What do you think?
Night Visions: At the Crossroad
(Originally published as Night Visions 7)
• A jazz musician whose powerful music just might wake the dead.
• A sleepy Wisconsin town harbors an evil that has waited generations to exact its revenge.
• A young couple struggles for survival amid the ruins of civilization after a devastating biological world war.
• A member of the clergy who gives a whole new literal interpretation of the phrase “eat of my flesh”.
• A demented babysitter is taught a grizzly lesson by the children she torments.
NIGHT AT THE CROSSROAD presents eight tales of horror and dark fantasy by Richard Laymon, Chet Williamson, and Gary Brandner.
Prepare to enter a world where your darkest nightmare can become a chilling reality… A world of Night Visions.
Stories included in this
* Mop Up by Richard Laymon
* Wishbone by Richard Laymon
* Bad News by Richard Laymon
* Madman Stan by Richard Laymon
* Blue Notes by Chet Williamson
* The Confessions of St. James by Chet Williamson
* Assurances of the Self Extinction of Man by Chet Williamson
* Damntown by Gary Brandner
• A jazz musician whose powerful music just might wake the dead.
• A sleepy Wisconsin town harbors an evil that has waited generations to exact its revenge.
• A young couple struggles for survival amid the ruins of civilization after a devastating biological world war.
• A member of the clergy who gives a whole new literal interpretation of the phrase “eat of my flesh”.
• A demented babysitter is taught a grizzly lesson by the children she torments.
NIGHT AT THE CROSSROAD presents eight tales of horror and dark fantasy by Richard Laymon, Chet Williamson, and Gary Brandner.
Prepare to enter a world where your darkest nightmare can become a chilling reality… A world of Night Visions.
Stories included in this
* Mop Up by Richard Laymon
* Wishbone by Richard Laymon
* Bad News by Richard Laymon
* Madman Stan by Richard Laymon
* Blue Notes by Chet Williamson
* The Confessions of St. James by Chet Williamson
* Assurances of the Self Extinction of Man by Chet Williamson
* Damntown by Gary Brandner
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
278 pages, Paperback
Published July 18, 2020
About the author
Richard Laymon
215 books2,330 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 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 6, 2020
Night Visions is an excellent read. It's not quite an anthology in the usual sense with only three authors, one with five selections (Richard Laymon), one with four (Chet Williamson), and one with one (Gary Bradner), all of varying lengths. Even if you don't normally read horror, you'll find this one easy to digest.
With "Mop Up," Laymon offers up an exciting fresh take on the mass infection/ zombie like story genre. The army has been called in to mop up cities where the infected are wreaking havoc, drooling and fornicating like there's no tomorrow and for most of them there is no tomorrow. This story is action-packed, bursting with firepower, filled with concerns of survival and loyalty. There's even a bit of romance among the survivors.
With "Blue Note," Williamson takes us on a jazz-drenched twist on what happens when a loan shark puts on the squeeze.
With Brandner's "Damntown," not only do we meet the veritable hellhounds on the loose, but we get to visit a town where time has stood still, a town sort of like the Hotel California, where you can check in but you can never leave. Just as they once said you can never really go home again, but then again, would you want to.
A surprisingly epic collection that is great from start to finish and just a bit twisted.
With "Mop Up," Laymon offers up an exciting fresh take on the mass infection/ zombie like story genre. The army has been called in to mop up cities where the infected are wreaking havoc, drooling and fornicating like there's no tomorrow and for most of them there is no tomorrow. This story is action-packed, bursting with firepower, filled with concerns of survival and loyalty. There's even a bit of romance among the survivors.
With "Blue Note," Williamson takes us on a jazz-drenched twist on what happens when a loan shark puts on the squeeze.
With Brandner's "Damntown," not only do we meet the veritable hellhounds on the loose, but we get to visit a town where time has stood still, a town sort of like the Hotel California, where you can check in but you can never leave. Just as they once said you can never really go home again, but then again, would you want to.
A surprisingly epic collection that is great from start to finish and just a bit twisted.
October 21, 2022
Laymon, Williamson, and Brandner… what more can you ask for?
Awesome novellas from three very different, talented authors circa 1981.
