Peter Sotos
Peter Sotos (born April 17, 1960) is a Chicago-born writer and musician. In his books, Sotos examines sadistic sexual criminals and sexually violent pornography, particularly involving children. His writings are interpreted by some as commenting on media hypocrisy around these issues. His books are often first person narratives, taking on the point of view of the sexual predator in order to explore sadistic and pedophilic sexual impulses.
Recent books
In Show Adult (2007), Sotos analyzes the TV shows Supernanny and To Catch a Predator as publicly acceptable forms of pornography. Predicate (2005) explores the Dunblane Massacre in Scotland in 1996 and the motives and life of the perpetrator Thomas Watt Hamilton. Other topics covered include Operation Ore, the Wonderland murders, Russian orphanages, Megan's Law, and non-nude teen websites.Comfort and Critique (2005) explores the hidden motives of reporters and citizens as shown by their reactions to sexual crimes.
Musical career
Until 2003 he was a member of the seminal power electronics group Whitehouse.
Pure magazine
In 1984, while the day care sex abuse hysteria phenomenon was sweeping the nation and while attending the Art Institute of Chicago, Sotos began producing the controversial magazine Pure, notable as the first zine dedicated to serial killer lore. The original publications are now collector's items.
In addition to offering many details about the crimes of serial killers and Nazis, the text in the magazine praises them, describing them using such terms as "genius", "glorious", "exemplary", and "illustrious". The text is juxtaposed with pictures and newspaper clippings relevant to the crimes discussed, showing that the media also abuse the victims. A short manifesto introducing the first issue says the magazine "satiates and encourages true lusts."
A photocopy from a magazine of child pornography was used as the cover of issue #2 of Pure. This cover led to Sotos's arrest on charges of obscenity and possession of child pornography. The charges of obscenity were later dropped, but Sotos pleaded guilty to the possession charge, receiving a suspended sentence. Despite his early legal troubles, and the seemingly fatal stigma of being falsely labeled a pedophile, Sotos continues to garner support for his ideas and literary output.
Works
- Pure Self published and released two issues, with a third having been completed before controversy of publication led to now-infamous trial.
- Parasite Self published twenty issues.
- Total Abuse: Collected Writings, 1984-1995: Pure, Tool, Parasite, 1995 (Goad to Hell Enterprises, Portland, OR, ISBN 1-111-17832-1, out of print).
- Special, 1998 (Rude Shape, ISBN 1-890528-02-1, out of print).
- Tick, 2000 (Creation Books, ISBN 1-84068-048-2).
- Index, 2000 (Creation Books, ISBN 1-84068-010-5).
- Lazy, 2000 (Creation Books, ISBN 1-84068-010-5).
- Selfish, Little: The Annotated Leslie Ann Downey, 2004 (Void Books).
- Proxy: Peter Sotos Pornography 1991-2000, 2005 (Creation Books), a compendium of five of Sotos' works (Tool, Special, Tick, Index and Lazy). First edition, with CD by Sotos and Steve Albini ([1]).
- Comfort and Critique, 2005 (Void Books)
- Predicate, 2005 (Creation Books)
- Waitress, 2005 (Creation Books), Came as an extra for those who preordered a copy of Predicate from Creation Books
- Show Adult, 2007 (Creation Books)
- Waitress, 2007 (Creation Books) Separate volume from the one included with Predicate, came with orders of Show Adult in hardcover.
- Lordotics, 2008 (Creation Books)
- The Collected Peter Sotos Volume One, 2009 (Creation Books)
- Waitress, 2009 (Creation Books) Third in a series of additional material offered in limited editions from Creation Came with pre orders of Perfect.
Texts featuring Sotos
- Apocalypse Culture, edited by Adam Parfrey, interview with Sotos (Amok Books, 1990, ISBN 0-922915-05-9)
- .45 Dangerous Minds edited by Steve Blush and George Petros, interview with Sotos (Creation Books, 1999, ISBN 1-84068-124-1).
- Apocalypse Culture II, edited by Adam Parfrey, chapter by Sotos (Feral House, 2000, ISBN 0-922915-57-1)
- The Gates of Janus by Ian Brady, afterword by Sotos (Feral House, 2001, ISBN 0-922915-73-3)
- Straight to Hell: 20th Century Suicides, edited by Nomida King, contributed to by Sotos (Creation Books, 2003, ISBN 1-84068-090-3).
