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{{short description|Literary genre}}
{{Short description|Literary genre}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
'''Bizarro fiction''' is a contemporary [[literary genre]], which often uses elements of [[absurdism]], [[satire]], and the [[grotesque]], along with pop-surrealism and [[genre fiction]] staples, in order to create subversive, weird, and entertaining works. The term was adopted in 2005 by the [[small press|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]], 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 film|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."<ref>''The Bizarro Starter Kit.'' Bizarro Books, 2006. p.5</ref> 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."<ref name="Bizarro FAQs">{{cite web|url=http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/topic/362|title=Bizarro FAQs – What is BIZARRO? – Discussion Areas – Mondo Bizarro – Message Board|first=Rose|last=O'Keefe|date=2 October 2005|work=|publisher=[[Yuku]]|accessdate=22 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718145959/http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/topic/362|archive-date=18 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
'''Bizarro fiction''' is a contemporary [[literary genre]] which often uses elements of [[Absurdist fiction|absurdism]], [[satire]], and the [[grotesque]], along with pop-surrealism and [[genre fiction]] staples, in order to create subversive, weird, and entertaining works. The term was adopted in 2005 by the [[small press|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]], 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 film|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."<ref>''The Bizarro Starter Kit.'' Bizarro Books, 2006. p. 5</ref> 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."<ref name="Bizarro FAQs">{{cite web|url=http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/topic/362|title=Bizarro FAQs – What is BIZARRO? – Discussion Areas – Mondo Bizarro – Message Board|first=Rose|last=O'Keefe|date=2 October 2005|publisher=[[Yuku]]|access-date=22 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718145959/http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/topic/362|archive-date=18 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>


In general, Bizarro has more in common with [[speculative fiction]] genres (such as [[science-fiction]], [[fantasy]], and [[Horror fiction|horror]]) than with [[avant-garde]] movements (such as [[Dadaism]] and [[surrealism]]), which readers and critics often associate it with.<ref name="Fantasy Magazine">{{cite web |url=http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/04/bizarro-fiction-101-not-just-weird-for-weirds-sake/|title=Fantasy Magazine » Bizarro Fiction 101: Not Just Weird for Weird’s Sake|author=Randy Henderson|date=21 April 2010|work=|publisher=[[Fantasy Magazine]]|accessdate=22 October 2010}}</ref> 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]],<ref name="horroryearbook.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.horroryearbook.com/549985/ass-goblins-of-auschwitz|title=Ass Goblins of Auschwitz at horroryearbook.com|author=Kevin Touch|date=21 May 2010|publisher=horroryearbook|accessdate=22 October 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722130803/http://www.horroryearbook.com/549985/ass-goblins-of-auschwitz|archivedate=22 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Michael Moorcock]]<ref name="The Velocity Gospel review">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jun/15/featuresreviews.guardianreview28/print|title=Curiouser and curiouser|author=Michael Moorcock|author-link=Michael Moorcock|date=15 June 2010|work=[[guardian.co.uk]]|accessdate=22 October 2010}}</ref> and [[guardian.co.uk]].<ref name="guardian.co.uk">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2010/jul/16/bizarro-fiction-terribly-good|title=Bizarro fiction: it's terribly good|author=Damien G Walter|date=16 July 2010|work=[[guardian.co.uk]]|accessdate=22 October 2010}}</ref> Bizarro novels have been finalists for the [[Philip K. Dick Award]],<ref name="Philip K. Dick Award">{{cite web|url=http://www.philipkdick.com/links_pkdaward.html|title=The Philip K. Dick Award – winners by year|publisher=[[Philip K. Dick Award]]|accessdate=22 October 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207080934/http://www.philipkdick.com/links_pkdaward.html|archivedate=7 December 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Steve Aylett Website">{{cite web |url=http://www.steveaylett.com/pages/interviews.html|title=Steve Aylett Website - interviews section - WWW.STEVEAYLETT.COM|author=|date=|work=|publisher=STEVEAYLETT.COM|accessdate=22 October 2010}}</ref> the [[Bram Stoker Award]],<ref name="Horror Writers Association - Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners">{{cite web|url=http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm |title=Horror Writers Association – Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners |publisher=[[Horror Writers Association]] |accessdate=22 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015205855/http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm |archivedate=15 October 2008 |df=dmy }}</ref> and the [[Rhysling Award]].<ref name="Rhysling Award">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfpoetry.com/ra/pages/07rhysling.html|title=Rhysling Anthology and Awards: 2007|author=Mike Allen|publisher=[[Science Fiction Poetry Association]]|accessdate=22 October 2010|authorlink=Mike Allen (poet)|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105153650/http://www.sfpoetry.com/ra/pages/07rhysling.html|archivedate=5 January 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> A book of Bizarro criticism and theory was named Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2009 by [[3:AM Magazine]] in Paris<ref>''Put It Down in a Book'' by Tom Bradley, The Drill Press, 2009</ref>
In general, Bizarro has more in common with [[speculative fiction]] genres (such as [[science-fiction]], [[fantasy]], and [[Horror fiction|horror]]) than with [[avant-garde]] movements (such as [[Dadaism]] and [[surrealism]]), which readers and critics often associate it with.<ref name="Fantasy Magazine">{{cite web|author=Randy Henderson|date=21 April 2010|title=Fantasy Magazine » Bizarro Fiction 101: Not Just Weird for Weird's Sake|url=http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/04/bizarro-fiction-101-not-just-weird-for-weirds-sake/|url-status=live|access-date=22 October 2010|publisher=[[Fantasy Magazine (2005)]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425232516/http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/2010/04/bizarro-fiction-101-not-just-weird-for-weirds-sake/|archive-date=25 April 2010}}</ref> 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]],<ref name="horroryearbook.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.horroryearbook.com/549985/ass-goblins-of-auschwitz|title=Ass Goblins of Auschwitz at horroryearbook.com|author=Kevin Touch|date=21 May 2010|publisher=horroryearbook|access-date=22 October 2010|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722130803/http://www.horroryearbook.com/549985/ass-goblins-of-auschwitz|archive-date=22 July 2011}}</ref> [[Michael Moorcock]]<ref name="The Velocity Gospel review">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jun/15/featuresreviews.guardianreview28/print|title=Curiouser and curiouser|author=Michael Moorcock|author-link=Michael Moorcock|date=15 June 2010|work=[[guardian.co.uk]]|access-date=22 October 2010}}</ref> and [[guardian.co.uk]].<ref name="guardian.co.uk">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2010/jul/16/bizarro-fiction-terribly-good|title=Bizarro fiction: it's terribly good|author=Damien G Walter|date=16 July 2010|work=[[guardian.co.uk]]|access-date=22 October 2010}}</ref> Bizarro novels have been finalists for the [[Philip K. Dick Award]],<ref name="Philip K. Dick Award">{{cite web|url=http://www.philipkdick.com/links_pkdaward.html|title=The Philip K. Dick Award – winners by year|publisher=[[Philip K. Dick Award]]|access-date=22 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207080934/http://www.philipkdick.com/links_pkdaward.html|archive-date=7 December 2008}}</ref><ref name="Steve Aylett Website">{{cite web|url=http://www.steveaylett.com/pages/interviews.html|title=Steve Aylett Website - interviews section - WWW.STEVEAYLETT.COM|publisher=STEVEAYLETT.COM|access-date=22 October 2010|archive-date=15 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015164834/http://www.steveaylett.com/Pages/interviews.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> the [[Bram Stoker Award]],<ref name="Horror Writers Association - Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners">{{cite web|url=http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm |title=Horror Writers Association – Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners |publisher=[[Horror Writers Association]] |access-date=22 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015205855/http://www.horror.org/stokerwinnom.htm |archive-date=15 October 2008 }}</ref> and the [[Rhysling Award]].<ref name="Rhysling Award">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfpoetry.com/ra/pages/07rhysling.html|title=Rhysling Anthology and Awards: 2007|author=Mike Allen|publisher=[[Science Fiction Poetry Association]]|access-date=22 October 2010|author-link=Mike Allen (poet)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105153650/http://www.sfpoetry.com/ra/pages/07rhysling.html|archive-date=5 January 2011}}</ref> A book of Bizarro criticism and theory was named Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2009 by [[3:AM Magazine]] in Paris.<ref>''Put It Down in a Book'' by Tom Bradley, The Drill Press, 2009</ref>


