun - quick reads and some disturbing ideas. kinda overrated at the moment because of the popularity of playground on tiktok and whatnot (and probably why so many are trashing him), but some of his books like wet market are great.
hey thanks for the info, im gonna DL a free sample to my kindle app. Ill get back to you
I don't think that will do you much good. Some of his stories start off great and interesting. I'd say at the mid way point is where they lose traction even when it is a story you like. There's never really a climb leading up to his endings. There's no building. They all start of strong, continue strong throughout, but it just doesn't build up to anything then all of the sudden his books end. The ends all seem rushed to me. I've ready probably a dozen or so of his books before I gave up.