Definitely a landmark of Psychology and Psychopathology, Richard von Krafft-ebing's "Psychopathia Sexualis", also known as "Psychopathia Sexualis, with Especial Reference to the Antipathetic Sexual Instinct: A Medico-forensic Study", stands out as provocative and intense reading. An unnerving experience, to be exposed to experiences ranging from bizarre to outright disturbing, amid images of sexual violence and fetishism described in a cold, straightforward, direct manner typical of early Psychology studies, which only amplify the general dissonance of the work.
Indeed it was not designed as a aesthetic experience, nor a "literature" book per say, but I guess it can be used for those purposes aswell. Didn't find a thread about this book in the forum. Which surprised me, because I feel as if it evokes feelings similar, almost identical to the ones that arise from listening to Power Electronics. If not inspired by the same purposes, both the book and Industrial music in general converge on giving detailed descriptions, ("pathologically detailed", as Aspa put on this year's Bardo Methodology interview on N12) of aspects of humanity whose existence most people would prefer not to acknowledge, in a styllistic manner devoid of euphemism or sugarcoating. Bare exposition of events of such brutality yet put on with clear and direct words.
Me and my friends often make jokes about this book being "the first PE album ever". No wonder it was a major inspiration for William Bennett, alongside De Sade, as I recall from reading a 90's interview. The book design itself, at least in my edition, even looks like Whitehouse album cover - all blackened cover with the title and the author's name vertically aligned. I would say it resembles Whitehouse's music quite a lot - obssessive, repetitive exploitations of violent sadism and sexual imagery evoked by in-your-face descriptions.
