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Zac's Haunted House
ZAC'S HAUNTED HOUSE is an exploration of the borderline between fantasy and reality, concern for the emotions and dilemmas of youth, etc. It is something unique in the author's body of writing and possibly something of a 'World’s First' in the novel genre itself.
HTML Novel
First published January 1, 2015
87 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Cooper
105 books1,861 followersDennis Cooper was born on January 10, 1953. He grew up in the Southern California cities of Covina and Arcadia.
He wrote stories and poems from early age but got serious about writing at 15 after reading Arthur Rimbaud and The Marquis de Sade. He attended LA county public schools until the 8th grade when he transferred to a private school, Flintridge Preparatory School for Boys in La Canada, California, from which he was expelled in the 11th grade.
While at Flintridge, he met his friend George Miles, who would become his muse and the subject of much of his future writing. He attended Pasadena City College for two years, attending poetry writing workshops taught by the poets Ronald Koertge and Jerene Hewitt. He then attended one year of university at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, where he studied with the poet Bert Meyers.
In 1976, he founded Little Caesar Magazine and Press, which he ran until 1982. From 1980 to 1983 he was Director of Programming for the Beyond Baroque Literary/Art Center in Venice, California. From 1983 to 1985, he lived in New York City.
In 1985, he moved to Amsterdam for two and a half years, where he began his ten year long project, The George Miles Cycle, an interconnected sequence of five novels that includes Closer, Frisk, Try, Guide, and Period.
His post-George Miles Cycle novels include My Loose Thread, The Sluts and God, Jr.
Other works include the short-story collections Wrong and Ugly Man, poetry collections The Dream Police and The Weaklings, as well as the recent Smothered in Hugs: Essays, Interviews, Feedback, and Obituaries.
Dennis Cooper currently spends his time between Los Angeles and Paris.
He wrote stories and poems from early age but got serious about writing at 15 after reading Arthur Rimbaud and The Marquis de Sade. He attended LA county public schools until the 8th grade when he transferred to a private school, Flintridge Preparatory School for Boys in La Canada, California, from which he was expelled in the 11th grade.
While at Flintridge, he met his friend George Miles, who would become his muse and the subject of much of his future writing. He attended Pasadena City College for two years, attending poetry writing workshops taught by the poets Ronald Koertge and Jerene Hewitt. He then attended one year of university at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, where he studied with the poet Bert Meyers.
In 1976, he founded Little Caesar Magazine and Press, which he ran until 1982. From 1980 to 1983 he was Director of Programming for the Beyond Baroque Literary/Art Center in Venice, California. From 1983 to 1985, he lived in New York City.
In 1985, he moved to Amsterdam for two and a half years, where he began his ten year long project, The George Miles Cycle, an interconnected sequence of five novels that includes Closer, Frisk, Try, Guide, and Period.
His post-George Miles Cycle novels include My Loose Thread, The Sluts and God, Jr.
Other works include the short-story collections Wrong and Ugly Man, poetry collections The Dream Police and The Weaklings, as well as the recent Smothered in Hugs: Essays, Interviews, Feedback, and Obituaries.
Dennis Cooper currently spends his time between Los Angeles and Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 7, 2016
Interesting concept—hopefully the method improves. Right now it's like a bunch of Goodreads reviews!
October 30, 2017
Uhh. So. I'm always on the lookout for books that seek to re-invent the horror genre, and was inspired to read this book after reading an article on LitHub on abstract horror.
Dennis Cooper's "Zac's Haunted House" is a novel consisting entirely of animated GIFs. It has no text whatsoever, apart from the odd captioned gif + chapter and novel titles. The GIFs themselves range from horror films to memes to porn to just non-descriptive graphic images, the latter often flashing or just generally harrowingly eye strain inducing. (As someone prone to headaches, I couldn't linger much on those but had to scroll forward fast. Also, don't read this book if you have photosensitive epilepsy. Also, it's obviously NSFW.) The GIFs aren't any of them wholly original, I think, but created/collected and put together into a collage/novel from various sources. (One was from Asdfmovie, I swear.) This is probably why the book is free to read online or download onto your computer.
I'm not entirely new to the idea of reading a text written out in pictures – for example, Ways of Seeing by John Berger had some picture essays, which I really liked – and I think it is a useful way of inviting the reader-viewer to construct their own idea of what's happening, as well as to interrogate their own way of engaging with various media. Zac's Haunted House is a very metafictive piece of work, in that it seems to scrutinise the relationship of the author as the creator and the reader as the recipient of images. At which point does the reader-viewer stop constructing images in their head based on the text, and starts to receive ready-made ones? How does that shift affect the way we infer and create meaning? Is there a meaning in the first place? The afterword is really sarcastic in this regard, and actually made me smile.
In this novel the image-based mode of storytelling also seems to work towards an intermedial end. I got the distinct impression that the structure and the sequence of the images mimics the usual dynamics of a haunted house-centered horror movie or book: images of decapitations, gore and other classic horror elements give the story its explicit horror padding, while the aforementioned graphic GIFs work in a more affective way to convey to the reader the sense of an uneasy something. These in turn are interspersed with scenes from a normal life: showers, amusement park rides, sex. That's the typical lull-action-lull-action-rinse-and-repeat sequence of most horror media.
For me personally, the book acted as a kind of sounding board to interrogate my relationship to literature and meaning-building, for which reason I appreciated it. But I can't quite say I actually *liked* it, mostly because of my own personal sensibilities. Furthermore, had it been a completely original project, instead of a collage of pre-existing material (albeit a cleverly constructed one), it would have probably warranted a higher star rating. The way it is, it kind of reminds me of one of those ~edgy~ Tumblr blogs. Definitely not a bad piece, though. Developed further, this mode of storytelling could offer something entirely new.
Dennis Cooper's "Zac's Haunted House" is a novel consisting entirely of animated GIFs. It has no text whatsoever, apart from the odd captioned gif + chapter and novel titles. The GIFs themselves range from horror films to memes to porn to just non-descriptive graphic images, the latter often flashing or just generally harrowingly eye strain inducing. (As someone prone to headaches, I couldn't linger much on those but had to scroll forward fast. Also, don't read this book if you have photosensitive epilepsy. Also, it's obviously NSFW.) The GIFs aren't any of them wholly original, I think, but created/collected and put together into a collage/novel from various sources. (One was from Asdfmovie, I swear.) This is probably why the book is free to read online or download onto your computer.
I'm not entirely new to the idea of reading a text written out in pictures – for example, Ways of Seeing by John Berger had some picture essays, which I really liked – and I think it is a useful way of inviting the reader-viewer to construct their own idea of what's happening, as well as to interrogate their own way of engaging with various media. Zac's Haunted House is a very metafictive piece of work, in that it seems to scrutinise the relationship of the author as the creator and the reader as the recipient of images. At which point does the reader-viewer stop constructing images in their head based on the text, and starts to receive ready-made ones? How does that shift affect the way we infer and create meaning? Is there a meaning in the first place? The afterword is really sarcastic in this regard, and actually made me smile.
In this novel the image-based mode of storytelling also seems to work towards an intermedial end. I got the distinct impression that the structure and the sequence of the images mimics the usual dynamics of a haunted house-centered horror movie or book: images of decapitations, gore and other classic horror elements give the story its explicit horror padding, while the aforementioned graphic GIFs work in a more affective way to convey to the reader the sense of an uneasy something. These in turn are interspersed with scenes from a normal life: showers, amusement park rides, sex. That's the typical lull-action-lull-action-rinse-and-repeat sequence of most horror media.