==Origins==
==Origins==


Bizarro literature can trace its roots at least as far back as the foundation of Eraserhead Press in 1999,<ref name="About « Eraserhead Press">{{cite web |url=http://eraserheadpress.com/about/|title=About « Eraserhead Press|author=|date=|work=|publisher=Eraserhead Press|accessdate=22 October 2010}}</ref> but the description of the literature as "Bizarro" is a more recent development. Previous terms used to refer to the burgeoning scene include "[[Irrealism (the arts)|irreal]]"<ref name="Dark Scribe Magazine">{{cite web |url=http://www.darkscribemagazine.com/feature-interviews/d-harlan-wilson-keeping-it-irreal.html|title=Dark Scribe Magazine – Feature Interviews – D. Harlan Wilson: Keeping It Irreal|author=Blu Gilliand|date=1 August 2009|work=|publisher=Dark Scribe Magazine|accessdate=29 August 2011}}</ref><ref name="The Specusphere - Irrealism and the Bizarro movement">{{cite web|url=http://www.specusphere.com/feature-articles/irrealism-and-the-bizarro-movement.html|title=The Specusphere – Irrealism and the Bizarro movement|author=Stephen Thompson|date=19 August 2008|work=|publisher=The Specusphere|accessdate=22 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005062808/http://www.specusphere.com/feature-articles/irrealism-and-the-bizarro-movement.html|archive-date=5 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> and "[[absurdist fiction|new absurdism]]",<ref name="The Specusphere - Irrealism and the Bizarro movement"/> 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.<ref name="Bizarro FAQs-2">{{cite web|url=http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/968|title=What the Fuck is This All About? – Articles & Essays – Discussion Areas – Mondo Bizarro – Message Board|author=Kevin Dole 2|date=28 June 2005|work=|publisher=[[Yuku]]|accessdate=22 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919185637/http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/968|archive-date=19 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="So What the Fuck Is This All About?">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=8 |title=So What the Fuck Is This All About?|author=Kevin Dole 2|date=24 August 2007|work=|publisher=[[Internet Archive]]|accessdate=22 October 2010 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824114545/http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=8 |archivedate = 24 August 2007}}</ref><ref name="Kevin Dole 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.bizarrocentral.com/authors/25-kevin-dole-2.html|title=Kevin Dole 2|publisher=Bizarro Central|accessdate=22 October 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729042919/http://bizarrocentral.com/authors/25-kevin-dole-2.html|archivedate=29 July 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> 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.
Bizarro literature can trace its roots at least as far back as the foundation of Eraserhead Press in 1999,<ref name="About « Eraserhead Press">{{cite web |url=http://eraserheadpress.com/about/|title=About « Eraserhead Press|date=24 November 2009 |publisher=Eraserhead Press|access-date=22 October 2010}}</ref> but the description of the literature as "Bizarro" is a more recent development. Previous terms used to refer to the burgeoning scene include "[[Irrealism (the arts)|irreal]]"<ref name="Dark Scribe Magazine">{{cite web |url=http://www.darkscribemagazine.com/feature-interviews/d-harlan-wilson-keeping-it-irreal.html|title=Dark Scribe Magazine – Feature Interviews – D. Harlan Wilson: Keeping It Irreal|author=Blu Gilliand|date=1 August 2009|publisher=Dark Scribe Magazine|access-date=29 August 2011}}</ref><ref name="The Specusphere - Irrealism and the Bizarro movement">{{cite web|url=http://www.specusphere.com/feature-articles/irrealism-and-the-bizarro-movement.html|title=The Specusphere – Irrealism and the Bizarro movement|author=Stephen Thompson|date=19 August 2008|publisher=The Specusphere|access-date=22 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005062808/http://www.specusphere.com/feature-articles/irrealism-and-the-bizarro-movement.html|archive-date=5 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> and "[[absurdist fiction|new absurdism]]",<ref name="The Specusphere - Irrealism and the Bizarro movement"/> 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.<ref name="Bizarro FAQs-2">{{cite web|url=http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/968|title=What the Fuck is This All About? – Articles & Essays – Discussion Areas – Mondo Bizarro – Message Board|author=Kevin Dole 2|date=28 June 2005|publisher=[[Yuku]]|access-date=22 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919185637/http://mondobizarro.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/968|archive-date=19 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="So What the Fuck Is This All About?">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=8 |title=So What the Fuck Is This All About?|author=Kevin Dole 2|date=24 August 2007|publisher=[[Internet Archive]]|access-date=22 October 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824114545/http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=8 |archive-date = 24 August 2007}}</ref><ref name="Kevin Dole 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.bizarrocentral.com/authors/25-kevin-dole-2.html|title=Kevin Dole 2|publisher=Bizarro Central|access-date=22 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729042919/http://bizarrocentral.com/authors/25-kevin-dole-2.html|archive-date=29 July 2010}}</ref> 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",<ref name="Nab">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/2013/06/22/a-blast-from-the-bizarro-past|title=The Nab Gets Posthumously Bizarroized|last=Bradley|first=Tom|authorlink=Tom Bradley (author)|date=|website=Bizarro Central|work=|accessdate=22 October 2010}}<!-- Text included as part of the ref, should it be a separate one? : see also ''Fission Among the Fanatics'' by Tom Bradley, Spuyten Duyvil Books (NYC), pages 231-245.--></ref> [[Tom Bradley (author)|Tom Bradley]] traces the genre's roots back in literary history to the time of [[Vladimir Nabokov]]'s "gogolization," and his cry of despair and horror at having his central nervous system colonized: "...after reading [[Gogol]], one's eyes become gogolized. One is apt to see bits of his world in the most unexpected places."<ref name="The Overcoat and The Nose">{{cite book |title=The Overcoat and The Nose|last=Gogol |first=Nikolai |authorlink=Nikolai Gogol |translator=Ronald Wilks |year=1995 |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |location= |isbn= |page= |pages= |url=https://archive.org/details/overcoatnose00gogo|url-access=registration|accessdate=}}</ref> Bradley claims the Bizarro movement is continuing and fulfilling that gogolization process, under the name "Bizarroization": "...we have been completing the preposterous project which [Nabokov] took over from Gogol nearly a hundred years ago.."<ref name="Nab"/> Bradley further asserts that Bizarro writers can trace their spiritual roots back to the [[Epistulae ex Ponto|letters]] which [[Ovid]] wrote while exiled on the [[Black Sea]].<ref>{{Citation
In his essay, "The Nab Gets Posthumously Bizarroized",<ref name="Nab">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/2013/06/22/a-blast-from-the-bizarro-past|title=The Nab Gets Posthumously Bizarroized|last=Bradley|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Bradley (author)|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=22 October 2010|archive-date=7 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207121828/http://bizarrocentral.com/2013/06/22/a-blast-from-the-bizarro-past/|url-status=dead}}<!-- Text included as part of the ref, should it be a separate one? : see also ''Fission Among the Fanatics'' by Tom Bradley, Spuyten Duyvil Books (NYC), pages 231-245.--></ref> [[Tom Bradley (author)|Tom Bradley]] traces the genre's roots back in literary history to the time of [[Vladimir Nabokov]]'s "gogolization," and his cry of despair and horror at having his central nervous system colonized: "...after reading [[Gogol]], one's eyes become gogolized. One is apt to see bits of his world in the most unexpected places."<ref name="The Overcoat and The Nose">{{cite book |title=The Overcoat and The Nose|last=Gogol |first=Nikolai |author-link=Nikolai Gogol |translator=Ronald Wilks |year=1995 |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=978-0-14-600114-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/overcoatnose00gogo|url-access=registration}}</ref> Bradley claims the Bizarro movement is continuing and fulfilling that gogolization process, under the name "Bizarroization": "...we have been completing the preposterous project which [Nabokov] took over from Gogol nearly a hundred years ago.."<ref name="Nab"/> Bradley further asserts that Bizarro writers can trace their spiritual roots back to the [[Epistulae ex Ponto|letters]] which [[Ovid]] wrote while exiled on the [[Black Sea]].<ref>{{Citation
| last = Bradley
| last = Bradley
| first = Tom
| first = Tom
Line 20: Line 20:
| archive-date = 24 July 2008
| archive-date = 24 July 2008
| url-status = dead
| url-status = dead
}}</ref><ref name="Put It Down in a Book">{{cite book |title=Put It Down in a Book |last=Bradley |first=Tom |authorlink=Tom Bradley (author) |year=2009 |publisher=The Drill Press |location= |isbn= |pages=3–19 |url= |accessdate=}}</ref>
}}</ref><ref name="Put It Down in a Book">{{cite book |title=Put It Down in a Book |last=Bradley |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Bradley (author) |year=2009 |publisher=The Drill Press |pages=3–19 }}</ref>


