Delirium Books, launched in the summer of 1999 by Shane Ryan Staley, was a horror publisher in the collector's market, producing low print-run limited editions intended for collectors and readers alike. Limited-edition books published by Delirium were reputed to sell out quickly, making their publications highly collectable. Delirium Books published The Rising, the first book in a series of zombie-themed horror novels written by Brian Keene, which won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2003.
In 2005, Delirium Books won the Bram Stoker Award for Excellence in Specialty Press Publishing, presented by the Horror Writers Association. The same year, Delirium took home the first annual Shocker Award for Small Press of the Year, presented by Shocklines.com.
Per Staley, Delirium Books ceased activities in January 2013.
Magazines Some of the first offerings from Delirium Books were magazines, all digest-sized with color covers. The print run for these magazines is unknown. Delirium #1 (Winter 1999) Delirium #2 (Summer 2000) Delirium #3 (Fall 2000) Delirium #4 (Winter 2001)
Chapbooks Burnt Offerings by Shane Ryan Staley (1999): Published as a 150-copy limited soft cover. Human Oddities by Barbara Malenky (Winter 2000): Published as a soft cover with an unknown print run. Chocolate Jesus and Other Weird Perversions by Shane Ryan Staley (Spring 2000): Published as a soft cover with an unknown print run. Shuggoth Cacciatore and Other Eldritch Entrees by Mark McLaughlin (Spring 2000): Published as a soft cover with an unknown print run. Smoke Signals by Octavio Ramos Jr. (Winter 2001): Published as a soft cover with an unknown print run. Tales of Love and Death by W. H. Pugmire (Spring 2001): Published as a soft cover with an unknown print run. The Rising: Necrophobia by Brian Keene, Brett McBean, Michael Oliveri, and John Urbancik (May 2004): Published as a 26-copy limited hardcover and 500-copy soft cover.
Hardcover Line Delirium's Hardcover Line features first-edition titles produced in limited editions with full-color dust jackets. Delirium produces true limited-edition hardcovers, as the runs in this line are signed and numbered from less than 50 to 500 copies. The first five Hardcover Line books were released without dust jackets. Beginning in September 2008, the Hardcover Line is published as a subscription of 150 copies.
1999 The House Spider and Other Strange Visitors by Kurt Newton (August 1999): Published as a 50-copy limited hardcover. Approximately 40 copies were actually printed. Demons, Freaks, and Other Abnormalities by Michael Laimo (October 1999): Published in as a 150-copy limited hardcover. Approximately 100 copies were actually printed.
2000 I Love You and There is Nothing You Can Do About It by Gerard Houarner (January 2000): Published as a 200-copy limited hardcover. Approximately 125 copies were actually printed. Terror Incognita by Jeffrey Thomas (March 2000): Published as a 200-copy limited hardcover. Approximately 125 copies were actually printed. Up, Out of Cities that Blow Hot and Cold by Charlee Jacob (May 2000): Published as a 20-copy leather-bound hardcover (Delirium's first leather-bound) and a 300-copy limited hardcover. Approximately 200 copies of the limited hardcover were actually printed. Cage of Bones and Other Deadly Obsessions by John Everson (October 2000): Published as a 300-copy limited hardcover.
2001 Cobwebs and Whispers by Scott Thomas (June 2001): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Heretics by Greg F. Gifune (August 2001): Published as a 50-copy limited hardcover. 4 x 4 by Brian Keene, Geoff Cooper, Michael Oliveri and Michael T. Huyck Jr. (October 2001): Published as a 100-copy limited hardcover. Initially, the printer balked at including the signature sheets, because the authors scrawled obscene messages on many of them.
2002 Dark Testament edited by Shane Ryan Staley (January 2002): Published as a 200-copy limited hardcover and a 100-copy trade hardcover. Dark Demons by Kurt Newton (March 2002): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover. Maternal Instinct by J. F. Gonzalez (April 2002): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover. Guises by Charlee Jacob (June 2002): Published as a 15-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 150-copy limited hardcover. Atmosphere by Michael Laimo (July 2002): Published as a 15-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 300-copy limited hardcover. Delirium's first full-length novel. Visions Through A Shattered Lens by Gerard Houarner (September 2002): Published as a 15-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 300-copy limited hardcover.
2003 Mean Sheep by Tom Piccirilli (January 2003): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 400-copy limited hardcover. The Rising by Brian Keene (April 2003): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover, and a 300-copy limited hardcover. Sesqua Valley and Other Haunts by W. H. Pugmire (July 2003): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. No Rest At All by Brian Keene (August 2003): Published as a 15-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 150-copy limited hardcover. The Bleeding Season by Greg F. Gifune (October 2003): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. All the Lonely People by David B. Silva (December 2003): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 300-copy limited hardcover.