For me personally, the book acted as a kind of sounding board to interrogate my relationship to literature and meaning-building, for which reason I appreciated it. But I can't quite say I actually *liked* it, mostly because of my own personal sensibilities. Furthermore, had it been a completely original project, instead of a collage of pre-existing material (albeit a cleverly constructed one), it would have probably warranted a higher star rating. The way it is, it kind of reminds me of one of those ~edgy~ Tumblr blogs. Definitely not a bad piece, though. Developed further, this mode of storytelling could offer something entirely new.
September 29, 2020
This is a story told entirely with animated gifs. How long it takes to read could be minutes (I think it maybe took me 15 to 20 minutes) to hours depending on how long you dwell on every image. It conveys almost nothing in terms of narrative but evokes a lot of emotion and atmosphere (horror, confusion, endless repetitive motion--spirals, bouncing, spinning, stabbing, falling, flowing, pain, fear, numbness, etc.). Feels like the type of art installation you might encounter in a museum--wide open to interpretation, asking if every reading is a misreading.
You can "read" it online here:
http://www.kiddiepunk.com/zacshauntedhouse/
You can "read" it online here:
http://www.kiddiepunk.com/zacshauntedhouse/
Read
November 12, 2023I looked at this before sleep last night and this man is crazy as hell
Read
October 9, 2024I cannot rate or review this work, it is not a conventional novel, it does not use words, for me to comment on it in anyway is to leave myself open to ridicule - I don't 'understand' the language employed - it might as well be in non 'Latin' typeface - the images or 'gifs' are as meaningless to me as Cyrillic but maybe more so because the 'gifs' are images which I could respond to, imagines that I might understand, but I have no idea if my responses or understanding are right. Maybe there is no right or wrong. Again even trying to describe my attempts to understand are woefully inadequate and possibly risible.
I do not understand this work and I am unsure if there is much there to understand.
I have read? viewed? this work many times. I am not sure when I will do so again. I am not sure I will.
I do not condemn or praise it and it is one of the few works I will give no rating to.
I do not understand this work and I am unsure if there is much there to understand.
I have read? viewed? this work many times. I am not sure when I will do so again. I am not sure I will.
I do not condemn or praise it and it is one of the few works I will give no rating to.
October 12, 2017
What did I just read?
Was that even reading?
Was that even reading?
November 22, 2022
2.5 stars, i liked the concept a lot more than the execution
October 17, 2019
In the 90's, something like this would be called a multimedia experiment or maybe seen as part of a video art installation if it was shown in a museum. Most likely called a copout. Nowadays with e-books it is more believable that a novel should be written in memes. Using only ubiqiuitous GIF files (that capture the same attitude as his prose) Cooper has made a "cutup"novel for the digital world- but is it good? Of course, you should experience this and decide for yourself. I enjoyed it though it's very non-narrative compared to his written works (at least in this initial entry). I wonder if using found digital objects will have the specificity that traditional storytelling has that allows us the "reader" to be utterly absorbed. We shall see.
November 17, 2016
Blood. Faces. GIFs. Reminds me of finding Tumblr for the 1st time and it was a blog with a black and white gothic aesthetic.
November 29, 2020
Ο Dennis Cooper είναι ο δημιουργός του πρώτου Gif Novel που υπάρχει εκεί έξω, συνδιάζοντας οπτικά μέσα -συγκεκριμένα αυτό της επαναλαμβανόμενης σε λούπα κινητής εικόνας- και αφηγηματικότητα, χωρίς όμως τη χρήση κάποιου συνοδευτικού κειμένου ή λεζάντας. Ενώ η αίσθηση της πλοκής πλάθεται επιτυχώς από την αλληλουχία αυτών των κινητών εικόνων, υπάρχουν πολλά ζητήματα που χρήζουν ενδιαφέρουσας συζήτησης και ιδού δύο από αυτά:
1) Ο ειδολογικός χαρακτηρισμός του Novel. Όπως είπαμε, η αφηγηματικότητα δεν είναι στοιχείο γλωσσικό -αποκλειστικό δηλαδή προς ό,τι μέσο δημιουργείται μέσω των λέξεων- αλλά σημειωτικό, καθώς εντοπίζεται και σε μέσα μη γλωσσικά, όπως ο κινηματογράφος. Παρόλα αυτά, η έννοια του Novel, του μυθιστορήματος, είναι πολύ συγκεκριμένη και παραπέμπει σε ένα συγκεκριμένο περιβάλλον/πλαίσιο αφηγηματικότητας, το οποίο βασίζεται αποκλειστικά σε γλωσσικά μέσα.