RICHARD LAYMON
MOP UP: the longest story of his three offerings was broken up in parts. The Laymon we know and love. Excellent set-up for a story. Terrific ending. Created a story you could actually visualize in your mind like you were watching a movie. This one is geared more towards science fiction thriller than Laymon’s usual horror. Not to say there aren’t any devastating kill scenes. I am surprised that this has not been optioned for film. Loved it!!!! 5/5
WISHBONE: Urban legend tale. Let’s just say that only Laymon can come up with this stuff! 4/5
BAD NEWS: Terrifying story that seems like it should be longer. What were the creatures? Who sent them? Why are they attacking people? This was disappointing to me, not because the story was not good (it was awesome!), but because it seemed like an excerpt of a longer story 4/5
MADMAN STAN: LOL…. Another urban legend, but this time with a very dark sense of humour. I doubt any babysitter will ever mess with Billy again. Loved it!!! 5/5
CHET WILLIAMSON
I’ve never read anything from Williamson before. What a terrific writer!
BLUE NOTES: Gorgeous story! Excellent writing. All about the variations in life and in music; how things aren’t just black and white. This is an author who really dives into his subject matter. Loved this poignant story. 5/5
THE CONFESSIONS OF ST JAMES: This was a long short story. Well written for sure and filled with nuances between black and white topics: good versus evil, cults vs organized religion, hypocrisy versus sincerity, pride versus shame…. The story dragged a bit, but a thought-provoking read. 3/5
ASSURANCES OF THE SELF-EXTINCTION OF MAN: Ummmm…. This was just about 12 sentences. In my opinion, 12 sentences too long. Maybe it is me, but other than the title, I have no idea what we are talking about. 1/5
GARY BRANDNER
DAMNTOWN: from the man who gave us The Howling comes an excellent dark fairytale about a town that no long exists. This gave off vibes of the story behind the town of Centralia, PA. Brandner is so well known for The Howling, when the story started about the main character not liking dogs, I thought that this would be another story about werewolves. It was not! There were a few holes in the story, but altogether an excellent read. 5/5
Last comment was the afterwords with the authors. I think the questions could have been much more unique and interesting. Luckily, the authors gave some creative answers and thoughtful insight into their writing processes.
Awesome novellas from three very different, talented authors circa 1981.
RICHARD LAYMON
MOP UP: the longest story of his three offerings was broken up in parts. The Laymon we know and love. Excellent set-up for a story. Terrific ending. Created a story you could actually visualize in your mind like you were watching a movie. This one is geared more towards science fiction thriller than Laymon’s usual horror. Not to say there aren’t any devastating kill scenes. I am surprised that this has not been optioned for film. Loved it!!!! 5/5
WISHBONE: Urban legend tale. Let’s just say that only Laymon can come up with this stuff! 4/5
BAD NEWS: Terrifying story that seems like it should be longer. What were the creatures? Who sent them? Why are they attacking people? This was disappointing to me, not because the story was not good (it was awesome!), but because it seemed like an excerpt of a longer story 4/5
MADMAN STAN: LOL…. Another urban legend, but this time with a very dark sense of humour. I doubt any babysitter will ever mess with Billy again. Loved it!!! 5/5
CHET WILLIAMSON
I’ve never read anything from Williamson before. What a terrific writer!
BLUE NOTES: Gorgeous story! Excellent writing. All about the variations in life and in music; how things aren’t just black and white. This is an author who really dives into his subject matter. Loved this poignant story. 5/5
THE CONFESSIONS OF ST JAMES: This was a long short story. Well written for sure and filled with nuances between black and white topics: good versus evil, cults vs organized religion, hypocrisy versus sincerity, pride versus shame…. The story dragged a bit, but a thought-provoking read. 3/5
ASSURANCES OF THE SELF-EXTINCTION OF MAN: Ummmm…. This was just about 12 sentences. In my opinion, 12 sentences too long. Maybe it is me, but other than the title, I have no idea what we are talking about. 1/5
GARY BRANDNER
DAMNTOWN: from the man who gave us The Howling comes an excellent dark fairytale about a town that no long exists. This gave off vibes of the story behind the town of Centralia, PA. Brandner is so well known for The Howling, when the story started about the main character not liking dogs, I thought that this would be another story about werewolves. It was not! There were a few holes in the story, but altogether an excellent read. 5/5
Last comment was the afterwords with the authors. I think the questions could have been much more unique and interesting. Luckily, the authors gave some creative answers and thoughtful insight into their writing processes.
December 10, 2020
Review Copy
A back in the day book for oldies horror lovers, I grabbed this copy due to my love of reading Gary Brandner. His story, the final tale in this anthology (always save the best for last!) is a novella length story titled DAMNTOWN. In a nutshell, it's about one family's visit to a haunted town. Brandner's writing was as superb as I remembered, and that combined with a great story rated a full five stars.
Richard Laymon has his own following and has always been iffy for me. The first story was a typical zombie tale that many will love, but I didn't read. The rest of his stories were just fine; I gave the three or four stars each.
Never read Chet Williamson before and if these two stories are any indication, I'm not likely to start now. But if you're a fan, here they are.
