Slap Happy Fun Time

 Beware! - Richard Laymon                                                          Richard Laymon is not only one of my favorite authors, he's also a huge influence on my own writing. Beware! is one of his earlier works and it shows in the early going. It's almost as if he wants to make up for the past mistakes of The Woods Are Dark by tapping into mainstream horror and it almost works The problem with Woods was that the failure wasn't his. His publisher gave him a crappy cover and hacked away half of the book. He has a distinct, almost frenetic writing that pulls you in from the opening paragraph. What it lacks is the usual Laymon trademarks, it more than makes up for in plot and pacing. Beware! is an updated version of the Invisible Man, but here, there's nothing redeemable about the guy. He uses his invisibility to create as much mayhem...

Come Out Tonight - Richard Laymon                                                             This isn't my first time reading Laymon's Come Out Tonight but I can tell you that it's still in my top 5 Laymon novels and it was also the 2nd book of his I read. I was given a copy of The Stake many years ago because the woman who owned it didn't care for it and then years later a woman I worked with gave me my first copy of Come Out Tonight and I was instantly pulled into the story. What a story it is and I can see why some people would be turned off by Laymon's style. As I read it again, the shock and awe of Laymon's style still got me. This is not an easy novel to read and isn't recommended for those who dislike violence. Come Out Tonight starts off with a couple planning on making love but don't have any condoms. Duane decided to hit th...

Hellsworld Hotel - Matthew Vaughn                                                                I received an arc from Matthew Vaughn and dove right in. I love Vaughn’s style of writing, and here we have an all-out assault on your senses. From the opening page, you get brutal in your face horror. For those looking for something light to read that doesn’t offend, you may want to skip this one. Vaughn’s latest novella is a love letter to extreme horror and he holds nothing back. This is a book for those who like their fiction raw and unapologetic, and love films that border on obscene. Zed and his family are a sadistic bunch of folks who open a haunted house with a hidden agenda. It;'s that hidden agenda that drives the book.       Despite all the violence and gore, it’s a solid read that sets u...

Richard Laymon - Quake 5/5 stars                                                                     In an interview Richard Laymon said his books are about bad people doing bad things and in Quake you see that in a large scale as an earthquake hits Los Angeles. The core of the novel is survival and simply trying to make their way home. Of course in a Laymon novel it's not that simple. he allows us to glimpse at a world in which laws no longer apply, the carnal side of human nature runs rampant. He also knows how to pile on layers of tension while allowing us to peer at the ugly side of humanity. We never imagine people at their worst in a time of crisis,...

      Diablo Snuff - Carver Pike  5/5 stars                                                                                                             I've never erotic horror before, but there's always a first time for everything right? I was given a copy of Carver's novella not knowing what to expect. Take the normal rules of horror and add a smidge of sex and presto. This is not a book for those who are weak and squeamish. Carver writes like a man possessed, a man who wants to shock his readers and has no trouble reaching into the dark recesses of his mind to do it.       At the core of this is what exactly is Diablo Snuff. While theit comes novella itself is short, it's a...

Fiends - Richard Laymon 4/5 stars                                                                                                                                         Fiend is an interesting short story collection, and at times, it doesn't feel like a Richard Laymon book. The opening novella is classic Laymon, but it for all of its brutality, there's a bit of a disconnect. This is what we've come to expect from the guy, but here, it's just to lure in his faithful readers, and Fiends as a whole just feels nonsensical. Who acts this way? Why are these people so fucking stupid? Laymon is better than this, and as the collection rolls on it's clea...

Island - Richard Laymon - 5/5 stars                                                                          Let's be perfectly honest here and admit that Island is not your typical horror novel. It's far darker, and way more sadistic. There's a layer of grit there too that adds to the tension and uneasiness of how it all develops. Is it perfect? No, it's not. The story is told through the journal of Rupert Conway, and we see things through the eyes of a horny teenager which makes sense because we can see early on that Rupert isn't exactly a hit with the ladies. Hell, when we were eighteen, being stranded on a deserted island with three women would be heaven. As a narrator, he's simply doing the best he can. Instead of telling us everything, he's telling us what he feels we should know. The facts ...