2) Η έννοια περί authorship στο είδος του Gif Novel. Ο συγγραφέας (;) ή ευστοχότερα ο δημιουργός, είναι υπεύθυνος μόνο για τη δημιουργία της αλληλουχίας των κινούμενων εικόνων, χωρίς να έχει ο ίδιος την ευθύνη του σχεδιασμού των εικόνων αυτών, αφού είναι παρμένες από το διαδίκτυο και προερχόμενες από μία γκάμα κατηγοριών (ταινίες, σειρές κ.α.). Χωρίς λοιπόν τη δημιουργία ενός πρωτότυπου κειμένου ή/και οπτικού υλικού, με τι τρόπο μπορούμε να μιλάμε για authorship και τι μορφή μπορεί να πάρει αυτή η έννοια;
Σε άλλα νέα, ο Dennis Cooper, πέρα από δημιουργός του πρώτου Gif Novel, είναι και συγγραφέας πολλών μυθιστορημάτων με αναπολογητικά γραφικό συνήθως περιεχόμενο και ενδιαφέρουσα αίσθηση χρόνου, κάτι που αντανακλάται εξαιρετικά και στο μέσο του Gif ως εικόνα εν κινήσει και μάλιστα σε λούπα. Σίγουρα τροφή για ενδιαφέρουσες συζητήσεις στους κύκλους των θεωρητικών της λογοτεχνίας και όχι μόνο, το Zac's Haunted House [που διατίθεται δωρεάν online με ελάχιστο ψάξιμο], θα μας απασχολήσει ως ιδιαίτερο μέσο αφήγησης ιστορίας στα χρόνια που έρχονται.
1) Ο ειδολογικός χαρακτηρισμός του Novel. Όπως είπαμε, η αφηγηματικότητα δεν είναι στοιχείο γλωσσικό -αποκλειστικό δηλαδή προς ό,τι μέσο δημιουργείται μέσω των λέξεων- αλλά σημειωτικό, καθώς εντοπίζεται και σε μέσα μη γλωσσικά, όπως ο κινηματογράφος. Παρόλα αυτά, η έννοια του Novel, του μυθιστορήματος, είναι πολύ συγκεκριμένη και παραπέμπει σε ένα συγκεκριμένο περιβάλλον/πλαίσιο αφηγηματικότητας, το οποίο βασίζεται αποκλειστικά σε γλωσσικά μέσα.
2) Η έννοια περί authorship στο είδος του Gif Novel. Ο συγγραφέας (;) ή ευστοχότερα ο δημιουργός, είναι υπεύθυνος μόνο για τη δημιουργία της αλληλουχίας των κινούμενων εικόνων, χωρίς να έχει ο ίδιος την ευθύνη του σχεδιασμού των εικόνων αυτών, αφού είναι παρμένες από το διαδίκτυο και προερχόμενες από μία γκάμα κατηγοριών (ταινίες, σειρές κ.α.). Χωρίς λοιπόν τη δημιουργία ενός πρωτότυπου κειμένου ή/και οπτικού υλικού, με τι τρόπο μπορούμε να μιλάμε για authorship και τι μορφή μπορεί να πάρει αυτή η έννοια;
Σε άλλα νέα, ο Dennis Cooper, πέρα από δημιουργός του πρώτου Gif Novel, είναι και συγγραφέας πολλών μυθιστορημάτων με αναπολογητικά γραφικό συνήθως περιεχόμενο και ενδιαφέρουσα αίσθηση χρόνου, κάτι που αντανακλάται εξαιρετικά και στο μέσο του Gif ως εικόνα εν κινήσει και μάλιστα σε λούπα. Σίγουρα τροφή για ενδιαφέρουσες συζητήσεις στους κύκλους των θεωρητικών της λογοτεχνίας και όχι μόνο, το Zac's Haunted House [που διατίθεται δωρεάν online με ελάχιστο ψάξιμο], θα μας απασχολήσει ως ιδιαίτερο μέσο αφήγησης ιστορίας στα χρόνια που έρχονται.
