February 5 is the birthday of French decadent novelist and art critic JORIS-KARL HUYSMANS (1848-1907).

"...he shrunk more and more from the realities of life and above all from the society of his day which he regarded with an ever growing horror,--a detestation which had reacted strongly on his literary and artistic tastes; he refused, as far as possible, to have anything to do with pictures and books whose subjects were in any way connected with modern existence."

Huysmans' "work is considered remarkable for its idiosyncratic use of the French language, large vocabulary, descriptions, satirical wit and far-ranging erudition. First considered part of Naturalism, he became associated with the decadent movement with his publication of À rebours. His work expressed his deep pessimism, which had led him to the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer. In later years, his novels reflected his study of Catholicism, religious conversion, and becoming an oblate. He discussed the iconography of Christian architecture at length in La cathédrale (1898), set at Chartres and with its cathedral as the focus of the book." (Wikipedia)

February 5 is the birthday of St. Louis-born author and former Lawrence, Kansas resident WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS (1914-1997).

"A psychotic is a guy who's just found out what's going on."

Burroughs "is widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and literature.Burroughs wrote 18 novels and novellas, six collections of short stories, and four collections of essays. Five books of his interviews and correspondences have also been published. He was initially briefly known by the pen name William Lee. He also collaborated on projects and recordings with numerous performers and musicians, made many appearances in films, and created and exhibited thousands of visual artworks, including his celebrated 'shotgun art.'" (Wikipedia)

February 5 is the birthday of Swiss occult/fantasy artist H.R. GIGER (1940-2014).

Giger is probably best known for his designs for the film “Alien.”

"I like elegance. I like art nouveau; a stretched line or curve. These things are very much in the foreground of my work."

"Some people say my work is often depressing and pessimistic, with the emphasis on death, blood, overcrowding, strange beings and so on, but I don't really think it is."

"There is hope and a kind of beauty in there somewhere, if you look for it.”

Giger "was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as "biomechanical". He was part of the special effects team that won an Academy Award for the visual design of Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film Alien, and was responsible for creating the titular Alien itself. His work is on permanent display at the H.R. Giger Museum in Gruyères, Switzerland. His style has been adapted to many forms of media, including album covers, furniture, tattoos and video games." (Wikipedia)