Type of site "Geek culture" blog Created by Various | Available in English Website www.pornokitsch.com | |
Owner Anne C. Perry & Jared Shurin Editor Anne C. Perry & Jared Shurin | ||
Pornokitsch is a British "geek culture" blog that publishes reviews and news concerning speculative fiction and other genre fiction.
Contents
History
The website, established in 2008, is owned and edited by Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin. Other contributors include Rebecca Levene, David Bryher, Mahvesh Murad, Molly Tanzer, Jesse Bullington, Joey Hi-Fi, Jon Morgan and other sci-fi and speculative fiction writers. In 2014, the site became a paying venue for short fiction, publishing stories online on a weekly basis, a combination of reprints and original fiction.
The name of the website, a portmanteau of pornography and kitsch, is due to the "disposable and forgettable" nature of pornography mirroring the general reception of genre fiction, which is often seen as "the kitsch of the literary world".
The Kitschies
From 2009 to 2013, the website organized the annual Kitschies award ceremony for "the year's most progressive, intelligent and entertaining works that contain elements of the speculative or fantastic". The awards are given in three categories; the "Red Tentacle" for best novel; the "Golden Tentacle" for best début; and the "Inky Tentacle" for best cover art. From 2011 to 2013 it was sponsored by The Kraken Rum, who provide the GB£2,000 prize money and some bottles for prizes. The prize has continued independently of Pornokitsch, and is now sponsored by the independent game company Failbetter Games.
Jurassic London
Pornokitsch started a small non-profit publisher in 2011 named Jurassic London, commissioning anthologies of original work based around "contemporary, relevant topics".
Awards
Pornokitsch was shortlisted for the 2011 BSFA Award for Best Non-Fiction and the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Fanzine. The site won the 2013 British Fantasy Award for best non-fiction.