01 Nightmares And Dreamscapes

• Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
• Skeleton Crew
• The Shining
• Insomnia
• Night Shift

These fine stories, each written in what King calls "a burst of faith, happiness, and optimism," prove his point. The theme, mood, characters, and language vary, but throughout, a sense of story reigns supreme. Nightmares & Dreamscapes contains 20 short tales--including several never before published--plus one teleplay, one poem, and one nonfiction piece about kids and baseball that appeared in the New Yorker. The subjects include vampires, zombies, an evil toy, man-eating frogs, the burial of a Cadillac, a disembodied finger, and a wicked stepfather. The style ranges from King's well-honed horror to a Ray Bradbury-like fantasy voice to an ambitious pastiche of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald. And like a compact disc with a bonus track, the book ends with a charming little tale not listed in the table of contents--a parable called "The Beggar and the Diamond." --Fiona Webster

In "Dolan's Cadillac," a man gets revenge for his murdered wife...through hard labor and ingenious thinking. "Suffer the Little Children" is a tale for every child who had an insufferable teacher, and wanted to do something about it."The Night Flier" is a tale of obsession that leads to the ultimate horror. In "Popsy," a young boy is kidnapped...but his grandfather is on his trail, and has a few surprises up his cape. "The Moving Finger" is a macabre tale of madness...or the utmost sanity. In "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," a young couple is about to attend an amazing rock concert...which may last for the rest of eternity. "The Ten O'Clock People" tells of two societies who live beneath normal human radar; one is benevolent, while the other is bent on world domination. "Crouch End" and "The Doctor's Case" are great examples of British fiction by an American, the latter about Sherlock Holmes. In the fantisful "The House on Maple Street," four children are about to unlock the secrets of their home. "Umney's Last Case" is a bizarre crime-noir, about the power an author has over his story, and vice versa. "Head Down" is an enchanting essay about kids and baseball.

NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES. Stephen King. Need I say any more than that? A wonderful, intriquing, and entertaining collection, this book is guaranteed to occupy a welcomed place on your bookshelf. This collection goes to show why Stephen King is one of contemporary literature's best writers.

There are, however, a few that made me laugh out loud at the sheer idiocy. For example: "Rainy Season," a ludicrous story about giant, fanged toads falling out of the sky and attacking a young couple summering in a remote town; "My Pretty Pony," which is not horror or interesting at all, about some old grandfather imparting some incredibly boring wisdom on to his unfortunate grandson; and "Chattering Teeth," about a man who is saved from a homicidal hitch hiker by a pair of possessed wind-up teeth.

All in all, however, a good book and a must-read for any King fan.

• Subjects > Horror
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( K ) > King, Stephen
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > General
• Subjects > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories

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