Line #36 Literature/TheScreamSkippAndSpector


1	A 1988 horror novel by John Skipp and Craig Spector.
2	----
3	!!The novel features examples of:
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5	* ACupAngst: Mary, only mentioned in passing.
6	* AuthorTract: Many of Jake's rants about the MoralGuardians, the hypocrisy of church groups, and the impending death of rock and roll can be viewed this way.
7	* AutoErotica: Cyndi's encounter with "Stiff Stuff" starts out that way but quickly [[BodyHorror descends]] into [[VaginaDentata Nightmare Fuel]].
8	* BeliefMakesYouStupid: It could just be Furniss' assessment of them, but the traumatized teens in The Village all seem pretty thick.
9	* BigFancyHouse The Wylers' mansion. Also the 26-room ranch where the Jacob Hamer Band lives and works.
10	* BloodIsSquickerInWater: Several people die in the pool in the opening scene.
11	* BookBurning: The Big Blaze for Jesus.
12	* DateRapeAverted: Along with a little RapeAsComedy. Poor, poor "Mighty Godzilla."
13	* DisproportionateRetribution: The group ditches [[ButtMonkey Perry]], TheFriendNobodyLikes, at a concert. [[spoiler: He returns and, with some help, murders everyone at the party.]]
14	* EyeScream: Perry.
15	* FlashbackNightmare: Jake, a ShellShockedVeteran, has one about his service in UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. Definite NightmareFuel when the burning village turns into a giant smoke-monster with teeth.
16	* FunWithAcronyms: M.O.M., the group Morality Over Music.
17	* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: {{Averted}} and {{played straight}}. Jesse has had two abortions and when we meet her, she's pregnant a third time and contemplating what to do about it. Rachel is a straighter trope, in that she's thirty-seven and pregnant a second time in less than two years (the baby is nine months old, and pregnancy risks go up exponentially over thirty-five).
18	* {{Gorn}}: Many Squicktastic scenes. An early example of the splatterpunk genre.
19	* SatanicPanic: A contemporary to the time example that deals with this phenomenon, about a band trying to make it big amid the Satanic Panic.
20	* HookHand: Hook, the aptly-named roadie.
21	* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: [[MsFanservice Tara]] , including a SpyCatsuit, thigh high boots , and [[KatanasAreJustBetter samurai]] [[CoolSword sword]].
22	* MoralGuardians: A MediaWatchdog group trying to take down the evil band ([[StrawmanHasAPoint with good reason]]) and rock music in general. Look for Mrs Shrake, an {{Expy}} of Tipper Gore, who advocated for music warning labels in the 1980s. Also [[{{Hypocrite}} Furniss]], the SmugSnake head of a CorruptChurch.
23	* OneSteveLimit: Averted with Bob One and Bob Two, the rhythm group (bassist and drummer, respectively) for the Jacob Hamer Band.
24	* OnlySaneMan: Jerry, the manager.
25	* OrphanedPunchline: From Hempstead "...and the next day's headline read ARTIE CHOKES THREE FOR A DOLLAR AT SAFEWAY!"
26	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: While relatively sentient, the Screamers are essentially reanimated corpses
27	* OutrunTheFireball : A gas station attendant figures out what's happening and gets away in the nick of time.
28	* QuoteToQuoteCombat : Weissman vs. Rachel, of the AsTheGoodBookSays type.
29	* RhymesOnADime: Yke makes up an amusing taunt to the protestors: "Knock Rock! Knock Rock! Jesus never had a cock!"
30	* SunglassesAtNight: Worn by the Screamers, to hide their [[EyeScream lack of eyes]].
31	* SurvivorsGuilt: Mary has a lot of it. [[spoiler: She's the only survivor of a massacre, and only by accident.]]. This causes her conversion to Furniss' cult.
32	* TeensAreMonsters: The Scream's rabid fans.
33	* TykeBomb : "Never pick up the kids."
34	* TheEighties : The novel takes place (and was released) at the height of metal's popularity. The description of many of the hairstyles and fashions represent this, including side-shaved mullets and long coats, which the teenaged fans of The Scream wear in imitation of their idols. Likewise, the issues in the entertainment industry at the time, including the "Family Values" vs. censorship debate within the metal scene are discussed, via a talk show.
35	* TheEponymousShow: The Dick Moynihan Show, a popular TalkShow of the Donahue or Geraldo type. During the show, Jacob delivers a pretty [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech good]] [[AuthorTract speech]] to those who would destroy rock'n'roll. Some TruthInTelevision here, as shows of the type were common in the mid-to-late 1980s when the music labelling debate was raging.
36	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Jesse is the only female member of the band, and the most technically inclined.
37	* WildTeenParty: The book opens with one, including plenty of SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll. It doesn't end well.
38	* WritersCannotDoMath: Jacob Hamer, DadTheVeteran , is a [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam]] vet. The chapter states that it's 1988 and Hamer is 33. He served at the tail end of the war, in 1971...which makes him 16 at the time of his service. It's possible he lied about his age, but this trope is more likely.

Context Literature / TheScreamSkippAndSpector