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Funland

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 1,162 ratings · 56 reviews

The resort of Boleta Bay is not the carefree place it used to be. A series of unexplained disappearances, and holiday-makers threatened by an army of leering bums, casts a shadow over summer pleasures. But now Boleda Bay is fighting back and their campaign leads them to the abandoned Funhouse.

Paperback, 500 pages

Published 1990 by Headline (first published February 6th 1989)

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Oct 29, 2012 Trudi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: richard-laymon, horror, on-my-kobo, 2012-reads, pulp-is-king, october-country

No, no, no, no...bad Laymon. Baaaaaad. Okay, this isn't the worst book I've ever read, but for a Laymon book, it's distinctly horrible, in extremely bad taste, and too dull in too many sections to give it that zap! and zing! I've come to expect from him.

The late Richard Laymon is always my go-to guy for a pulpy, sometimes sleazy, never politically correct but always satisfying horror romp. There's just something so delightfully wicked and deranged about his straightforward, shoot from the hip,...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, laymon, eye-for-an-eye

Wheeeee! Fun Land! More Laymon mayhem that gives ominous meaning to Under the Boardwalk. Not the best Laymon I've read, but perhaps more interesting than most, since there actually seems to be a few things going on beneath the surface. Peer pressure and teens, homeless people, revenge, all come into play, but with Laymon's spin, which includes a giant spider, punk rockers, murderous freaks & geeks, a banjo playing heroine, and a FunHouse battle that reminded me of the end of Them. Some revie...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Marvin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: autographed, horror

There's a bit of a story here. Browsing through Goodreads, I ran across the page on Richard Laymon and was surprised to see he passed away in 2001.I met him in a science fiction book store autograph party in the 90s. There were only a handful of people there so we had a good hour or two just talking amongst ourselves. Needless to say, Laymon was a very nice enthusiastic man who was in love with books and writing. He autographed a copy of Resurrection Dreams which I remembered reading and liking...more There's a bit of a story here. Browsing through Goodreads, I ran across the page on Richard Laymon and was surprised to see he passed away in 2001.I met him in a science fiction book store autograph party in the 90s. There were only a handful of people there so we had a good hour or two just talking amongst ourselves. Needless to say, Laymon was a very nice enthusiastic man who was in love with books and writing. He autographed a copy of Resurrection Dreams which I remembered reading and liking very much but I have not read any more Laymon since then. So recently I looked for the book in my collection to reread yet I couldn't find it! Instead I stumbled across Funland, a novel that I must have bought at the same time since it is autographed and inscribed, "Marvin, Have fun at the boardwalk...but stay out from under it!". I totally forgot about this book and am sure I never read it. So now's the time to read it!

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So I finished it and it is an amusing read firmly in the range of modern 80s horror novels set up by King and McCammon. The amusement park in the lazy California beach town of Boleta Bay (a take off of the non-fictitious Bodega Bay made famous by Hitchcock?)is plagued by trolls, the name the residents give the unsavory homeless element. Teenagers called trollers set themselves up as vigilantes until the harassment turns into murder. From there, Laymon bring in other sub-plots elements including a mysterious funhouse and proprietor to wrap up the last 100 pages of continuous action. It's a good summer read, mildly scary and entertaining despite somewhat one dimensional protagonists.

Yet this 1990 novel made me quite uncomfortable. In the 80s, President Reagan virtually eliminated the funding for government institutions for the mentally ill. His intent was to remove the mentally ill from the institutions which he saw as huge financial drains and often ineffective at improving the person and directing them to halfway houses and boarding facilities that would work on integrating the mentally ill into society. Yet there was no real effort or funding to set up these types of facilities and the mentally ill were forgotten, many of them joining the ranks of the homeless. The homeless population soared. The problem continues today with the homeless population being viewed as addicts and "crazies", a different take on this population from the, as Layman described himself, "bums and beggars" of pre-90s America.

(From here on, there may be spoilers)

Layman appears to be mirroring this change in perception, this paranoia of the homeless. His trolls are definitely mentally ill and always malicious. The townpeople are only protecting their way of life and the trollers are portrayed as heroes until one of their vicious pranks go wrong. The liberal "bleeding heart" woman journalist is written as naive and is punished for it when her naivety ends up in her death. Layman appears torn in his views. It's bad to persecute the unfortunate yet they should stay hidden and away from normal people. In other word, he exhibits the same pull of conscience most people of the 90s did when the abandoned mentally ill showed up on their streets. Layman however doesn't really know where to take this and late in the novel he introduces a funhouse element of horror that exists more to get him out of his corner rather than to enhance the plot. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this novel is that it illustrates how the social problems of the time creates our fears and horrors. This novel, for good or bad, feeds on this fear. Overall, it is just a horror novel, a pretty good one at that, but I wish the author took a stand on his theme and explored it a little better.