== Response ==
== Response ==


Author [[John Skipp]] and fellow [[small press]] author Eden Robins have written in praise of the [[do it yourself]], self-promoting aesthetic.<ref name="BIZARRO-MANIA!!!">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=14 |title=BIZARRO-MANIA!!!|author=John Skipp|author-link=John Skipp|date=21 March 2008|work=|publisher=[[Internet Archive]]|accessdate=23 October 2010 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080321062634/http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=14 |archivedate = 21 March 2008}}</ref><ref name="Ecstatic Days">{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/2009/11/23/bizarro-fiction-stout-hearts-and-strong-stomachs/|title=Bizarro Fiction: Stout Hearts and Strong Stomachs|author=Eden Robins|date=23 November 2009|work=|publisher=Ecstatic Days|accessdate=23 October 2010}}</ref> ''Thirdeye Magazine'', an online zine, reinforces the perception of Bizarro writing as purposefully absurd.<ref name="Thirdeye Magazine">{{cite web |url=http://www.thirdeyemag.com/reviews/it-came-from-below-the-belt/|title=It Came From Below The Belt|author=Jeff Siwanowicz|date=3 November 2007|work=|publisher=Thirdeye Magazine|accessdate=23 October 2010}}</ref> In the [[io9]] article "Independent Publishers Who Are Reinventing The Future," co-editor [[Charlie Anders]] praised Bizarro publisher Eraserhead Press as one of their favorite independent presses.<ref name="io9">{{cite web |url=http://io9.com/5409552/independent-publishers-who-are-reinventing-the-future|title=Independent Publishers Who Are Reinventing The Future|author=Charlie Anders|author-link=Charlie Anders|date=20 November 2009|work=[[io9]]|publisher=[[Gawker Media]]|accessdate=23 October 2010}}</ref>
Author [[John Skipp]] and fellow [[small press]] author Eden Robins have written in praise of the [[do it yourself]], self-promoting aesthetic.<ref name="BIZARRO-MANIA!!!">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=14 |title=BIZARRO-MANIA!!!|author=John Skipp|author-link=John Skipp|date=21 March 2008|publisher=[[Internet Archive]]|access-date=23 October 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080321062634/http://www.bizarrocentral.com/article_detail.asp?articleID=14 |archive-date = 21 March 2008}}</ref><ref name="Ecstatic Days">{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/2009/11/23/bizarro-fiction-stout-hearts-and-strong-stomachs/|title=Bizarro Fiction: Stout Hearts and Strong Stomachs|author=Eden Robins|date=23 November 2009|publisher=Ecstatic Days|access-date=23 October 2010}}</ref> ''Thirdeye Magazine'', an online zine, reinforces the perception of Bizarro writing as purposefully absurd.<ref name="Thirdeye Magazine">{{cite web |url=http://www.thirdeyemag.com/reviews/it-came-from-below-the-belt/|title=It Came From Below The Belt|author=Jeff Siwanowicz|date=3 November 2007|publisher=Thirdeye Magazine|access-date=23 October 2010}}</ref> In the [[io9]] 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.<ref name="io9">{{cite web |url=http://io9.com/5409552/independent-publishers-who-are-reinventing-the-future|title=Independent Publishers Who Are Reinventing The Future|author=Charlie Anders|author-link=Charlie Anders|date=20 November 2009|work=[[io9]]|publisher=[[Gawker Media]]|access-date=23 October 2010}}</ref>


The British magazine ''[[Dazed & Confused (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]]s left off."<ref>{{Citation
The British magazine ''[[Dazed & Confused (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]]s left off."<ref>{{Citation
| last =
| first =
| last2 =
| first2 =
| title = [[Dazed & Confused (magazine)|Dazed & Confused]]
| title = [[Dazed & Confused (magazine)|Dazed & Confused]]
| newspaper =
| pages = 64
| pages = 64
| date = September 2007
| date = September 2007
| url = }}</ref>
}}</ref>


== Wonderland Book Award ==
== 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<ref>{{Cite web|title = Wonderland Book Award – Final Ballot 2015|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2015/08/07/wonderland-book-award-final-ballot-2015/|website = Bizarro Central|accessdate = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023834/http://bizarrocentral.com/2015/08/07/wonderland-book-award-final-ballot-2015/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref> by bizarro authors and fans, and presented in the fall at BizarroCon.
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<ref>{{Cite web|title = Wonderland Book Award – Final Ballot 2015|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2015/08/07/wonderland-book-award-final-ballot-2015/|website = Bizarro Central|access-date = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023834/http://bizarrocentral.com/2015/08/07/wonderland-book-award-final-ballot-2015/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref> by bizarro authors and fans, and presented in the fall at BizarroCon.


=== Best Short Story Collection ===
=== Best Short Story Collection ===
2023: All I Want Is to Take Shrooms And Listen to the Color of Nazi Screams - John Baltisberger
⚫
2016: Berzerkoids – MP Johnson

2022: The Last 5 Minutes of the Human Race - Michael Allen Rose & Jim Agpalza

2021: Don't Push the Button - John Skipp

2020: Don't F[Bleep]k 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
2015: The Pulse Between Dimensions and the Desert – Rios de la Luz
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2012: All-Monster Action – Cody Goodfellow
2012: All-Monster Action – Cody Goodfellow


2011: We Live Inside You – Jeremy Robert Johnson<ref name="bizarrocentral.com">{{Cite web|title = Wonderland Book Award winners announced!|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2012/11/20/wonderland-book-award-winners-announced/|website = Bizarro Central|accessdate = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030118/http://bizarrocentral.com/2012/11/20/wonderland-book-award-winners-announced/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>
2011: We Live Inside You – Jeremy Robert Johnson<ref name="bizarrocentral.com">{{Cite web|title = Wonderland Book Award winners announced!|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2012/11/20/wonderland-book-award-winners-announced/|website = Bizarro Central|access-date = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030118/http://bizarrocentral.com/2012/11/20/wonderland-book-award-winners-announced/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>


2010: Lost in Cat Brain Land – Cameron Pierce<ref>{{Cite web|title = 2010 Wonderland Book Award|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|website = Bizarro Central|accessdate = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117025452/http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>
2010: Lost in Cat Brain Land – Cameron Pierce<ref>{{Cite web|title = 2010 Wonderland Book Award|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|website = Bizarro Central|access-date = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117025452/http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>


2009: Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars – Cody Goodfellow
2009: Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars – Cody Goodfellow
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=== Best Novel/Novella ===
=== Best Novel/Novella ===
2023: Edenville - Sam Rebelein

2022: One Hand to Hold, One Hand to Carve - M. Shaw

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
2016: I Will Rot Without You – Danger Slater


2015: Skullcrack City – Jeremy Robert Johnson
2015: Skullcrack City – Jeremy Robert Johnson


2014: Dungeons & Drag Queens – MP Johnson
2014: Dungeons & Drag Queens – Emma Alice Johnson


2013: Motherfucking Sharks – Brian Allen Carr
2013: Motherfucking Sharks – Brian Allen Carr
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2011: Haunt – Laura Lee Bahr<ref name="bizarrocentral.com"/>
2011: Haunt – Laura Lee Bahr<ref name="bizarrocentral.com"/>


