The Long Last Call

The Long Last Call follows events at a remote strip club one fateful night, when a mysterious customer arrives and begins doling out large sums of cash to the dancers and staff. The stranger's presence sets off a chain of increasingly disturbing occurrences as the night progresses. The novel unfolds in real-time over several hours, maintaining a claustrophobic focus on the strip club's occupants as tensions rise. The cast includes dancers, bouncers, the club owner, and various patrons - each with their own baggage and demons to confront. Elements of horror, noir, and psychological suspense merge as the story builds to its climax. Money, power, and human nature become central forces driving the narrative forward. The book serves as a dark meditation on greed, morality, and the prices people will pay - both literal and metaphorical - to obtain what they desire. Through its supernatural framework, it examines very human struggles with temptation and consequence.

Readers describe this book as brutal, gritty noir horror centered on a strip club setting. Many note the fast pacing and visceral violence. Likes: - Raw, unflinching writing style - Strong character development of the dancers - Unique demon/supernatural elements - Social commentary on exploitation - Quick read at novella length Dislikes: - Excessive graphic violence and gore - Some found it too bleak and nihilistic - Several mention it's not Skipp's best work - A few felt the ending was rushed Ratings: Goodreads: 3.6/5 (137 ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (24 ratings) Common reader quotes: "Like a grindhouse movie in book form" "Not for the squeamish" "The characters feel real despite the supernatural plot" "Sometimes tries too hard to shock" Note: Limited review data available as this is a smaller press book that didn't receive widespread distribution.

Cabal by Clive Barker The tale of a secret society operating beneath a nightclub delivers the same mix of erotic horror and supernatural menace.

Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror by Ellen Datlow This anthology contains multiple stories about evil entities and dark forces preying on humans in mundane locations like bars and clubs.

Night In The Lonesome October by Richard Laymon A man's late-night wanderings lead him into a world of strip clubs, stalkers, and supernatural horror.

Off Season by Jack Kilian The story follows a stripper who encounters ancient evil forces during her shifts at a remote club.

Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite Vampires inhabit the dark corners of bars and nightclubs while hunting their human prey through the American South.

🔹 Author John Skipp was one of the pioneers of the "splatterpunk" horror movement in the 1980s, known for pushing boundaries with extreme, graphic content. 🔹 The Long Last Call is set entirely in a strip club over the course of one night, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that amplifies the horror elements. 🔹 The novel was first published in 2006 by Cemetery Dance Publications, a specialty publisher known for producing high-quality limited editions of horror fiction. 🔹 The antagonist in the book carries $666,000 in cash, a deliberate reference to the Biblical "number of the beast" that foreshadows the supernatural elements of the story. 🔹 John Skipp has also worked extensively in Hollywood as a screenwriter and has written novelizations of popular films, including Fright Night and Nightmare on Elm Street 5.