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After Midnight
Alice has quite a story to tell you. That's not her real name, of course. she couldn't give her real name, not after all the things she reveals about herself in this book. All of her... adventures. And all that killing. She wouldn't want the police to find her, now would she? — It started out so nice. Alice was house-sitting for her friend, enjoying having the whole place to herself, with the sunken bathtub and big-screen television. But everything went wrong that first night, when she looked out the window and saw a strange man jumping naked into the swimming pool. Alice just knew he would be coming to get her, like all those other men before. But she would never be a victim again. Not after she remembered the old Civil War saber hanging in the living room...
438 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1997
109 people are currently reading
3018 people want to read
About the author
Richard Laymon
216 books2,268 followersRichard Laymon was born in Chicago and grew up in California. He earned a BA in English Literature from Willamette University, Oregon and an MA from Loyola University, Los Angeles. He worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian, and a report writer for a law firm, and was the author of more than thirty acclaimed novels.
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
He also published more than sixty short stories in magazines such as Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, and Cavalier, and in anthologies including Modern Masters of Horror.
He died from a massive heart attack on February 14, 2001 (Valentine's Day).
Also published under the name Richard Kelly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
February 21, 2023
If anything, Laymon clearly liked to experiment with his novels, and in After Midnight, Laymon takes a stab into the horror/thriller genre in the form of a confession, or chronicle, by an anonymous narrator of some rather gruesome, deadly events that transpired over a few days one summer. 'Alice', our main protagonist and narrator, starts the novel rather innocuously, hanging out in her landlord's house while they are on vacation (Alice rents a room over the garage of the house). Late at night (hence the title!) and intruder shows up and takes a skinny dip in the swimming pool out back with Alice looking on. We spend a lot of time in Alice's head in this, something that starts right off the bat. Why was Alice looking on? She was trying to steel herself up to retire to her own flat after watching movies late, and was worried about shady characters hanging out around the isolated house. Inside Alice's head we find she worries about just about everything, but this time, maybe her worries have some substance...
For me, the thing that makes or breaks a Laymon novel is whether or not you can fall under the almost hypnotic spell he usually weaves around the story itself. He always tries to take you to an almost alternative world, where the dubious motivations of the characters almost seem obvious, the sketchy decisions made by the characters strangely rational. If you fall under the spell, hold on for a crazy ride in a page turning frenzy, but if do not succumb, you want to toss the book across the room. Maybe this is why the reviews of his novels are so mixed-- e.g., if you fall for the spell or not.
Did he succeed here? To some degree. You can almost root for Alice as one event leads to another (as she puts it, everything is connected by wires), but she is such a flake the spell was mitigated. Alice, for a variety of dubious reasons, spends about 75% of the novel topless, and if you have ever read Laymon, you know what you can expect with that! The endless flopping and bouncing breasts, erect nipples and such are almost his trademark, but it seems a little contrived here. He does manage to build a nice sense of tension and Alice's trials and travails seem to go from bad to worse, but you can only suspend your disbelief so much. So, decent outing for Laymon, far from his worst, but not near his best. 3 bouncing stars!
For me, the thing that makes or breaks a Laymon novel is whether or not you can fall under the almost hypnotic spell he usually weaves around the story itself. He always tries to take you to an almost alternative world, where the dubious motivations of the characters almost seem obvious, the sketchy decisions made by the characters strangely rational. If you fall under the spell, hold on for a crazy ride in a page turning frenzy, but if do not succumb, you want to toss the book across the room. Maybe this is why the reviews of his novels are so mixed-- e.g., if you fall for the spell or not.
Did he succeed here? To some degree. You can almost root for Alice as one event leads to another (as she puts it, everything is connected by wires), but she is such a flake the spell was mitigated. Alice, for a variety of dubious reasons, spends about 75% of the novel topless, and if you have ever read Laymon, you know what you can expect with that! The endless flopping and bouncing breasts, erect nipples and such are almost his trademark, but it seems a little contrived here. He does manage to build a nice sense of tension and Alice's trials and travails seem to go from bad to worse, but you can only suspend your disbelief so much. So, decent outing for Laymon, far from his worst, but not near his best. 3 bouncing stars!
August 26, 2021
Another crazy Laymon adventure filled with his signature gory violence and graphic sex (including brutal rape).
If you've already read Laymon, you've got a good idea what to expect. His stuff ain't for the faint of heart!
If you've already read Laymon, you've got a good idea what to expect. His stuff ain't for the faint of heart!
July 11, 2019
My Thoughts - This novel hits a home run with the “wtf is gonna happen next” plot. The main character and all who surround her are potential unsafe victims of chaos. Play this Richard Laymon game of spin the literary bottle of carnage and enjoy!
August 2, 2025
ATER MIDNIGHT [2006] By Richard Laymon
My Review 4.0 Stars
“No one writes like Laymon, and you’re going to have a good time with anything he writes.” --- DEAN KOONTZ
"After Midnight" by Richard Laymon was a Buddy Read for July 2025 on Splatterpunk Horror Book Club.
This quirky and entertaining selection from the works of the legendary Laymon was made possible by a reprint of the original 1997 title by publisher 47 North March 30, 2006. Sadly, this was due to the death of Richard Laymon in 2001. His wide popularity in the UK was for all intents and purposes unknown to us in the US. It would be in the early years of the 2000’s before his UK novels would enjoy a release here in America. I learned about the colorful and charismatic Laymon from my first good friend on Goodreads. Tragically she is no longer with us, but Mary brought humor, light, and knowledge of Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror to me for the first time. Ironically, I found myself reading “After Midnight” because of another close friend of mine in the Goodreads Universe. It was during my search through the proverbial stack of his books that I hit upon “After Midnight” and decided it would be a terrific introduction to Laymon. Publishers Weekly expressed it perfectly when their critic penned:
“…. this 1997 title is a sordid, flawed gem, both stomach churning and erotic, and not infrequently at the same time” and “, Alice proves to be one of Laymon’s most original and memorable protagonists…”
This is a l-o-n-g book at 438 pages. The length of a book puts some readers off, that is just a fact. The length of a book by Laymon is immaterial. I read upon one reviewer who was referring to “Endless Nights” (her first acquaintance with Laymon). She said that she started reading one afternoon and became so genuinely terrified for Jody falling into the hands of one of the villains (Simon of course) that she could not put the book down and finished it the following day!
That is a funny thing about the works of Laymon, no “Top Ten” list compiled by critics is ever the same. I stumbled across a reviewer who had finished reading a total of 20 Laymon books in the preceding year. She was relegating each title into four originally named categories but in keeping with lists everywhere the best filtered down to the dregs. “Endless Nights” was her first brush with Laymon, and it hardly surprised me that it led the pack. My point is a novel she maligned until she ran out of breath, room to write, or appropriate vocabulary words to malign and degrade. I will not name the title of the offending tome but rather stress what made it so funny. She said that she was designating it as the worst of the worst but hesitated to add that she hated to do that because (the book) was her best friend’s favorite out of all his works!
Laymon liked to experiment with his novels, that is for sure. Amazon designated this book as “Horror, Psychological Fiction”. Irrespective of the genre tags Laymon used a “confession” or “chronicle” by an anonymous narrator using the alias of “Alice” to relate acts of murder and mayhem that occurred over a specific short period of time. This book is said to see Laymon’s most recognized characteristic used to its fullest potential. In his creation of the personae of “Alice” the author has the reader following the adventure with her and willing her on even though all of her actions are not morally upright. The writer ably combines potent mixture of first-person narration, the mutable character of “Alice”, and what critics call Laymon’s “uncomfortable knack” of dropping characters into sticky situations that makes readers squirm while eking out “Why oh why have your done that?!”
Critics and even fans of Laymon’s characterize his body of work as “B-Movies in Book Form”. Laymon is considered in the first wave of 1980’s Extreme Horror and the Original Splatterpunks. Extreme Horror was pioneered by Laymon and Ketchum. How many times have you read that “Reading a Laymon novel is a rite of passage into the genre” …and seen Richard Laymon heralded as one of the true icons of horror? What author have you read, time and time again, that “never fails to deliver”? It simply bothers me to hear his novels referred to as the equivalent of “B” movies in print. His personal warmth, sense of humor, generosity, and effervescent charm made him loved by those whose lives he touched. His prolific works were lauded by both King and Koontz and his works were nominated for awards, including the Bram Stoker Award, which he won for “The Traveling Vampire Show”.
I really enjoyed reading “After Midnight”, originally written in 1997, nearly three decades ago. If I could use only two words to describe it, I would say “entertaining and unrelenting”. The character of “Alice” is not a protagonist as much as she is an anti-hero. 26-year-old “Alice” is our reliable first-person narrator, and I spent hours trying to psychoanalyze her. She was paranoid for certain, and assertively if not aggressively self-protective. It is a bit difficult to sympathize with her actions. I was strangely all right with her splitting a man’s head in two with a sharp as a razor Civil War saber. That said, I found myself figuratively scratching my head over her soulless ruminations afterwards (“I felt rotten about killing him, but not particularly guilty”). Say what? And from that point forward the story gets seriously disturbed, and yes, crazily, that IS possible.
There is something about “first-person” narration that is so powerful in deft hands that the reader feels himself “bend” to the self-centered singular motivation of “Alice”. It is gradual but she drops snippets of her backstory as an innocent 18-year-old girl that injects a much-needed shot of sympathy into her audacious, cold-hearted and self-centered acts. You find yourself yanked along on Alice’s 24-hours of “lightning- rounds” featuring attempted murder, staging a murder scene, questionable bouts of insanity, egregious lying and manipulation, hot sex, a brief slideshow of the leading freakazoid in “The Hills Have Eyes”, rape, cannibalism, and other carnal sins, taboos, and criminal acts that I cannot recall at the moment.
By the end of the storyline, I felt worn out. It was the steady, exhausting pace of the action that had me feeling like I had been running furiously uphill the entire time that influenced me to rate the book 4 Stars instead of 5 Stars. I thought the book was an incredible non-stop romp on a hayride then abruptly dropped into a Haunted House and then finally pitched out flat on my back exhausted. Speaking of the end of the story, jeez, I loved it! The character of “Alice” just has to be the most original Laymon ever created. She is a lovely, long-legged force of nature who is as naïve as a Catholic school girl on her first day of class yet as pragmatic as a prison guard on the extreme violent wing. Somewhere in between her banter in your ear and her bold actions during those 24 hours you find yourself acknowledging that she has endeared herself to you.
LOVED THIS ORIGINAL FIRST-PERSON NARRATOR’S 24-HOUR TERROR TALE
My Review 4.0 Stars
“No one writes like Laymon, and you’re going to have a good time with anything he writes.” --- DEAN KOONTZ
"After Midnight" by Richard Laymon was a Buddy Read for July 2025 on Splatterpunk Horror Book Club.
This quirky and entertaining selection from the works of the legendary Laymon was made possible by a reprint of the original 1997 title by publisher 47 North March 30, 2006. Sadly, this was due to the death of Richard Laymon in 2001. His wide popularity in the UK was for all intents and purposes unknown to us in the US. It would be in the early years of the 2000’s before his UK novels would enjoy a release here in America. I learned about the colorful and charismatic Laymon from my first good friend on Goodreads. Tragically she is no longer with us, but Mary brought humor, light, and knowledge of Splatterpunk/Extreme Horror to me for the first time. Ironically, I found myself reading “After Midnight” because of another close friend of mine in the Goodreads Universe. It was during my search through the proverbial stack of his books that I hit upon “After Midnight” and decided it would be a terrific introduction to Laymon. Publishers Weekly expressed it perfectly when their critic penned:
“…. this 1997 title is a sordid, flawed gem, both stomach churning and erotic, and not infrequently at the same time” and “, Alice proves to be one of Laymon’s most original and memorable protagonists…”
This is a l-o-n-g book at 438 pages. The length of a book puts some readers off, that is just a fact. The length of a book by Laymon is immaterial. I read upon one reviewer who was referring to “Endless Nights” (her first acquaintance with Laymon). She said that she started reading one afternoon and became so genuinely terrified for Jody falling into the hands of one of the villains (Simon of course) that she could not put the book down and finished it the following day!
That is a funny thing about the works of Laymon, no “Top Ten” list compiled by critics is ever the same. I stumbled across a reviewer who had finished reading a total of 20 Laymon books in the preceding year. She was relegating each title into four originally named categories but in keeping with lists everywhere the best filtered down to the dregs. “Endless Nights” was her first brush with Laymon, and it hardly surprised me that it led the pack. My point is a novel she maligned until she ran out of breath, room to write, or appropriate vocabulary words to malign and degrade. I will not name the title of the offending tome but rather stress what made it so funny. She said that she was designating it as the worst of the worst but hesitated to add that she hated to do that because (the book) was her best friend’s favorite out of all his works!
Laymon liked to experiment with his novels, that is for sure. Amazon designated this book as “Horror, Psychological Fiction”. Irrespective of the genre tags Laymon used a “confession” or “chronicle” by an anonymous narrator using the alias of “Alice” to relate acts of murder and mayhem that occurred over a specific short period of time. This book is said to see Laymon’s most recognized characteristic used to its fullest potential. In his creation of the personae of “Alice” the author has the reader following the adventure with her and willing her on even though all of her actions are not morally upright. The writer ably combines potent mixture of first-person narration, the mutable character of “Alice”, and what critics call Laymon’s “uncomfortable knack” of dropping characters into sticky situations that makes readers squirm while eking out “Why oh why have your done that?!”
Critics and even fans of Laymon’s characterize his body of work as “B-Movies in Book Form”. Laymon is considered in the first wave of 1980’s Extreme Horror and the Original Splatterpunks. Extreme Horror was pioneered by Laymon and Ketchum. How many times have you read that “Reading a Laymon novel is a rite of passage into the genre” …and seen Richard Laymon heralded as one of the true icons of horror? What author have you read, time and time again, that “never fails to deliver”? It simply bothers me to hear his novels referred to as the equivalent of “B” movies in print. His personal warmth, sense of humor, generosity, and effervescent charm made him loved by those whose lives he touched. His prolific works were lauded by both King and Koontz and his works were nominated for awards, including the Bram Stoker Award, which he won for “The Traveling Vampire Show”.