2010: By the Time We Leave Here, We'll Be Friends – J. David Osborne<ref>{{Cite web|title = 2010 Wonderland Book Award|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|website = Bizarro Central|accessdate = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117025452/http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>
2010: By the Time We Leave Here, We'll Be Friends – J. David Osborne<ref>{{Cite web|title = 2010 Wonderland Book Award|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|website = Bizarro Central|access-date = 2015-11-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117025452/http://bizarrocentral.com/2011/11/29/2010-wonderland-book-award/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>


2009: Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland – Carlton Mellick III
2009: Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland – Carlton Mellick III


2008: House of Houses – Kevin L. Donihe<ref>{{Cite web|title = House of Houses by Kevin L. Donihe {{!}} Odd Things Considered|url = http://www.oddthingsconsidered.com/house-of-houses-by-kevin-l-donihe/|website = www.oddthingsconsidered.com|accessdate = 2015-11-13}}</ref>
2008: House of Houses – Kevin L. Donihe<ref>{{Cite web|title = House of Houses by Kevin L. Donihe {{!}} Odd Things Considered|url = http://www.oddthingsconsidered.com/house-of-houses-by-kevin-l-donihe/|website = www.oddthingsconsidered.com| date=14 July 2010 |access-date = 2015-11-13}}</ref>


2007: Dr. Identity – D. Harlan Wilson<ref>{{Cite web|title = D. Harlan Wilson|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/|website = Bizarro Central|accessdate = 2015-11-13|language = en-US|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024028/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>
2007: Dr. Identity – D. Harlan Wilson<ref>{{Cite web|title = D. Harlan Wilson|url = http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/|website = Bizarro Central|access-date = 2015-11-13|language = en-US|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024028/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/|archive-date = 17 November 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>


