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A tantalizing anthology of horror shorts by an up and coming Canadian author

Several years ago, when I read the original edition of ONE HAND SCREAMING (that, by the way, converted me to an eager fan of all of Mark Leslie's work), I wrote a review that I see no sense in changing.

"It’s easy to find a collection of words to describe ONE HAND SCREAMING, a fine collection of horror shorts by an under-rated young Canadian author � titillating, horrifying, shocking, thought-provoking, hilarious, creepy, gruesome, campy, provocative � ! If you take the time to read it, I’m sure you’ll be able to come up with your own set of complimentary adjectives.

Goodness knows, there’s lots for anyone who enjoys the horror genre to get their teeth into � sentient snowmen terrified of their coming excruciating death in the spring melt; the real reason why so many people suffer from arachnophobia; the clever story of a courageous mother’s fight to save her family from kidnapping by a marauding cult roaming the streets around her home; what it really means to lose yourself in a bookstore; an ornate Victorian mirror’s ghostly preservation of the rape of its owner; why you should probably re-think your decision to be a Hallowe’en Grinch hiding in the dark from the youngsters out trick-or-treating; a novel re-telling of a couple of old campfire chestnuts; and lots more.

The addition of Leslie’s “author’s notes� for each story is an informative, interesting bonus. It’s remarkable to hear of a story’s provenance � how each story moved from the nugget of an idea to a fully fleshed-out published tale; how each story fit into the author’s ongoing personal thinking or the development of his life and his career as an author.

Most enjoyable and highly recommended."

It was true "20 HAUNTING YEARS" ago and it's true now. The addition of several new stories simply makes the book bigger, better, more haunting and more entertaining.

Paul Weiss