I recently became… "obsessed isn't the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind" with the authour Chuck Palahniuk. Not only am I entirely fascinated with his plotlines and twists, but his voice in his works is so strong and unique and I can't get enough. Apparently, neither could Ryan Ross, Panic! At The Disco's former songwriter.
I didn't know it at the time (because I was nine), but P!ATD's record A Fever You Can't Sweat Out makes numerous references to quite a few of Palahniuk's novels. Considering I love both the band and the authour, I decided to reread some of Chuck's books, and listen to AFYCSO again and find all of the connections I could.
"Time To Dance" is entirely based on Invisible Monsters. Just a few of the obvious references are "aubergine dreams", which connects with Brandy Alexander's obsession with aubergine coloured eyeshadow. The "fashion magazines on the walls" and "bleeding on the ballroom floor" is in conjunction with the scene where Brandy, a supermodel is laying on the floor dying after being shot. My favourite reference is the "Give me envy, give me malice, give me your attention", which is a recurring quote in the novel.
Not to give away the ending for those who haven't read it, but Brandy Alexander was originally a male and the line "boys will be boys, hiding in estrogen and wearing aubergine dreams" talks about how Brandy is addicted to estrogen supplements to further her transformation into a female.
"London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines" has a loose reference to the novel Diary. The line "just for the record, the weather today is slightly sarcastic with a good chance of a) indifference or b) disinterest of what the critics say". A quote that you can find on every other page in Diary is "just for the record, the weather today is…", and there's an array of different endings to the sentence.
"The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage" is a line from Survivor.
"Camisado" references Fight Club. "Can't take the kid from the fight, take the fight from the kid" talks about violence. "The bruises and contusions will remind me what you did when you wake" is a direct connection to how the narrator is covered with bruises, cuts, and the chemical burn that he thought were caused by Tyler Durden. Because of the strong element of support groups in the novel, "this was no accident, this was a therapeutic chain of events" matches up to how Fight Clubs were seen as therapeutic and freeing.