10 Outrageous and Pulpy Books That Mix Violence and Humor
Comedy isn't always pretty; sometimes it's a bloody mess. If you have a sense of humor and a bit of a dark side, then these pulpy books might be right up your alley. With a compelling mix of violence and laughs, they're sure to leave you (and several of their characters) in stitches. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
Funny & Violent Books: Our 10 Picks
8 Great Movies That Are Hilarious & Bloody
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Deadpool (2016)
- Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
- Kick-Ass (2010)
- Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
- Cannibal! The Musical (1993)
Why Do We Laugh?
In Depth
Sometimes it's refreshing to read a gentle story about regal romance, but at other times something grittier is called for. In cases like that, there's nothing to get the blood pumping like vampires, cannibals, demons, and wisecracking killers. For those thirsting for some pulp in their fiction, here are, in no particular order, ten wild and thrilling books that will shock and surprise.
At #1 is "Werewolf Smackdown" by Mario Acevedo. In this fifth installment in Acevedo's supernatural series, Latino vampire detective Felix Gomez finds himself in a bind when the local werewolf attorney tries to get him to murder his rival, Randolph Calhoun. A target suddenly appears on Gomez's back when he refuses the hit, and he must attempt to avert civil war while contending with an estranged flame and an old foe.
For #2 we have "The Cannibals of Candyland" by Carlton Mellick III. As a child, Franklin Pierce witnessed a woman made of sweets kill his siblings. Ever since, he has spent his time working to prove the existence of a race of candy cannibals that supposedly live in an underground world filled with sugary confections. When he finally discovers the entrance to their land, Franklin vows to capture one of them, dead or alive.
Ever since, he has spent his time working to prove the existence of a race of candy cannibals that supposedly live in an underground world filled with sugary confections.
Coming in at #3 is "Dolph the Unicorn Killer and Other Stories" by Martin Lastrapes. This collection of outlandish short stories revolves around Las Vegas, where unicorns, vampires, and serial killers collide with unpredictable results. The tales weave together fantasy, comedy, horror, and realistic fiction, and feature a panoply of unusual characters who are united as much by loneliness as the lust for revenge. Profanity and sex abound in the author's wickedly demented version of Sin City.
At #4 we get "Demons and Other Inconveniences" by Dan Dillard. Expect both goosebumps and laughs from this horror anthology, which contains stories about the demons, real or metaphorical, that surround us. The alternately chilling and droll tales feature missing children, faint-hearted vampires, hoarders, and all manner of creatures that go bump in the night. Readers will find plenty of twists to go along with the shivers and dark humor.
For #5 we have "The Cowboy and the Vampire: Rough Trails and Shallow Graves" by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall. In the third book of this vampire western romance series, erstwhile big city journalist and newfound bloodsucker Lizzie goes missing right before she is due to marry cowboy Tucker. Forced to team up with a violent Russian enemy in order to find her, Tucker journeys through both the dusty West and the spirit world, encountering the greatest evil of all: human greed.
In the third book of this vampire western romance series, erstwhile big city journalist and newfound bloodsucker Lizzie goes missing right before she is due to marry cowboy Tucker.
At #6 is "Chainsaw Honeymoon" by Steven Ramirez. Fourteen-year-old Ruby, a shoe-loving horror movie fan in Los Angeles, is intent on getting her divorced parents back together. She enlists a motley crew of characters to do so, including her hyperactive dog, two best friends, a pompous filmmaker, and her very own creation, Chainsaw Chuck. Over the course of her adventure, the precocious Ruby will use her insight and love for the macabre to guide her, leading to places both bloody and heartrending.
For #7 we find "The Last Projector" by David James Keaton. The nested stories in Keaton's dense novel take readers through an unhinged fantasia of pop culture and bizarre incidents. In one, a porn director obsessed with tattoos slowly goes crazy as he makes a film about his past. Another focuses on a young criminal couple who conspire to blow up a police officer. In between, there are riffs on 1980s movies, Evel Knievel, broken genitalia, and venus flytraps, all of which make up a mind-bending portrait that defies logic.
Arriving at #8 is "Blood Street" by Carl Alves. Mob boss Enzo Salerno is shocked to find one of his associates brutally slaughtered in his Philadelphia home, and vows to get revenge. He eventually realizes that it wasn't a rival syndicate responsible for the murder, but vampire Alexei. As the leader of the brood Magnus mobilizes his resources to help Alexei and the other vampires escape from both the mafia and the F.B.I., a bloody war spreads across the streets of the city.
He eventually realizes that it wasn't a rival syndicate responsible for the murder, but vampire Alexei.
At #9 we get "Recess Pieces" by Bob Fingerman. Elementary school kids must fight for their lives against zombies in this grisly and darkly funny graphic novel. It all starts in 1974, when a class experiment goes awry and turns several students and teachers into flesh-eating monsters. Led by Bobby, a multiethnic band of children use their ingenuity to survive, employing everything from paper cutters to crayons to defeat the horde.
Finally, at #10 is "I Held My Breath as Long as I Could" by Kristopher Kelly. An anthology of twenty-three stories ranging from the horrific to the comedically strange, Kelly's book tackles a host of surreal scenarios. From nightmarish road trips to radiator monsters, otherworldly portals to interstate restrooms, and even an appearance by an advice-giving creature that dwells in a jug of milk, these creepy and funny yarns offer odysseys into dreamlike worlds.
