Richard Laymon Horror Novels Ranked From #35 to #1
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
- A reminder that all these novels have their own reviews on my channel, so check them out if you haven't already and if any of the books sound interesting to you.
Small correction, I obviously meant "interview in the late 90s", not "late 80s" in the 'Savage' part.
Here are the time stamps for each book:
01:45 - #35: Quake
02:37 - #34: Bite
03:14 - #33: After Midnight
04:41 - #32: No Sanctuary
05:21 - #31: Friday Night in Beast House
06:05 - #30: Amara
07:38 - #29: Alarums
08:24 - #28: The Woods Are Dark
09:02 - #27: Night Show
09:54 - #26: All Hallow's Eve
11:28 - #25: One Rainy Night
12:32 - #24: Resurrection Dreams
13:13 - #23: Beware!
14:14 - #22: The Lake
15:05 - #21: The Glory Bus
16:45 - #20: Island
18:55 - #19: Body Rides
20:30 - #18: Midnight's Lair
22:00 - #17: The Travelling Vampire Show
23:05 - #16: Night In The Lonesome October
24:35 - #15: The Beast House
25:16 - #14: Out Are The Lights
26:27 - #13: Among The Missing
27:25 - #12: Dark Mountain
27:55 - #11: Come Out Tonight
30:15 - #10: Endless Night
31:01 - #9: The Cellar
33:10 - #8: The Midnight Tour
34:20 - #7: Flesh
35:04 - #6: Darkness Tell Us
36:00 - #5: Blood Games
36:37 - #4: In The Dark
37:30 - #3: The Stake
38:31 - #2: Funland
41:30 - #1: Savage
My full-length review of Savage:
• Richard Laymon Novel R...
This video has become a comfort watch/listen for me. It's wonderful to put on when I'm doing something tedious but which doesn't require my full attention (like folding a massive pile of laundry). I know I've commented before, but I really do appreciate how succinctly you break down all thirty-five of these books, your personal relationship with them over the years, and the delight that comes through once you hit "Midnight's Lair" and again with "Funland" and "Savage". I think today marked the sixth time I've gone on this journey with you from start to finish, and my only regret is that I cannot give it more than one like. Thank you so much for your hard work in putting this together. I know it's 46 minutes, but I swear it all flies by in what feels like half that time.
Much like Laymon's writing itself, I suppose. :)
Time stamps for each novel:
01:45 - #35: Quake
02:37 - #34: Bite
03:14 - #33: After Midnight
04:41 - #32: No Sanctuary
05:21 - #31: Friday Night in Beast House
06:05 - #30: Amara
07:38 - #29: Alarums
08:24 - #28: The Woods Are Dark
09:02 - #27: Night Show
09:54 - #26: All Hallow's Eve
11:28 - #25: One Rainy Night
12:32 - #24: Resurrection Dreams
13:13 - #23: Beware!
14:14 - #22: The Lake
15:05 - #21: The Glory Bus
16:45 - #20: Island
18:55 - #19: Body Rides
20:30 - #18: Midnight's Lair
22:00 - #17: The Travelling Vampire Show
23:05 - #16: Night In The Lonesome October
24:35 - #15: The Beast House
25:16 - #14: Out Are The Lights
26:27 - #13: Among The Missing
27:25 - #12: Dark Mountain
27:55 - #11: Come Out Tonight
30:15 - #10: Endless Night
31:01 - #9: The Cellar
33:10 - #8: The Midnight Tour
34:20 - #7: Flesh
35:04 - #6: Darkness Tell Us
36:00 - #5: Blood Games
36:37 - #4: In The Dark
37:30 - #3: The Stake
38:31 - #2: Funland
41:30 - #1: Savage
@The Psycho Santa Claws Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed it!
Appreciate all the information you've given bud. I'm just now getting into Laymon and this little gist without spoilers is exactly what I was looking for.
Very happy to help, I envy you discovering all these books for the first time! Thanks for watching.