This volume was originally published as Night Visi0ns 7. Remember that series? What a great way to get it on your kindle! Macabre Ink (Crossroad Press) is republishing these. Go for it!
A back in the day book for oldies horror lovers, I grabbed this copy due to my love of reading Gary Brandner. His story, the final tale in this anthology (always save the best for last!) is a novella length story titled DAMNTOWN. In a nutshell, it's about one family's visit to a haunted town. Brandner's writing was as superb as I remembered, and that combined with a great story rated a full five stars.
Richard Laymon has his own following and has always been iffy for me. The first story was a typical zombie tale that many will love, but I didn't read. The rest of his stories were just fine; I gave the three or four stars each.
Never read Chet Williamson before and if these two stories are any indication, I'm not likely to start now. But if you're a fan, here they are.
This volume was originally published as Night Visi0ns 7. Remember that series? What a great way to get it on your kindle! Macabre Ink (Crossroad Press) is republishing these. Go for it!
April 27, 2021
Fun short story book! Normally I am not big on these, but these were just a couple of authors and the stories were very well done. Fun little read that I would recomend to anyone else
December 26, 2025
If it weren't for Richard Laymon's name, I wouldn't have bought this book.
I enjoyed his stories; they are always fun, apart from the skeleton at the campsite.
Chet Williamson's stories were a tad dull and safe.
Gary Brandner writer of The Howling series (I like werewolf books). With Damntown, the story doesn't disappoint. Hell hounds on the loose.
Fun times.
I enjoyed his stories; they are always fun, apart from the skeleton at the campsite.
Chet Williamson's stories were a tad dull and safe.
Gary Brandner writer of The Howling series (I like werewolf books). With Damntown, the story doesn't disappoint. Hell hounds on the loose.
Fun times.
January 15, 2021
Decent collection with some misses, but the good stories make up for them. There’s also a short after-words section that includes an interview with each author. A definite plus.
Richard Laymon:
“Mop Up”-Decent post-apocalyptic story where a brigade demolishes a small town infested with horny zombies.4/5
“Wishbone”-One of the most serious and polished writings that I have ever encountered with Laymons’s catalogue. An eristic couple are hiking in the mountains, looking for a place to set up camp, when they unexpectedly cross paths with a spry and malicious skeleton.5/5
“Bad News”-Pretty bad.1/5
“Madman Stan”-Cheesy urban legend story that doesn’t belong in this collection.1/5
Chet Williamson:
“Blue Notes”-Jazzy and smoothly written, this story concerns a struggling musician who must accost his personal loan sharks4/5
“The Confessions of St. James”-A cannibalistic priest faces off with a devil-worshipping metalhead during the height of the satanic panic craze in the US.5/5
“The Assurances of the Self-Extinction of Man”-The title is almost as long as the story itself, which is only five paragraphs. I think Williamson was asked what message he was trying to convey with this, and he actually dismissed it in the post-interview by stating that he was either drunk or stoned while writing it.1/5
Gary Brander:
“Damntown”-Brander, author of “The Howling”, only contributes one story to this collection, but it is by far the best. A hellborn outsider promises a small, depression-era town salvation if they agree to his evil terms, which judging by the title, is probably a curse.5/5
Rounded up the rating. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free E-ARC.
Richard Laymon:
“Mop Up”-Decent post-apocalyptic story where a brigade demolishes a small town infested with horny zombies.4/5
“Wishbone”-One of the most serious and polished writings that I have ever encountered with Laymons’s catalogue. An eristic couple are hiking in the mountains, looking for a place to set up camp, when they unexpectedly cross paths with a spry and malicious skeleton.5/5
“Bad News”-Pretty bad.1/5
“Madman Stan”-Cheesy urban legend story that doesn’t belong in this collection.1/5
Chet Williamson:
“Blue Notes”-Jazzy and smoothly written, this story concerns a struggling musician who must accost his personal loan sharks4/5
“The Confessions of St. James”-A cannibalistic priest faces off with a devil-worshipping metalhead during the height of the satanic panic craze in the US.5/5
“The Assurances of the Self-Extinction of Man”-The title is almost as long as the story itself, which is only five paragraphs. I think Williamson was asked what message he was trying to convey with this, and he actually dismissed it in the post-interview by stating that he was either drunk or stoned while writing it.1/5
Gary Brander:
“Damntown”-Brander, author of “The Howling”, only contributes one story to this collection, but it is by far the best. A hellborn outsider promises a small, depression-era town salvation if they agree to his evil terms, which judging by the title, is probably a curse.5/5
Rounded up the rating. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free E-ARC.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews