Book Review: The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard Laymon

The unfortunate and untimely death of Richard Laymon in 2001 left a huge hole in the horror literature world.

I was saddened when I heard the news of his death, not because I knew him personally, but because I was just starting to get into his work.

He is an awesome writer. He pulls the reader into these neat little worlds…not supernatural worlds, but regular, down-home everyday worlds that get twisted up with something fantastic.

That's the case with The Traveling Vampire Show. Once you start reading, you're not going to be able to put the book down and when you're done you're going to want to read it again. That's how it is with this book. In fact, that's how it is with most of Laymon's work.

The Traveling Vampire Show is not a vampire story. It's a story about Dwight and his two best friends Rusty and Slim and what happens to them as they try to see a one-night adults-only show featuring the gorgeous Valeria, the only known vampire in captivity. A vampire or something does make an appearance in this story, but if I told you about it, I'd be giving the story away.

Rusty is the one who finds out about the show from a flyer posted around town. Unfortunately, the adults-only show is at midnight. But, that doesn't stop these three teenagers from concocting a way to get to Jank's Field (where the shows being held and which has a sordid history of its own) and see the beautiful Valeria.

It's not that easy though, as the teenagers run into a host of obstacles, including a mangy dog that attacks them as they head into Jank's Field hoping to sneak a peek at Valeria while the show's setting up), a couple of weird twins and Rusty's strange sister, Bitsy (who's madly in love with Dwight).

How the three deal with these obstacles, what they learn about each other and themselves and what happens when they actually get to the show makes for a truly terrifying and riveting tale. The characters are rich and compelling and real. That's what makes this story so good - that you could actually be reading about your next-door neighbor.