Throat Sprockets

Throat Sprockets is an erotic horror novel by Tim Lucas, published in 1994.

Throat Sprockets

First edition
Author	Tim Lucas
Language	English
Genre	Erotic horror, transgressive fiction, satire
Publisher	Cutting Edge (Dell)
Publication date	1994
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardback and paperback)
Pages	232 pp
ISBN	0-385-31290-3
OCLC	29911945
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 20
LC Class	PS3562.U238 T48 1994

Plot

It concerns an unnamed protagonist's obsessive quest to learn all he can about a mysterious film called Throat Sprockets. As fixation on the film consumes his personal life, he develops a sexual fetish for women's throats, an affinity which begins spreading to global and apocalyptic proportions, as the film's cult status and legend grows.

Throat Sprockets in Taboo

Throat Sprockets began life as a graphic novel, written by Lucas and illustrated by Mike Hoffman. Two chapters of the comics project appeared in Stephen R. Bissette's horror anthology comic Taboo, issues #1 and #3. A third chapter, illustrated by David Lloyd was published in issue #8.

Editions

• November, 1994, Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc paperback, ISBN 0-385-31290-3
• 1994, Fourth Estate Limited, hardcover
• 1997, as "Salles Obscures", Pocket "Collection Terreur" (France), paperback, French translation by Simon Lhopiteau

Recognition

Since its publication, Throat Sprockets has been singled out as one of the outstanding works of contemporary horror fiction by two reference books, Dark Thoughts by Stanley Wiater and Horror: Another 100 Best Books edited by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman. In October 2006, Rue Morgue magazine included Throat Sprockets on their list of 50 essential alternative horror novels. Ellen Datlow selected it as the best first horror novel of 1994, describing Throat Sprockets as "an unnerving, sophisticated, and passionate novel. . . . Suspenseful and terrifying, with some beautiful writing."