Bizarro fiction is a contemporary literary genre that often uses elements of absurdism, satire and the grotesque, alongside pop-surrealism and genre-fiction staples, to create subversive, weird and entertaining work. The term was formally adopted in 2005 by independent publishers including Portland, Oregon's Eraserhead Press, and the genre is often described as literature's equivalent of the cult section of a video store, prizing strangeness as its central appeal.
Facts
Place of OriginPortland, Oregon, United States; the term was adopted in 2005 by the independent publishing house Eraserhead Press, which has hosted the annual BizarroCon since 2008. 1 Notable ExampleThe Bizarro Starter Kit anthology, whose introduction describes the genre as literature's equivalent to the cult section at the video store. 1 Defining TraitA contemporary literary genre using elements of absurdism, satire and the grotesque along with pop-surrealism and genre-fiction staples to create subversive, weird and entertaining works. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Bizarro Fiction (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph, first sentence
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.
Lead paragraph, on the Bizarro Starter Kit
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."
Lead paragraph, on Eraserhead Press
Much of its community revolves around Eraserhead Press, which is based in Portland, Oregon, and has hosted the annual BizarroCon since 2008.
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bizarro fiction often compared to the cult section of a video store?
The comparison comes from the introduction to the first Bizarro Starter Kit anthology.
The comparison comes from the introduction to the first Bizarro Starter Kit anthology, which describes the genre as literature's equivalent to the cult section at the video store. That introduction adds that the genre strives not only to be strange, but fascinating, thought-provoking and, above all, fun to read, which is the claim the label itself makes about its own identity: strangeness paired with entertainment rather than strangeness alone.
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