The 2023 Splatterpunk Award nominees were announced earlier today. In case you’re not familiar with splatterpunk or extreme horror, let’s just say it’s the heavy metal of literature. Splatterpunk is to books what grindhouse cinema is to films. It’s hardcore, with plenty of blood, guts, foul language, and sexual acts that would make Satan blush. Full contact fiction, that’s what splatterpunk and extreme horror are.
And guess what! My novella Grandpappy earned a nomination! If you were one the readers that gave it a vote, I truly appreciate it. Below is a full list of the nominations. I’ve provided clickable links to each one if you’d like to stock up on wonderfully fucked up reads.
Wrath James White and Brian Keene are pleased to announce the final ballot for the 2023 Splatterpunk Awards, honoring superior achievement in the literary subgenres of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror fiction published in 2022, as well as the sixth recipient of the J.F. Gonzalez Lifetime Achievement Award, and the recommendation process for the coming year.
The nominees are as follows:
BEST NOVEL*
-- Playground by Aron Beauregard (Independently Published)
-- The Television by Edward Lee (Madness Heart Press)
-- Faces of Beth by Carver Pike (Independently Published)
-- Last of the Ravagers by Bryan Smith (Thunderstorm Books / Death’s Head Press)
-- Mastodon by Steve Stred (Black Void Publishing)
-- Ex-Boogeyman (Slasher vs The Remake) by Kristopher Triana (Bad Dream Books / Thunderstorm Books)
BEST NOVELLA
-- Charcoal by Garrett Cook (Clash Books)
-- Grandpappy by Patrick C. Harrison III (Independently Published)
-- Mr. Tilling’s Basement by Edward Lee (Deadite Press)
-- #thighgap by Chandler Morrison (Cemetery Gates Media)
-- Plastic Monsters by Daniel J. Volpe (Independently Published)
BEST SHORT STORY
-- “Just Another Bloodbath at Camp Woe-Be-Gone” by R.J. Benetti (Independently Published)
-- “Of The Worm” by Ryan Harding (from Splatterpunk Zine issue 13)
-- “My Chopping List” by Stephen Kozeniewski (from Counting Bodies Like Sheep, The Evil Cookie Publishing)
-- “Gutted” by Bracken MacLeod (from Splatterpunk Zine issue 13)
-- “Jinx” by Bridgett Nelson (from A Bouquet of Viscera)
BEST COLLECTION
-- Always Listen To Her Hurt: Collected Works by Kenzie Jennings (Blistered Siren Press)
-- Mr. Tilling’s Basement and Other Stories by Edward Lee (Deadite Press)
-- Horrorsmut by Christine Morgan (The Evil Cookie Publishing)
-- A Bouquet of Viscera by Bridgett Nelson (Independently Published)
-- Pornography For the End of the World by Brendan Vidito (Weirdpunk Books)
BEST ANTHOLOGY
-- Human Monsters edited by Sadie Hartmann and Ashley Sawyers (Dark Matter Ink)
-- Camp Slasher Lake, Volume 1 edited by D.W. Hitz and Candace Nola (Fedowar Press)
-- Counting Bodies Like Sheep edited by K. Trap Jones (The Evil Cookie Publishing)
-- Call Me Hoop edited by SC Mendes & Lucy Leitner, created by Drew Stepek (Blood Bound Books)
-- Czech Extreme edited by Lisa Lee Tone (Madness Heart Press)
J. F. GONZALEZ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD**
The final ballot is composed of top recommendations from readers, critics, and the general public and then voted on by our panel of six judges. The sixth annual Splatterpunk Awards will take place at KillerCon in Austin, Texas August 12th. For more details, visit here.
Congratulations to all the other nominees. I’ve read some of the other books listed, but far from all. I’d be interested in hearing what y’all think about the nominees. Any books y’all think got snubbed? I have a story in the Camp Slasher Lake anthology. And I edited Plastic Monsters and Playground; they’re both damn good.
For those wanting to see who wins in person, you can come to KillerCon in Austin this August! I’ll be there!
Anyway, tell me what your favorite splatterpunk read is!