Super-excited to see your list. I'm really only just getting started with Laymon. My favourite so far is still The Cellar.
Thanks very much for watching, I'm envious of you discovering Laymon for the first time :)
Thank you for this video, this is a really good ref point for me as someone wanting to explore some more Laymon.
Very excited to see you've started your own review channel! You're so articulate and observant. Can't wait to see more from you! :D
Thank you very much, I really appreciate your kind words. Very happy to see you here, and happy also that you're back making videos on your channel!
I find myself coming back to this video quite often. I just finished my first Laymon book, Blood Games, and I found it to be amazing.
When I finished the book, I felt like I left a group of friends behind and didn’t want it to end. The writing of all the female characters felt so real and brought life into them.
I just ordered a bunch of Laymon books from the UK. I plan to start reading In The Dark next. Thank you for this video.
I have a feeling that Laymon will end up becoming my favorite author. I’m just ashamed I never heard of him sooner. Maybe that’s a good thing, because I can enjoy and experience all of his books now.
Hi, I'm really happy I've helped turn you on to Laymon's books! I wish you a great time in discovering his incredible body of work.
Wow. What a great and interesting video. Thank you so much for all the effort put in this
Thanks very much for watching, I'm glad you liked it!
What an excellent video! Laymon was always my go-to author during my teenage years. I remember my parents were out at the cinema one night when I was reading "Flesh" and I ended up barricading myself in the living room, I was so spooked!
Of course, I now have to re-read all of his books due to the memories this has stirred up.
Thank you very much for watching, I wish you a great time revisiting Laymon's work!
Great video. I like Laymon's stories, but I had no idea he was so prolific. There is a lot more of his work there for me to read!
Yes, he produced a huge amount of work in his tragically shortened life. I wish you pleasure in discovering it! Thanks a lot for watching and commenting.
Liked before even watching just because of how impressive it is that you can cover THIS MANY books by this author... have never read one but I'm intrigued.
Thanks very much!
Thanks for the review. I read a few Layman books a few years back. I found them top class. But I went back to King and Dean Koontz but I've read all of their books and I'm back with Layman. I'll go with your chart from 16 down
Excellent video. Thank you for ranking, I'm a Richard Laymon fan 😀.
And thank you very much for watching!
Massive Richard Laymon fan here as well. Reading them all in order at the moment. Going to work my way through your videos & get into some more authors hopefully. My favorite book of his is Endless Night
Hi, thanks very much for watching and commenting. I look forward to your opinions on his books.
I read so much Richard Laymon when I was a kid. My Mum would read ‘em and I would knick them off her book shelf and read them in secret. I hadn’t thought about his writing in years, but when I randomly started thinking about “Endless Night” (my favourite of his books) and googled it, your videos came up and I have enjoyed watching them and taking a journey through Richard Laymon’s highs and lows with you mate. I enjoyed it so much I ordered a few books to reread. Thanks heaps for this series of videos, your doing good work.
Hi mate, thanks very much for your kind words. Much appreciated. Hope you have fun re-visting Laymon! I also hadn't read him for a very long time (around 20 years) before doing this epic re-read of all his books.
An excellent video, you really know your Laymon books, well done.
Thanks very much, appreciate you watching!
Great video and congrats on finishing this series of reviews from a great writer wanted to say that I really enjoyed watching these videos (although I will admit I only watched the reviews to the books I already read or ones I had no interest in reading) so thanks for the videos. And I'm looking forward to your videos about James Herbert's work since as you already know I'm a big fan and also looking forwards to hearing about your opinion on Bentley Little since I also really enjoy his work although lots of his books kinda feel the some but with a slight difference
The first novel I started reading after finishing this series was a James Herbert book so that'll be my first review of the post-Laymon era! Thanks as always for watching and commenting.
Hello there! I just stumbled across your channel while watching the Dark Dreamers Laymon interview, very excited to dive into your content. I've been looking for a good horror novel reviewer for a while now!