(less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Brandon Collinsworth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: great-character-books

This is my second Laymon book, he is a brilliant storyteller and it is a shame we lost him so soon. The characters in this book are great just like the other book I read by him, that is what I need for a good story is good characters I am actually interested in. The book could best be labeled a tragedy though, so few of the character you get connected too and involved in have anything remotely approaching a happy ending. But they are great characters and you enjoy your time with them, even the h...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 52books52weeks, kindle, horror

Let's get my biases out of the way first: I've read enough Richard Laymon to know I don't like him very much. I was a fan of horror back in the '80s but I think it's pretty safe to say my preferences for fiction lay more on the lyrical/literary side of the scale than the splatterpunk/grindhouse side. (Of course, horror fiction being horror fiction, only at the farthest edges will you find something that doesn't have at least a touch of both but I hope you can grant me the efficacy of my hasty, h...more Let's get my biases out of the way first: I've read enough Richard Laymon to know I don't like him very much. I was a fan of horror back in the '80s but I think it's pretty safe to say my preferences for fiction lay more on the lyrical/literary side of the scale than the splatterpunk/grindhouse side. (Of course, horror fiction being horror fiction, only at the farthest edges will you find something that doesn't have at least a touch of both but I hope you can grant me the efficacy of my hasty, hackneyed metaphor.)

Laymon was always too far over on the grindhouse side for my tastes. The original publication of The Woods Are Dark seriously screwed up thirteen year old me (as a priapic teen, I couldn't help but go back for the copious sex and nudity, even as things grew progressively more and more awful). But even as a teen at my most helplessly lustful, I found elements of Laymon's worldview strangely hollow and unconvincing.

In my experience, Laymon pretty much writes consistently from this worldview--that of a teenager with a boner--even when the POV is from one of his female characters. As in the slasher movies of the day, no situation is so awful that a character can't find themselves aroused by noticing someone else's ass, or suddenly being aware of the fabric rubbing against their too-sensitive nipples. The world of Richard Laymon is an EC Comic written as a Penthouse Forum letter, where either a violent beheading or a passionate slide into second base (or, not infrequently, both) is only a page-turn away. I suppose I would be fine with that if the sex was sex-positive, but it's frequently squalid, obsessive and more than a tad objectified. It's pretty typical sex-hatey sex, the type usually written by lonely, inexperienced dudes for lonely, inexperienced dudes.

Anyway, let's move from the general to the specific. If I don't like Richard Laymon, why did I pick up Funland? The honest answer is, it appears to be one of the few books of '80s horror available on the Kindle at what I consider to be a fair price. (In fact, I believe I picked it up as a Deal of the Day for $1.99, which is better than fair.) I'm all for the writer and publisher seeing the maximum return on their royalties, so I don't begrudge any professional author or publisher for not charging less than $2.99...but a lot of the books from that era really shouldn't be charged more than that, either. They were designed to be disposable reads at disposable prices. Anyone who reads this book more than twice either needs a life or professional counseling.

All that said, as a non-fan of Laymon, Funland is probably the most enjoyable book of his I've read. Although the book's view of humanity is still smutty and dismal, it's not as unrepentantly smarmy and shitty as some of his other books I've read. (Although, as always, Laymon always makes sure to save an extra dollop of disgust for the overweight girl who's interested in sex, which I always find depressing.) It probably helps that Funland takes a chunk of its central conceit from actual occurrences in the '80s--during a brief period where Santa Cruz teens terrorized the homeless--and Laymon works his plot to make sure there are at least one or two good characters on each side of the conflict, as well as a fair share of maniacs on both. I also have to say Laymon does a great job of catching and describing the Santa Cruz boardwalk in the boardwalk of his fictional "Boleta Bay."

And Laymon takes the time to build his two main protagonists--a male and female cop team who patrol the boardwalk--into more than just libidos with firearms: the couple is kept apart for most of the book by their own efforts to respectfully end the bad relationships they're in with other people. In fact, although the male cop's relationship is with a shrill and unpleasant harridan, the female cop's failed relationship is surprisingly nuanced, and handled with far more care than I've seen in Laymon's other books.

Considering this is only one of three romantic relationships portrayed in Funland, I wonder to what extent this book was written by Laymon in part to either extend his audience or extend his own writing range. Although Laymon uses romantic interest as a plot accelerant in his other work, it barely moves deeper than that. But at least for a few pages here and there, he dips his toes in the water of romantic regret and it's surprisingly effective. There are other sections where the author goes overboard with the sentiment and the syrup (you always know it's going to be tough going when one of the characters is a musician and their original lyrics get quoted at length) but I prefer it to the rape-threats and diseased sexual-organ fondling. (I'm a soft touch that way.)

By Laymon's standards, Funland is a slow build. In the early pages, people get stalked, grabbed, and swiped by mysterious "trolls," but things cut away before anything gets too graphic or Laymon-esque. (Although this may be because the scenes with homeless people in the daylight give the author enough time to indulge his usual disgust with scabs, sores, stenches, and poor hygiene.) But by the end, the teen trollhunters and the mysterious inhabitants of the shut-down funhouse are thrown into direct conflict with another, and things get as gory and grindhousey as a horror reader would want. The shocks are bloody, cheesy, and occasionally surprising as the author happily rockets things over the top.

Like a pungent cheese or a sausage of mystery meat you find floating in a jar of pickled brine, Richard Laymon's work is an acquired taste and any resulting nausea you might feel afterward is entirely your own fault: his books are quite open about what they are, and he is unrepentant about the type of author he is. Chances are good you'll find his work enjoyable in its efficiency and unpretentiousness, or you'll find them crushing in their cynicism, repetitiveness, and cynicism. For me, Funland was a surprising mix of both. Although I suspect that means it's less-than-optimal to either the standard Laymon fan or the dabbler in commercial horror fiction, if you want a few hours of efficient but disposable fiction that edges toward darkness without being utterly nihilistic, this may be an effective way to enjoyably kill some time.(less)

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Jul 12, 2011 Daniel Pyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I give this one a 4.25. Although it's slower paced than most of the author's other novels, I never lost interest and tore through the book in a couple of sittings. The final showdown in the funhouse is classic, action-packed Laymon.

I probably would have upped my rating on this one to a 5 if not for the laggier sections and an odd loose thread in the story that Laymon could have tied up with a single scene or even just a short paragraph. It wasn't anything major, and it didn't keep me from enjoyi...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Mark R. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Richard Laymon was an American writer who died over ten years ago, and whose work was unfamiliar to me until I picked up a UK one-volume set of both "Funland" and "The Stake".

After reading "Funland", I'll certainly get around to "The Stake" sometime soon, but maybe not right this minute.

"Funland" isn't particularly creepy, but the story is solid, about a group of kids who hang out on the boardwalk at night, in a California beach town, and attack "trolls," the homeless denizens of the boardwalk...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Jeff French rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 13, 2010 chucklesthescot rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, fiction

The amusement park in Boleta Bay has a huge population of homeless beggars(trolls) who menace and intimidate locals and tourists alike. A group of vigilante teenagers calling themselves trollers decide to start scaring the trolls into leaving so they can have their town back. But when their pranks develop into murder, sinister things are going to happen especially in the old funhouse.

You really can understand the attitude of the trollers as these 'trolls' are vicious, offensive and violent, caus...more

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Nov 16, 2009 DJMikeG rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun horror novel that has a great reputation with hardcore fans of Richard Laymon. I thought it was good, but it definitely isn't up there with his greatest stuff (The Stake, Endless Night, In The Dark). The book takes way too long getting to know the characters, There are stretches of over a hundred pages where very little horrific happens, which is unusual for Laymon. The book could have been pared down a little and been a much more enjoyable read. That said, the concept and the fin...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Welton Barker rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always feel like Richard Laymon is a guilty pleasure. And, as usual, this book was a complete pleasure to read. The best description I've heard of Laymon is "Stephen King without a conscience." In this book, he deals with attitudes toward the homeless (or "trolls" as the book calls them), using horror as an excuse to show pretty much every attitude a person can have—interspersed, of course, with plenty of blood, horror, and sex. This is the kind of book I read when no one is looking...

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Dec 14, 2012 Deacon D. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Anyone familiar with Laymon's work kinda knows what they are getting into...graphic violence and explicit sex are key elements in his books, and there is plenty of both in FUNLAND.
The problem I had with this one is just that the story itself, while certainly a page-turner, was not very good (although I must admit that the fun-house scenes were pretty creepy). As a fan of Laymon, I must say that this is not an example of his best work, though folks who enjoy his in-your-face style of horror shoul...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Letterswitch rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of Laymon's best--not utterly depraved, just the right amount of depraved. Insane homeless people (called "Trolls") overrun a boardwalk, fought by a sadistic group of teenagers led by their charismatic leader, Tanya (whose calling card references the Billy Goats Gruff). Intriguing characters, good ending. Good action. This would make a great movie. Also, my first book completed on a Kindle--the paperback difficult to find, the Kindle book downloaded immediately.