2004 Dreadful Delineations by John Maclay (January 2004): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. The Attraction by Douglas Clegg (March 2004): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 500-copy limited hardcover. Fear of Gravity by Brian Keene (March 2004): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 400-copy limited hardcover. Nether: Improper Bedtime Stories by Scott Thomas and Jeffrey Thomas (June 2004): Deluxe edition of Honey is Sweeter Than Blood and Shadows of Flesh. Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover. Honey Is Sweeter Than Blood by Jeffrey Thomas (June 2004): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Shadows of Flesh by Scott Thomas (June 2004): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. New Dark Voices by Michael Oliveri, Gene O'Neill and John Urbancik (August 2004): Published as a 300-copy limited hardcover. Deathrealms edited by Stephen Mark Rainey (September 2004): Published as a 350-copy limited hardcover. Covenant by John Everson (November 2004): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Sleepwalker by Michael Laimo (November 2004): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Sympathy For The Devil: The Best of Hail Saten Vol. 1 by Brian Keene (December 2004): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover.
2005 City of the Dead by Brian Keene (January 2005): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 300-copy limited hardcover. Scarecrow Gods by Weston Ochse (March 2005): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 300-copy limited hardcover. Broken Angel by Brian Knight (May 2005): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 300-copy limited hardcover. My Eyes are Nailed, but I Still See by David Niall Wilson and Brett Alexander Savory (July 2005): Published as a 220-copy limited hardcover. David Niall Wilson did a chapbook in late August 2005 to accompany this book, but it is not a Delirium publication. Vestal by Charlee Jacob (September 2005): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Earthworm Gods by Brian Keene (September 2005): Published as a 400-copy limited hardcover. Earthworm Gods by Brian Keene (October 2005): Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover. Deep Night by Greg F. Gifune (November 2005): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 150-copy limited hardcover. Night of the Daemon: Night Trilogy Part 3 by Harry Shannon (December 2005): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 174-copy limited hardcover.
2006 Thirteen Specimens by Jeffrey Thomas (January 2006): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 150-copy limited hardcover. The leather-bound hardcover was packaged with an exclusive 30-copy hardcover chapbook entitled Thirteen More Specimens. Running With The Devil: The Best of Hail Saten Vol. 2 by Brian Keene (January 2006): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover. In Delirium edited by Brian Keene (January 2006): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound and a hardcover 274-copy limited hardcover. The Pines by Robert Dunbar (May 2006): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 240-copy limited hardcover. Blindsided by Barry Hoffman (May 2006): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover (June 2006 and a 185-copy limited hardcover. Scary Rednecks and Other Inbred Horrors by Weston Ochse and David Whitman (June 2006): Published as a 220-copy limited hardcover. Hacks by Brian Knight (July 2006): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover (September 2006) and a 250-copy limited hardcover. His Pain by Wrath James White (November 2006): Published as a 245-copy limited hardcover. Demon! by William F. Nolan (November 2006): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Reprint. Collected Tales of the Baja Express by Gene O'Neill (November 2006): Published as a 237-copy limited hardcover. Limited to preorders. Clickers by J. F. Gonzalez (December 2006): Published as a 344-copy limited hardcover. Limited to preorders.
2007 The Rising: Death in Four Colors by Brian Keene (February 2007): Published as a 500-copy limited hardcover. Recalled to Life: The Cycle of the Aegis Trilogy Book 1 by Weston Ochse (September 2007): Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 500-copy limited hardcover. The Sinister Mr. Corpse by Jeff Strand (February 2007): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover (March 2007) and as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Ghoul by Brian Keene (March 2007): Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 400-copy limited hardcover. Sacrifice by John Everson (March 2007): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Sequel to Covenant. Clickers II: The Next Wave by J. F. Gonzalez and Brian Keene (April 2007): Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 500-copy limited hardcover. The Shore by Robert Dunbar (May 2007): Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover (June 2007) and a 500-copy limited hardcover. Demogorgon by Brian Lumley (May 2007): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover (June 2007) and a 300-copy limited hardcover. Dominion by Greg F. Gifune (June 2007): Published as a 275-copy limited hardcover. God's End by Michael McBride (June 2007): Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover (July 2007) and a 500-copy limited hardcover. The New Fear: The Best of Hail Saten Vol. 3 by Brian Keene (July 2007): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover. Dead Sea by Brian Keene (September 2007): Published as a 52-copy leather-bound hardcover (October 2007) and a 250-copy limited hardcover. In Delirium II edited by John Everson (December 2007): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover and a 274-copy limited hardcover.
2008 The Infected by Michael McBride (February 2008): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover (April 2008) and a 300-copy limited hardcover. Blood in Electric Blue by Greg F. Gifune (March 2008): Published as a 26-copy leather-bound hardcover (May 2008) and as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Gleefully Macabre Tales by Jeff Strand (March 2008): Published as a 300-copy limited hardcover. Saying Uncle by Greg F. Gifune (June 2008): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover. Reprint of December Girl Press trade paperback. Dead and Gone by Harry Shannon (August 2008): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover and as a trade paperback in the Paperback Book Club. The Golden Thread: The Cycle of the Aegis Trilogy Book 2 by Weston Ochse (September 2008): Published as a 250-copy limited hardcover. Passenger by Ronald Damien Malfi (September 2008): Published as a 150-copy limited hardcover and as a trade paperback in the Paperback Book Club.