You like it darker Hardcover – May 21, 2024

Most non-fans of Mr. King think of him as a horror writer (usually thinking of gore - which he does very well), and are unaware he gave the world The Green Mile, (Rita Hayworth and) The Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, and (The Body) Stand By Me. When I was a bookstore owner, I used those as a comeback to the countless customers who told me they did not like King's writing. In this set of stories "Two Talented Bastids" is wonderful literature masquerading as a bit of SciFi. I wish I were very wealthy so I could buy movie rights to this one, as that would be an excellent investment.I'm sure many "friends of Bill" will not like what Mr. King has done for the 12 Steps in "The Fifth Step," but I found it to be an extremely funny look at an idea. The main character here is going to have real problems when it comes to making amends, though."Willie the Wierdo" actually is a horror story, but it is also close to Jacob's hundred-plus year old classic "The Monkey's Paw"."Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream" is another I would love to have enough money to invest in the movie/TV rights. It is going to be an excellent production. I could see exactly the right actors for the cast all the way through it. It is also the second story here that felt to me like exquisite writing.The story "Finn" reminds me very much of a Faustian idea I once had for writing a book, but I never got around to writing it. Thank you, Mr. King for doing the hard work for me.There is no horror or supernatural in "On Slide Inn Road". It is just a very good, very tight action short story that is very satisfying. Mr. King gives a nod to O'Connor, so I guess I'll have to try reading some."Red Screen" is a brief glimpse into a world and some characters that you know how things are going to be, but you want it to go on anyway to find out how right or wrong you are.I have to say "The Turbulence Expert" is one that just did not impress me all that much. It was an interesting idea, and I liked the characters, but it just did not take me anywhere."Laurie" is a nice story that moves a little slowly, but that's ok because it doesn't seem to have anywhere that it wants to go. It just introduces you to some diverse characters that are very much like people in your neighborhood and family. There is a bit of excitement, but no horror or supernatural to it."Rattlesnakes" is another that will be a good production, either movie or TV. Again I would be willing to invest in the rights for it. It comes with a tip of the hat to John D. McDonald, who is another writer whose every work I read voraciously. This one does drift into the world of supernatural and good versus evil, but not as heavily as some of Mr. King's gargantuan novels. It brings back a character from Cujo in a setting close-by Duma Key, but you don't need to have read either of those to enjoy it (to be honest, I did not recall the character actually making an appearance in Cujo). The TV/movie script will be enormously bolstered by the very real, likable ancillary characters that work throughout this novella."The Dreamers" was an interesting idea, but for whatever reason it did not do it for me. I really liked, and felt for the narrator, but the story left me flat. I did not grasp Mr. King's reference to Cormac McCarthy, whose beautiful prose in horrific, sometimes painful to read stories, I love.The advice to performing artists is to "Always leave 'em wanting more." And Mr. King certainly does that with "The Answer Man" as the finale for this publication. As a better reviewer remarked this story "reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful." At the conclusion of this beautifully written piece, you definitely want more while at the same time it gives a great feeling of satisfaction. And that is good writing!

