Dreadful Tales


Dreadful Tales is a collection of short horror stories by American cult writer Richard Laymon. Published the year before his death it collects twenty-five stories, most previously published in magazines.

Stories (in order of arrangement)

  1. Invitation to Murder
  2. The Grab
  3. Saving Grace
  4. Barney's Bigfoot Museum
  5. Herman
  6. The Champion
  7. The Maiden
  8. A Good Cigar is a Smoke
  9. I'm not a Criminal
  10. Oscar's Audition
  11. Into the Pit
  12. Spooked
  13. The Good Deed
  14. The Direct Approach
  15. Good Vibrations
  16. Phil the Vampire
  17. Paying Joe Back
  18. The Fur Coat
  19. Blarney
  20. Dracuson's Driver
  21. Roadside Pickup
  22. Wishbone
  23. First Date
  24. Stickman
  25. Mop Up

Reception

The collection received positive notices from the horror community, including Shivers, which said that it "knocks all other offerings for six and presents a consistent collection of tales, almost every one of which manages to shock, delight and horrify through numerous ideas, characters and situations... a breath of fresh air in the stale UK Horror climate... Gets my vote as the best of 2000 by a long chalk." Books Magazine called it a "terrifying collection of short stories that showcases the dark genius of a true master of the macabre."