     The Lake - Richard Laymon 3/5 stars                                                                      The Lake was released after Richard Laymon’s untimely death, but is it really as bad as everyone says it is? This may be a trunk novel, but it’s actually not that bad. There are three major storylines, and one isn’t even introduced until the half way point of the novel. It seems as if Laymon was tinkering with the formula a little, and trying out a new way to tell a story without the usual amount of gore. At times, The Lake comes off as creepy at best, but the usual gore we’ve come to expect from Laymon is almost gone. Also, because this is a novel Laymon probably didn’t want released, there’s some issues. Storylines suddenly appear, but make no sense. They add nothing to the novel...

    The Sleep - Jim Goforth 5/5 stars                                                                          I was given a sneak peek of The Sleep and should've reviewed this already, but I'm a bit of a slacker when it comes to prompt reviews. I did enjoy this one a lot, and feel that as a writer, Jim is finally hitting his stride. Each novel is better than the one before it, but you can still see who his influences are, yet it doesn't come off as a rip off at all. This is dark, classic horror, with a simple plot, and enough violence to keep fans happy. The Sleeper is the sort of novel that makes you look at thunderstorms in a different way. We know how powerful they are, but then Jim comes along and gives you something new to fear. This is the mark of a great writer. Instead of latchin...

    Amnesia - Matt Hickman 5/5 stars                                                                           Matt Hickman owes me some sleep. I stayed awake to finish Amnesia and by the time it was all over it was almost three in the morning, and I blame Matt because Amnesia is the sort of novel that allows you to think you know what's going to happen and then you realize that you're wrong and it sucks. No one likes to be wrong especially when you're reading a book and you think you know what's going to happen, but then the author decides to throw in a massive twist. It's a great novel that gives you just a hint of what's to come. The biggest question here is why do these people have amnesia? What's going on that we're not being told. Not only is this a decent plot but you have well dra...

      31 Thoughts and a review      Once upon a time I saw a trailer for a movie called House of 1000 Corpses, and was blown away. Finally a horror film that paid tribute to the films I grew up watching. The second it came out on DVD I snagged my copy and immersed myself in the mayhem. Corpses was, and is a huge influence on me and as I watched it I realized that this was a film by a guy known mostly for his music. It wasn't supposed to be this good, but it was. Critics of course dismissed it and most horror fans didn't understand it, but when it comes to horror films most critics are elite snobs anyway. What Corpses did was show us that you can make a decent horror film that is not only shocking, but entertaining.                                                                     ...

     Standing Ovation: Gore Carnival Book 4 - Various Authors 5/5 stars                                                                                                                                                   Here we are fiends. We have reached the end of the carnival and one thing that has impressed me so far is the talent that has graced these pages. Jaded Books Publishing has created an anthology that sets the bar pretty high. This is a company that has left behind the corpse of Fat Lip Press and has made a one helluva statement. If you're a new publisher this is how you get noticed. You don't ...

     Gore Carnival Book 3: Encore Various Authors 5/5 stars                                                                                                                                   Now we've made it passed the intermission, and so far this is one hell of a box set. If you like your horror sadistic and dark then you've come to the right place. There's been a wealth of great talent and all of these stories have been really well written. In a volume like this though you can only hold the momentum so long before you start hitting the clunkers. The confusing thing is that this is titled Encore but it differs greatly from the style and pace o...

     The  Intermission Book 2 (Gore Carnival Box Set) - Various Authors 5/5 stars                                                                 I have to tell you that when I think of an intermission I'm thinking about a break. A chance to stretch your legs a little, hit the bathroom, and grab the snacks. At the Gore Carnival it's not a break from anything. In fact, book one was really just a taste of what's in store for you in later books. Intermission is truly not for the easily offended and offers only one mild story in the form of Let's Go To The Circus. It's an interesting take on the already tired zombie genre and focuses on clowns. It's stories like these that I enjoy the most because it takes something we have fond memories of and promptly destroys it. This is not for those who have coulrophobia...