== Notable Bizarro Works<!-- This is a work in progress --> ==
== Notable Bizarro Works<!-- This is a work in progress --> ==
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]]'' 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.
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]]'' 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.
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.
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|''The Baby Jesus Buttplug''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Jesus-Butt-Plug/dp/0972959823|title=The Baby Jesus Butt Plug|last=results|first=search|date=2004-02-23|publisher=Eraserhead Press|isbn=9780972959827|location=Portland, OR|language=English}}</ref>
|''The Baby Jesus Buttplug''<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Baby Jesus Butt Plug|last=results|first=search|date=2004-02-23|publisher=Eraserhead Press|isbn=9780972959827|location=Portland, OR|language=en}}</ref>
|2003
|2003
|Carlton Mellick III
|Carlton Mellick III
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|0976249839
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==Authors==
⚫
==Authors<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=Bizarro Authors|date=2011-03-07|website=Bizarro Central|language=en|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref>==
{{More citations needed|section|date=December 2018}}
{{More citations needed|section|date=December 2018}}
{{divcol}}
{{Divcol}}
*Querus Abuttu<ref name="Querus Abuttu">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/|title=Querus Abuttu|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*Querus Abuttu<ref name="Querus Abuttu">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/|title=Querus Abuttu|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*Andrew Wayne Adams
*Andrew Wayne Adams
*David Agranoff
*David Agranoff
*[[Forrest Aguirre]]
*Kirsten Alene Pierce
*Kirsten Alene Pierce
*Forrest Armstrong
*Forrest Armstrong
Line 144: Line 160:
*David W. Barbee
*David W. Barbee
*Duncan B. Barlow
*Duncan B. Barlow
*Edgar J. Barrett
*Maxwell Bauman
*Maxwell Bauman
*William Bevill<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bevill |first1=William |title=Among the Secret Society of Ghosts |url=https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Society-Ghosts-William-Bevill-ebook/dp/B085XN3138/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5B5PO77CG6MZ&dchild=1&keywords=among+the+secret+society+of+ghosts&qid=1590534966&sprefix=Among+the+Secret+Soci%2Caps%2C339&sr=8-1 |website=Amazon |publisher=Kindle |accessdate=26 May 2020}}</ref>
*William Bevill<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bevill |first1=William |title=Among the Secret Society of Ghosts |url=https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Society-Ghosts-William-Bevill-ebook/dp/B085XN3138/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5B5PO77CG6MZ&dchild=1&keywords=among+the+secret+society+of+ghosts&qid=1590534966&sprefix=Among+the+Secret+Soci%2Caps%2C339&sr=8-1 |website=Amazon |date=20 March 2020 |publisher=Kindle |access-date=26 May 2020}}</ref>
*Amanda Billings
*Amanda Billings
*Vincenzo Bilof
*Vincenzo Bilof
*Lori Bowen
*Lori Bowen
*Christopher Boyle
*Christopher Boyle
*[[Tom Bradley (author)|Tom Bradley]]<ref name="Tom Bradley">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/authors/23-tom-bradley.html|title=Tom Bradley|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208113208/http://www.bizarrocentral.com/authors/23-tom-bradley.html |archivedate=8 December 2009 |accessdate=2014-09-12}}</ref>
*[[Tom Bradley (author)|Tom Bradley]]<ref name="Tom Bradley">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/authors/23-tom-bradley.html|title=Tom Bradley|website=Bizarro Central|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208113208/http://www.bizarrocentral.com/authors/23-tom-bradley.html |archive-date=8 December 2009 |access-date=2014-09-12}}</ref>
*Dave Brockie
*Dave Brockie
*G Arthur Brown
*G Arthur Brown
*[[Cullen Bunn]]
*[[Jeff Burk]]<ref name="Jeff Burk">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/jeff-burk/|title=Jeff Burk|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213022545/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/jeff-burk/|archive-date=13 December 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Jeff Burk]]<ref name="Jeff Burk">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/jeff-burk/|title=Jeff Burk|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213022545/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/jeff-burk/|archive-date=13 December 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Justin A. Burnett
*Justin A. Burnett
*Hugo Camacho Cabeza
*Hugo Camacho Cabeza
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*Edmund Colell
*Edmund Colell
*John Wayne Comunale
*John Wayne Comunale
*[[Brendan Connell]]
*[[Garrett Cook]]
*[[Garrett Cook]]
*Jase Daniels
*Jase Daniels
Line 179: Line 198:
*[[Amber Fallon]]
*[[Amber Fallon]]
*Karl Fischer
*Karl Fischer
*Ben Fitts
*Constance Ann Fitzgerald
*Constance Ann Fitzgerald
*Andy de Fonseca
*Andy de Fonseca
*[[Chris Genoa]]<ref name="Chris Genoa">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/418-2/chris-genoa/|title=Chris Genoa|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001150/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/418-2/chris-genoa/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Eckhard Gerdes]]<ref name="Eckhard Gerdes">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/eckhard-gerdes/|title=Eckhard Gerdes|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053917/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/eckhard-gerdes/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Eckhard Gerdes]]<ref name="Eckhard Gerdes">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/eckhard-gerdes/|title=Eckhard Gerdes|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053917/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/eckhard-gerdes/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Garvan Giltinan
*Garvan Giltinan
*Larissa Glasser
*Larissa Glasser
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*C.V. Hunt
*C.V. Hunt
*Gabino Iglesias
*Gabino Iglesias
*Alex S. Johnson
*[[Emma Alice Johnson]]<ref name="Emma Alice Johnson">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=Bizarro Authors|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*[[Emma Alice Johnson]]<ref name="Emma Alice Johnson">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=Bizarro Authors|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*Jeremy Robert Johnson
*Jeremy Robert Johnson
*Kirk Jones
*Kirk Jones
