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O F F E N S E  M E C H A N I S M S :  F I C T I O N  F R O M  T H E  B L E E D .

The Offense Mechanisms imprint of Silverthought Press is a publishing venue for works of transgressive fiction. In response to a growing number of non-speculative fiction manuscript submissions to Silverthought, many of which are brilliant examples of challenging, thoughtful explorations of life's darkest places, editor Paul Hughes established Offense Mechanisms as an imprint for promising new voices in the transgressive genre.

Transgressive (or transgressional) fiction was defined by journalist Anne H. Soukhanov as a genre that "... graphically explores such topics as incest and other aberrant sexual practices, mutilation, the sprouting of sexual organs in various places on the human body, urban violence and violence against women, drug use, and highly dysfunctional family relationships, and that is based on the premise that knowledge is to be found at the edge of experience and that the body is the site for gaining knowledge" "Word Watch." The Atlantic Monthly (December 1996): 128. The genre focuses on characters' struggles to break free of society's expectations. This resistance to cultural norms confronts issues of mental illness, anti-social behavior, and identity. Transgressive fiction isn't afraid to challenge, inspire discussion of the taboo/profane, or, of course, offend. It is perhaps one of the most potent forms of social commentary, as evidenced by (in)famous examples such as American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, The Mad Man by Samuel R. Delany, and A Fan's Notes by Frederick Exley.

Offense Mechanisms will actively pursue relationships with writers whose work digs into the underbelly of life and finds meaning at the bleeding edges. This imprint will focus on publication of novels, but novellas and short story collections will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Silverthought Press has published transgressive works in the form of Corporate Porn and Bleach|Blackout by David S. Grant, Chaise by Becci Noblit Goodall, and The Trinity and Affluenza by David LaBounty under the Offense Mechanisms imprint. In 2011, we will release Bliss and Blood: The New Red by David S. Grant. We are currently evaluating several other promising transgressive works for possible 2011-2012 releases.

If you've written an intelligent, challenging book that confronts the world in which we live and explores the possibilities of resistance, consider submitting it to Offense Mechanisms.

Paul Hughes, Editor