Remove this Banner Ad

The Traveling Vampire Show - Richard Laymon

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

CrimsonButterfly

CrimsonButterfly

All Australian
Veteran
Joined
Aug 14, 2011
Posts
647
Reaction score
38
Location
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Sixers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies.
Has anyone read this?

I just finished it and absolutely loved it. It's one of many novels I have read lately (I've also gotten through Funland by Laymon and Funland by Koontz. I also finished Carnies by Martin Livings) and TTVS is comfortable the best of the four books I've read.

The book is most in first person, in the eyes of main character Dwight, set in 1963 with his two friends (female Slim and male Rusty) as they look for things to do around town ... they stumble across a flyer for a 'Traveling Vampire show' which is basically a display of the only known real vampire in captivity (Valeria who is beautiful) and despite it being an 18+ show (they are 16) curiosity gets to them and they MUST see this show.

The book isn't overly 'violent' it's very character driven. It goes into great depth about the three characters and their friendship. There are times that the TVS becomes a bit of a memory as you learn about these characters. It isn't a real gore fest book - more of a drama, mystery, thriller with a pretty radical climax.

I recommend it however warn that Laymon can be a bit 'crude' in his writing.
 
CrimsonButterfly said:
Has anyone read this?
Click to expand...

Yes, a few years ago when it came out. I liked it well enough, not as good as his best efforts but a lot better than his worst.

The book isn't overly 'violent' it's very character driven. It goes into great depth about the three characters and their friendship. There are times that the TVS becomes a bit of a memory as you learn about these characters. It isn't a real gore fest book - more of a drama, mystery, thriller with a pretty radical climax.

I recommend it however warn that Laymon can be a bit 'crude' in his writing.
Click to expand...

Just a bit:), that goes with the subject matter. If you're looking for more Laymon, I'd recommend "In the Dark", "Endless Night" or "Island".
 
I haven't read In The Dark or Endless Night but I remember reading Island when I was younger and really liking it.

I've read Blood Games, One Rainy Night, Resurrection Dreams and Flesh. I have also got through the Beast House trilogy but have mixed feelings about it.

Have you read Allhallows Eve, by any chance?
 
CrimsonButterfly said:
I haven't read In The Dark or Endless Night but I remember reading Island when I was younger and really liking it.
Click to expand...

In The Dark is the first one I read and my favourite. The plot involves a librarian who finds a note in a book one day which dares her to do some small, trifling task, for which she gets $50. She's then urged to do another less trifling task for which she earns $100. From then on, the price doubles each time as the tasks get stranger and stranger.

Endless Night was good too. About a third of the book is told from the 1st person POV of a rapist / serial killer and his outlook on the world is disturbing to say the least.

I've read Blood Games, One Rainy Night, Resurrection Dreams and Flesh. I have also got through the Beast House trilogy but have mixed feelings about it.
Click to expand...

Of those I've only read two of the Beast House books which I didn't like and which I was thinking of when I said TTVS was "better than his worst".

Have you read Allhallows Eve, by any chance?
Click to expand...

No, any good? The others I've read are Funland (good), Dark Mountain (meh), Body Rides (great), Stake (ok), Quake (good) and Bite (ok).
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

My Dad might not let me read Endless Nights. I was lucky enough to get the green light with Beast House. He didn't know there was 'sexual content' via the blurb. I will pick up In the Dark though. Thanks for the advice.

I liked Funland however preferred Koontz's Funland. I haven't read any of the others that you've listed but I'm 16 and have plenty of time. (: Allhallows Eve is one I just ordered so I was just wondering if you had an opinion on it so I'll let you know how it is when I'm done.
 
CrimsonButterfly said:
My Dad might not let me read Endless Nights. I was lucky enough to get the green light with Beast House. He didn't know there was 'sexual content' via the blurb. I will pick up In the Dark though. Thanks for the advice.

I liked Funland however preferred Koontz's Funland. I haven't read any of the others that you've listed but I'm 16 and have plenty of time. (: Allhallows Eve is one I just ordered so I was just wondering if you had an opinion on it so I'll let you know how it is when I'm done.
Click to expand...

Replying again after serving time for posting pics on the Bay your dad would not approve of...

Anyway, bugger. You're 16? In all honesty I'd probably not have recommended any Laymon if I'd known that. Probably a sign of me growing old but I've got a 14yo at home and if she starts reading Laymon in 2 years I'll have mixed feelings about that too. Of course if I try banning it, she'll definitely read him then.

Oh well, I was reading similar stuff at your age and I turned out OK. I think. Enjoy.
 
Cthublhu said:
I'd probably not have recommended any Laymon if I'd known that.
Click to expand...

I've read a bit of Laymon - Some of his books i liked (Quake, Master of Games, Bodyrides etc ) but some i thought were very weak. The difference between his best and worst is considerable.

I get the feeling Layon was a sicko in real life as most of his books all seem to have a recurring theme that stats with 'R'.
 
Cthublhu said:
Replying again after serving time for posting pics on the Bay your dad would not approve of...

