Author:Stephen King
‘I shoot from the hip and keep a stiff upper lip’ – King channels AC/DC in the preface to his latest collection of short stories, a hefty tome of almost 500 pages.
King certainly lives up to that in this varied and wide ranging collection, and while some stories have appeared previously in various different formats, others are brand spanking new.
From the opening ‘Mile 81’, reminiscent of his novel ‘From A Buick 8’, to the closing poignant tale ‘Summer Thunder’, this collection shows King is a far more versatile author than just the horror writer many unjustly mistake him for. Yes, there are horror stories here, but other pieces, such as Mr Yummy, display an often overlooked more sensitive side to his writing.
Also featured are a few poetry selections, and each of the stories is prefaced by an interesting and informative look at its development and inspiration.
As in any bazaar, there are treasures and jewels to be found if you explore what’s on offer, but as King himself says of these short stories ‘Please be careful, the best of them have teeth.’
Length of Read:Long
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
King fans will lap this up as it continues the return to form demonstrated in last year’s novel ‘Revival’, and fans of the short story format should also check it out and read without prejudice – as mentioned above, King is far more than a ‘one trick pony’ purveyor of horror fiction – he has many more strings to his literary bow!
One thing you’ve learned
Not for nothing is this work subtitled ‘thrilling stories’!
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