Leisure Books was a mass market paperback publisher specializing in horror and thrillers that operated from 1957 to 2010. In the company's early years, it also published fantasy, science fiction, Westerns, and the Wildlife Treasury card series. 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 ten days to keep or return. If kept there would be a discount on the purchase price. From around 1982 onward, Leisure Books was an imprint of Dorchester Publishing, shifting the company's focus away from fantasy and science fiction and more towards horror. As such, Leisure published novels and collections by a number of horror's notable authors, including Douglas Clegg, Stacy Dittrich, Ray Garton, J. F. Gonzalez, Brian Keene, Jack Ketchum, Richard Laymon, Deborah LeBlanc, Edward Lee, Ronald Malfi, Graham Masterton, T. V. Olsen, and Sarah Pinborough. Leisure horror titles won numerous awards, including the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award. In addition, a Leisure title was given the 2002 World Fantasy Award. History Harry Shorten founded Leisure Books in 1957. Leisure's Westerns line notably featured re-issues of the work of Max Brand, among others. The company published six titles in Nelson DeMille (as Jack Cannon)'s Joe Ryker Series in 1975–1976. Leisure Books published the Wildlife Treasury educational animal encyclopedia for young children between 1975 and 1981. Beginning in 1976, Leisure Books published Gardner Fox's fantasy series featuring the barbarian Kyrik: Warlock Warrior, Kyrik Fights the Demon World, Kyrik and the Wizard's Sword, and Kyrik and the Lost Queen. Founder Shorten retired in 1982 and the company was acquired by Dorchester Publishing. By the year 2000, Leisure Books was the only American publisher with a line of horror books. 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. After pushback from authors over cancelled and unfulfilled contracts, Leisure suspended operations entirely; the parent company Dorchester shortly went out of business. Selected list of titles by author 1957–1981 Nelson DeMille (as Jack Cannon): Joe Ryker Series The Sniper (1974) The Hammer of God (1974) The Agent of Death (1975) The Smack Man (1975) The Cannibal (1975) The Night of the Phoenix (1975) R. V. Fodor and G. J.Taylor, :