Richard Laymon

I haven't read anything by Richard Laymon but I have seen several books that look pretty interesting.

Does anyone recommend Laymon? And if so, what book(s) are your favorite?

I really enjoyed Night in the Lonesome October, The Traveling Vampire Show, Island, Body Rides, and Cuts. I've also heard great things about Funland, Flesh, Quake, and The Stake.

I'd recommend In the Dark, The Woods are Dark or Island. The Cellar and Among the Missing were fun as well. It's tough to go too wrong unless you pick up One Rainy Night. That's the only one I've read so far (though I haven't read them all) that I really just did not like.

Be forewarned, his books are crap. Don't get me wrong, I have (jeeze!) 29 of his books and I enjoy them for what they are. They are fast-paced, preposterous, thrilling, stupid and gripping. You will roll your eyes repeatedly as you read his stuff. But you will most likely keep reading anyway.

I wrote reviews for The Woods Are Dark, Island and One Rainy Night if you'd like a more in depth analysis of them.

I would have to ditto jseger here on his work being enjoyable crap. I've mentioned before in past threads that at first its absurdly wacky and fun. After a few more books its not wacky and fun anymore. It's just absurd. But I keep coming back eventually as I've recently added Flesh to by TBR pile.

My favorites of his are Island and Quake. Quake may be a difficult book to find unless Leisure decides to republish as they have many of this books.

Too much Laymon is a very bad thing, I'll agree. I read one of his books maybe every four or five months.

#4 - Quake may be a difficult book to find unless Leisure decides to republish as they have many of this books.

I think Leisure has slowed down on their reprints of Laymon. I hope they do continue though. His books are crap, but that doesn't mean they aren't worth reading.

I see Funland is due out in September.

I'm getting pretty excited about Funland, to be honest. That, along with Quake, is one of the only two Laymon novels I really have a strong interest in reading.

# 6 & 7 - Ooooh Funland. That's one I've been interested in reading as well and one that's recently been hard to find. Apparently I'm in need of a Laymon crap fix myself:)

Apparently I'm in need of a Laymon crap fix myself:)

I was just thinking the same thing!

I think after I finish the book I'm currently reading (Fields of Fire), I'll give Come Out Tonight a go...

Laymon Group on Facebook, fyi:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/2365941614/

Didn't leisure publishing recently go under? If so, are we going to see any richard laymond reprints?

#11 - Leisure have gone to eBooks and trade paperbacks. They have since published Laymon's Funland. Long term, I don't know how many more Laymon reprints there will be. I get the feeling that Dorchester is flailing at best.

The woods are dark was the first Laymon book and my favorite. Up until a few years ago I only read non-fiction. I picked up Ed Lee’s house Gothic in the airport on a trip to Ireland, finished the first day and couldn’t find a Lee book anywhere. I did find a copy of The woods are dark at a boot sale. That’s all it took Laymon’s my on my top five list. I was saddened by his premature death.

hi! if you can handle extreme gore, bestiality then read the beast house chronicles..

Flesh is a good fun slice of horror. I would also recommend Quake and The Woods are Dark. Laymon knew how to horrify and entertain, the latter something that I think is sadly underrated in the genre at times.

I agree with #13 - mickymalone - The Woods are Dark was my first Laymon book (and you never forget your "first".) It's a great book and a great place to start. I would also highly recommend, Funland!