Splatterpunk horror from "summary" of A History of Horror by Wheeler W. Dixon

Splatterpunk horror emerged in the late 20th century as an offshoot of traditional horror, embracing gory violence and extreme depictions of terror. Notable examples include Clive Barker's 'Hellraiser', David Cronenberg's 'Videodrome' and Shaun Hutson's 'Slugs'.

In 1993, writer John Skipp published an anthology called 'Book of the Dead', giving name to two more volumes in 1995 and 1997. These books sparked an enthusiasm for splatterpunk that stayed strong until today and made it accessible to the mainstream audience.

The genre is typified by a rejection of Hollywood censorship regulations and its journalistic influence, such as William S. Burroughs' work moving abstract ideas onto paper and George A. Romero’s 'Night Of The Living Dead'.

Its roots lie in DIY, underground punk and hardcore comics where stories like those of 'Evil Ernie' and EC Horror were popularized. In general, it focuses on raw violence, body horror, transgressive themes and hysterical characters.

WAIhing Jupes further intensified this revolutionary horror movement with stories about subcultures, graphic violence, unconventional gender roles and social taboos.

True devotees of the style seek out authors such as Jack Ketchum, Richard Laymon and Edward Lee whose stories provide tales of shocking levels of violence, sexual transgression and peverse fantasy worlds.

Movie adaptations of these works often magnified the gore factor greatly; Lucio Fulci's 1979 film 'Zombi 2' is considered an archetypal example.

Its readers revel in a surfeit of sublimely grotesque imagery focused heavily around physical destruction and psychological turmoil, providing a soulful escape from everyday life.