Genuinely, no-one writes like Laymon. And Quake is an example of his best work. Set mostly in the aftermath of a Los Angeles earthquake, the plotting is sharp and cynical. Gory, provocative, brutal, frequently obscene and immensely entertaining, if you have any interest in horror, acquaint yourself with the guilty pleasure that is a Laymon book. ’Island’, ‘One Rainy Night’ and ‘Amara’ are also particularly brilliant.