Trent Reznor rode into pop music mythology on Pretty Hate Machine, powered by Futurist industrial pistons and covered in ice-spiked synth hooks shined by new wave robots. Then there was his voice. Whispered verses and screamed hooks - before Kurt Cobain patented the formula - suggested things teens weren't supposed to be thinking, but were. Reznor's brooding prince in PVC persona became the mall goth archetype that still pervades America, over a decade on. Daphne Carr interviews dozens of NIN fans, and gets to the heart of Reznor's very personal appeal.Combining solid research into NIN's roots with compelling, emotional oral histories from fans, a fascinating account of a huge subculture.Daphne Carr is a Manhattan-based writer. She is the series editor ofBest Music Writingand an editor atCurrent Musicology. Her music writing has appeared in numerous anthologies and publications includingOut of the Vinyl Deeps,Listen Again: A Momentary History of Pop, theVillage Voice,MOJO,The Nation,Stop Smiling, andVenus Zine. Find her at www.funboring.com .