Funland (Onyx) [Paperback]

Richard Laymon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 1990 | Series: Onyx

The resort of Boleta Bay is not the carefree place it used to be. A series of unexplained disappearances, and holiday-makers threatened by an army of leering bums, casts a shadow over summer pleasures. But now Boleda Bay is fighting back and their campaign leads them to the abandoned Funhouse.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Laymon's at the top of his form in Funland, his deceptively simple prose becoming by turns humorous, horrific, stunningly erotic. The Funhouse climax is not to be missed. This novel belongs on very serious horror fanatic's bookshelves."--Robert Devereaux, the New York Review of Science Fiction

"...sexy, bloody, but above all, a good story....Flesh certainly doesn't disappoint."--Dread Central

Laymon flashes some serious storytelling talent.”—Publishers Weekly

“One of horror’s rarest talents.”—Publishers Weekly

"If you’ve missed Laymon, you’ve missed a treat!"—Stephen King

“No one writes like Laymon.”—Dean Koontz  

"He manages to raise serious goose flesh.”—Bentley Little

"Laymon is, was, and always will be king of the hill."—Horror World

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

A former President of the Horror Writers Association, Laymon has written over thirty novels, more than sixty-five literary short stories (which were published in Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock and Cavalier), poetry, crime fiction, two suspense novels, a Western, and two romance novels. Until recently, his books were unavailable in the US for more than 20 years. His novel Flesh was named Best Horror Novel of 1988 by Science Fiction Chronicle, and both Flesh and Funland were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. He won this award posthumously in 2001 for The Traveling Vampire Show. Richard Laymon died in 2001 of a heart attack.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (February 6, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451401824
• ISBN-13: 978-0451401823
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,657,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading Laymon is like eating "Ruffles"..., January 12, 2001

By 

coachtim (Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Funland (Onyx) (Paperback)

you can't put them down. "Funland" is one of the best of Laymon's books (and he has many GREAT books). Get the UK version if at all possible because it has 500 pages, not the 390+ that other versions have. You don't want to miss any of the action in this novel. The sleepy tourist trap of a town called Boleta Bay will never be the same when some of the local kids declare "war" on the indigents and derelicts (called "trolls") that are terrorizing the citizens and visitors to the town. Laymon's characterization is terrific and you find yourself with mixed emotions about the leading characters. Many twists and turns are part of a fairly diverse plot that rockets to a roller-coaster of an ending. You'll find yourself wishing that there were 500 more pages of this book when you finish! This book is not for the fate of heart or those that are offended by the gore and violence that are a staple of Laymon's writing. But, on the other hand, if you like great storytelling with great characters, by all means pick this book (or any of Laymon's work) and settle in for a long night.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All the Ups and Downs of a Carnival Ride, September 27, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Long Island, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Funland (Onyx) (Paperback)

First of all, anyone reading this who loves Richard Laymon should go on over to England where you can buy every one of his books at any bookstore (or find a friend who can bring them all back to you). Funland is one of his more entertaining violent romps and anyone who has ever been to an amusement park will love it. The storyline follows the basic premise of new boy in town meets up with bad bunch of kids who are terrorizing the homeless shacked up at a local amusement park they all live near. Little do they know that they are not the only ones doing the terrorizing. The story moves along at a great pace, introducing lots of characters and has 2 distinct parts, the first developing all the kids and adult's personalities and then the move into the Funhouse where the slaughters begin. I didn't give this book 5 stars even though it is a great, entertaining read only for the fact that I thought the ending was REALLY farfetched, even for Laymon. Get it in paperback, you'll love it.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not all Fun and games...., July 9, 2005

By 

Chucky West "velvetvoz" (Berlin, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Funland (Onyx) (Paperback)

This was my first entry into the Richard Laymon catalog, and I must say that I was blown away with the story. Richard is definitely a powerful writer because I am still twisted up after reading that book a few days ago. Yes, it is a long novel, and although there was some drags in the tempo of the story, I definitely could not put the book down. Very good characters, very good plot, nice twists and one hell of a turn of events near the end of the book. Once the last few chapters arrived the story seemed to kick into overdrive, going from telltale suspense to shocking horror, with a lot of genuine scares and a decent amount of gore. The one thing that I noticed about this novel was the way that Laymon didnt over do it in contrast to some other horror stories that I have read.

I am still in awe at how attached I became to the characters, possibly because I could relate with what the main character was going through. Tales of belonging, tales of male machismo, young love, and acceptance. Laymon did a wonderful job bringing them all to life with fire-breathing results.

Bottom Line: I am impressed enough that I am going on in his collection to see what other treasures await me. So for any of you out there that love carnival horror/suspense, or are interested in trying a Laymon novel, this was an interesting place to start and a great, great book.

-CW