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Feb 06, 2013 Mylene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: richard-laymon

If you love Laymon books, as I do... You have to adore this one. What a great plot! This novel was so much fun. Underneath all the horror and adventure, it really made you think about your preconceptions and who really is more evil and twisted: 'the regular folks', 'the freaks', or 'the hobos'. Another reviewer said it before me but this book would make an awesome movie... Brian Da Palma or Lynch could probably do it best!

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Apr 10, 2012 Bandit rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Classic Laymon fun. Horny teenagers, evil hobos, sideshow freaks, sex, blood and gore. What's not to like...although one must be in a mood for it. I own the Onyx edition, but this cover art seems more appropriate. This one did somehow feel a bit different from Laymon's other books, maybe a bit more serious, though that doesn't seem like the right word for it. Great ending. 3.5 stars. Recommended.

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May 06, 2013 Isabella Ellis rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found the slang to be bizarre for the time period and distracting. "Nifty babes", "great shakes", "she's my squeeze"? I thought perhaps the book was set in the 50s or early 60s at first, but then one of the characters mentioned the year 1982 being in the past. Since the copyright is 1990, I'm guessing it was set in the mid to late 80s. Anyway- aside from that, the book was decent.

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May 09, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Funland.... Yes!!! What a place to be as a kid, as a grown-up, as a wino! Funland was GREAT! Wish they would make a movie after this one, might be too "gruesome" but wicked! Friends, love, fears, attacks... what's worse... being stuck in a ferris wheel with winos or in the gravity (from Zombieland) with zombies! I just don't know.

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Mar 14, 2011 Juliette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reading the Kindle version as the printed version is not easily available in the US.

Richard Laymon is probably my favorite reading candy. There's nothing really great about his books except that they are a thrill ride that often leaves you disturbed, but highly entertained.

Funland wasn't the best ride in the park, but I enjoyed it.

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Nov 28, 2012 Stacy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dark and violent, shocking and unexpected and not very well written. Funland is what might happen if a mediocre romance writer tried her (or his) hand at horror and was moderately successful.

I felt like I was reading a screenplay for a B movie starring a bunch if young hotties from the CW network. If you like that sort of thing, this book is for you.

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Mar 23, 2011 Jack Hessey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Excellant book.

The build up to the finale is excellant, the suspense about the homeless living around the town and the themepark itself makes you want to keep reading and the thrilling finale isn't a let down. It's gory and creepy like you'd expect from a Laymon novel :)

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Sep 24, 2011 Jody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Free Kindle book from Amazon. This was a dark horror book; normally not my style but once I started reading it I couldn't stop. A bit too much violence and spookiness for me; but if you like that it is a great book. The ending was quite a surprise.

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Mar 04, 2013 Robdemanc rated it 2 of 5 stars

It would have worked well as one of those low budget 80's video horror films. That is what I thought while reading this. The idea is great, but it's as tacky as an episode of Dynasty whilst tripping.

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Mar 23, 2013 Kit rated it 3 of 5 stars

this was the first of Laymon's books that I read. I was about 18 at the time. I enjoyed it and it led me to read more of his work. in hindsight not his best book.

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Aug 01, 2012 Kate Snead added it

really creepy and twisted! It's a page turner that will make you shudder with over the top violence and gore. Great read for any horror books fans.

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Jan 03, 2013 Mark Nawrocki rated it 4 of 5 stars

excellent read by one of the best horror writers
if you like koontz you'll love laymon....very good

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Nov 26, 2012 Gary rated it 5 of 5 stars

All I can say is this is superb laymon writing this is fun sexy gory and most of all cool .

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Jan 06, 2013 Carys rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I have read by the author & I was not disappointed- gripping!

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Dec 10, 2010 Sandyboy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, ghost, stories

fine until the dumb ending - but you need to be a teenager to really like it

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Apr 09, 2010 Mike_p548 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Violence, bums, and a amusement park this book delivered all 3 as advertised.

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Apr 02, 2013 Randy Lewis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

5 stars for the character development
3 stars for the storyline.

Overall it was a good book, good premise, but lacked the Home Run ball

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About Richard Laymon

Richard Laymon was born in Chicago and grew up in California. He earned a BA in English Literature from Willamette, and an MA from Loyola University. 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,...more

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