Leisure Books

Leisure Books
Parent company Dorchester Publishing (c. 1982–2010)
Status Defunct (September 2010)
Founded 1957
Founder Harry Shorten
Country of origin United States
Headquarters location New York City
Key people Jean Marie Stine, Don D'Auria[1]
Publication types Books
Fiction genres Horror, Thriller, Westerns

Leisure Books was a mass market paperback publisher specializing in horror and thrillers. They also published fantasy, science fiction, Westerns, and the Wildlife Treasury card series. Leisure Books was an imprint of Dorchester Publishing from c. 1982–2010, when it was closed down.

Leisure horror titles have won numerous awards, including the Bram Stoker Award,[2] and the International Horror Guild Award.[3] In addition, a Leisure title was given the 2002 World Fantasy Award.[4]

Overview

As of 2000, Leisure Books was the only American publisher with a line of horror books.[5] Leisure Books published novels and collections by a number of horror's notable authors, such as Brian Keene, Richard Laymon, Graham Masterton, Ray Garton, Stacy Dittrich, Jack Ketchum, Sarah Pinborough and Douglas Clegg.

There was also a line of Leisure Westerns, notably featuring the work of Max Brand among others.

Beginning in 1976, Leisure Books published Gardner Fox's series fantasy featuring the barbarian Kyrik: Warlock Warrior, Kyrik Fights the Demon World, Kyrik and the Wizard's Sword, and Kyrik and the Lost Queen.[6]

Leisure Books published the Wildlife Treasury educational animal encyclopedia for young children between 1975 and 1981.

Leisure book sales club

Leisure Books offered a book sales club service. Typically two free books were provided as an initial inducement. After that two books were sent on a monthly basis. Readers would have 10 days to keep or return. If kept there would be a discount on the purchase price.

History

Harry Shorten founded Leisure Books in 1957.[7] The company was acquired by Dorchester Publishing in 1982.

Effective September 2010, Leisure Books, along with the remainder of Dorchester's mass market paperback lines, were canceled as print publications. Future titles were slated to be available only as e-books.[8]

References

  1. ↑ St. John, Warren (March 26, 2006). "Market for Zombies? It's Undead (Aaahhh!)". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Horror.org Archived April 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ "International Horror Guild". Horroraward.org. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "2002 World Fantasy Award : Winners and Nominees". Worldfantasy.org. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Small Presses Stand Out at Horror Confab". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 14, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Kyric series By Gardner Fox". GoodReads. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
  7. ↑ Shorten entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928-1999. Accessed Feb. 25, 2017.
  8. ↑ Dorchesterpub.com Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.


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