I must have watched that Dark Dreamers interview a hundred times. It's so precious because it's the only interview of him on camera. Thanks very much for watching my videos, I really appreciate it.
@@horrornovelreviews8358 It's a bummer that we only ever got the one interview. I'm glad to be here! When you have a lull in your fantastic ideas, I'd love to see a Bentley Little ranking series similar to how you did Laymon's. I don't like Little as consistently, but I'd consider myself a fan. Cheers!
Great video 👌💯
Thanks a lot!
I'm so glad I watched this video. I haven't read Laymon sense I was a teenager and wondered if if I would still enjoy his novels. I found quake in a used book store. So glad watched this I will find another of of his novels to start with
Thanks very much for watching, glad to be of help!
Not too experienced with Laymon, but I loved what you said on enjoying when others like media yourself didn’t care for. For example, I love when in a horror movie franchise someone loves a black sheep film the most.
Yeah, I really love the idea that when someone has taken the time and effort to express themselves in any form of art, there's someone n the world who loves what they've done. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting!
Well Done just for reading so many of his books. I’ve read three of his and that was three too many!!
I have an interest of reading some of Laymon’s stories if I can find them, but I can’t decide which one to read, but I do see some of them in charity shops every now and again.
This is my third time through your ranking video, and I'm sure it won't be my last. I would have a difficult time ranking all of the Laymon books/stories I've read in this way, although the way you put it is quite true: aside from the very bottom and the very top, where stuff falls in the middle is quite interchangeable. Maybe I'll try it some day.
Like you, I love that some of my favorites are ones you didn't care for very much, and vice versa. What I love most about Laymon, I think, and why I've been obsessed with not just reading but collecting his works over the last twenty five years or so, is that when he's good, he's SO good, but even when he doesn't quite stick the landing you're (almost) always left with a hell of a ride, or the exploration of a neat idea, or both. :)
Really glad you're still watching the ranking video my friend, I appreciate it. Meeting fellow Laymon fans is always a pleasure, especially as his unique and wonderful 'shamelessly shameless' style goes further and further out of fashion :) He really was such a treasure to horror fiction. If only he hadn't died so tragically young. Thanks again for your comment, I really do appreciate it.
Savage is my favorite as well great list
Hi there. Im a big fan too, read and own all his works like yourself, and although i disagree on your choices i do applaud your enthusiasm, you have gained a new subscriber too.
Thanks a lot for watching, I'll be very interested to read your own list of favourite Laymon books.
@@horrornovelreviews8358 Flesh, Midnights Lair, Endless Night, One Rainy Night, The woods are Dark and The Cellar are standouts. However i do, like yourself, need to read through them all again. I recall Alarums and ,,,sorry,,, Savage being a chore.
Great video. I only read about 10 novels by Laymon. I also love The Stake, so funny And we'll written and well paced. The Beast house trilogy is great, specially The Midnight Tour. I also agree with you on Quake. I'm about to finish the book and in my opinion the writing is God damn awful. The characters are all the same, I struggle to remember each one because they all look the same. I swear to God that Heather and Em are the same character with a different name. Also, regarding The Woods are Dark: I dont get the controversy regarding the editing. I read the edited version and it had great pace and the right length. Lack of a good editing, for me, is the great weakeness of Laymon.
I used to read Richard layman, from the Doncaster library. One of my first horror author experience. I liked his stuff
It's great how much the UK embraced & supported Laymon at a time when he was ignored in the USA.
The Stake and Funland are my favourites (but I have yet to read quite a few of his novels)
Thank you for making this. I’m going to read The Lake based on your description of it. This video is a great jumping off point for readers wanting to explore a little more Laymon. He’s an extremely pulpy and magazine-y writer, at times rather like a writer for detective and men’s magazines from the ‘30s.
