Beautiful/Grotesque
A collection of five strange fiction stories by Sam Richard and peers.
This volume compiles works from Roland Blackburn, Jo Quenell, Katy Michelle Quinn, Joe Koch, and editor Sam Richard. Their contributions include Seventeen Names For Skin, The Mud Ballad, Winnie, The Wingspan of Severed Hands, and Sabbath of the Fox-Devils. The text covers topics like grief, familial horror, and psychosis. It draws on traditions of surrealism and hardcore horror. The organization highlights the collision of the macabre with the glorious. The content is dense with imagery that is simultaneously beautiful and grotesque. It avoids simple categorization by blending noir elements with eerie meditations. The result is a unified yet diverse exploration of the monstrous.
Published in 2021 by Weirdpunk Books, this anthology sits within the contemporary strange fiction landscape. It reflects a period where boundaries between horror and surrealism were actively being challenged by independent presses.
📝 Description: Beautiful/Grotesque
💎 Our verdict on Beautiful/Grotesque
📖 Why choose it
Why this book is worth reading
Readers who appreciate surrealism, psychological unease, and dark family dynamics will find this anthology deeply rewarding. It appeals to those interested in the intersection of horror and beauty, offering a unified yet diverse exploration of the monstrous. The collection suits those who enjoy dense imagery that is simultaneously beautiful and grotesque. It avoids simple categorization by blending noir elements with eerie meditations on grief and familial horror. Those seeking traditional linear narratives or lighthearted supernatural tales may find the content too intense or abstract. However, fans of dark fantasy and true crime adjacent atmospheres will appreciate the focus on specific tonal extremes without broad generalizations.
⭐ Reader reviews
Reader rating
Sam Richard’s editorship brings together five distinct voices in strange fiction, creating a volume where the macabre and the glorious collide violently. The stories range from full-on hardcore horror to decadently surreal nightmares, guiding readers through murky waters where the monstrous meets the breathtaking. Each entry challenges conventional boundaries, presenting unique visions of grief, psychosis, and familial quiet horror. This anthology is best suited for readers who appreciate surrealism and psychological unease rather than those seeking linear plots or lighthearted tales. It succeeds as a focused exploration of specific tonal extremes, blending noir elements with eerie meditations to create a dense, atmospheric experience that remains both beautiful and grotesque.
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✍️ More books by this author Sam Richard
🏛 Books from this publisher Weirdpunk Books
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