Contains all of his short fiction not previously published in the UK and forms a delicious cornucopia of homicidal maniacs, vampires and lust-crazed teenagers - not to mention the drinkers in a low-life dive who attempt to salvage a diamond ring from the mouth of a severed head in a fish tank - with surprisingly grisly results.
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Contains all of his short fiction not previously published in the UK and forms a delicious cornucopia of homicidal maniacs, vampires and lust-crazed teenagers - not to mention the drinkers in a low-life dive who attempt to salvage a diamond ring from the mouth of a severed head in a fish tank - with surprisingly grisly results.
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Add this copy of Dreadful Tales to cart. $132.98, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Headline.
Add this copy of Dreadful Tales to cart. $150.00, very good condition, Sold by Aladdin Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fullerton, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Headline.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good+ in Fine jacket. 8vo-over 7¾-9¾" tall Inscribed, signed and dated in 2000 on title page to recipients by RICHARD LAYMON. One of the few Headline books printed on decent paper that is not toning. Slight spine lean otherwise fine in fine dust jacket. No jacket chips or tears, not price-clipped. Stock photo does not accurately depict jacket cover.
Add this copy of Dreadful Tales to cart. $152.16, very good condition, Sold by Pioneer Book rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Provo, UT, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Headline Feature.
Add this copy of Dreadful Tales to cart. $261.56, new condition, Sold by Just one more Chapter rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Miramar, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Headline.
The thing about short stories is that they need some kind of plot twist, something which MOST people will not be able to figure out until they read the very last page (Robert Bloch was a Master at it). Unfortunately, DREADFUL TALES is filled with too many predictable outcomes. I believe these stories are from early in Laymon's career and focus mostly on the crime milieu instead of horror - which he was quite adept at. There are a couple of exceptions: "Oscar's Audition" (a humorous tale about a hit man) and "Roadside Pickup" (a thriller about a hitchhiker) are quite good. The BEST tale of the bunch is a novella called "Mop Up". It deals with a plague of zombies and the men who are trying to stop them. Laymon writes it as only HE could - though it would make for one Hell of a Grindhouse type movie!! I believe one of Laymon's greatest strengths is his wonderful characterizations of even the most seemingly insignificant people in his stories. The short story realm does not offer enough space to allow him to dig deep enough into the reasoning behind the actions of his characters. If you are a casual Laymon reader, you probably will not enjoy this book of his short stories. But if you are true fan of the man, you will definitely want to read it.