I really enjoyed reading “After Midnight”, originally written in 1997, nearly three decades ago. If I could use only two words to describe it, I would say “entertaining and unrelenting”. The character of “Alice” is not a protagonist as much as she is an anti-hero. 26-year-old “Alice” is our reliable first-person narrator, and I spent hours trying to psychoanalyze her. She was paranoid for certain, and assertively if not aggressively self-protective. It is a bit difficult to sympathize with her actions. I was strangely all right with her splitting a man’s head in two with a sharp as a razor Civil War saber. That said, I found myself figuratively scratching my head over her soulless ruminations afterwards (“I felt rotten about killing him, but not particularly guilty”). Say what? And from that point forward the story gets seriously disturbed, and yes, crazily, that IS possible.
There is something about “first-person” narration that is so powerful in deft hands that the reader feels himself “bend” to the self-centered singular motivation of “Alice”. It is gradual but she drops snippets of her backstory as an innocent 18-year-old girl that injects a much-needed shot of sympathy into her audacious, cold-hearted and self-centered acts. You find yourself yanked along on Alice’s 24-hours of “lightning- rounds” featuring attempted murder, staging a murder scene, questionable bouts of insanity, egregious lying and manipulation, hot sex, a brief slideshow of the leading freakazoid in “The Hills Have Eyes”, rape, cannibalism, and other carnal sins, taboos, and criminal acts that I cannot recall at the moment.
By the end of the storyline, I felt worn out. It was the steady, exhausting pace of the action that had me feeling like I had been running furiously uphill the entire time that influenced me to rate the book 4 Stars instead of 5 Stars. I thought the book was an incredible non-stop romp on a hayride then abruptly dropped into a Haunted House and then finally pitched out flat on my back exhausted. Speaking of the end of the story, jeez, I loved it! The character of “Alice” just has to be the most original Laymon ever created. She is a lovely, long-legged force of nature who is as naïve as a Catholic school girl on her first day of class yet as pragmatic as a prison guard on the extreme violent wing. Somewhere in between her banter in your ear and her bold actions during those 24 hours you find yourself acknowledging that she has endeared herself to you.
LOVED THIS ORIGINAL FIRST-PERSON NARRATOR’S 24-HOUR TERROR TALE
February 21, 2018
A Laymon novel with a singular storyline? It had better be a good one.
Thankfully it is, and you're in store for one of the craziest nights in history.
Highly recommended for fans of nonstop fun-filled mayhem.
Thankfully it is, and you're in store for one of the craziest nights in history.
Highly recommended for fans of nonstop fun-filled mayhem.
January 7, 2017
Alright, finally a book out of the bag given to me that was cool!
This tale is of Alice. Oh, that is what she says her name is, but it really isn't. Alice is strange and in the beginning, as written by the author, a bit aggrivating and a pain in the arse to understand.
Bad things have happened to and happen around Alice. She is a creature of impulse, no morals and no conscience. She kills randomly and without remorse and it is in her few qualities where this book grabs you by the face and makes you read it. Is it morbid curiousity? Is it just trying to find out what the heck is going on here? I say yes to both.
Mr. Laymon crafts a top notch character study here towards a character who should have never been studied and would probably stab you if she knew you dared to do such a thing. Chaos and randomness are well written here and an strong underlining of Murphy's Law is unmistakable as far as Alice and her history goes.
There is a lot going on here and this ain't for the squeamish. Rape, mutilation and torture are common in this book and it is disturbing. Beware of that, Oh Ye of Timid Nature, because it is all over this book. The weird part is that you can read about a vile act of murder and then the way it is written and spoken of, you will be laughing three pages later. It takes a pretty special writer to elicit that much broad spectrum of words to the reader.
Very good read and such an interesting protagonist in Alice! Antagonist, maybe? I don't know, maybe both. Nicely done, Sir.
Danny
This tale is of Alice. Oh, that is what she says her name is, but it really isn't. Alice is strange and in the beginning, as written by the author, a bit aggrivating and a pain in the arse to understand.
Bad things have happened to and happen around Alice. She is a creature of impulse, no morals and no conscience. She kills randomly and without remorse and it is in her few qualities where this book grabs you by the face and makes you read it. Is it morbid curiousity? Is it just trying to find out what the heck is going on here? I say yes to both.
Mr. Laymon crafts a top notch character study here towards a character who should have never been studied and would probably stab you if she knew you dared to do such a thing. Chaos and randomness are well written here and an strong underlining of Murphy's Law is unmistakable as far as Alice and her history goes.
There is a lot going on here and this ain't for the squeamish. Rape, mutilation and torture are common in this book and it is disturbing. Beware of that, Oh Ye of Timid Nature, because it is all over this book. The weird part is that you can read about a vile act of murder and then the way it is written and spoken of, you will be laughing three pages later. It takes a pretty special writer to elicit that much broad spectrum of words to the reader.
Very good read and such an interesting protagonist in Alice! Antagonist, maybe? I don't know, maybe both. Nicely done, Sir.
Danny
January 27, 2016
At first glance the plot may reek of simplicity, but it becomes apparent - fast - than it's anything but. "Alice", the pseudonym for the author of the spoof autobiography, is enjoying a relaxing week at her rich friends house while the pair and their kiddies are away on vacation. One night, watching a movie on their big screen TV, she observes a mysterious stranger strip, walk around, and use the swimming pool in the backyard. Since the house is surrounded by woods, its apparent he must have come from there. A bit perturbed and creeped out, things go from bad to worse when she makes a huge mistake, then tries to run around covering it up. This only lands her in deeper trouble, all of it propelling further and further off the deep end.
I won't say the character changes much throughout the story; while there is a small sunlight of hope that gleams on her toward the end, overall the book focuses on someone who's as strange as they come. Alice turns out to be not who the readers expect from the get go, but as the plot changes direction and new scenarios are introduced, it soon becomes apparent that her demeanor never remains the same. Perhaps one of the bigger flaws of this book is that Alice herself isn't always very likeable, doing things its hard to emphasize with, and not showing the proper array of emotions at times.
The plot itself is similar to a black comedy; horrific certainly, with its gore, violence, and macabre overshadowing, but it's evident Laymon had a hell of a good time writing this. Not just because of the obligatory sexual acts, but each word is adorned with a demented and twisted sort of humor. The theme is dark as hell but it's all done in such a light way it can be difficult to make heads or tales of it. It's almost like a guilty pleasure, though. You're reminded to laugh and get some sort of grim amusement out of horribly cruel twists of fates and deeds - should the reader be made to feel sadistic, or guilty, or else is it just the expert work of Laymon at play?
On the author's behalf, it couldnt have been easy to come up with a gander such as this one. I give him great kudos for his imagination. The words are done in first person narrative and this is a refreshing change; while third person POV is what generally gets smiled at and published now of days, it lacks that certain, special intimacy first person could have. Here we are literally in Alice's mind from page one, and it's an effective tool. As usual Laymon doesn't pepper down the wounds and dull the book by foreshadowing or nitty gritty details (except where gore or sex is involved), but he does keep it short and sweet. With a book that's 438 pages in volume, the pace is pretty swift and weighed down with minimal bulk.
And yep, if you haven't wagered it already, this book is traditional Laymon in terms of sweaty sheets and teenage like hormones. The sex is there as always, along with the lust, nakedness, boobs, and admiring of bodies. It's what we've come to expect with this author, yet here it's part of the cute humor and charm....in a sick fashion of course. The gore is thick as always, particularly with a saber as a choice of weapon, and Laymon clearly delights in exploring the detail of decapitated heads and such. It's no wonder this author became so notorious.
Suspense wise, it's not overly thick. The beginning gets the heart pumping, but after that it doesn't seem to be the point. There are certainly 'scary' scenes along the way, though, particularly with the monstrous Milo, who's one hell of a character - yech. Other characters all are intriguing - with the exception, perhaps, of Judy, who's just plain strange. Another one I never knew what to make of.
The ending didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped - let's just say since I was put into such a morbid voyeuristic mood throughout the novel thanks to Laymon, I was a bit disheartened by the sunny side up turn of events. Yes, I would have liked to see the dark side of the characters taken up to a whole new level. Worrying about giving too much away, I'll drop a hint for those who have read the book - the van may end up having two compadres, but I'd have liked it to be one person different. Strange how I always end up rooting for the wrong folks.
If you're in the mood for some truly dark and un somber moments, a twisted sense of humor and really strange sexual play, Laymon's always your man, particularly here. I wrestled around with deeming it worthy of four stars or three, but ultimately settled on three - guess I could never truly forgive Laymon for the 'spoiling of mystery'...and yes folks, another veiled plot hint I couldn’t help but give away. Have fun figuring it out while experiencing this twisted version of life for yourself.
I won't say the character changes much throughout the story; while there is a small sunlight of hope that gleams on her toward the end, overall the book focuses on someone who's as strange as they come. Alice turns out to be not who the readers expect from the get go, but as the plot changes direction and new scenarios are introduced, it soon becomes apparent that her demeanor never remains the same. Perhaps one of the bigger flaws of this book is that Alice herself isn't always very likeable, doing things its hard to emphasize with, and not showing the proper array of emotions at times.
The plot itself is similar to a black comedy; horrific certainly, with its gore, violence, and macabre overshadowing, but it's evident Laymon had a hell of a good time writing this. Not just because of the obligatory sexual acts, but each word is adorned with a demented and twisted sort of humor. The theme is dark as hell but it's all done in such a light way it can be difficult to make heads or tales of it. It's almost like a guilty pleasure, though. You're reminded to laugh and get some sort of grim amusement out of horribly cruel twists of fates and deeds - should the reader be made to feel sadistic, or guilty, or else is it just the expert work of Laymon at play?
On the author's behalf, it couldnt have been easy to come up with a gander such as this one. I give him great kudos for his imagination. The words are done in first person narrative and this is a refreshing change; while third person POV is what generally gets smiled at and published now of days, it lacks that certain, special intimacy first person could have. Here we are literally in Alice's mind from page one, and it's an effective tool. As usual Laymon doesn't pepper down the wounds and dull the book by foreshadowing or nitty gritty details (except where gore or sex is involved), but he does keep it short and sweet. With a book that's 438 pages in volume, the pace is pretty swift and weighed down with minimal bulk.
And yep, if you haven't wagered it already, this book is traditional Laymon in terms of sweaty sheets and teenage like hormones. The sex is there as always, along with the lust, nakedness, boobs, and admiring of bodies. It's what we've come to expect with this author, yet here it's part of the cute humor and charm....in a sick fashion of course. The gore is thick as always, particularly with a saber as a choice of weapon, and Laymon clearly delights in exploring the detail of decapitated heads and such. It's no wonder this author became so notorious.
Suspense wise, it's not overly thick. The beginning gets the heart pumping, but after that it doesn't seem to be the point. There are certainly 'scary' scenes along the way, though, particularly with the monstrous Milo, who's one hell of a character - yech. Other characters all are intriguing - with the exception, perhaps, of Judy, who's just plain strange. Another one I never knew what to make of.
The ending didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped - let's just say since I was put into such a morbid voyeuristic mood throughout the novel thanks to Laymon, I was a bit disheartened by the sunny side up turn of events. Yes, I would have liked to see the dark side of the characters taken up to a whole new level. Worrying about giving too much away, I'll drop a hint for those who have read the book - the van may end up having two compadres, but I'd have liked it to be one person different. Strange how I always end up rooting for the wrong folks.
If you're in the mood for some truly dark and un somber moments, a twisted sense of humor and really strange sexual play, Laymon's always your man, particularly here. I wrestled around with deeming it worthy of four stars or three, but ultimately settled on three - guess I could never truly forgive Laymon for the 'spoiling of mystery'...and yes folks, another veiled plot hint I couldn’t help but give away. Have fun figuring it out while experiencing this twisted version of life for yourself.
April 11, 2015
This book is absolutely brilliant! I can't remember if I have ever read anything similar to this story. It's crazy, it's funny as well, it's unbelievable but as well believable, I just wanted to read it and don't stop till the end. I totally understand now why everyone raves about Laymon..this is my 3rd book but by far the best one.
June 28, 2023
Pure Laymon filth!
September 3, 2013
he grunted. he farted. then he plunged forward.
richard laymon is the sickest fuck i have ever had the pleasure to read - end of story.
the characters are onedimensional - the women all have of course fit bodies and firm breasts which they talk about a lot and the men are preverts who notice the bodies and think about them a lot .
the stories are highly implausible, one unprobable event follows another. everything happens so someone can get tortured, raped, killed or any imaginable combination of those three.
and i love every single word of it!
laymon manages to capture the reader's attention, you turn page after page, wanting to know as quickly as possible what happens next. a lot of his books i read in one go just because i wasn't able to put them down.
this book is one of his most unlikely events (excluding the supernatural stuff) that could ever happen to anyone but also one of his best.
a must read for every fan.
richard laymon is the sickest fuck i have ever had the pleasure to read - end of story.
the characters are onedimensional - the women all have of course fit bodies and firm breasts which they talk about a lot and the men are preverts who notice the bodies and think about them a lot .
the stories are highly implausible, one unprobable event follows another. everything happens so someone can get tortured, raped, killed or any imaginable combination of those three.
and i love every single word of it!
laymon manages to capture the reader's attention, you turn page after page, wanting to know as quickly as possible what happens next. a lot of his books i read in one go just because i wasn't able to put them down.
this book is one of his most unlikely events (excluding the supernatural stuff) that could ever happen to anyone but also one of his best.
a must read for every fan.
October 1, 2021
I had to kick off the spooky season with a Laymon read. I read this one years ago and, upon rereading, it's in my top 3 faves by him.
While this isn't my all-time favorite Layman book, Alice is my favorite Laymon character. One mistake snowballs into a chaotic night of mayhem and bloodshed that will leave you wondering WTF is going to happen next. There are a lot of fun death scenes in this book, including my personal favorite in ANY Laymon book - death by Civil War saber.
Laymon is THE king of splatterpunk. His books aren't for the faint of heart. I recommend all day everyday, but only for fans of extreme horror.
While this isn't my all-time favorite Layman book, Alice is my favorite Laymon character. One mistake snowballs into a chaotic night of mayhem and bloodshed that will leave you wondering WTF is going to happen next. There are a lot of fun death scenes in this book, including my personal favorite in ANY Laymon book - death by Civil War saber.
Laymon is THE king of splatterpunk. His books aren't for the faint of heart. I recommend all day everyday, but only for fans of extreme horror.
April 24, 2015
This book was completely over the top, a boy's wet dream of how a woman would react in such a grave circumstance. It's silly, sexist and sick. Laymon even works in a little girl on girl action to give the nerd boys a thrill. Please. I remember finishing this book and pretty much deciding never to buy anything from Laymon ever again. He's not writing horror, he's writing his incoherent fantasies.
June 18, 2025
3.5 stars
July 3, 2009
Murphy's Law is ever present in Laymon's book about "Alice," a woman whose life spirals into a frenzy of covering up accidental deaths after an encounter with a stranger at her house - you guess the time - has her murdering innocent people. Alice isn't a normal woman who calls the police; instead, she covers up the evidence in order to hide her mysterious past. Told from her own perspective, After Midnight keeps escalating in thrills and twists, taking Alice and the reader into a situation which seems a point of no return.
Laymon's plot is a labrynth of ridiculous events and coincidental happenings, but it doesn't matter - the narrative is entertaining as hell, especially told from outspoken and unique Alice. And even if the plot is a bit farfetched, it's specifically designed to be, taking the reader through an action-packed few days that leave no room to breathe.
Alice's persona at first seems annoying, but after delving into the book, she becomes a secretive character who hides a lot of her past. What she chooses to tell the audience isn't much, but it keeps the reader engaged, totally engrossed in her thoughts because she has such a mysterious past. There's always a hope that Alice will let something slip, and she occassionally drops hints about her history, but in her own way she's as elusive in speech as she is in her actions.
Laymon excels at creating evocative characters, and After Midnight's cast is no different. Alice is targeted by a few less-than-upstanding individuals, who we feel to be lower than dirt. How dare they try to kill our protagonist! But there's an emotional hypocrisy to the audience's reaction - Alice continues to kill off people to protect herself, at times sentencing innocents to a series of hellish events in order to remain hidden. Her actions are just as questionable as the serial killers that are after her, but we tend to overlook this fact because of her persuasion and point of view. It's an interesting psychological standpoint that Laymon subtly hints at.
After Midnight is full of substance, and not lacking in grotesqueries. There's rape, torture, and a lot of sex and visual nudity. There's violence and sadism. But more than that, there's an outlandish look at Murphy's Law in action and a chain of events that cannot be altered. Alice provides good testimony that actions have consequences; it just depends on how far one is willing to go to escape them.
It's a fast read, one full of adventure and suspense. Ironically, Alice provides a lot of comic relief, and there's a similar psychosocial critique to the comedy as there is in Alice's hypocritical actions. One can't help but laugh at the unthinkable, morbid things that happen to Alice in a few short days. But what we're actually laughing at is what we're uncomfortable with (rape, murder) that seems atonal to how we really think. "Why are we laughing?" and "Is this actually funny?" are questions that we don't ask in Laymon's book. As an audience, we're so absorbed with Alice's success in escaping from the law that our own conscience plays little to no role in how we read the novel's subject matter. Hidden or not, Laymon's novel gives me a great read but also a thought-provoking question: If we were in this situation, would we act without conscience as Alice does? Are we laughing because we secretly understand?
Laymon's plot is a labrynth of ridiculous events and coincidental happenings, but it doesn't matter - the narrative is entertaining as hell, especially told from outspoken and unique Alice. And even if the plot is a bit farfetched, it's specifically designed to be, taking the reader through an action-packed few days that leave no room to breathe.
Alice's persona at first seems annoying, but after delving into the book, she becomes a secretive character who hides a lot of her past. What she chooses to tell the audience isn't much, but it keeps the reader engaged, totally engrossed in her thoughts because she has such a mysterious past. There's always a hope that Alice will let something slip, and she occassionally drops hints about her history, but in her own way she's as elusive in speech as she is in her actions.
Laymon excels at creating evocative characters, and After Midnight's cast is no different. Alice is targeted by a few less-than-upstanding individuals, who we feel to be lower than dirt. How dare they try to kill our protagonist! But there's an emotional hypocrisy to the audience's reaction - Alice continues to kill off people to protect herself, at times sentencing innocents to a series of hellish events in order to remain hidden. Her actions are just as questionable as the serial killers that are after her, but we tend to overlook this fact because of her persuasion and point of view. It's an interesting psychological standpoint that Laymon subtly hints at.
After Midnight is full of substance, and not lacking in grotesqueries. There's rape, torture, and a lot of sex and visual nudity. There's violence and sadism. But more than that, there's an outlandish look at Murphy's Law in action and a chain of events that cannot be altered. Alice provides good testimony that actions have consequences; it just depends on how far one is willing to go to escape them.
It's a fast read, one full of adventure and suspense. Ironically, Alice provides a lot of comic relief, and there's a similar psychosocial critique to the comedy as there is in Alice's hypocritical actions. One can't help but laugh at the unthinkable, morbid things that happen to Alice in a few short days. But what we're actually laughing at is what we're uncomfortable with (rape, murder) that seems atonal to how we really think. "Why are we laughing?" and "Is this actually funny?" are questions that we don't ask in Laymon's book. As an audience, we're so absorbed with Alice's success in escaping from the law that our own conscience plays little to no role in how we read the novel's subject matter. Hidden or not, Laymon's novel gives me a great read but also a thought-provoking question: If we were in this situation, would we act without conscience as Alice does? Are we laughing because we secretly understand?
July 5, 2011
I felt that the usual "gore factor" so typical of his books was a bit tamer here in this one, despite the many deaths and murders and assaults. And, the usual lack of character development, but that's just something you have to get past with most horror writers.
Aside from that,
Every page was exciting. It was an intense, fast paced novel. I finished it in 2 days.
There's a hint of finding a message within the book to find Alice's real name. That code is in the first letter in each chapter. I won't say what it is. It's real treat Laymon added to make it even more fun.
I read a lot of reviews about Laymon's and Bentley Little's books being 'not very believable'. My response to that would be, then, why in god's name are you reading fiction? Horror fiction especially.
This was the 8th book I've read from this author and I'll be looking forward to getting another.
Aside from that,
Every page was exciting. It was an intense, fast paced novel. I finished it in 2 days.
There's a hint of finding a message within the book to find Alice's real name. That code is in the first letter in each chapter. I won't say what it is. It's real treat Laymon added to make it even more fun.
I read a lot of reviews about Laymon's and Bentley Little's books being 'not very believable'. My response to that would be, then, why in god's name are you reading fiction? Horror fiction especially.
This was the 8th book I've read from this author and I'll be looking forward to getting another.
April 27, 2015
Well, this is the best Richard Laymon book I've read so far. For once the characters' reactions were believable. I think that he showed great improvement in his writing as his career advanced. I had a hard time putting it down, Laymon has a knack for writing a good page turner. Pretty much all of his chapters ended with a cliffhanger. Superb and quite enjoyable.
As always the ending is very rapidly wrapped up..... Laymon often does this, he wraps everything up in less than twenty pages. There were many unexpected twists that made this one very entertaining, you never knew what would happen next.
Sometimes this book made me think of the 1985 movie "After hours"..... in which a series of continuing bad events that lead to more and more mayhem. Of all the Richard Laymon books I've read so far, I would definitely recommend reading this one first.
As always the ending is very rapidly wrapped up..... Laymon often does this, he wraps everything up in less than twenty pages. There were many unexpected twists that made this one very entertaining, you never knew what would happen next.
Sometimes this book made me think of the 1985 movie "After hours"..... in which a series of continuing bad events that lead to more and more mayhem. Of all the Richard Laymon books I've read so far, I would definitely recommend reading this one first.
January 20, 2019
Понякога желанието ми да се потопя в по-сериозната жанрова литература ми изиграва лоша шега. Натоварен от ежедневието, не успявам да разпусна както трябва с книга, а това ми е крайно необходимо.
В случая между простичко написаните, но гениални и изпълнени с насилие разкази на Лансдейл и високата словестност на Кембъл, се озовах между Сцила и Харибда. За щастие имам подготвени двадесетина романа на Леймън, точно за подобни случаи.
„След полунощ“ е типична творба за автора – изпълнена със секс, кръв и насилие, непредвидими, леко абсурдни ситуации и герои, реагиращи импулсивно дори нелогично.
Трябва да се отбележи, че това е първата попаднала ми книга на Леймън в която има само една сюжетна линия, водеща читателя през цялото произведение. Това някак консолидира романа, но чичо Дик дори така успява да докара внушението за посредствен осемдесетарски филм на ужасите.
Алис е двайсет и няколко годишна жена, която живее под наем в стая над гаража на свои богати приятели. Всеки път когато семейството отива на почивка ѝ оставят цялата къща – по-скоро имение в покрайнините на града с басейн, гора и прочие – на разположение. Този път обаче седмицата няма да се развие както Алис си е представяла. Още първата вечер от гората излиза непознат, който решава да ползва басейна. Алис, доста уплашена, решава, че няма да е зле да вземе старата кавалерийска сабя от над камината. Защо не се обажда в полицията? Има защо.
Следва серия от излезли извън контрол ситуации, започваща с неволно убийство и свършваща с купчина трупове, докато се опитва да го прикрие. По пътя разбираме мотивите зад действията на Алис, крият се заровени в миналото и съвсем не са приятни. Срещаме и тандем серийни убийци канибали, симпатичен писател на криминални романи, яка кака, смотан колега, склонен към насилие младеж и доволно много кръв, органи, кости, маргарити и пържоли.
В случая между простичко написаните, но гениални и изпълнени с насилие разкази на Лансдейл и високата словестност на Кембъл, се озовах между Сцила и Харибда. За щастие имам подготвени двадесетина романа на Леймън, точно за подобни случаи.
„След полунощ“ е типична творба за автора – изпълнена със секс, кръв и насилие, непредвидими, леко абсурдни ситуации и герои, реагиращи импулсивно дори нелогично.
Трябва да се отбележи, че това е първата попаднала ми книга на Леймън в която има само една сюжетна линия, водеща читателя през цялото произведение. Това някак консолидира романа, но чичо Дик дори така успява да докара внушението за посредствен осемдесетарски филм на ужасите.
Алис е двайсет и няколко годишна жена, която живее под наем в стая над гаража на свои богати приятели. Всеки път когато семейството отива на почивка ѝ оставят цялата къща – по-скоро имение в покрайнините на града с басейн, гора и прочие – на разположение. Този път обаче седмицата няма да се развие както Алис си е представяла. Още първата вечер от гората излиза непознат, който решава да ползва басейна. Алис, доста уплашена, решава, че няма да е зле да вземе старата кавалерийска сабя от над камината. Защо не се обажда в полицията? Има защо.
Следва серия от излезли извън контрол ситуации, започваща с неволно убийство и свършваща с купчина трупове, докато се опитва да го прикрие. По пътя разбираме мотивите зад действията на Алис, крият се заровени в миналото и съвсем не са приятни. Срещаме и тандем серийни убийци канибали, симпатичен писател на криминални романи, яка кака, смотан колега, склонен към насилие младеж и доволно много кръв, органи, кости, маргарити и пържоли.
July 24, 2011
Richard Laymon's "After Midnight" strives to be a page turning thriller. It nearly delivers. The action carries along at a high pace. The descriptions are gruesome. The main character, Alice, is very well developed. However, at times, there is too much description, too much character development and a lot over the top manic female thinking.
I can appreciate Laymon's attempt at portraying an over-thinking, over-worried female mind. But I think the character goes overboard with that inner dialoge and I find myself pulled out of the story. Where emphasis is places on reading the psyce of the main character, other secondary characters seem to lack ample description. Many come and go before they can really seem important enough to be a part of the story.
This is the first Laymon novel I have read. Granted, by others reviews, this is not one of his more beloved works. It was still a very good horror story. It contained one of the more gruesome murders I've ever read. Mostly, it's short points still don't make it a bad story.
In the end it's not perfection but it's close enough for blood and gore. Like the best of the best horror flicks it's stays just ahead of the curve from making it too campy, yet brash enough to keep it a slasher story.
I can appreciate Laymon's attempt at portraying an over-thinking, over-worried female mind. But I think the character goes overboard with that inner dialoge and I find myself pulled out of the story. Where emphasis is places on reading the psyce of the main character, other secondary characters seem to lack ample description. Many come and go before they can really seem important enough to be a part of the story.
This is the first Laymon novel I have read. Granted, by others reviews, this is not one of his more beloved works. It was still a very good horror story. It contained one of the more gruesome murders I've ever read. Mostly, it's short points still don't make it a bad story.
In the end it's not perfection but it's close enough for blood and gore. Like the best of the best horror flicks it's stays just ahead of the curve from making it too campy, yet brash enough to keep it a slasher story.
April 23, 2021
After Midnight
By Richard Laymon
What a thrilling story, definitely a page turner. Alice (the protagonist) tells her tale of horror and mayhem that occurs one fateful day. She describes in detail about her run in with dangerous strangers and one lone woman, which she eventually comes to care for. Layman is a master story teller, he gives the reader the meat and potatoes of the story in such a way that you develop feelings for the characters. I enjoyed the “point of view” that this piece is written in, it made the adventure very readable. All I can say is, “don’t stay up too late!”
By Richard Laymon
What a thrilling story, definitely a page turner. Alice (the protagonist) tells her tale of horror and mayhem that occurs one fateful day. She describes in detail about her run in with dangerous strangers and one lone woman, which she eventually comes to care for. Layman is a master story teller, he gives the reader the meat and potatoes of the story in such a way that you develop feelings for the characters. I enjoyed the “point of view” that this piece is written in, it made the adventure very readable. All I can say is, “don’t stay up too late!”
