For many readers of horror fiction the sub-genre of splatterpunk--also known as extreme horror--is a love/hate relationship. Readers who know and understand this extremely dark corner of horror fiction often adore it. For other readers splatterpunk is a beast they have no desire to touch. While it is true that splatterpunk has a habit of being overbearingly grotesque and incredibly disturbing it doesn't mean that all splatterpunk authors should be overlooked. Some of the best horror writers are, in fact, writers of extreme horror.
Monica J. O'Rourke is one author who proves that there is worthwhile literary fiction in the realm of splatterpunk. And in honor of women-in-horror month we are taking a look at her collection of short stories titled In the End, Only Darkness.
In the End, Only Darkness takes 21 of O'Rourke's best short stories and compiles them into one book. While I am unable to touch on every story in this review there are a few stand out pieces.
These stuck with me as a reader, and most did one of two things: They either completely disturbed me or they touched me intellectually. O'Rourke does a brilliant job of balancing these two spectrums in her work. O'Rourke will make us relate to (or despise) her characters and then turn around with some truly gut churning, yet eloquently written, imagery.
The first story that really stood out in the collection was "Jasmine and Garlic." Appearing early on in the book this story proves the O'Rourke isn't afraid to dish out some sick prose. It also shows her willingness to analyze culture and ideals. "Jasmine and Garlic" concerns a deranged gynecologist who does some of the most horrible acts imaginable to his less fortunate patients. Let us say it involved eating placentas. This story alone manages to analyze some elements of the class structure in our world as well as the health community. It is a brilliant and hard to read entry in the anthology.
The next story that seems to pop out from the page for me is "Five Adjectives about My Dad, by Nadine Specter." This story is more subtle than some of the others in the collection, but O'Rourke use subtlety to her advantage. O'Rourke proves, through the eyes of a little girl, that the true horrors in our lives are the ones that happen around us every day. O'Rourke shows us that she has a unique style and yet can speak fluently in many different voices. The story truly reads from a child's innocence and fear which makes its themes all the more effective.
O'Rourke fills the rest of her book with many various stories, each with their own merit in their own way. Some of the stories are just plain gory fun without being too deep or so disturbing that it took me out of the story. But when O'Rourke wants to drive something home she certainly does, and she does it with a vengeance.
Such is the case with the story, "An Experiment in Human Nature." This story may very well be the best in the collection, simply because it hits a nerve so deep in the human psyche that your unlikely to forget it. This story is so incredibly disturbing that I felt the effects of the work long after I had finished reading it. But in many ways I respect the story for not being so extreme that it stayed, feeling sick in the pit of my stomach, for days. It got its point across through some seriously disturbing imagery but still allowed me to step back and analyze the story without being too saturated in its darkness.
The story reminded me of some of the episodes of the Inner Sanctum Radio Show from the 1940s. The "villains" of the story seemed truly despicable. So much in fact that I was rooting for their horrible demise. And, as was often the case in the Inner Sanctum, the villains got a terrible, yet fitting, fate. The story takes a look at class discrimination and the entitlement of the rich. It personifies these evils in the most vivid ways possible. And it is damn effective as literature. However, if you are queasy this is one story that you may want to avoid.
Overall, the book shows O'Rourke's originality and versatility as an author. Some stories are the darkest stuff I've ever read while others are truly touching and thought provoking works of fiction. In many ways it bridges the gap between literature and splatterpunk.
Monica J. O'Rourke is one author who proves that there is worthwhile literary fiction in the realm of splatterpunk. And in honor of women-in-horror month we are taking a look at her collection of short stories titled In the End, Only Darkness.
In the End, Only Darkness takes 21 of O'Rourke's best short stories and compiles them into one book. While I am unable to touch on every story in this review there are a few stand out pieces.
These stuck with me as a reader, and most did one of two things: They either completely disturbed me or they touched me intellectually. O'Rourke does a brilliant job of balancing these two spectrums in her work. O'Rourke will make us relate to (or despise) her characters and then turn around with some truly gut churning, yet eloquently written, imagery.
The first story that really stood out in the collection was "Jasmine and Garlic." Appearing early on in the book this story proves the O'Rourke isn't afraid to dish out some sick prose. It also shows her willingness to analyze culture and ideals. "Jasmine and Garlic" concerns a deranged gynecologist who does some of the most horrible acts imaginable to his less fortunate patients. Let us say it involved eating placentas. This story alone manages to analyze some elements of the class structure in our world as well as the health community. It is a brilliant and hard to read entry in the anthology.
The next story that seems to pop out from the page for me is "Five Adjectives about My Dad, by Nadine Specter." This story is more subtle than some of the others in the collection, but O'Rourke use subtlety to her advantage. O'Rourke proves, through the eyes of a little girl, that the true horrors in our lives are the ones that happen around us every day. O'Rourke shows us that she has a unique style and yet can speak fluently in many different voices. The story truly reads from a child's innocence and fear which makes its themes all the more effective.
O'Rourke fills the rest of her book with many various stories, each with their own merit in their own way. Some of the stories are just plain gory fun without being too deep or so disturbing that it took me out of the story. But when O'Rourke wants to drive something home she certainly does, and she does it with a vengeance.
Such is the case with the story, "An Experiment in Human Nature." This story may very well be the best in the collection, simply because it hits a nerve so deep in the human psyche that your unlikely to forget it. This story is so incredibly disturbing that I felt the effects of the work long after I had finished reading it. But in many ways I respect the story for not being so extreme that it stayed, feeling sick in the pit of my stomach, for days. It got its point across through some seriously disturbing imagery but still allowed me to step back and analyze the story without being too saturated in its darkness.
The story reminded me of some of the episodes of the Inner Sanctum Radio Show from the 1940s. The "villains" of the story seemed truly despicable. So much in fact that I was rooting for their horrible demise. And, as was often the case in the Inner Sanctum, the villains got a terrible, yet fitting, fate. The story takes a look at class discrimination and the entitlement of the rich. It personifies these evils in the most vivid ways possible. And it is damn effective as literature. However, if you are queasy this is one story that you may want to avoid.
Overall, the book shows O'Rourke's originality and versatility as an author. Some stories are the darkest stuff I've ever read while others are truly touching and thought provoking works of fiction. In many ways it bridges the gap between literature and splatterpunk.
Summing it Up
This sampler plate of stories from O'Rouke is prove positive that female authors can write some damn good horror fiction. O'Rourke is a talented and demented writer who continues to surprise with each new entry in the collection. If you have never tried splatterpunk before this may be the perfect place to begin. And if you enjoy splatterpunk (or simply have the stomach for some truly grotesque stories) you owe it to yourself as a reader to check out O'Rourke's work.
Language: 5
Gore Factor: 5
Sex Factor: 5
Scare Factor: 5
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 5
Language: 5
Gore Factor: 5
Sex Factor: 5
Scare Factor: 5
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 5
To learn more about my rating system click here
Learn more about Monica O'Rourke at Deadite Press and Sinsiter Grin Press!
Learn more about Monica O'Rourke at Deadite Press and Sinsiter Grin Press!