Ya’ll know my love for Stephen King and the anticipation I feel for each new release. I’m on pins and needles each time I know a new one is on the way. This one, however, I looked forward to more than most. Again, HUGE Stephen King here, so you know I’ve read everything he’s published, so when I heard that a sort-of sequel to Cujo was in this book, I about wet my pants. Of course, it wasn’t the first story in the book (dammit), but the stories that came before it were good enough that I don’t resent him (much).Two Talented Bastids This was a thoroughly enjoyable short story that included all the necessary elements of a story and didn’t make me dream up with half of it on my own. I loved the main character, and he genuinely seemed like a decent guy who seemed deserving of the “gift” he had been given. My favorite quote from the book came out of this story. On page 48, the visitor, while explaining what with cause the end of humanity on Earth, says, “When intelligence outraces emotional stability, it’s always just a matter of time.” It made me think.The Fifth Step King isn’t known for sappy, happy endings, so I knew he was building up to something with this story. However, when we got to that something, my jaw hit the floor. It was completely shocking and I loved it.Willie The Weirdo This one was decidedly odd, and definitely my least favorite in this book. It felt like it was there as a filler, like stock footage at the beginning of a TV show.Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream This was the most involved story in this book, and I almost feel like it should have been a stand-alone novel. The build-up of anticipation was amazing and propelled this story like a torpedo. Danny was another genuinely likeable character that I wanted desperately to be exonerated, possibly even hailed a hero. With Jalbert, who was CLEARLY painted to be similar to another well-known literary villain, King blurred the lines between good and evil. While I wish that King had gone a little deeper with the connection between Danny’s dream and Catholicism, the story was really entertaining.Finn I didn’t love this one, it felt like another filler to me.On Slid Inn Road I loved this one. I was on the edge of my feet from start to finish with this story. I appreciated the hero, and I loved that the “evil” in this one was human rather than any other type of entity. King does a great job with the supernatural or the monsters, I find real monsters to be the scariest.Red Screen This is another great example of why I don’t like short stories. It was a great premise, but it left so much to the imagination, I was just irritated.The Turbulence Expert I take notes while I read so that I’m able to refer to them when I sit down to write a review, rather than having to flip through pages. My notes for this story were short and simple: “Didn’t love this one. Again, left me hanging.” While I agree with my initial assessment, I have changed my mind about whether or not I loved this one. When I think back to this book, and especially when I have had discussions about it, THIS is the story that sticks out most in my memory. It’s such an odd little story, yet something about it just stuck with me. I wish there was more, but that’s the gripe I have with most short stories. I wanted to know how this guy got the job…why does that job even exist? I had so many questions! While this one did indeed leave me on a ledge, for me, it was the most memorable in this book.Laurie This is a great example of a “man vs nature” storyline with a lovely build-up to the climax. I felt like the dog was going to be a bigger player, but alas, the dog was just a bit-player in the story. Regardless, it was satisfying.Rattlesnakes FINALLY, I got to the Cujo follow-up. I read the entire book (worth it) to get to this one. Wanting to know what happened with Donna after the end of Cujo was so overwhelming, that when I finally uncovered the full story, it was a bit of a let-down. I’m glad they were able to work out the trauma that led to their initial separation, but Donna’s end felt like an injustice to the character. The story itself held some similarities with Laurie, except this one was a ghost story. It was sufficiently creepy, and I did appreciate the references King made about his former works, but as a whole, I was a tad disappointed (see what I did there…). There were two other stories in this book, but I have zero memory of them and it seemed I didn’t even deem them worthy of notes. Yes, it’s still getting five stars, despite my not loving every story in this book, because I ones I did love carried the entire thing enough for me. Plus, it’s Stephen King…and ya’ll know how I feel about Stephen King.

True Stephen King. Still one of the best writers out there. Great storytelling. Couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend. Enjoy

Que livro bom! Stephen king é um excelente autor de contos. Acho que é o melhor livro dele nos últimos 10, 12 anos. Todos os contos e novelas do livro são excelentes com exceção de “Finn” que realmente não me pegou. Altamente recomendável, na melhor tradição da ficção espeulativa norte americana. Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, onde quer que estejam devem estar orgulhos das sementes que plantaram. Vale cada palavra lida.

First, I didn't know there was a story sequel of CUJO... surprised and happy, read it gladly. Second, apart from the sequel of CUJO, there were several stories that were just amazing, I think the "two talented bastids" story is my favorite so far, gave me "Dreamcatcher" vibes! This book is a must-read for every Stephen King fan, and I recommend it if you are new to his stories.

Il re è sempre il re

I read everything that Stephen King writes or co writes. This collection is pure "King". Every story has that special SK touch. Not sure what I'll read if & when he runs out of ideas...?