Poor Richard Laymon, he was born into the wrong world. The Eskimos live in a world of snow and have a hundred words for it, but Richard Laymon lived in a world of nipples and had only the one word. One single, lousy word. Nipple.Sure, there were 'hard nipples' and 'long nipples', even more exotic 'glistening' or 'jutting' nipples - but in the end, it was all just nipples, nipples, nipples. So many adjectives, just one lonely noun.No, if life was fair Richard Laymon would have been born into a time and place where the language had hundreds of special words to describe each and every type of nipple that could possibly exist...such as the 'precipipple colostorium nexus', which means a nipple that is three-quarters erect (from finger pinching), resembles a slightly used pencil eraser, and has a small freckle on the left side.But alas, life IS unfair, as Laymon's untimely death has proved with even more certainty than the dearth of words for nipples.My brother Adam recently shared his beloved paperback of BODY RIDES, and I loved it. It's preposterous, full of equally unlikely coincidences and decisions, and requires such a spectacular level of suspension of disbelief that in the hands of any other author the whole thing would've been nothing more than a giant joke.But Laymon's writing possesses some sort of magic spell, and once he's got you he never lets go. I haven't read a book so eagerly in a while. The writing is not classic literature, the plotholes could swallow Seattle, but damn if it's not one of my favorite books so far this year.If you've got a single fun bone in your body, I don't see how you couldn't have one hell of a good time with this one. A word of warning, though - don't try to play a drinking game using this book, because if you took a drink every time your eyes passed over the word 'nipple', you'd be dead by chapter three.
So much better than an unsuspecting horror reader might be lead to expect, especially if they are fans of Koontz who, god knows why, is often the voice of validation on Laymon's jacket covers. Laymon's subtley intellectual without trying to make anybody feel bad. He's nice without pussing out on hard story aspects. He's got a strong morality streak like King. He can write sex scenes when he needs to, and they're hot without being embarrassing. And - my favorite in this book - he focuses on detail in sex scenes more heavily than on details in violent scenes. This is sort of unusual (in current culture in general). Don't mistake me - there is a bit of gnarly violence here, but he clearly shifts away from it most of the time whereas he doesn't ever do so in scenes where people are being good to each other. This had lots of mystery, suspense, surprise and humanity. My favorite of his so far.
What do You think about Body Rides (2004)?
I love the premise of this book imagine a bracelet that allows to leave your body and float outside yourself and move around in the form of a ghost/spirit. Loved almost every single page of this book I have two issues though the girls claim to have 2 big secrets that have bought them closer together one of the secrets about Martha being pregnant but I never noticed the second secret get mentioned and although its only a minor issue it is really getting to me I just want to know what the secret w
—Ashley James
This was the first Laymon book that I have read and all I can say is -- I am ready for more!! I really enjoyed this book. I think that I may have found a new favorite author. Can not wait to get started on another of his books!! I loved the characters and the 'twist' was one that I really did not see coming.(Although in hindsight maybe I should have) lol Highly recommended to all horror fans. The only warning I would give is that the book is very sexual so if that bothers you don't read, otherwise-- Enjoy!!
—Wendy
Unlike Stephen King, Richard Laymon knows how to write an ending. This book is a little slow in the middle, but the beginning is like riding a rocket. I was reading at lightning speed and had the biggest grin on my face. Laymon's books are just so much fun! Extremely gory, sexually graphic, and refreshingly unpredictable, BODY RIDES is among the best of his books (IN THE DARK, ISLAND, NO SANCTUARY are just a few). If I was ever stranded on an island and allowed to read only one author, Richard Laymon would be the one.
—William M.
