Known for his transgressive, terrifying and thoroughly traumatizing fiction, Dennis Cooper is the only writer that makes me feel like a criminal for reading his books on the subway. From his decade-spanning series of novels known as “The George Miles Cycle” to 2011’s The Marbled Swarm, Cooper has made a career out of appropriating the language of pop culture–teenage music obsessions, Internet chatrooms and now, GIFs. Following his first GIF novel Zac’s Haunted House, Cooper delves into other GIF literary styles including short stories and poems in his most recent collection Zac’s Control Panel, available in both online and downloadable versions. Through these two GIF texts, Cooper makes a strong case for the GIF as a legitimate linguistic form beyond the GIF keyboard and click-bait listicles.
Like most of Cooper’s creative output, Zac’s Control Panel isn’t for the weak with copious blood-splattered GIFs culled from horror films and some pretty gratuitous sex. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