Line 210: Line 230:
*Christopher Lesko
*Christopher Lesko
*Marc Levinthal
*Marc Levinthal
*D. F. Lewis
*[[D. F. Lewis]]
*[[Simon Logan]]
*Kelby Losack
*Kelby Losack
*Steve Lowe
*Steve Lowe
*Tom Lucas
*Tom Lucas
*Nick Mamatas
*[[Nick Mamatas]]
*Spike Marlowe
*Spike Marlowe
*Eric Mays
*Eric Mays
*Shane McKenzie
*Shane McKenzie
*Chris Meekings
*Chris Meekings
*[[Carlton Mellick III]]<ref name="Carlton Mellick III">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/carlton-mellick-iii/|title=Carlton Mellick III|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053837/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/carlton-mellick-iii/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Carlton Mellick III]]<ref name="Carlton Mellick III">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/carlton-mellick-iii/|title=Carlton Mellick III|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053837/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/carlton-mellick-iii/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Adam Millard
*Adam Millard
*Brent Millis
*Brent Millis
*Jonathan Moon
*Jonathan Moon
*Christine Morgan
*Christine Morgan
*Charles AUstin Muir
*Charles Austin Muir
*Kyle Muntz
*Kyle Muntz
*[[Nisio Isin]]
*Don F. Noble
*Don F. Noble
*Jeff O'Brien
*Jeff O'Brien
Line 232: Line 254:
*Christoph Paul
*Christoph Paul
*William Pauley III
*William Pauley III
*[[Cameron Pierce]]<ref name="Cameron Pierce">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/cameron-pierce/|title=Cameron Pierce|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053827/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/cameron-pierce/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Cameron Pierce]]<ref name="Cameron Pierce">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/cameron-pierce/|title=Cameron Pierce|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053827/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/cameron-pierce/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Sam Pink
*Sam Pink
*Pedro Proença
*Pedro Proença
Line 239: Line 261:
*Steven Rage
*Steven Rage
*Liv Rainey-Smith
*Liv Rainey-Smith
*Gina Ranalli
*Tony Rauch
*Tony Rauch
*Dustin Reade
*Dustin Reade
Line 248: Line 271:
*Michael Allen Rose
*Michael Allen Rose
*Kris Saknussemm
*Kris Saknussemm
*[[Bradley Sands]]<ref name="Bradley Sands">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bradley-sands/|title=Bradley Sands|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053817/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bradley-sands/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Bradley Sands]]<ref name="Bradley Sands">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bradley-sands/|title=Bradley Sands|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053817/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bradley-sands/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Tiffany Scandal]]<ref name="Tiffany Scandal">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=Tiffany Scandal|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*[[Tiffany Scandal]]<ref name="Tiffany Scandal">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=Tiffany Scandal|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*Michael J. Seidlinger
*Michael J. Seidlinger
*Kevin Shamel
*Kevin Shamel
Line 255: Line 278:
*John Shirley
*John Shirley
*Bix Skahill
*Bix Skahill
*[[John Skipp]]<ref name="John Skipp">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=John Skipp|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*[[John Skipp]]<ref name="John Skipp">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=John Skipp|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2018-11-30}}</ref>
*Danger Slater
*Danger Slater
*Bryan Smith
*Bryan Smith
*[[Shane Ryan Staley]]
*Andrew James Stone
*Andrew James Stone
*Alyssa Sturgill
*Alyssa Sturgill
Line 263: Line 287:
*Kevin Sweeney
*Kevin Sweeney
*[[Molly Tanzer]]
*[[Molly Tanzer]]
*[[Bruce Taylor (author)|Bruce Taylor]]<ref name="Bruce Taylor">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bruce-taylor/|title=Bruce Taylor|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053822/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bruce-taylor/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Bruce Taylor (author)|Bruce Taylor]]<ref name="Bruce Taylor">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bruce-taylor/|title=Bruce Taylor|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053822/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/bruce-taylor/|archive-date=21 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Anthony Trevino
*Anthony Trevino
*[[Violet LeVoit]]<ref name="Violet LeVoit">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/levoit-violet/|title=Violet LeVoit|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511145726/https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/levoit-violet/|archive-date=11 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Violet LeVoit]]<ref name="Violet LeVoit">{{cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/levoit-violet/|title=Violet LeVoit|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511145726/https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/levoit-violet/|archive-date=11 May 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Brendan Vidito
*Brendan Vidito
*Athena Villaverde
*Daniel Vlasaty
*Daniel Vlasaty
*Grant Wamack
*Grant Wamack
Line 275: Line 298:
*Lee Widener
*Lee Widener
*Caleb Wilson
*Caleb Wilson
*[[D. Harlan Wilson]]<ref name="D. Harlan Wilson">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/d-harlan-wilson/|title=D. Harlan Wilson|author=|date=|work=|website=Bizarro Central|accessdate=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051258/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/d-harlan-wilson/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[D. Harlan Wilson]]<ref name="D. Harlan Wilson">{{cite web|url=http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/d-harlan-wilson/|title=D. Harlan Wilson|website=Bizarro Central|access-date=2014-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051258/http://bizarrocentral.com/312-2/d-harlan-wilson/d-harlan-wilson/|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Jason Wuchenich{{div col end}}
*Jason Wuchenich
*Shawn Wunjo
{{Div col end}}
⚫
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bizarrocentral.com/bizarro-authors/|title=Bizarro Authors|date=2011-03-07|website=Bizarro Central|language=en|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
;General
*[http://www.bizarrocentral.com Bizarro Central]
*[http://www.bizarrocentral.com Bizarro Central]


