READING IS FUCKINMENTAL: Apocalypse... Huh?!

APOCALYPSE HUH?!

Necrophiles and other deviants are taken seriously in Apocalypse Culture.

Every so often you’ll run across a book that opens your eyes to something—like it or not. Back in the late 1980s, that’s what Apocalypse Culture (edited by Adam Parfrey, veteran journalist of all things weird and publisher of Feral House books) did for a lot of people, including yours truly. The minute I cracked the spine of AC, I was disgusted, horrified, and confused. And I couldn’t put the goddamn thing down. I remember thinking, “What the fuck is this? Is this for real?”

Yes, it’s for real. It’s a collection of essays, arguments, interviews, and rantings on the offbeat, the twisted, the sick, and the downright strange. Mass murderers discuss their goals and motives—which seem so insanely logical that it’s frightening. And in my favorite piece, a necrophiliac talks about her (yes, her) desires and how she managed to hook up with her lifeless lovers.

You may not agree with the points of view expressed in the book—in fact, I’d say few folks would. And that’s a good thing. But Apocalypse Culture is notable for its variety and the cogent manner in which some of its authors defend lifestyles and behaviors that are off the charts. In a way, it’s a refreshing departure from the usual bullshit, middle-of-the-road soundbites and sanitized, non-controversial statements that pass for intelligent discourse nowadays. These people in Parfrey’s book may be far left of center (Jesus, they’re not even on the same playing field), but they’re earnest and open about themselves, and have at least given their chosen lifestyles and positions a great deal of thought—which is more than you can say for most Americans.

Twisted as these essays and articles may seem, they offer a perspective you won’t get anywhere else. The book is an interesting cultural artifact and a peek into a dim, psychological corner—not an instruction manual, as its detractors would have you believe. Karen Greenlee—the aforementioned corpse humper—is merely talking about who she is, what she does (or did—I don’t believe she’s still, um, “active”), and how she feels. Ditto every other piece in the book. You won’t get that kind of perspective on life by thumbing through Reader’s Digest.

If you make it through AC without becoming psychologically scarred, there’s a sequel (which I haven’t read yet): Apocalypse Culture II. And if you make it through that one without feeling the slightest twinge of discomfort, then you’re one sick fuck and you better keep your ass away from me and my family. However, if you contact Adam Parfrey, I’m sure he’ll be willing to include your story in Apocalypse Culture III, you perverted asshole.      

Jason Matthew Smith is a Texan who never developed an accent, thanks to a steady diet of television reruns during his formative years. He now lives in Utah, where everyone thinks he sounds just like John Astin, the original Gomez Addams.