“Apocalypse Culture” was first published in 1987 and this is the “expanded & revised” edition of 1990. Apparently the book made quite an impression at first publication. I cannot tell if 20 years later the book would still shock, but since the ease to purchase it, I think not. “Apocalypse Culture” is still not for people faint of heart though and mostly aims for people with a morbid curiosity for or acting in the very outskirts of society. The first half of the book contains things like interviews with a necrophile, a psychopath, Peter Sotos who edited the extreme sex magazine Pure and Fakir Musafar who practises extreme body modifications for shamanistic purposes. Articles are about subjects such as aesthetic terrorism, the very dark side of modern art, self-castration and mass-murdering. There are also (semi-)political texts, writings of psychotics, biographies and especially towards the end a lot of (not too interesting) conspiracy theories.
It was something different of my usual literature and I must say I enjoyed the rantings of weird people here and there and there sure are some entertaining pieces to be found. Shocking? Maybe I am a bit numb, but not really. Strange? Definately! A book to read when you want something different some time.
1987/1990 Feral House, isbn 9780922915057