Richard Laymon’s wild Halloween novel, Once Upon a Halloween (2000), mixes the malevolence of a death cult with the trick-or-treat fun of families and little kids. The action starts at the old–some say haunted–Witherspoon house at the end of a dead-end street.
Laura and Shannon moved into the old Witherspoon house three years ago. They plan to dress up and celebrate Halloween with friends after giving out candy to the costumed kids who ring their doorbell.
A desperate young man named Hunter rushes into Laura and Shannon’s house and claims he’s being chased by robed cultists who intend to sacrifice him, and others, at midnight in the nearby graveyard.
As you can imagine, Laura and Shannon deal with Hunter’s story with vast skepticism…until the robed cultists–armed with swords, knives, and hatchets–show up.
If you’re in the mood for a wacky Halloween rampage, give Once Upon a Halloween at try!!! GRADE: B
I know a lot of horror fans think Laymon was a no-talent hack but I loved his stuff. I discovered him in the late 80s and thought I’d read all of his novels, but I’ve never seen or even heard of this one, which can be purchased from Amazon for a mere $195. Other than early Mickey Spillane, no one else’s novels moved like Laymon’s, just impossible to put down.
Michael, I share your assessment of Richard Laymon’s work. Obviously, other readers do too with at $195 price tag on ONCE UPON A HALLOWEEN!
First time I have heard the name.
Patti, Richard Laymon wrote a string of scary novels in the 1980s. Bill Crider was a fan of Laymon’s work, too.
Laymon didn’t strike me as much a reflexive hack as the likes of Ed Lee, who was championed by some people I respect, but they never could point me to anything I remotely liked. But, I admit I didn’t run across as much by Laymon, since he wasn’t as anthologized by editors I liked as Lee’s work. But, wow, comparing Laymon with Spillane works for both his cjhampions and detractors.
Todd, Laymon’s novels had a cult following. I have a feeling Laymon focused on novels rather than short fiction.
I read several of Laymon’s books , mostly in the ’80s – THE CELLAR, THE WOODS ARE DARK, etc. But like Michael, I don’t know this one at all. He died in 2001 of a heart attack, way too early, at 54.
Jeff, Bill Crider praised Laymon’s work–especially THE WOODS ARE DARK–and Laymon’s work might have influenced Bill’s scary novels, too.
Yes, I think so too.
Jeff, and I’m sure “Jack MacLane” liked Richard Laymon’s work, too!
Never heard of the author. Did he write horror only?
Neeru, here’s Richard Laymon’s wiki entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Laymon and as you can see most of his work was on the scary side of the street.
Here’s Laymon in the FicttionMags Index (so some anthology appearances might be missed, among some others):
Laymon, Richard (Carl) (1947-2001); used pseudonyms Dick Kelly & Richard Kelly (chron.)
* Bad News, (ss) Night Visions 7 ed. Stanley J. Wiater, Dark Harvest, 1989
Best New Horror, Jones/Campbell, Robinson, 1990
* Blarney, (ss) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine September 1981
* The Bleeder, (ss) New Blood Winter 1989
* The Champion, (ss) Cavalier October 1978
Cemetery Dance #5, Summer 1990
* Choppie, (ss) Subterranean Gallery ed. Richard T. Chizmar & William K. Schafer, Subterranean Press, 1999
* The Cobra, (nv) Fearon, 1985
Claws and Feathers, Anon., Lake Books, 1989
* Cut, (ss) Bestseller Magazine #23, 1985
* Desert Pickup, (ss) Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine November 1970
Cemetery Dance #20, Spring 1994
* Dinker’s Pond, (ss) Razored Saddles ed. Joe R. Lansdale & Patrick LoBrutto, Dark Harvest, 1989
* The Direct Approach, (ss) Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine January 1977
* Eats, (ss) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine July 1985