{{Authority control}}
;Publishers
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060202043806/http://afterbirthbooks.com/ Afterbirth Books]
*[http://www.eraserheadpress.com Eraserhead Press]
*[http://www.rawdogscreaming.com Raw Dog Screaming Press]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170120071358/http://www.legumeman.com/ LegumeMan Books]
*[http://www.roosterrepublicpress.com Rooster Republic Press]
*[https://www.orcinypress.com Orciny Press]

;Publications
*[http://www.dreampeople.org The Dream People]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080515171533/http://www.absurdistjournal.com/ Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110223233542/http://www.bizarrocentral.com/magazine.html The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction]
*[http://www.spacesquid.com Space Squid]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170704165927/http://www.unicornknifefight.com/ Unicorn Knife Fight]
*[http://bizarrocast.blogspot.com Bizarrocast]


[[Category:Fiction by genre]]
[[Category:Fiction by genre]]
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[[Category:Literary genres]]
[[Category:Literary genres]]
[[Category:Underground culture]]
[[Category:Underground culture]]
[[Category:Words coined in the 2000s]]
[[Category:2000s neologisms]]
[[Category:Words and phrases introduced in 2005]]
[[Category:2005 neologisms]]

Latest revision as of 09:00, 29 November 2024

Bizarro fiction is a contemporary literary genre which often uses elements of absurdism, satire, and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism and genre fiction 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, 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."[1] 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."[2]

In general, Bizarro has more in common with speculative fiction genres (such as science-fiction, fantasy, and horror) than with avant-garde movements (such as Dadaism and surrealism), which readers and critics often associate it with.[3] 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,[4] Michael Moorcock[5] and guardian.co.uk.[6] Bizarro novels have been finalists for the Philip K. Dick Award,[7][8] the Bram Stoker Award,[9] and the Rhysling Award.[10] A book of Bizarro criticism and theory was named Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2009 by 3:AM Magazine in Paris.[11]

Origins

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Bizarro literature can trace its roots at least as far back as the foundation of Eraserhead Press in 1999,[12] but the description of the literature as "Bizarro" is a more recent development. Previous terms used to refer to the burgeoning scene include "irreal"[13][14] and "new absurdism",[14] 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.[15][16][17] 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",[18] Tom Bradley traces the genre's roots back in literary history to the time of Vladimir Nabokov's "gogolization," and his cry of despair and horror at having his central nervous system colonized: "...after reading Gogol, one's eyes become gogolized. One is apt to see bits of his world in the most unexpected places."[19] Bradley claims the Bizarro movement is continuing and fulfilling that gogolization process, under the name "Bizarroization": "...we have been completing the preposterous project which [Nabokov] took over from Gogol nearly a hundred years ago.."[18] Bradley further asserts that Bizarro writers can trace their spiritual roots back to the letters which Ovid wrote while exiled on the Black Sea.[20][21]

Response

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Author John Skipp and fellow small press author Eden Robins have written in praise of the do it yourself, self-promoting aesthetic.[22][23] Thirdeye Magazine, an online zine, reinforces the perception of Bizarro writing as purposefully absurd.[24] In the io9 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.[25]

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 cyberpunks left off."[26]

Wonderland Book Award

[edit]

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[27] by bizarro authors and fans, and presented in the fall at BizarroCon.

Best Short Story Collection

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2023: All I Want Is to Take Shrooms And Listen to the Color of Nazi Screams - John Baltisberger

2022: The Last 5 Minutes of the Human Race - Michael Allen Rose & Jim Agpalza

2021: Don't Push the Button - John Skipp

2020: Don't F[Bleep]k 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[28]

2010: Lost in Cat Brain Land – Cameron Pierce[29]

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

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2023: Edenville - Sam Rebelein

2022: One Hand to Hold, One Hand to Carve - M. Shaw

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[28]

2010: By the Time We Leave Here, We'll Be Friends – J. David Osborne[30]

2009: Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland – Carlton Mellick III

2008: House of Houses – Kevin L. Donihe[31]

2007: Dr. Identity – D. Harlan Wilson[32]

Notable Bizarro Works

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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 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.

Title Year Author Publisher ISBN Pages Notes
Satan Burger[33] 2001 Carlton Mellick III Eraserhead Press 9780971357235 236
The Baby Jesus Buttplug[34] 2003 Carlton Mellick III Eraserhead Press 0972959823 104
Angel Dust Apocalypse 2005 Jeremy Robert Johnson Eraserhead Press 0976249839 184