May 18, 2020
I had to give this 5 stars as it was just so unbelievably believable! I raced through it "just one more chapter" and actually didn't want it to end. You always know what you're getting with Richard Laymon and this one doesn't disappoint.
I found myself really rooting for Alice and the ending was wrapped up in a pretty, yet completely demented bow - as always.
I found myself really rooting for Alice and the ending was wrapped up in a pretty, yet completely demented bow - as always.
January 4, 2021
Review: After Midnight
By: Richard Laymon
5/5 ⭐
Fun Fact - if you take the first letter from each chapter, it will tell you Alice's real name.
I've heard of Laymon in the past, but haven't ventured into any of his work. I started off thinking this was a book about a home invasion, possibly a serial killer and in a way it was. The true horror follows the main character and the horrible acts she partakes in. She's a victim and a villain with a heart of darkness. I don't want to give away the theme of the book because the plot is a major spoiler, but it was a fantastic read. I will give a warning that many others have given me, this book is FULL of sexual assault and unnecessary sexual content. I went in thinking it was part of the story, but it's literally EVERY SINGLE PAGE. This book is almost 500 pages... so hopefully you understand how much of the book carries this aspect before you dive into the story. I still gave it 5 stars because I feel like the crude sexuality formed the main characters personality and helped form her psychopathic nature. The book was absolutely farfetched and ridiculous! Nothing like this would ever happen in real life, but it worked and kept me up at night. All in all, I loved it and plan on reading more of Laymons work! Any recommendations?
By: Richard Laymon
5/5 ⭐
Fun Fact - if you take the first letter from each chapter, it will tell you Alice's real name.
I've heard of Laymon in the past, but haven't ventured into any of his work. I started off thinking this was a book about a home invasion, possibly a serial killer and in a way it was. The true horror follows the main character and the horrible acts she partakes in. She's a victim and a villain with a heart of darkness. I don't want to give away the theme of the book because the plot is a major spoiler, but it was a fantastic read. I will give a warning that many others have given me, this book is FULL of sexual assault and unnecessary sexual content. I went in thinking it was part of the story, but it's literally EVERY SINGLE PAGE. This book is almost 500 pages... so hopefully you understand how much of the book carries this aspect before you dive into the story. I still gave it 5 stars because I feel like the crude sexuality formed the main characters personality and helped form her psychopathic nature. The book was absolutely farfetched and ridiculous! Nothing like this would ever happen in real life, but it worked and kept me up at night. All in all, I loved it and plan on reading more of Laymons work! Any recommendations?
August 30, 2017
Alice is house-sitting for her friend when she sees the naked man going for a swim in the pool and when he hears the phone and approaches the house, Alice panics and tells the stranger on the phone that there is a prowler and he offers to help. Not long after, she hears a noise outside and kills the intruder-but it is Tony, the good samaritan who decided to come to her aid. Alice can't involve the police because of her past so now she must dispose of the body, clean up...but what if Tony's phone has re-dial and links her to the crime...?
This was Laymon at his very best! Poor Tony is hacked to pieces for helping a stranger because he dialed a wrong number, the pervert is still on the loose, and Alice realises that every bit of evidence she cleans up leads her to another problem that needs to be solved and it all snowballs in a wonderfully over-the-top story that has you hooked to the end. One of my favourite horror books!
This was Laymon at his very best! Poor Tony is hacked to pieces for helping a stranger because he dialed a wrong number, the pervert is still on the loose, and Alice realises that every bit of evidence she cleans up leads her to another problem that needs to be solved and it all snowballs in a wonderfully over-the-top story that has you hooked to the end. One of my favourite horror books!
December 1, 2007
This was my second Laymon novel, and I enjoyed it. It was never in any danger of winning a Pulitzer by any means, but any book that contains a line like "Crouching down, I pulled the knife out of Steve's butt" has as special place in my heart.
Extra points go the the author who not only alludes to a hidden code that reveals the main character's true identity, but also actually delivers such a code. Unfortunately, Mr. Laymon is deceased so we may never know the significance (if any) of the name that the code reveals. I'm not going to tell you what the secret message is, unless you ask nicely.
Bloody, twisted and disturbing. A good read indeed.
Extra points go the the author who not only alludes to a hidden code that reveals the main character's true identity, but also actually delivers such a code. Unfortunately, Mr. Laymon is deceased so we may never know the significance (if any) of the name that the code reveals. I'm not going to tell you what the secret message is, unless you ask nicely.
Bloody, twisted and disturbing. A good read indeed.
January 19, 2021
Needed something to get me out of a reading slump and I think this did it!
May 7, 2021
A wild, psychosexual fever dream of a book. I will probably remember the ending for as long as I live. It just never occurred to me you could do that with a knife!
September 30, 2022
Also... was war denn das? Eigentlich mag ich Laymon als Autor wirklich sehr und ich hab das Buch extra ausgewählt um eine kleine Leseflaute zu überwinden weil ich davon ausgegangen bin, dass es spannend ist und sich schnell lesen lässt. Tja, da lag ich wohl falsch. Die Story war komplett an den Haaren herbeigezogen und die absolut unsympathisch Protagonistin hat einfach am Laufenden Band komplett unnachvollziehbar gehandelt! Musste mich leider durch das Buch quälen und bin wirklich froh dass es jetzt vorbei ist :D
September 15, 2021
Skoningslöst tempo och våldsamt. Kan inte nog förtydliga och tjata om hur fantastiska Laymons böcker är.
Alice är lätt en ny favorit-karaktär signerad Laymon.
Alice är lätt en ny favorit-karaktär signerad Laymon.
May 28, 2025
Wild, filthy, gory ride with "Alice"
March 22, 2022
After Midnight, Richard Laymon, 1997
My favorite quote: “My eyes are brown. So are my teeth. Just kidding about the teeth.”
Most interesting characters: Alice, who’s real name isn’t Alice; The intruder
Opening scene: Alice, enjoying a quiet night alone while house-sitting for a friend. But let’s be honest: After Midnight IS a Richard Laymon book, so you know it’s not going stay quiet for long (see below)
The gist: After Midnight follows a mysterious young woman who calls herself Alice. Alice is house-sitting for a friend when, one night, she sees a strange naked man jumping into the outdoor pool. Alice just knows he’s out to get her -- she knows all about men and what they can do. Deciding she’ll never be a victim again, she retrieves the Civil War cavalry saber that hangs on the wall in the living room … and a night of bloody terror begins …
Greatest strengths: Here’s what I admire most about Richard Laymon: His absolute and unrepentant absurdity. He KNOWS he’s being over-the-top, and you know he knows it, but you’re still like, ‘Really, Richard Laymon? Really?’ And After Midnight isn’t even one of the craziest
Standout achievements: After Midnight has some seriously good character development. That can’t be said about all Richard Laymon books, but this one excels at it
Fun Facts: Some of Richard Laymon’s earlier books were published under the pseudonym Richard Kelly
Other media: None I know of, but personally, I think After Midnight would make an awesome video game. You could be Alice, running around looking for weapons, gaining power by having inappropriately-timed animalistic relations with everyone in your path, slaughtering your way to safety. It could be a movie, too, but I gotta be honest: There’s no way a Richard Laymon movie would fly in this climate
Additional thoughts: Here’s the thing about After Midnight (and really, pretty much all Richard Laymon books) -- you have to go in knowing what it is. I mean, it’s definitely a horror novel, yes, but it’s a very specific kind of horror. If I had to break it down, I’d say that the majority of Richard Laymon’s tales can only be described as deranged slashery misadventures with lots of sex, shock, and gore thrown in just because. After Midnight definitely fits into this category. You’ll either love it or hate it, depending on your own sensibilities -- but one thing is sure: You won’t forget it
Hit or Miss: After Midnight was a hit … for me. It might be for you, too -- but only if you like your horror campy, brash, and oozing with the blackest kind of black comedy
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
Read After Midnight: https://tinyurl.com/43ej6njs
My favorite quote: “My eyes are brown. So are my teeth. Just kidding about the teeth.”
