Bizarro Fiction Genre: 15 Bizarro Fiction Authors

Bizarro fiction is a literary genre emphasizing weirdness, absurdity, and entertainment. Bizarro fiction writers may blend elements of surrealism, absurdism, nonfiction, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, the grotesque, and satire in their work. Literary critics often describe bizarro fiction as the literary equivalent of cult film, citing influences like David Lynch, anime, and cyberpunk.

Several independent and small presses are at the forefront of bizarro fiction, including Eraserhead Press, Afterbirth Books, and Raw Dog Screaming Press. Eraserhead Press—which Rose O’Keefe started in Portland, Oregon—is a preeminent force in developing the bizarro genre, hosting the annual BizarroCon, and introducing readers to the genre with collections called “bizarro starter kits.”

This genre contains different types of work under its broad umbrella, but here are a few common trends in bizarro books:

1. 1. Absurdism: Absurdism is a genre of literature in which characters derive no meaning from their surroundings, often submitting themselves to the absurdity and randomness of existence. Many bizarro writers incorporate absurdist elements, characters, or situations into their work to further emphasize the futility of a character’s efforts and enhance humor.
2. 2. Genre fiction: Many bizarro writers incorporate conventions of genre or speculative fiction—like sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, or westerns—into their work. Using the format of genre fiction offers bizarro writers a concrete selection of tropes and reader expectations on which they can play off.
3. 3. Satire: Satire is a literary approach characterized by a thoughtful mocking of a particular cultural convention or phenomenon. Bizarro writers often incorporate satire into their work to offer a sense of meaning or add a layer of humor.
4. 4. The grotesque: The grotesque shares similarities to the weird, with both techniques aiming to surprise readers with extreme, shocking, over-the-top, or out-of-place content. Many bizarro works play with the grotesque, including body horror and contortionism.
5. 5. Weirdness: The unifying feature of bizarro fiction is weirdness, incorporating strange, bizarre, and shocking elements for entertainment and sometimes to make a point. Many bizarro publishers and writers emphasize that it’s not simply “weird for weird’s sake” but rather weirdness to entertain readers.

Here are some notable bizarro authors:

1. 1. Andre Duza: His work often includes zombie and apocalypse narratives. In 2020, he won BizarroCon’s Wonderland Book Award; notable works include Technicolor Terrorists and No Gig Is Too Small.
2. 2. Autumn Christian: This bizarro fiction writer incorporates elements of horror into her work. Her notable works include Ecstatic Inferno, The Crooked God Machine, and Girl Like a Bomb.
3. 3. Bradley Sands: Bradley Sands got his start as a bizarro writer as the editor-in-chief of the influential bizarro literary magazine Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens. Notable works of his include Dodgeball High and Liquid Status.
4. 4. Cameron Pierce: Cameron Pierce is a writer of bizarro novels and novellas. His works include Gargoyle Girls of Spider Island and Fantastic Earth Destroyer Ultra Plus.
5. 5. Carlton Mellick III: Carlton Mellick III is one of the leading authors of bizarro work and an active force in the movement since the early 1990s. Notable books include Satan Burger, The Cannibals of Candyland, and Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland.
6. 6. Cody Goodfellow: Cody Goodfellow is a bizarro writer whose Unamerica book—which tells the story of a fictional subterranean city in the United States on the verge of a civil war—won the 2020 Wonderland Book Award at BizarroCon.
   
7. 7. D. Harlan Wilson: Credited as one of the founders of bizarro fiction, D. Harlan Wilson is a bizarro writer best known for his novel Dr. Identity and his short story collection Battle without Honor or Humanity.
8. 8. Danger Slater: Danger Slater is a bizarro writer who tells stories that bring romance and heartbreak to speculative, surreal worlds. His notable work includes the novels I Will Rot Without You (a Wonderland Award winner) and He Digs a Hole.
9. 9. Garrett Cook: This bizarro writer finds inspiration in the horror genre. Some of his notable works include Jimmy Plush and Murderland.
10. 10. Gina Ranalli: Gina Ranalli is a bizarro writer whose notable works include World Revolver and the Azure House series.
11. 11. Jeff Burk: Jeff Burk is a bizarro author who served as the editor-in-chief of The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction. Notable work includes the novels Shatnerquake—in which William Shatner faces off against the character he has played—and the sequel Shatnerquest.
12. 12. Jeremy Robert Johnson: This bizarro author focuses on genre stories that blend zombie or pandemic horror with commentary on conglomerates and capitalism. Some of his notable works include The Loop and Skullcrack City.
13. 13. Kevin L. Donihe: Kevin L. Donihe is a bizarro author and an early influence on the genre in the early 1990s. Notable works include House of Houses and Space Walrus.
14. 14. Madeleine Swann: This author wrote Fortune Box, a bizarro short story collection.
15. 15. Mykle Hansen: Mykle Hansen is a bizarro author whose works include Help! A Bear Is Eating Me! and The Cannibal’s Guide to Ethical Living.

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