Authors

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  • Querus Abuttu[35]
  • Andrew Wayne Adams
  • David Agranoff
  • Forrest Aguirre
  • Kirsten Alene Pierce
  • Forrest Armstrong
  • Michael A. Arnezn
  • Ben Arzate
  • Brian Auspice
  • Steve Aylett
  • Laura Lee Bahr
  • David W. Barbee
  • Duncan B. Barlow
  • Edgar J. Barrett
  • Maxwell Bauman
  • William Bevill[36]
  • Amanda Billings
  • Vincenzo Bilof
  • Lori Bowen
  • Christopher Boyle
  • Tom Bradley[37]
  • Dave Brockie
  • G Arthur Brown
  • Cullen Bunn
  • Jeff Burk[38]
  • 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
  • Brendan Connell
  • 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
  • Eckhard Gerdes[39]
  • 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
  • Alex S. Johnson
  • Emma Alice Johnson[40]
  • Jeremy Robert Johnson
  • Kirk Jones
  • Stephen Graham Jones
  • Michael Kazepis
  • David James Keaton
  • Mike Kleine
  • John Edward Lawson
  • Michael Sean LeSueur
  • Edward Lee
  • Christopher Lesko
  • Marc Levinthal
  • D. F. Lewis
  • Simon Logan
  • Kelby Losack
  • Steve Lowe
  • Tom Lucas
  • Nick Mamatas
  • Spike Marlowe
  • Eric Mays
  • Shane McKenzie
  • Chris Meekings
  • Carlton Mellick III[41]
  • Adam Millard
  • Brent Millis
  • Jonathan Moon
  • Christine Morgan
  • Charles Austin Muir
  • Kyle Muntz
  • Nisio Isin
  • Don F. Noble
  • Jeff O'Brien
  • J David Osborne
  • Riley Michael Parker
  • Christoph Paul
  • William Pauley III
  • Cameron Pierce[42]
  • 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[43]
  • Tiffany Scandal[44]
  • Michael J. Seidlinger
  • Kevin Shamel
  • Jeremy C. Shipp
  • John Shirley
  • Bix Skahill
  • John Skipp[45]
  • Danger Slater
  • Bryan Smith
  • Shane Ryan Staley
  • Andrew James Stone
  • Alyssa Sturgill
  • Madeleine Swann
  • Kevin Sweeney
  • Molly Tanzer
  • Bruce Taylor[46]
  • Anthony Trevino
  • Violet LeVoit[47]
  • Brendan Vidito
  • Daniel Vlasaty
  • Grant Wamack
  • J.W. Wargo
  • Patrick Wensink
  • Wrath James White
  • Lee Widener
  • Caleb Wilson
  • D. Harlan Wilson[48]
  • Jason Wuchenich
  • Shawn Wunjo

[49]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ The Bizarro Starter Kit. Bizarro Books, 2006. p. 5
  2. ^ O'Keefe, Rose (2 October 2005). "Bizarro FAQs – What is BIZARRO? – Discussion Areas – Mondo Bizarro – Message Board". Yuku. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  3. ^ Randy Henderson (21 April 2010). "Fantasy Magazine » Bizarro Fiction 101: Not Just Weird for Weird's Sake". Fantasy Magazine (2005). Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  4. ^ Kevin Touch (21 May 2010). "Ass Goblins of Auschwitz at horroryearbook.com". horroryearbook. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  5. ^ Michael Moorcock (15 June 2010). "Curiouser and curiouser". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  6. ^ Damien G Walter (16 July 2010). "Bizarro fiction: it's terribly good". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  7. ^ "The Philip K. Dick Award – winners by year". Philip K. Dick Award. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  8. ^ "Steve Aylett Website - interviews section - WWW.STEVEAYLETT.COM". STEVEAYLETT.COM. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  9. ^ "Horror Writers Association – Past Stoker Award Nominees & Winners". Horror Writers Association. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  10. ^ Mike Allen. "Rhysling Anthology and Awards: 2007". Science Fiction Poetry Association. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  11. ^ Put It Down in a Book by Tom Bradley, The Drill Press, 2009
  12. ^ "About « Eraserhead Press". Eraserhead Press. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  13. ^ Blu Gilliand (1 August 2009). "Dark Scribe Magazine – Feature Interviews – D. Harlan Wilson: Keeping It Irreal". Dark Scribe Magazine. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  14. ^ a b Stephen Thompson (19 August 2008). "The Specusphere – Irrealism and the Bizarro movement". The Specusphere. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  15. ^ Kevin Dole 2 (28 June 2005). "What the Fuck is This All About? – Articles & Essays – Discussion Areas – Mondo Bizarro – Message Board". Yuku. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Kevin Dole 2 (24 August 2007). "So What the Fuck Is This All About?". Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Kevin Dole 2". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  18. ^ a b Bradley, Tom. "The Nab Gets Posthumously Bizarroized". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  19. ^ Gogol, Nikolai (1995). The Overcoat and The Nose. Translated by Ronald Wilks. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-600114-7.
  20. ^ Bradley, Tom (2008), The Dream People, archived from the original on 24 July 2008, retrieved 10 April 2008
  21. ^ Bradley, Tom (2009). Put It Down in a Book. The Drill Press. pp. 3–19.
  22. ^ John Skipp (21 March 2008). "BIZARRO-MANIA!!!". Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  23. ^ Eden Robins (23 November 2009). "Bizarro Fiction: Stout Hearts and Strong Stomachs". Ecstatic Days. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  24. ^ Jeff Siwanowicz (3 November 2007). "It Came From Below The Belt". Thirdeye Magazine. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  25. ^ Charlie Anders (20 November 2009). "Independent Publishers Who Are Reinventing The Future". io9. Gawker Media. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  26. ^ Dazed & Confused, September 2007, p. 64
  27. ^ "Wonderland Book Award – Final Ballot 2015". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  28. ^ a b "Wonderland Book Award winners announced!". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  29. ^ "2010 Wonderland Book Award". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  30. ^ "2010 Wonderland Book Award". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  31. ^ "House of Houses by Kevin L. Donihe | Odd Things Considered". www.oddthingsconsidered.com. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  32. ^ "D. Harlan Wilson". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  33. ^ "Bizarro Books". Bizarro Central. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  34. ^ results, search (23 February 2004). The Baby Jesus Butt Plug. Portland, OR: Eraserhead Press. ISBN 9780972959827.
  35. ^ "Querus Abuttu". Bizarro Central. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  36. ^ Bevill, William (20 March 2020). Among the Secret Society of Ghosts. Kindle. Retrieved 26 May 2020. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  37. ^ "Tom Bradley". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 8 December 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  38. ^ "Jeff Burk". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 13 December 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  39. ^ "Eckhard Gerdes". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  40. ^ "Bizarro Authors". Bizarro Central. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  41. ^ "Carlton Mellick III". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  42. ^ "Cameron Pierce". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  43. ^ "Bradley Sands". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  44. ^ "Tiffany Scandal". Bizarro Central. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  45. ^ "John Skipp". Bizarro Central. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  46. ^ "Bruce Taylor". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  47. ^ "Violet LeVoit". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  48. ^ "D. Harlan Wilson". Bizarro Central. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  49. ^ "Bizarro Authors". Bizarro Central. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
[edit]
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