Richard Laymon Same Vein

RATING:

Publisher: Delirium Press

Review Source:

Dreadful Delineations by John Maclay

Without question, there are two practitioners of the short-short story who clearly dominate the horror genre: one is the renowned Richard Christian Matheson (SCARS, DYSTOPIA), son of author Richard Matheson (I AM LEGEND, THE SHRINKING MAN, etc.), and the other -- whose name may be less familiar to some but whose work is no less powerful -- is John Maclay.

Author of several previous slim collections of outstanding short-shorts, Maclay's talent is put on grand display in this 30-story signed/limited hardcover collection by Delirium Press. With an introduction by William F. Nolan and featuring five brand-new tales, DREADFUL DELINEATIONS is an impressive testament to the belief held by many that horror fiction is best suited and most effective in the shorter form. Almost without exception, each story is a honed, finely-crafted powerhouse that belies it's short stature. While Maclay's plots may occasionally tread too near to cliché or predictability, his exemplary execution of these ideas more than offset any conceptual shortcoming.

For those readers who enjoy the delicious satisfaction of a collection of short, sharp shocks, one would be hardpressed to find a more entertaining example than DREADFUL DELINEATIONS.

-- Ron Clinton, USA

Please support RLK! by searching and ordering
your online books through the links below. Thanks!

Australian readers can order through: