Hardcore

Edition excerpt from Hardcore (1989): SkinheadsLeather, studs, and shaved heads. For some, it's just a fashion statement. But for others, it's a brutal, violent way of life. Hardcore explores this sometimes sordid world with an unflinching eye for honest detail.Mal is the frequently unbalanced leader of a gang of skinheads. They survive on theft and robbery, and amuse themselves with vandalism and random violence. Mal's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, however, finally driving Reach, one of his trusted lieutenants, to leave the gang.But Reach finds it more difficult to cut loose than he had planned. The sadistic Mal uses Billy, one of Reach's oldest friends, as a way of punishing Reach for his defection. The final confrontation between Mal, struggling to maintain his power, and Reach, struggling to break free, leaves no winners and few survivors.