Richard Laymon

Richard Laymon, born on January 14, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, was a prominent American author known for his suspenseful and horrifying novels. He was a significant figure in the splatterpunk sub-genre, characterized by extreme violence and graphic sex scenes, which were not for the faint-hearted. Although Laymon was American, his books sold exceptionally well in the United Kingdom.

Laymon completed his high school education at Redwood High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Willamette University, Oregon. He then pursued a Master's degree in the same subject from Loyola University, Los Angeles. Before becoming a full-time writer, Laymon worked as a schoolteacher, librarian, and report writer for a law firm. He authored more than thirty acclaimed novels and published over sixty short stories in various magazines and anthologies. Some of his novels were published under the pseudonym Richard Kelly.

Despite praise from notable horror writers such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz, Laymon's works were not well-known in his homeland during his lifetime. However, he enjoyed considerable success in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom. Laymon's initial success in the United States came in 1999 when he began working with Leisure Books. Unfortunately, his first book with Leisure Books, The Woods Are Dark, underwent poor editing and had over fifty pages removed, which significantly impacted its sales. The original and intended version of The Woods Are Dark was finally published in 2008, several years after Laymon's death.

Throughout his career, Laymon received numerous accolades for his works. His novel Flesh was named the Best Horror Novel of 1988 by Science Fiction Chronicle, and both Flesh and Funland were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Laymon won the Bram Stoker Award posthumously in 2001 for The Traveling Vampire Show. In addition, a tribute anthology, In Laymon's Terms, was released in 2011, featuring short stories and non-fiction tribute essays by various authors, including Bentley Little, Jack Ketchum, and Edward Lee. Laymon died from a massive heart attack on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2001. He is survived by his wife, Ann, and daughter, Kelly.