April 16, 2020
Less a novel and more a found-footage collage, Cooper uses dozens of GIFs harvested from the Internet to create a moody, atmospheric conceptual horror piece. The clips are sourced from everywhere from old online memes (remember Domo-kun?) to anime to gory horror films and pornography, and are arranged fairly effectively to convey mood and emotion. What plot there is appears to be your standard "defeat the monsters inside yourself and push through to defeat the monsters outside yourself" sort of thing. There are some fun juxtapositions of imagery, but often the choices feel jumbled and incoherent. As a proof-of-concept, this definitely points towards this medium having potential for really powerful artistic expression...but I didn't feel much at all by the end of this, other than "huh, neat".
June 10, 2023
cooper achieves a wide range of emotions with the gif, from genuine unease to hilarity to the rare bout of transcendence. cooper switches between these modes with jarring frequency, a bizarre succession of emotions that can only be found on the internet. it frequently operates in a space closer to cinema, using the juxtaposition of the image to tell short stories. very good at building a certain atmosphere at completely switching gears in the final image, usually with a juvenile joke. if you have ever wanted to see dennis cooper use a megamind gif, this is the html novel for you!
October 19, 2017
I mean, I guess I've been in the aesthetic blog game a little longer than Coop, but this did at least prompt some thoughts by dint of its presentation.
(Way to break into the non-reading demographic component of people-you'd-like-to-bang...)
(Way to break into the non-reading demographic component of people-you'd-like-to-bang...)
April 8, 2022
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Critical Score: B
Personal Score: B
Reading Experience: 📘📘📘📘
Well, a series of gifs is hard to rate.
Love the concept. The execution is….interesting. More like a collection of poems than a novel. Didn’t like all the gore, but it is effective.
Critical Score: B
Personal Score: B
Reading Experience: 📘📘📘📘
Well, a series of gifs is hard to rate.
Love the concept. The execution is….interesting. More like a collection of poems than a novel. Didn’t like all the gore, but it is effective.
October 17, 2022
This is such an interesting concept and interrogation of the nature of language, nature of literature, etc but I did have to kind of be honest with myself about how I would rate this if it wasn’t by Cooper.
March 25, 2022
Regarded time for golf (8)
July 27, 2016
Want to try something a little different?
How about a Visual Novel made entirely out of .gifs?!
A first for cinematic literature -
Dennis Cooper has broken the cool people’s internet with 'Zac’s Haunted House'. It’s part of a “cycle-in-progress of novels” inspired by visual artist Zac Farley.
Interested?
Find out what The Bloody Book Blogger has to say - http://wp.me/p37DRX-1wJ
♥ Peace, Love, and Necrophilia ♥
~sg
How about a Visual Novel made entirely out of .gifs?!
A first for cinematic literature -
Dennis Cooper has broken the cool people’s internet with 'Zac’s Haunted House'. It’s part of a “cycle-in-progress of novels” inspired by visual artist Zac Farley.
Interested?
Find out what The Bloody Book Blogger has to say - http://wp.me/p37DRX-1wJ
♥ Peace, Love, and Necrophilia ♥
~sg
October 14, 2018
The montage graphic novel I’ve always wanted.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews