The Wilds

by Richard Laymon

Ned Champion had just been dumped by his girlfriend, Cora, but that's no reason to cancel his backpacking trip into the Lost River Wilderness Area. He'll just go without her. And he'll keep a journal of his adventures. He's bound to have a fine time. Alone in the wilds. Completely on his own. Absolutely free to do whatever he wishes. Anything at all. With nobody there to watch him or criticize him or hold him back -- or arrest him. It'll just be Ned in the wilds. And the Wilds in Ned.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Novella

109 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

Richard 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

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially Laymon's version of Into the wild with a despicable main character going hiking with things going crazy for good and the usual overload of twists, absurd situations and boobs trademark of the late splatterpunk author.



A sick quick read, almost a prototype short version of The Richard Laymon Collection, Volume 11: Island / Quake and Night in the Lonesome October, but with a strong Algernon Blackwood's vibe that I totally enjoyed.



Not bad at all, just too short.

[Adamus (Like Adonis, but with a M) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella. It was a little different at first, but all his books that happen in the woods are usually great. This was a great fast read & the type of horror was different from normal Laymon reads. It was cool to see how a kid like that when first was scared & depressed to go on the trip turn into something totally different. I couldn't stop flipping through the pages to see what happened was waiting for a serial killer or a wild man to pop out, but instead a great twist!! I also liked how he wrote it as he was doing a journal it was pretty neat. I wish it was longer definitely would of been a book, but so far definitely my favorite novella from Laymon!! Highly recommend to horror fans!!

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young guy who has recently been dumped by his girlfriend decides to hit the wilderness by following a nature trail alone that steadily transforms him from being a regular pillar of society into a murderous psychopathic voyeur.

A bit slow to begin with, but overall a very enjoyable short read.

Rating: 3.7 hot bubbling stars of deadly malevolent intent.

[Adam Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure if this came out before Island or not, but is seems like a prototype for that novel. Like Island, this novella is written in journal entry style by a young guy on the brink of a transformation.
I enjoyed this quick read, but I don't think it is neccessary reading for Laymon fans. Check out Island, though. That one was a real stunner.

[Иван Величков · Rating 3 out of 5]

Кратка книжка с която Леймън отдава почит на Блакууд, но не очаквайте пастиш на Върбалаците. Просто тук има прекалено много Леймън. И успя да ме изненада, доста.
След като приятелката му го зарязва, Нед решава да отиде сам на плануваното за двамата къмпингуване. В началото е доста плашлив, но постепенно дивото започва да му харесва.
Очаквах да се появи някой селтак с брадва, но Леймън за пореден път ме изненада. Няма да познаете какво ще се случи - гарантирам. Както и гарантирам цици, черва, висок адреналин и един доста глуповат главен герой :)

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Richard Laymon's writing generally walks a razor-thin line between grotesquely playful and flat-out stupid. And while the majority of THE WILDS is masterfully entertaining, the jaw-droppingly absurd plot twists eventually derail what was otherwise a good story. Laymon has no talent for character development, so the sudden veering into psychotic homicidal aggression seemingly comes out of nowhere. I get that Laymon threw it in there to give readers a good shock, but what is the fun in being surprised by something that makes no sense? Laymon then doubles down on the plot's stupidity by adding yet another unbelievable twist, one that retroactively softens (undermines?) the impact of the horrors committed earlier. I'm not sure whether adding another layer of schlock serves to make the story better or worse, but, either way, it's not enough to redeem it. Too bad, because I quite enjoyed the first 2/3rds or so. For that duration, it reminded me a bit of the part in Alex Garland's THE BEACH in which the main character spends too much time in the woods and starts to go crazy by imagining himself to be living inside a video game.
There are a lot of different directions in which a story like THE WILDS can go. Unfortunately, Laymon selected one of the lamest and least believable ones.

[Fuzzydice108 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This bonus novella is included with the book “Friday Night in Beast House”. I thought this one was interesting.

A ten day peaceful hike through the wilderness can accidentally turn even the most sane and understanding person into a serial murderer.

[Wally Flangers · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can’t go wrong with Richard Laymon…. But, you guys are pretty generous with your review on goodreads. I’m not sure what books some of you have read, but if you think “The Wilds” is a 4 or a 5 star book then what would a 1 or 2 star be in your eyes?

“The Wilds” is very direct and easy to follow…. The story reads as if it were written by a high school student, which is perfect for this type of book because it is actually told in the form of a journal. It opens with a dude named Ned Champion, who’s recently been dumped by his girlfriend and decides he is going to go on the camping trip he was supposed to go on with her when they were together. What better way to get over someone who leaves you for someone else then proceeding with the plans you made with them, prior getting shafted?

Of course, you’d have to have your head examined to want to go for a stroll in the woods for a couple weeks, alone. But, Ned sacks up and trucks into the wild anyway…. On his travels, he eventually runs into a couple groups of hikers in the woods, including a pair of hot sex craving college chicks in bikini’s who Ned decides to spy on, obsessively. Ned reveals himself a pervert so part of him believes that this inevitable introduction could turn this encounter into a Penthouse forum…. But, that would cross any heterosexual male’s mind so I guess that is realistic. Things end up not turning out the way Ned expects, but nothing that would surprise any Richard Laymon fan. Oddly enough, it turns out BDSM isn’t Ned’s thing.

Overall, “The Wilds” is a good way to kill a few hours but don’t expect a masterpiece. It is a fun read and very easy to follow. I would say the best part about it is the build-up. Although it is a novella, it feels like you’ve covered a great distance while you are reading it. I actually found myself wondering where it was headed because the pages were winding down and the dude was still just hiking in the woods and fantasizing about filming a porn. Then, the book has the typical Laymon twist and the train goes off the rails.

There are many flaws in this book. As usual, Laymon has managed to ignore character development and turns the journal entry writer into a perverted psychopath so you aren’t really rooting for him in the end. There is no character in the entire story that you feel connected to in any way, whatsoever. It’s really just a story of suspense with a shock factor thrown in at the end. If you can take it for what it is and realize it’s not mean to be realistic, then you will enjoy the book.

It ends with a journal entry that was quite amusing, but laughably unrealistic. But, you really can’t expect anything else to surprise you by that point. That’s just Laymon’s style of writing and part of what makes his books so fun to read. There are no limits.

FINAL VERDICT: I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. I thought it was entertaining, but I would only recommend “The Wilds” to Laymon fans…. Otherwise, it will be hit or miss for even the most horror crazed fanatic out there. Since I was thirsting for more, I will probably read “Blood Games” next. It’s been a few months since I last read a really good Richard Laymon novel.

[A1Cvenom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quintessential Laymon short story about a kid who becomes crazy after getting dumped by his girlfriend and goes off into the wild. I found this one to be pretty humorous, although it gets quite brutal at the end. The twist is also pretty interesting.

[DJMikeG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once you have read most of Laymon's work, you have read most of what happens in this novella. The narrator's actions and motives made little to no sense. Was expecting more from this, but hey, at least it is short, and Laymon's writing moves fast. I knocked it out in a night. Far from a good novella, but at least it doesn't waste too much of your time!

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's Richard Laymon, I don't know what I expected.

Bad.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the build up. A perfect slow burn without being boring. Parts of the story reminded me of Laymon's novel, Night In the Lonesome October. I have a feeling that if you enjoyed that novel (I did!) you will enjoy this too.

Highly recommended.

[Danny Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Laymon is a favorite author of mine, but sometimes his work can be a little on the poorer side for me, considering Once Upon a Halloween was such a contrived mess of a novella. I was very much worried about The Wilds being a limited novella as well, that it might be just as poorly written as the other, but I decided to give it a go nonetheless.

Ned Champion heartbroken and angry from his recent breakup decides to go out into the wild still even though he and his ex-girlfriend had planned it out a few weeks prior. First, he's afraid of everything around him, that the shadows themselves may come alive and snatch him up, however as he becomes more accustomed to the wilds, he begins to like it and so a terrifying journey takes place. Unfortunately, Ned is about to discover what it takes for a man to turn into an animal out in the wild and he's going to love every second of it.

This was a really solid novella that aside from being a bonus release in the Friday Night in Beasthouse leisure edition, I'm quite surprised this hasn't been released further wide, considering how many people simply admire or enjoy the man's work. One of the things I don't think people give Laymon credit for is that an idea he really likes to delve into is what might it take for a man to sacrifice everything human and considerate about himself, before turning into a wild, unforgiving animal. It's an interesting story, whilst a little short is very well written.

It's a story told entirely by journal entries with a singular perspective, before the surprise twist at the end which honestly is one of my favorite endings of his.

Overall: A really fun and violent little novella that isn't necessarily the most meaningful book you could read, but it's interesting seeing our main character lose himself to the wilds and honestly in my opinion has a really satisfying conclusion. 8/10

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

So i read this directly after reading The Woods Are Dark by Laymon which i didn't enjoy. In the review i wrote for that book i states that Laymon could give us a good story when he wanted to and this short story is proof of that. It's well written and more descriptive than Laymon sometime is. It's told through the journalling of Ned Champion, a strange fellow who has just been dumped by his girlfriend. The hiking trip he has taken on was meant to be for both of them but after said dumping ned decides to go alone. We get the feeling Ned is a bit odd when he spies on two girls also on a trip together but he even mentions how he feels about doing it he feels wrong and dirty and decides not to spy on them again. So the next day he decides to spy on and follow them again but is caught and tied up by them at gun point before they skedaddle. I wont spoil it much more than that because it might actually be worth the read to find out what happens to this strange little dude.

