John Maclay is one of the most influential people in horror publishing, but too few people know the extent of it. His Maclay and Associates was one of the premier small presses in the horror genre, publishing the influential Masques series of anthologies, as well as fiction by the incomparable Ray Russell. John Maclay is also one of the genre's best...and most underrated...short story writers.
But how often do you see John Maclay discussed at the various horror fiction message boards? The answer is not too often. And that's a damned shame.
To their credit, Delirium Books published a small, 250 copy, limited edition collection of Maclay's short fiction called Dreadful Delineations. That book came out in early 2004 and is currently out of print.
Though he doesn't appear to write a lot of fiction these days, there is a recent publication out by John Maclay. It's called, of course, The Templar Queen. Maclay self-published this in a bound folder, with little ado. Which is sad, because I don't think it received the exposure that it richly deserves.
Maclay is involved in the preservation of historical buildings and he uses that passion to great effect in The Templar Queen. In it, a wealthy young man has a strange relationship with a dysfunctional, alcoholic Frenchwoman named Marie. After visiting Marie on what he considers a savior mission he joins the Mason Lodge, which he is strangely drawn to. Through research and counseling, he discovers that the Masons are descended from the Templar Knights and that his fate is somehow entwined with the organization. His instincts tell him that Marie is crucial to a great plan that he has somehow stumbled on and he and Marie begin a quest to make the world a better place. They start with saving older buildings and move on to bigger, much bigger, goals.
The Templar Queen is as unique a piece of fiction as I've read in quite some time. Maclay's language is as beautiful as ever and the story is rich and profoundly moving. In fact, I think it would have been a serious contender for some major awards had it appeared in a more conventional book.
As I said, John Maclay isn't as well known as many younger, far less talented writers. I've met the man and he is quiet and unassuming and from what I could gather, unfailingly polite. I guess that's part of the reason why he's relatively unknown. The louder individuals tend to get the most attention, regardless of the amount of talent they possess.
The Templar Queen is available from Shocklines and for seven bucks I can't think of a better bargain. Buy it and discover the best short story writer you've been missing out on for ages.
http://shocklines.stores.yahoo.net/tequbyjomabp.html
But how often do you see John Maclay discussed at the various horror fiction message boards? The answer is not too often. And that's a damned shame.
To their credit, Delirium Books published a small, 250 copy, limited edition collection of Maclay's short fiction called Dreadful Delineations. That book came out in early 2004 and is currently out of print.
Though he doesn't appear to write a lot of fiction these days, there is a recent publication out by John Maclay. It's called, of course, The Templar Queen. Maclay self-published this in a bound folder, with little ado. Which is sad, because I don't think it received the exposure that it richly deserves.
Maclay is involved in the preservation of historical buildings and he uses that passion to great effect in The Templar Queen. In it, a wealthy young man has a strange relationship with a dysfunctional, alcoholic Frenchwoman named Marie. After visiting Marie on what he considers a savior mission he joins the Mason Lodge, which he is strangely drawn to. Through research and counseling, he discovers that the Masons are descended from the Templar Knights and that his fate is somehow entwined with the organization. His instincts tell him that Marie is crucial to a great plan that he has somehow stumbled on and he and Marie begin a quest to make the world a better place. They start with saving older buildings and move on to bigger, much bigger, goals.
The Templar Queen is as unique a piece of fiction as I've read in quite some time. Maclay's language is as beautiful as ever and the story is rich and profoundly moving. In fact, I think it would have been a serious contender for some major awards had it appeared in a more conventional book.
As I said, John Maclay isn't as well known as many younger, far less talented writers. I've met the man and he is quiet and unassuming and from what I could gather, unfailingly polite. I guess that's part of the reason why he's relatively unknown. The louder individuals tend to get the most attention, regardless of the amount of talent they possess.
The Templar Queen is available from Shocklines and for seven bucks I can't think of a better bargain. Buy it and discover the best short story writer you've been missing out on for ages.
http://shocklines.stores.yahoo.net/tequbyjomabp.html
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