* Finders Keepers, (ss) Bestseller Magazine #26, 1985
* A Good Cigar Is a Smoke, (ss) Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine February 1976
* Guts, (nv) Fastback Horror by , Pitman Learning, 1985
Chamber of Horrors, Anon., Fearon Educational, 1991
* Halloween Hunt, (na) Fearon, 1987
Chamber of Horrors, Anon., Fearon Educational, 1991
* The Hangman, (ss) Skull Full of Spurs: A Roundup of Weird Westerns ed. Jason Bovberg & Kirk Whitham, Dark Highway Press, 2000
* Herman, (ss) Cemetery Dance #25, Fall 1996
* Immediate Opening, (ss) Debonair February 1976
* The Intruder, (ss) Fearon, 1984
After Midnight, Anon., Lake Books, 1989
* The Job, (ss) The Unexplained: Stories of the Paranormal ed. Ric Alexander, Orion, 1998
* The Longest Day, (ms) Midnight Graffiti #6, Winter 1990/1991
* Madman Stan, (cs) Grave Tales #5, 2008; adapted by Earl Geier
* The Mirror, (ss) Dark Discoveries #19, Fall 2011
* Night Games, (ss) Pitman, 1985
After Midnight, Anon., Lake Books, 1989
* Night Show, (ex) New English Library, 1984
Tor Horror Sampler, Anon., Tor, 1986
* On the Set of Vampire Night, (ar) Cemetery Dance #34, 2001
* Oscar’s Audition, (ss) Don Pendleton’s The Executioner Mystery Magazine June 1975, as by Dick Kelly
* Out of the Woods, (vi) Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine December 1975
* Paying Joe Back, (ss) Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine September 1975
Ellery Queen: The Best of Suspense, Anon., Galahad, 1980
Ellery Queen’s Anthology #39, Spring/Summer 1980
* Pick-Up on Highway One, (ss) Cemetery Dance #34, 2001
* Richard Laymon Kills, (cl) The Spook #3, September 2001
* Roadside Pickup, (ss) Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine December 1974
* Special, (cs) System Shock #1, Tuscany Press, 1993; adapted from the story of the same name (Under the Fang ed. Robert R. McCammon, Pocket, 1991).
* Spooked, (vi) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine October 1981
* Stickman, (cs) Grave Tales #1, December 1999; adapted by William Renfro & Erik Wilson
* Stiff Intruders, (ss) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine March 1980
* The Tub, (ss) Hotter Blood ed. Jeff Gelb & Michael Garrett, Pocket, 1991
Ten Tales, James Cahill, 1994
_____, [ref.] (as in, About Laymon–TM)
* Blood Games by Ken Brown, (br) Interzone #60, June 1992
* A Conversation with Richard Laymon by Stanley Wiater, (iv) Cemetery Dance #25, Fall 1996
* A Conversation with Richard Laymon by Joe Nazzaro, (iv) Cemetery Dance #52, 2005
* Interview: Richard Kelly by David Barr Kirtley, (iv) Nightmare #58, July 2017
* Interview with Richard Laymon by Vincent Fahey, (iv) Epitaph #2, 1997
* Keep the Campfires Burning by David Whitehead, (iv) Fear #14, February 1990
* The Lake by Kevin Etheridge, (br) The Horror Express #3, Winter 2004
* The Late, Great Richard Laymon by Kymm Royal, (ar) Dead Things Magazine #7, April/June 2001
* The Laymon Vampire Legacy by Michael McCarty, (ar) Dark Regions #16, Fall 2001
* Mike Shayne Mystery Makers, (bg) Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine September 1981, uncredited.
* Richard Laymon, (ms) 1998 World Fantasy Convention Program Book, World Fantasy Convention 98, 1998
* Richard Laymon by Robert Freese, (iv) Blood Moon Rising #16, March/April 2003
* The Stake by Robert Devereaux, (br) The New York Review of Science Fiction #40, December 1991
* The Travelling Vampire Show by David Mathew, (br) Interzone #162, December 2000
* A Tribute to Richard Laymon by [Various], (bg) Cemetery Dance #34, 2001
* Uncensored by Chris B. Lacher, (cl) Cemetery Dance #5, Summer 1990
* The Wilds by Peter Crowther, (br) Interzone #141, March 1999
* A Writer’s Tale by Peter Crowther, (br) Interzone #141, March 1999
Todd, thanks for the bibliography! Laymon was a prolific writer!