Most interesting characters: Alice, who’s real name isn’t Alice; The intruder
Opening scene: Alice, enjoying a quiet night alone while house-sitting for a friend. But let’s be honest: After Midnight IS a Richard Laymon book, so you know it’s not going stay quiet for long (see below)
The gist: After Midnight follows a mysterious young woman who calls herself Alice. Alice is house-sitting for a friend when, one night, she sees a strange naked man jumping into the outdoor pool. Alice just knows he’s out to get her -- she knows all about men and what they can do. Deciding she’ll never be a victim again, she retrieves the Civil War cavalry saber that hangs on the wall in the living room … and a night of bloody terror begins …
Greatest strengths: Here’s what I admire most about Richard Laymon: His absolute and unrepentant absurdity. He KNOWS he’s being over-the-top, and you know he knows it, but you’re still like, ‘Really, Richard Laymon? Really?’ And After Midnight isn’t even one of the craziest
Standout achievements: After Midnight has some seriously good character development. That can’t be said about all Richard Laymon books, but this one excels at it
Fun Facts: Some of Richard Laymon’s earlier books were published under the pseudonym Richard Kelly
Other media: None I know of, but personally, I think After Midnight would make an awesome video game. You could be Alice, running around looking for weapons, gaining power by having inappropriately-timed animalistic relations with everyone in your path, slaughtering your way to safety. It could be a movie, too, but I gotta be honest: There’s no way a Richard Laymon movie would fly in this climate
Additional thoughts: Here’s the thing about After Midnight (and really, pretty much all Richard Laymon books) -- you have to go in knowing what it is. I mean, it’s definitely a horror novel, yes, but it’s a very specific kind of horror. If I had to break it down, I’d say that the majority of Richard Laymon’s tales can only be described as deranged slashery misadventures with lots of sex, shock, and gore thrown in just because. After Midnight definitely fits into this category. You’ll either love it or hate it, depending on your own sensibilities -- but one thing is sure: You won’t forget it
Hit or Miss: After Midnight was a hit … for me. It might be for you, too -- but only if you like your horror campy, brash, and oozing with the blackest kind of black comedy
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
Read After Midnight: https://tinyurl.com/43ej6njs
July 6, 2020
First and foremost I am a Laymon NUT! I have read everything I can of his - with the exception of the very obscure stuff written under pseudonyms or published in limited quantity - and for the most part I have loved every single book.
This one, not so much. At all.
Usually I breeze through a Laymon novel in a few days, but this one took me many many months (including putting the book down for several months at a time) to plow through.
Why?
First of all, the protagonist is mad as a hatter. Nothing wrong with that, per se, but I didn't find her a pleasant character to spend 400 pages with. Not only unpleasant but unlikable.
Second, much of the book was spent wallowing in detail. Not the kind of grisly details Laymon's readers wanted and expected of him, but more the details of Alice covering up her various misdeeds. Of the 400-page-length of the novel, fully 100 of those pages was dedicated to nothing more than Alice cleaning up after her various misdeeds.
Third was the coincidental nature of the plot. This happens, then this 'just happens' to happen, then something else 'just happens' to happen, most of it cannon fodder for Alice and her cavalry saber.
And of course, but having the novel written in the first person, this effectively makes Alice an unreliable narrator, meaning every detail in the novel can be called into question as to whether or not it 'actually happened' (in the universe in which it took place). Alice herself admits to taking liberties with names, so who's to say she didn't take liberties with her entire tale?
For Laymon fans, most of the usual stuff is there: nudity, violence, nipples, characters second-guessing their own logic, breasts, breasts, more breasts. Laymon characters are often naked, have a love of steaks and greasy breakfasts, are almost exclusively white, and develop very little.
But Laymon was an underrated stylist, and the 'Laymon style' is all there in this book. He had a great knack for female characters and an ear for dialogue, but those traits were largely absent from this one.
This one was probably my least favourite Laymon book so far. Only a few to go: Cuts, Friday Night in Beast House and either Come Out Tonight or Night in the Lonesome October. I have read one of them but I don't recall which - they share a similar premise.
If you are a Laymon addict, you might get something out of this one, but if you are just coming in to Laymon for the first time, I'd suggest Body Rides as THE ultimate Laymon novel.
This one, not so much. At all.
Usually I breeze through a Laymon novel in a few days, but this one took me many many months (including putting the book down for several months at a time) to plow through.
Why?
First of all, the protagonist is mad as a hatter. Nothing wrong with that, per se, but I didn't find her a pleasant character to spend 400 pages with. Not only unpleasant but unlikable.
Second, much of the book was spent wallowing in detail. Not the kind of grisly details Laymon's readers wanted and expected of him, but more the details of Alice covering up her various misdeeds. Of the 400-page-length of the novel, fully 100 of those pages was dedicated to nothing more than Alice cleaning up after her various misdeeds.
Third was the coincidental nature of the plot. This happens, then this 'just happens' to happen, then something else 'just happens' to happen, most of it cannon fodder for Alice and her cavalry saber.
And of course, but having the novel written in the first person, this effectively makes Alice an unreliable narrator, meaning every detail in the novel can be called into question as to whether or not it 'actually happened' (in the universe in which it took place). Alice herself admits to taking liberties with names, so who's to say she didn't take liberties with her entire tale?
For Laymon fans, most of the usual stuff is there: nudity, violence, nipples, characters second-guessing their own logic, breasts, breasts, more breasts. Laymon characters are often naked, have a love of steaks and greasy breakfasts, are almost exclusively white, and develop very little.
But Laymon was an underrated stylist, and the 'Laymon style' is all there in this book. He had a great knack for female characters and an ear for dialogue, but those traits were largely absent from this one.
This one was probably my least favourite Laymon book so far. Only a few to go: Cuts, Friday Night in Beast House and either Come Out Tonight or Night in the Lonesome October. I have read one of them but I don't recall which - they share a similar premise.
If you are a Laymon addict, you might get something out of this one, but if you are just coming in to Laymon for the first time, I'd suggest Body Rides as THE ultimate Laymon novel.
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