"A guidebook to the language of the most shadowy of subcultures, this work collects and defines more than 550 Gothic words and phrases. Compiled by an acclaimed Goth journalist and poet, this compendium provides insight into the unique vernacular of this fascinating community, describing in detail and with black humor the fashion, music, and lifestyle as well as sharing insider slang such as Baby Bat, Corp Goth, and the Gothic Two-Step. A Goth Band Family Tree and essential Goth listening, reading, and viewing recommendations are also included in this phantasmagorical work."
I picked this up because it was on a cart of books to evaluate and randomly turned to a page . .. which led me to another entry . . . and then on Pandora, a Sisters of Mercy song came on and I felt it was a sign I should check out this book. I found this book to be a lot of fun, informative and with just a touch of snark. While I never went full Goth, I definitely enjoyed a lot of the music and some of the fashion. I still enjoy a fair amount of Goth music and had feelings of nostalgia when reading entries for Scary Lady Sarah, Wax Trax, Sisters of Mercy (yes, I own all of their CDs), and more. I have seen Cruxshadows in person (at DragonCon, hawking their CDs) and thought Ladouceur's entry on them was pretty funny: "But despite appearances, there's something not quite Goth about them. The fact that they eagerly identify themselves as Goth might be the first clue." Um, yes.
I also liked the entry for Industrial music, which reads "Goth's meaner sibling, a style of dark, heavy music with some similar themes that's just as slippery to define . . . "
I'll be grabbing the Black Box from Wax Trax! to listen to in the car soon and also pulling out some Sisters of Mercy to listen to at my desk.
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