Laymon VS King

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Who is the most horrifying of them all?

  • Stephen King

    Votes: 11 91.7%
  • Richard Laymon

    Votes: 1 8.3%

  • Total voters
    12
  • Poll closed .

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
I'm a new member...

Youknow, I've always had this love for King.
And part of the reason I've become a member of this site is to share my zombie themed video with all of you... However, I've also subscribed to this site for one other very specific reason:

That is, I am very curious... Does anyone of you ever wonder why Hollywood has never really acknowledged the works of Richard Laymon? Mr. King must have had over 100 of his novels turned into films by now. But I really can't recall any of Richard Laymon's efforts being produced into film. Do you you think that it was because of Richard Laymon's over-use of ultra violent sexually themed story-lines?

Also... Between the two of them... King VS. Laymon, There must have been a trade off (As far as their fan-base was concerned...) Some horror lovers must have gravitated to Laymon because they viewed Kings work as too tame. While others went to King because they believed that Laymon was way too far over the top. You see what I mean?
King may have gotten to make his movies and his money, while Richard Laymon could claim that HE was actually the more "HORRIFYING" of the two...

I find it strange that no one has ever pointed this out.

I sure would honor anyone's input on this subject.
I sure do love King. But dead or not... Richard Laymon still has got some moves!
201641.jpg

Welcome to the SKMB
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
I don't know if ya saw ma video, "The Walker".
A lot of people call me, "The Lady Lennon" because I did so many Beatle songs throughout my career. Don't ya think, "The Walker" could be a crappy Beatle out-take? HA! ;)
I've edited out your link as those types of links are not allowed in threads other than in Self-Promotion where it already has been posted. I'm sure you weren't aware of that policy as you're new so giving the benefit of the doubt and to let you know why they'll be deleted if included in future threads.
 
Mar 12, 2010
6,538
29,004
Texas
I voted for King because I like horrifying as in terror more so than horrifying as in gross-out. I've read a couple novels by Layman and wondered why no films were adapted. Cellar would have made a great film.

I'm glad you mentioned Bentley Little. I read one of his novels a long time ago and I liked it but then I couldn't remember the author's name so I didn't read any more :( He has one of those names that eludes memory but when you hear it, it rings a bell :)
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
Well first off... It's true what everyone is saying.... Richard Laymon WAS the worst writer I've ever read. (He is dead now.) SO HE'S PAID FOR HIS CRIMES! HA! I am also a writer...I've been one for about 45 years. (I hope you've seen my video on Youtube.) I love Richard Laymon. Dean Koontz loved Richard Laymon. And The King loved Richard Laymon. So I'm not sayin' anything new here... Okay... He was a horror writer, TRUE! But he also was a horrible writer! If he even had editors, (I THINK HE DID!) They sucked too! AND ALL THAT BEING SAID... HE WILL SCARE THE **** OF YOU! HIS BOOKS ARE BASE, VIOLENT AND SEXUAL. ALL SHOULD BE WARNED NEVER TO READ HIS BOOKS! EVER!

AND THAT BEING SAID...

...oh... His books are the BEST. So much trashy fun! I'm nearly through with his life's work.

Start with, "One Rainy Night" (I did!)
If you can get through that blood-bath... Yer on your way!

If you'd like to see him at his truly best... Perhaps, "Savage".
Savage is actually some pretty good writing!

Richard Laymon's work is addicting if you like yer horror all up in face!

But remember... Kitty don't play!
I get into some pretty heavy ****.
I've just finished re-reading John Skipp's & Cody Goodfellow's "Jake's Wake"
These two guys will rock yer world! "Jake's Wake" takes the Zombie genre and flips it on its head! "Jake's Wake"!

I hope this post will help give you the courage to take the plunge!
Enjoy!

K. Holiday

I've enjoyed a few Laymon books but I have read a couple of awful ones too. There was one I read published after he died that was very strange. It's called To Wake The Dead. I think I picked it up in the cheap bin somewhere and didn't know anything about it when I read it. I remember being interested at the beginning but after the first couple of chapters, the book got very confusing because two completely different stories were going on and they never connected. Later I found out that this was published after he died and that someone took two unfinished books of his and pieced them together and published it as one. ;-D

Laymon was the king of women in cages books. ;-D It seems like every book of his I read had women locked in cages.
 

Kat Holiday

Active Member
Aug 6, 2016
25
120
62
Fort Collins, Colorado
I've enjoyed a few Laymon books but I have read a couple of awful ones too. There was one I read published after he died that was very strange. It's called To Wake The Dead. I think I picked it up in the cheap bin somewhere and didn't know anything about it when I read it. I remember being interested at the beginning but after the first couple of chapters, the book got very confusing because two completely different stories were going on and they never connected. Later I found out that this was published after he died and that someone took two unfinished books of his and pieced them together and published it as one. ;-D

Laymon was the king of women in cages books. ;-D It seems like every book of his I read had women locked in cages.
Ya gotta keep 'em somewhere!
 

RichardX

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2006
1,737
4,434
I think Robert McCammon is the horror author most comparable to King in terms of longevity, subject matter, and quality of work. The biggest difference there is that just about every King book has been made into a movie and I don't believe any McCammon book has been. Hack horror authors are a dime a dozen. Guys like James Herbert and Dean Koontz can write a passing of the time book that you read and then forget. King is on another level. I sort of rank books based on my desire to read them more than once. And with King I would and have read almost every book multiple times. I can't say the same for most other "horror" authors.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
Thats no contest really. For something to scare me the characters has to be real so i feel them or a horror novel soon begins to fail, for me at least. Layman is not good enough writer to do that while King is one of the best writers in all genres. To be able to dream up horrible scenes does not mean they are horrifying if they does not really affect you. They merely seem unreal and so not scary. While i read IT i fully believed in the idea of an evil clown in the sewers of Derry.