     The Gore Carnival (Book 1) - Various Authors  5/5 stars                                                               This is a massive box set that I thought about reviewing all at once but that would be a massive review so I am reviewing each book as I read them. Makes it easier for all of us. Delving into book one I was really stoked to read this because I'm a fan of quite of a few of these authors. Anytime you have authors of this caliber in an anthology called The Gore Carnival you're in for a treat and no one here disappoints. If you like your fiction filled with body fluids and bizarre sex practices you've picked up the right anthology. This one is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.       Kasey Hill has done an amazing job editing this so you get a bit of variety. Not a...

      Gore Zone! 15 Tales Of Extreme Gore And Terror - Wesley Thomas 5/5 stars                                                                Preorder now on Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/GORE-ZONE-Tales-Extreme-Terror-ebook/dp/B01HIUJE3S/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1468441572&sr=8-8&keywords=Wesley+Thomas     Not too long ago I got a message from Wesley asking me if I'd be interested in reviewing his new short story collection. The moment he said that his editor and proof reader found it offensive I knew I had to read it. I had reviewed one of his books before and he was kind enough to message me and thank me. This is a writer that takes all of the feedback that he gets and uses it. Good or bad. As a writer myself I respect that and promised myself that once I had a chance  I...

The Year's Best Hardcore Horror Vol 1 - Edited By Randy Chandler & Cheryl Mullenax 3 out of of stars                                                       When it comes to hardcore horror or splatterpunk there are two distinct types. The first goes straight for the gross out without any thought to plot, and the second layers the gore into the story sort of like a literary cake. A lot of anthologies like this either lean too far to one side and favor the gore while sacrificing the plot which tends to alienate readers. Hardcore isn't just another anthology it's boastful and wants to be different. It wants people to feel comfortable in the fact that it's the best of the best. There may be anthologies like it, but this one far different. It's a valiant effort and for the most part it just falls a little short in places. A lot of anthologies someti...

     One Rainy Night - Richard Laymon 5/5 Stars                                                       If you've missed Laymon you've missed a treat. No truer words have ever been spoken when it comes to the late Richard Laymon. He was a man that delved into the darkest parts of the human soul and showed us that the greatest monsters are actually ourselves. One Rainy Night seems to show Laymon at a point in his career where he wanted to give everyone what he was accused of giving them. A total gorefest without any real characters or purpose. It would seem on the surface that One Rainy Night is just Richard Laymon being Richard Laymon. Horror that has all the charm and subtlety of a chainsaw cutting into your stomach. He's a hack after all right? I have read tons and tons of reviews of Laymon's work and all of the bad ones all tell u...

    Mayan Blue - Michelle Garza & Mellissa Lason 5/5 Stars  https://www.amazon.com/Mayan-Blue-Michelle-Garza-ebook/dp/B01F14TYPG?ie=UTF8&keywords=MAyan%20Blue&qid=1462741895&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3                                                                  I was given a copy of Myan Blue to review and I was excited as hell because I planned on buying it as soon as it was released. I still plan on snapping up the paperback because that is a cover that shouldn't be hidden on a Kindle screen. The Sisters Of Slaughter have been making quite a name for themselves in the horror genre and I for one am a huge fan. Forget this idea that women can't write horror because they can. The Sisters write horror that's so good it'll reach up and smack your momma! This is a debut that a lot of writers...

  Razor Blade Candies Book One: Loves Lies Dead Kyle M. Scott 5/5 stars                                                                        You ever read a book that seems like it's headed one way and then before you know it everything veers sideways and you find yourself cheering? Love Lies Dead is that sort of book. It's a short but brutal read that basically says; "I'm back did you miss me?" Yes, Scott, we did. The thing that makes this work is that Kyle uses emotions to suck you in. You can almost feel the loss that Paul feels and you can't help but feel for him. He's just lost his girlfriend and Scott details these scenes so vividly you aren't just reading about Paul you feel as if you're right there with him. This is going to be one of those novels right? Okay, maybe a ghost story? Oh, no...