Two new books are bringing a resurgence of interest to one of the most pervasive urban legends of the past 30 years: the "snuff" film.

CRIMSON ORGY by Austin Williams, just released this month from Borderlands Press, explores the making of an infamous low-budget horror movie in 1965 of the same title, in which someone allegedly suffers a horrific death in front of the camera. This book has already been branded an instant cult classic by members of the blogosphere who managed to get their hands on advance copies (which first surfaced on eBay last summer.)

In May of 2008, Doubleday will release SNUFF by Chuck Palahniuk, about the making of a pornographic video including 600 men and one woman that is believed to end fatally. The author of FIGHT CLUB’s legions of fans have been talking about this one with great anticipation for months, and many advance orders have already been placed.

So why the renewed interest in this old boogeyman of our collective imagination? As pretty much everyone knows, the term "snuff" is used to describe a work of cinema or video in which a person is actually killed for entertainment purposes. Far less known is to what degree these films actually exist, or ever have.

The concept first became ingrained in the public’s imagination in 1976 with the release of a movie called "Snuff." In order to stir up interest, producer Allan Shackleton created an ingenious fake campaign of feminist backlash against the film, the climax of which featured obviously bogus footage of a "real" killing. Though the movie itself was almost unbelievably inept and filled with unintentional laughs, Shackleton’s ploy worked. "Snuff" became a substantial hit, playing in bargain theaters across the country and selling a huge number of videotapes in the following years.

And thus, an urban legend was born.

The new book CRIMSON ORGY, which has been called "an unnervingly enjoyable debut" by Publishers Weekly, does more than just revive the myth of snuff. By setting the story in the nether regions of 1960s exploitation cinema, Austin Williams creates a multi-layered portrait of America’s love affair with horror. Using subversive humor and nerve-wracking suspense, the book keeps readers on edge from page one, deliberately blurring the line between simulated bloodshed and real butchery. It’s the kind of book that generates lively conversation among those who’ve read it, and seems sure to reach a broad audience beyond those who are naturally inclined toward horror fiction. CRIMSON ORGY is available now from Amazon and booksellers everywhere.

Readers will have to wait a few more months to see how Chuck Palahniuk approaches this subject matter in his forthcoming novel. What seems certain, however, is that widespread interest in the phenomenon of snuff will not die any time soon.