So nice to know there's another half to go and that I've yet to read some of the top books on your list. In one interview he claims he did proper research for Savage. This should be interesting, because so far it looks like Laymon wrote about a limited number of things he knew about: woods, firearms, cars, fast food, women's clothing and dangers of raising a family in LA. I don't include the stuff that's ingrained and is an extention of male nature that does not require research of any kind whatsoever.
And drinks too. The man knew a vodka gimlet from a vodka tonic. It's pretty hilarious how his characters are always drinking, no matter the occasion, time of day, or trimester of pregnancy. Thanks for watching!
@@horrornovelreviews8358 also a Bloody Mary 😂
Just wanted to ask what authors you have read, thanks?
The Island and Traveling Vampire Show are my favorites. His novels seem quite tame though in comparison to Edward Lee.
1. The Cellar
2. Ressurection Dreams
3.The Midnight Tour
4. One Rainy Night
5. The Beast House
6. Island
7. Funland
8. Body Rides
9. After Midnight (That girl has issues lol)
10. Blood Games
Honerable Mentions: Quake, The Woods are Dark, In the Dark, Into The Fire, Midnight's Lair
The Worst: The Stake, All Hollow's Eve
Hey, great job! What about "Fiends" though? I think it was a novel, while a short one.
Hey, thanks for watching! Fiends is a 110-page novella and I'll be covering it in my reviews of his 2 short story collections (Fiends and Dreadful Tales), which will be coming soon.
@@horrornovelreviews8358 Don't forget Out are the Lights, another short story collection.
I'm currently reading The Stake, I love vampires. does Richard Laymon have other vampire books?
Technically yes, he has 2 more vampire books (Bite and The Travelling Vampire Show). But...if you read them you'll see they're not exactly standard vampire books.
Which of Laymon's books do you think would make great horror movies?
Almost all of them! But of the ones I'd most like to see - Funland, Blood Games, The Stake and Darkness Tell Us.
Great video I am from Bolton myself what is the book shop called? Might be worth a trip
Hi! If you mean the bookshop I mention during the 'Funland' section, it's Hammicks in Oldham (in the Spindell's shopping centre). Although quite honestly I don't recommend it for a visit :) It's been 20 years since its heyday and now the town is a wasteland.
@@horrornovelreviews8358 fair enough it’s not far from me to be fair and thought if I was that way on more than a special visit
I'm not far in, but so far in agreement. I remember not liking Quake much at all, and I HATED After Midnight. Most of that novel was just 'Alice' covering her tracks. Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. It took me about 2 years to read it, because I just wasn't getting it, and spending so much time with Alice was not much fun.
What about… To Wake The Dead? I see it on Audible and no nothing about it. The only thing I can guess is that it’s one that didn’t get released in Europe as you touched on at the start of the video
Hey, To Wake The Dead is Amara under a different title. They sometimes did that with his posthumous novels (The Glory Bus is also sold under the name Into The Fire). No idea why, other than as a very cynical attempt to squeeze a few more dollars/pounds out of unwitting fans.
@@horrornovelreviews8358 ok I get it. Similar to how Capital/EMI did with the first bunch of Beatles albums where they released the original pure UK albums in the US market with jumbled song listings and different titles just to squeeze out a few more albums to sell. Corporate executives………
How about "Cuts"?
I mentioned at the start of the video, I didn't have Cuts when I made this list, but I've since ordered it.
Ты в Санкт-Петербурге сейчас?
Hi, yes, I live in St Petersburg now.
@@horrornovelreviews8358 смотрел видео со встроенным переводчиком и был приятно удивлён что ты сейчас в России, причём с такой коллекцией!Респект!В нашей стране всё ОЧЕНЬ плохо с изданием книг этого писателя. Надеюсь ты знаешь русский язык чтобы прочитать это.
Laymons my favourite author, full stop. Only ones i didn't like ...almera, savage and the lake .
Roumania dracula. I am for Roumania
The Woods are Dark was awful should be at the bottom. Midnight’s Lair should be higher up. Of course this is my opinion only.
I've read several Laymon books and only liked The Cellar. The rest I found quite boring.