There was a wave of mandatory books in the late '80s in what was called the New Horror. The Light at the End, The Kill Riff, The Drive-In, Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks, Headhunter. And not least, Live Girls.
Ray Garton published two good novels before Live Girls, but it's the book he's most known for. I don't think it's his best, but the book is a perfect introduction to the dark worlds he created so well.
I read all three and thirsted for more, but it became more difficult to obtain Ray Garton books. There were a bunch of novelizations, but I avoided them all. Ray's original fiction was being published in the small press more than by the major publishers. I distinctly remember being thrilled to find a Bantam paperback of Dark Channel on the shelves at WaldenBooks in 1992.
Ray continued to write and publish superior horror fiction throughout the nineties and into the two-thousands, when he became a Leisure author. Sadly, he never got the widespread acclaim he genuinely deserved.
Garton was a hero of mine when I first logged on to the Internet in 1998. I later became well known in the field as a message board moderator. Ray was one of the first real authors I got to know.
Though we never met in the real world, I felt like Ray Garton was my friend. I knew of his health issues, and I send him free books. I also did my best to spread the word about his publications.
A message board regular, Ray was often kind, funny, chatty, but he could be argumentative. To the point of antagonism at times. I think Ray was tied in knots for various reasons. His physical troubles, his frustration in publishing.
He burned some bridges. I don't think he meant to be any trouble, but I can think of a few times when Ray melted down in anger.
At one point he and I had a fallout. Ray was incensed when Tom Cruise told people to throw their depression meds away. I replied too strongly, I think, when I said that if people based their health decisions on a Scientologist celebrity, it was their own fault.
He was very angry and began bad-mouthing me on other boards. I didn't, and still don't believe, I did anything particularly egregious, but I apologized, both in public and in private. He accepted, but a page had turned. We talked a little here and there after, but things were never the same. I still feel bad about it.
Things did not improve for Ray. He published, mostly in the small press, and the work was always first rate. He never achieved the mass market break he deserved.
Like many creative people, Ray was complicated. There was a lot of pain in his life. He revealed to me some harrowing details of his struggles. The pain helped his fiction in some ways, as did his rich sense of humor, but the pain leaked into other areas of his life as well.
Today, upon hearing of Ray Garton's unfortunate demise, I wish to remember the good things about the man. His passion for movies rivaled mine. Ray clearly worshiped his wife Dawn. He was supportive of young authors.
Ray Garton died of lung cancer. He talked about smoking now and then, and he seemed to love it. At the end he asked people to quit the habit.
Ray is gone, but the work lives on. I urge everyone to buy a book or two by him. For one, I'm sure his wife can use the financial support. For another, you will be enriched.
If you like supernatural horror, say, vampires, there's Live Girls and Lot Lizards. If erotic horror is your bag, you will not do better than The New Neighbor. Like suspense? Go for Biofire, Shackles, or Trade Secrets.
His novella, The Girl in the Basement, is a compact masterpiece. Sex and Violence in Hollywood is a huge, generous novel with a bone-freezing finale. If you enjoy horror that makes your laugh, there's Zombie Love. Crucifax is his rock and roll Splatterpunk book. Ray's first novel, Seductions, holds a special place in my heart for the happy memories I have of reading it on a frigid Winter night.
If you like it hard and nasty, check into Trailer Park Noir, which is the last book I reviewed on this site.
Goodbye, Ray. I have nothing but fond thoughts of you. You were one of the best, the very, very best.
Written by Mark Sieber
Ray Garton published two good novels before Live Girls, but it's the book he's most known for. I don't think it's his best, but the book is a perfect introduction to the dark worlds he created so well.
I read all three and thirsted for more, but it became more difficult to obtain Ray Garton books. There were a bunch of novelizations, but I avoided them all. Ray's original fiction was being published in the small press more than by the major publishers. I distinctly remember being thrilled to find a Bantam paperback of Dark Channel on the shelves at WaldenBooks in 1992.
Ray continued to write and publish superior horror fiction throughout the nineties and into the two-thousands, when he became a Leisure author. Sadly, he never got the widespread acclaim he genuinely deserved.
Garton was a hero of mine when I first logged on to the Internet in 1998. I later became well known in the field as a message board moderator. Ray was one of the first real authors I got to know.
Though we never met in the real world, I felt like Ray Garton was my friend. I knew of his health issues, and I send him free books. I also did my best to spread the word about his publications.
A message board regular, Ray was often kind, funny, chatty, but he could be argumentative. To the point of antagonism at times. I think Ray was tied in knots for various reasons. His physical troubles, his frustration in publishing.He burned some bridges. I don't think he meant to be any trouble, but I can think of a few times when Ray melted down in anger.
At one point he and I had a fallout. Ray was incensed when Tom Cruise told people to throw their depression meds away. I replied too strongly, I think, when I said that if people based their health decisions on a Scientologist celebrity, it was their own fault.
He was very angry and began bad-mouthing me on other boards. I didn't, and still don't believe, I did anything particularly egregious, but I apologized, both in public and in private. He accepted, but a page had turned. We talked a little here and there after, but things were never the same. I still feel bad about it.
Things did not improve for Ray. He published, mostly in the small press, and the work was always first rate. He never achieved the mass market break he deserved.
Like many creative people, Ray was complicated. There was a lot of pain in his life. He revealed to me some harrowing details of his struggles. The pain helped his fiction in some ways, as did his rich sense of humor, but the pain leaked into other areas of his life as well.
Today, upon hearing of Ray Garton's unfortunate demise, I wish to remember the good things about the man. His passion for movies rivaled mine. Ray clearly worshiped his wife Dawn. He was supportive of young authors.
Ray Garton died of lung cancer. He talked about smoking now and then, and he seemed to love it. At the end he asked people to quit the habit.
Ray is gone, but the work lives on. I urge everyone to buy a book or two by him. For one, I'm sure his wife can use the financial support. For another, you will be enriched.
If you like supernatural horror, say, vampires, there's Live Girls and Lot Lizards. If erotic horror is your bag, you will not do better than The New Neighbor. Like suspense? Go for Biofire, Shackles, or Trade Secrets.
His novella, The Girl in the Basement, is a compact masterpiece. Sex and Violence in Hollywood is a huge, generous novel with a bone-freezing finale. If you enjoy horror that makes your laugh, there's Zombie Love. Crucifax is his rock and roll Splatterpunk book. Ray's first novel, Seductions, holds a special place in my heart for the happy memories I have of reading it on a frigid Winter night.
If you like it hard and nasty, check into Trailer Park Noir, which is the last book I reviewed on this site.
Goodbye, Ray. I have nothing but fond thoughts of you. You were one of the best, the very, very best.
Written by Mark Sieber
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