Bizarro fiction is a contemporary

literary genre A literary genre is a category of literature. Genres may be determined by literary technique, tone, content, or length (especially for fiction). They generally move from more abstract, encompassing classes, which are then further sub-divided in ...

which often uses elements of absurdism,

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...

, and the

grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...

, along with pop-surrealism and

genre fiction Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term used in the book-trade for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre, in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. A num ...

staples, in order to create subversive, weird, and entertaining works. The term was adopted in 2005 by the independent publishing companies Eraserhead Press, Raw Dog Screaming Press, and Afterbirth Books. Much of its community revolves around Eraserhead Press, which is based in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, and has hosted the annual BizarroCon since 2008. The introduction to the first ''Bizarro Starter Kit'' describes Bizarro as "literature's equivalent to the cult section at the video store" and a genre that "strives not only to be strange, but fascinating, thought-provoking, and, above all, fun to read." According to Rose O'Keefe of Eraserhead Press: "Basically, if an audience enjoys a book or film primarily because of its weirdness, then it is Bizarro. Weirdness might not be the work's only appealing quality, but it is the major one." In general, Bizarro has more in common with speculative fiction genres (such as

science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

, and horror) than with

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

movements (such as

Dadaism Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (Zurich), Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 192 ...

and surrealism), which readers and critics often associate it with. While the genre may place an emphasis on the cult and outré, it is not without critical praise. Books by authors who have identified or have been identified as Bizarro have been praised by

Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featur ...

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worke ...

and guardian.co.uk. Bizarro novels have been finalists for the Philip K. Dick Award, the

Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...

, and the

Rhysling Award __NOTOC__ The Rhysling Awards are an annual award given for the best science fiction, fantasy, or horror poem of the year. Unlike most literary awards, which are named for the creator of the award, the subject of the award, or a noted member of t ...

. A book of Bizarro criticism and theory was named Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2009 by 3:AM Magazine in Paris

Origins

Bizarro literature can trace its roots at least as far back as the foundation of Eraserhead Press in 1999, but the description of the literature as "Bizarro" is a more recent development. Previous terms used to refer to the burgeoning scene include " irreal" and " new absurdism", but neither of these was used broadly. On 19 June 2005, Kevin Dole II released "What The Fuck is This All About", a sort of manifesto for the then unnamed genre. While the essay does not feature the word "Bizarro," subsequent discussion about the essay led to the name as well as the inauguration of the Mondo Bizarro Forum. In his essay, "The Nab Gets Posthumously Bizarroized", Tom Bradley traces the genre's roots back in literary history to the time of

Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (russian: link=no, Владимир Владимирович Набоков ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Bor ...

's "gogolization," and his cry of despair and horror at having his central nervous system colonized: "...after reading

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...

, one's eyes become gogolized. One is apt to see bits of his world in the most unexpected places." Bradley claims the Bizarro movement is continuing and fulfilling that gogolization process, under the name "Bizarroization": "...we have been completing the preposterous project which abokovtook over from Gogol nearly a hundred years ago.." Bradley further asserts that Bizarro writers can trace their spiritual roots back to the

letters Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...

which

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

wrote while exiled on the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

Response

Author John Skipp and fellow small press author Eden Robins have written in praise of the do it yourself, self-promoting aesthetic. ''Thirdeye Magazine'', an online zine, reinforces the perception of Bizarro writing as purposefully absurd. In the

io9 ''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...

article "Independent Publishers Who Are Reinventing The Future," co-editor Charlie Jane Anders praised Bizarro publisher Eraserhead Press as one of her favorite independent presses. The British magazine '' Dazed & Confused'' stated that "The bastard sons of William Burroughs and Dr. Seuss, the underground lit cult of the Bizarros are picking up where the

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and c ...

s left off."

Wonderland Book Award

The Wonderland Book Award honors the best in bizarro fiction each year. The award recognizes two categories: best novel/novella and best short story collection. The award is voted on by bizarro authors and fans, and presented in the fall at BizarroCon.

Best Short Story Collection

2021: Don't Push the Button - John Skipp 2020: Don't F leep with the Coloureds - Andre Duza 2019: To Wallow in Ash & Other Sorrows - Sam Richard 2018: Nightmares in Ecstasy - Brendan Vidito 2017: Angel Meat - Laura Lee Bahr 2016: Berzerkoids – Emma Alice Johnson 2015: The Pulse Between Dimensions and the Desert – Rios de la Luz 2014: I'll Fuck Anything that Moves and Stephen Hawking – Violet LeVoit 2013: Time Pimp – Garrett Cook 2012: All-Monster Action – Cody Goodfellow 2011: We Live Inside You – Jeremy Robert Johnson 2010: Lost in Cat Brain Land – Cameron Pierce 2009: Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars – Cody Goodfellow 2008: Rampaging Fuckers of Everything on the Crazy Shitting Planet of the Vomit Atmosphere – Mykle Hansen 2007: 13 Thorns – Gina Ranalli

Best Novel/Novella

2021: Jurassichrist - Michael Allen Rose 2020: The Loop - Jeremy Robert Johnson 2019: Unamerica - Cody Goodfellow 2018: Coyote Songs - Gabino Iglesias 2017: Sip - Brian Allen Carr 2016: I Will Rot Without You – Danger Slater 2015: Skullcrack City – Jeremy Robert Johnson 2014: Dungeons & Drag Queens – Emma Alice Johnson 2013: Motherfucking Sharks – Brian Allen Carr 2012: Space Walrus – Kevin L. Donihe 2011: Haunt – Laura Lee Bahr 2010: By the Time We Leave Here, We'll Be Friends – J. David Osborne 2009: Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland – Carlton Mellick III 2008: House of Houses – Kevin L. Donihe 2007: Dr. Identity – D. Harlan Wilson

Notable Bizarro Works

Most notable Bizarro works generally tend to come from the major Bizarro presses, most notably Eraserhead Press. Although there are many books that have qualities of Bizarro, such as William Burroughs' ''

Naked Lunch ''Naked Lunch'' (sometimes ''The Naked Lunch'') is a 1959 novel by American writer William S. Burroughs. The book is structured as a series of loosely connected vignettes, intended by Burroughs to be read in any order. The reader follows the na ...

'' or Mark Z Danielewski's '' House of Leaves'', a Bizarro work tends to be defined by its publication inside of the Bizarro scene, from between the years 2001, when the first Carlton Mellick III book was published, to the present. Although Bizarro is a DIY genre that gets little media attention, a notable Bizarro work is often one that has broken past the barriers of the genre and received wider attention in literature and media.

Authors

*Querus Abuttu *Andrew Wayne Adams *David Agranoff *Kirsten Alene Pierce *Forrest Armstrong *Michael A. Arnezn *Ben Arzate *Brian Auspice *Steve Aylett *Laura Lee Bahr *David W. Barbee *Duncan B. Barlow *Maxwell Bauman *William Bevill *Amanda Billings *Vincenzo Bilof *Lori Bowen *Christopher Boyle * Tom Bradley *Dave Brockie *G Arthur Brown * Jeff Burk *Justin A. Burnett *Hugo Camacho Cabeza *Leza Canotral *Lance Carbuncle *Brian Allen Carr *Nathan Carson *Shane T. Cartledge *Adam Cesar *Autumn Christian *Michael Cisco *Alan M. Clark *Scott Cole *Edmund Colell *John Wayne Comunale * Garrett Cook *Jase Daniels *Nicholas Day *Rios de la Luz *Robert Devereaux *Jaime Dunkle *Andre Duza *Russel Edson *Brian Evenson * Amber Fallon *Karl Fischer *Ben Fitts *Constance Ann Fitzgerald *Andy de Fonseca * Chris Genoa *

Eckhard Gerdes Eckhard Gerdes (born 1959) is an American novelist and editor. Life Eckhard Gerdes was born in 1959 in Atlanta, Georgia, and has lived in Switzerland, Germany, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Katanga Province, Katanga, the Republic of Sou ...

*Garvan Giltinan *Larissa Glasser *J. F. Gonzalez *Matthew T. Granberry *Devora Gray *Gerri R. Gray *Jamie Grefe *Michael Griffin *Justin Grimbol *Nikki Guerlain *Douglas Hackle *Mykle Hansen *Eric Hendrixson *C.V. Hunt *Gabino Iglesias * Emma Alice Johnson *Jeremy Robert Johnson *Kirk Jones *

Stephen Graham Jones Stephen Graham Jones is a Blackfoot Native American author of experimental fiction, horror fiction, crime fiction, and science fiction. Although his recent work is often classified as horror, he is celebrated for applying more "literary" stylings ...

*Michael Kazepis *David James Keaton *Mike Kleine *John Edward Lawson *Michael Sean LeSueur *Edward Lee *Christopher Lesko *Marc Levinthal *D. F. Lewis *Kelby Losack *Steve Lowe *Tom Lucas *

Nick Mamatas Nick Mamatas ( el, Νίκος Μαμματάς) (born February 20, 1972) is an American horror, science fiction and fantasy author and editor for Haikasoru's line of translated Japanese science fiction novels for Viz Media. His fiction has been ...

*Spike Marlowe *Eric Mays *Shane McKenzie *Chris Meekings * Carlton Mellick III *Adam Millard *Brent Millis *Jonathan Moon *Christine Morgan *Charles Austin Muir *Kyle Muntz *

Nisio Isin , stylized as NISIOISIN to emphasize the palindrome, is a pseudonymous Japanese novelist, manga author, and screenplay writer. Nisio debuted in 2002 with the novel ''The Beheading Cycle'' (the first in his '' Zaregoto'' series), which earned hi ...

*Don F. Noble *Jeff O'Brien *J David Osborne *Riley Michael Parker *Christoph Paul *William Pauley III *

Cameron Pierce Cameron Pierce (born May 23, 1988, Bakersfield, California, United States) is an American author of bizarro fiction currently residing in Portland, Oregon. The ''Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple)'' described his work as "Surreal nightmares that are ...

*Sam Pink *Pedro Proença *Andersen Prunty *Katy Michelle Quinn *Steven Rage *Liv Rainey-Smith *Gina Ranalli *Tony Rauch *Dustin Reade *Matthew Revert *Sam Richard *Jason Rizos *Jennifer Robin *Tamara Romero *Michael Allen Rose *Kris Saknussemm * Bradley Sands * Tiffany Scandal *Michael J. Seidlinger *Kevin Shamel *Jeremy C. Shipp *John Shirley *Bix Skahill * John Skipp *Danger Slater *Bryan Smith *Andrew James Stone *Alyssa Sturgill *Madeleine Swann *Kevin Sweeney * Molly Tanzer * Bruce Taylor *Anthony Trevino * Violet LeVoit *Brendan Vidito *Daniel Vlasaty *Grant Wamack *J.W. Wargo *Patrick Wensink *Wrath James White *Lee Widener *Caleb Wilson * D. Harlan Wilson *Jason Wuchenich

References

External links

Bizarro Central
{{Authority control Fiction by genre Literary movements Literary genres Underground culture 2000s neologisms 2005 neologisms