Wikipedia defines it as:
…a subgenre of horror fiction that intentionally showcases grotesque or psychologically disturbing violations of the human body or of another creature. These violations may manifest through aberrant sex, mutations, mutilation, zombification, gratuitous violence, disease, or unnatural movements of the body.
While that’s certainly the case, it isn’t the whole story. Think Franz Kafka (“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect”). Think Francis Bacon (particularly his portraits). Think David Cronenberg (whose career is synonymous with the genre).
At its worst, schlocky entertainment. At its best, existentialist musings on what it means to be human.
The perfect subject for a book. One which Scottish writer Chris Kelso has given us for our perusal.
Lengthy discussions on various Cronenberg films, man melding with metal and the implications of having our minds stolen from our bodies serve as jumping off points for discussions on how the genre and the concept of melting cover a wide range of fears within our psyche but also about the possibilities of a new kind of species emerging: a mecha human, if you will.
Written in a casual, conversational tone where the end result is alluring and all-encompassing, Kelsso manages to encourage and stir the reader into consideration without ever coming across as aloof, overtly academic or dry. Indeed, the chapter which will draw the most interest will be Kelso’s interview with Jacob Geller on Silent Hill 2, widely considered one of the greatest video games of all time. Although I am not a gamer (last game I played was Half Life in 1999), the chapter is an enthralling read even if Kelso humourously dismisses it as a “wank-fest” for the game.
While an excellent and thought provoking read which is dripping with possibilities, there are gaps where Kelso could have explored further.
When discussing Robocop, he focuses on the character of Emil getting coated in toxic waste and ending up, as Kelso puts it, as a real-life version of a Francis Bacon painting. While understandable and with interesting perspectives on this particular moment in the film, I’m surprised that there’s no mention of Alex Murphy’s own horror at being shot to pieces and then resurrected against his will to enforce the law. Indeed, these scenes are often shot first person style to reinforce the violence and to make the viewer feel they’re the victim.
Kelso could very well argue that the segment around the possibilities of the inter-being touch upon these themes (which is true). However, discussing Murphy’s fate and contrasting it with Emil’s (a Ballardian nightmare vs Francis Bacon artwork come to life) would have been intriguing.
Also, no discussions around the films Altered States and The Toxic Avenger, which is particularly disappointing as their inclusion would have allowed Kelso to look at the genre as both a response to scientific attempts to trace our evolution and teenage life during puberty.
In spite of those omissions, this is a book jam packed with ideas, viewpoints and discussions that does more in 85 pages than what most academic tomes do in 300.
Chris Kelso, 2024, On Melting: Essays Against the Body. Filthy Loot. ISBN-13: Paperback ISBN: 979-8330385317
⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist and is the author of A Vortex of Securocrats and “dethrone god”.
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