This is not one of Laymon's typical brutality tales although the ending does get abit nasty, It almost seems like Laymon enjoyed crafting this story and maybe took his time with it and thought things over a little which is more than can be said for The Woods Are Dark.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly typical Laymon fare, written in the late ‘90s, I think, so from a good phase of his writing, just as he was coming out of a creative slump.

The violence doesn’t really escalate until towards the end of the book, and much of what comes before is just dicking about in the woods, so to speak.

The “plot” is that a main character, Ned Champion, has gone hiking in the titular wilds to recover from a broken heart. He’s broken up with his college girlfriend and is pretty sore about that.

The story is stylised as his journal and references to Thoreau’s “Walden”, the classic American wilderness diary, abound. Ned certainly “finds himself” in the wilds. The question is, was he ever worth finding?

The Wilds is really more of a short story or novella than a novel. If you read it as a novel you’ll probably be disappointed and feel as though it ends right as the story’s beginning.

Towards the end it gets extremely gruesome and sexually problematic, in the splatterpunk tradition. I did enjoy the irony around certain “scruples” Ned has, and the final twist certainly triggered my imagination.

A good, quick, grisly read.

[Tom Stretton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, typically sick and raw Laymon gem.

I've read quite a few of Richard Laymon's books over the years and I've always enjoyed them. They have a raw, close to the bone feel to them that kind of makes you feel a little bit dirty just reading them and this one is no different at all on that front.

The Wilds is written in the form of a diary (an angle used by Laymon before) by a young man named Ned Champion. Ned is going on a one man adventure in the Sierra mountain range in Nevada. Ned has prepared for his adventure with 10 days worth of food but has not counted on the affect being alone in the wilderness would have on his mental state. Laymon brilliantly describes the characters demise in this un-put-down-able novella in a hair raising and disturbing way that only the late great Richard Laymon could. If you're a fan of shock horror thrillers then read this!!

[Demonika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a bonus Novella that came with my copy of Friday Night in Beast House. Im so glad it did because I probably never would have read it otherwise. I read it while camping too! I really loved it and could relate 100% - its a fine line sometimes. Who doesn't want to just run off into the woods and live Wild?

[Warren Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this as a novella tacked onto the release of Friday Night in Beast House. It was underwhelming in that the protagonist was a piece of shit with bad character motivations. And just when it got to the point where it could have gotten really interesting, it ended.

[Molly🦋 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richard Laymon has always been my favourite horror writer, his books always intrigue me. I liked this one, the writing style reminded me of Island written also in journal style. This was a good book for a novella and very fast paced.

[Thomas Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A college boy goes into the woods alone after a recent break-up and everything is normal at first. Soon he becomes part of the woods like a wild animal of sorts. Excellent story!

[Conal Cochran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Laymon components executed solidly enough; the ending is criminally stupid but also makes it quintessentially Laymon in the best/worst way.

[Steven jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

After his girlfriend dumps him, young man is transformed by his hike in the woods. Another good story by Richard Laymon.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Laymon book I ever read was "Dark Mountain" and since then I have always greatly enjoyed his camping stories. This short piece is no exception. Told in journal entries by the main character as he camps alone in the mountains, spying on other campers and going a little mad, it's an entertaining read one can polish off in one or two sittings. The little twist at the end is nice too.

[Pat Dreadful · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wilds is a strange trip. It is scary and brutal but, in some bizarre way, at its core it is a love story. A love story between man and nature, but also a love story between man and woman- two beings finding their perfect mate despite being insanely flawed.

[Vicki Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow... short story about a guy going backpacking alone in the woods. He keeps a journal which documents his time. Another crazy, lunatic character for Laymon. This one had a surprise ending that I never saw coming. A quick, fun read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even know what to think, that got drastic... and fast. Besides 'what happened' I like the ending. Once 'that' started happening I was so headed downhill (like-wise) but that ending sold me. The story was a little fucked up, but overall I like it.

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was great although there was practically no character development, which kind of worked since the character was in a constant state of 'transformation.'

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short...it was a second story in the book, Friday Night in Beast House. It was not as action packed as most Richard Laymon books. The end was pretty funny, but that is the only part I really liked...