Anyway, bugger. You're 16? In all honesty I'd probably not have recommended any Laymon if I'd known that. Probably a sign of me growing old but I've got a 14yo at home and if she starts reading Laymon in 2 years I'll have mixed feelings about that too. Of course if I try banning it, she'll definitely read him then.

Oh well, I was reading similar stuff at your age and I turned out OK. I think. Enjoy.
Click to expand...

I read mainly books by Laymon, Koontz and King. I know Laymon may be a bit crude but I find his books the easiest to understand. King just writes really complicated and I can get lost sometimes.

I'm nearly done with Allhallows Eve now and will be getting onto In The Dark shortly. Allhallows Eve is okay just really short and kinda shallow.
 
Max Rockatansky said:
I've read a bit of Laymon - Some of his books i liked (Quake, Master of Games, Bodyrides etc ) but some i thought were very weak. The difference between his best and worst is considerable.

I get the feeling Layon was a sicko in real life as most of his books all seem to have a recurring theme that stats with 'R'.
Click to expand...

Which of his books didn't you like?
 
I like Laymon but the Island ending was pretty bad from memory but have liked Dark Mountain, Funland, Darkness Tells Us. Should read some more
 
CrimsonButterfly said:
Which of his books didn't you like?
Click to expand...

I got a whole bunch of cheap Laymons a while back from K-Mart.

'Cuts' was really poor - One of the worst books i've read.

'Blood Games' - I thought it was ok for a while then ended up thinking it was hopeless.

'Night in Lonesome October' really promised a lot and was atmospheric and creepy .. but i ended up being disappointed as the book didn't really deliver.

I also bought 'The Travelling Vampire Show' but its still unread.

Up till then i think i'd probably read about 8 or 9 of his books and liked them all. But when i read 'Cuts' & 'Blood Games' i'm a bit wary of Laymon now.

Oh - I forgot the name of the book i recommended ' Master of Games' was actually called 'In the Dark'. That one was demented and exciting and a top notch read.

Cheers
 
The Travelling Vampire Show was the first book by Laymon that I read and I loved it, pretty much for the same reasons mentioned in the OP, so I was looking foward to reading through his backlog.

After reading another 3 of his books I gave up. From memory they were Funland, A Night At The Beast House and Amara ?(The mummy one). They were the exact oppisite of The Travelling Vampire Show. So full of over the top sex and violence they were just stupid. Outside the sex and gore they were boring. Amara was one of the most putrid piles of crap I've ever read.

If he's ever written anything as good as The Travelling Vampire Show I'd be grateful for any recs but I just can't believe a guy who wrote a book that good could have written the rest of the garbage I've read.
 
I just surfed through the plots of the books people said they didn't like and the only one that made me slightly curious was Amara.

I'm almost done with Allhallows Eve. Very underwhelming so far.

FINISHED; it didn't get any better. The ending is horrid.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

CrimsonButterfly said:
I read mainly books by Laymon, Koontz and King.
Click to expand...

If you want to read other authors in the genre you might like Brian Lumley, Dan Simmons or Anne Rice.

Lumley writes lots of stuff but his Necroscope series is probably his best, although the standalone Demogorgon was good too.

For Simmons, try Carrion Comfort, Summer of Night or Children of the Night. Summer of Night is very similar in style to Stephen King.

Anne Rice got attacked by the brain eater sometime in the 90s but her early stuff was good. Interview With the Vampire is the place to start, followed by The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned
 
CrimsonButterfly said:
I just surfed through the plots of the books people said they didn't like and the only one that made me slightly curious was Amara.

I'm almost done with Allhallows Eve. Very underwhelming so far.

FINISHED; it didn't get any better. The ending is horrid.
Click to expand...

Allhallows Eve is probably his worst book, although there's a few bad ones.

One of Laymon's books I really like is Savage. It's set in the 1880's, and it's about a boy who crosses paths with Jack the Ripper, and ends up in America hunting him down. Very different to his other books, although there is still plenty of blood at times.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Cthublhu said:
If you want to read other authors in the genre you might like Brian Lumley, Dan Simmons or Anne Rice.

Lumley writes lots of stuff but his Necroscope series is probably his best, although the standalone Demogorgon was good too.

For Simmons, try Carrion Comfort, Summer of Night or Children of the Night. Summer of Night is very similar in style to Stephen King.

Anne Rice got attacked by the brain eater sometime in the 90s but her early stuff was good. Interview With the Vampire is the place to start, followed by The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned
Click to expand...
Lumley's Vampire World trilogy is one of my favorites, blew my mind, Necroscope built up to it brilliantly also. I lost interest in his later works though.

Laymon was hit and miss, but his best works were great. From memory Funland was my favorite of those I read. Nothing was off limits and his plots were unpredictable (again - from memory given I was a teenager at the time!).
 
I finished Night In Lonesome October.

That book has to be one of the biggest teases ever. Seriously.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Remove this Banner Ad

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top Bottom