Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I have acrophobia, so you can imagine what this one did to me
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Official Stephen King Publication Countdown - 44. "The Jaunt", 43. "The Monkey", 42. "The Night Flier" (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter turnjose7
- Start date
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Did either author ever reveal who wrote what? I doubt King remembers, as he was blasted out of his mind a lot during this period.
Not that I'm aware of. Neil Gaiman claims he knows, but otherwise I've never heard anything more. The third book in the trilogy is supposedly being written now, though, with King saying he's "channeling" Straub.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I always had the feeling King and Straub were trying to imitate each other in this book to mess with readers (& for their own enjoyment).
Skipdog77
Footballguy
I first read The Talisman as a young teenager, and I always considered it one of my favorite King novels. I haven't read it in probably over 35 years though. I may have to re-read it and see what I think now.
I always thought it would make a great video game, flipping between worlds, the car, Wolf, etc., and remember sketching up game design ideas based on the story (we didn't have the internet, streaming video, or social media back then, kids...had to do something with our time). Wonder if my parents still have those in their house somewhere.
It's worth a read, for sure, if for no other reason than setting up its sequel (which you can surmise I like more since it hasn't yet appeared).
81. “Why We’re in Vietnam”
1999
Short story from Hearts in Atlantis
Literary fiction, magical realism, fantasy, horror
2/5
A veteran recollects his time as a soldier in Vietnam, particularly a specific incident that nearly escalated into a massacre.
This is the fourth of five stories in the Hearts in Atlantis collection. Since it is the first to appear from that collection, I’ll touch on the larger book (some of this I already posted in the “Top 300 Books of All Time” thread).
The collection includes two novellas (Low Men in Yellow Coats and Hearts in Atlantis) along with three short stories (“Blind Willie,” “Why We’re in Vietnam,” and “Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling”) that are linked by recurring characters. The stories vary in terms of how grounded in reality they are (some include no supernatural elements at all and some are filled with supernatural stuff), but the overarching narrative explores the Boomer generation’s relationship with the Vietnam War. The individual stories are mostly very good, but the whole is even greater than the sum of the parts and overall, this is probably my second favorite King collection. As I noted in the “Top 300 Books of All Time” thread, one critic has referred to it as "the Great American Baby Boomer Novel."
“Why We’re in Vietnam” probably has less “action” than the other stories in the collection, but it does form an important link between the other stories and goes a long way toward painting a picture of King’s view of the war.
1999
Short story from Hearts in Atlantis
Literary fiction, magical realism, fantasy, horror
2/5
A veteran recollects his time as a soldier in Vietnam, particularly a specific incident that nearly escalated into a massacre.
This is the fourth of five stories in the Hearts in Atlantis collection. Since it is the first to appear from that collection, I’ll touch on the larger book (some of this I already posted in the “Top 300 Books of All Time” thread).
The collection includes two novellas (Low Men in Yellow Coats and Hearts in Atlantis) along with three short stories (“Blind Willie,” “Why We’re in Vietnam,” and “Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling”) that are linked by recurring characters. The stories vary in terms of how grounded in reality they are (some include no supernatural elements at all and some are filled with supernatural stuff), but the overarching narrative explores the Boomer generation’s relationship with the Vietnam War. The individual stories are mostly very good, but the whole is even greater than the sum of the parts and overall, this is probably my second favorite King collection. As I noted in the “Top 300 Books of All Time” thread, one critic has referred to it as "the Great American Baby Boomer Novel."
“Why We’re in Vietnam” probably has less “action” than the other stories in the collection, but it does form an important link between the other stories and goes a long way toward painting a picture of King’s view of the war.
80. Rage
1977
Novel
Psychological thriller
2/5
- Richard Bachman book
A troubled high school student kills two of his teachers and then holds his class hostage.
@Zow had some nice comments about this book here. Rage is one of the novels that originally comprised The Bachman Books collection but is no longer in print. Originally titled Getting It On, this was King's third novel and the reason he created the Bachman moniker. King has published similar stories about shootings (such as “Cain Rose Up”) and there really isn’t anything in this one that is especially noteworthy or more disturbing than his other stuff. But it was associated with a couple of high-profile shootings, so King let it go out of print. The story is solid. It has some interesting moments, but I find it less memorable the @Zow does apparently. What he says about it is true, but even so I don't find it to be one of his most interesting works.
1977
Novel
Psychological thriller
2/5
- Richard Bachman book
A troubled high school student kills two of his teachers and then holds his class hostage.
@Zow had some nice comments about this book here. Rage is one of the novels that originally comprised The Bachman Books collection but is no longer in print. Originally titled Getting It On, this was King's third novel and the reason he created the Bachman moniker. King has published similar stories about shootings (such as “Cain Rose Up”) and there really isn’t anything in this one that is especially noteworthy or more disturbing than his other stuff. But it was associated with a couple of high-profile shootings, so King let it go out of print. The story is solid. It has some interesting moments, but I find it less memorable the @Zow does apparently. What he says about it is true, but even so I don't find it to be one of his most interesting works.
Zow
Footballguy
What struck me about the story and why I found it so compelling probably has to do with timing. If my memory serves correctly, I actually read it at a friend's* house in 2000. This is notable because I was a Junior in High School then and it would have been probably within one year of Columbine. As such, school shootings were heavily at the forefront so unexpectedly reading a first-person story about a school shooter was incredibly fascinating to me. I remember thinking that it seemed so real and so relevant giving the timing.
*The friend was a girl that I had a crush on but I was totally friend-zoned (I didn't realize that then) so we'd do super cool things like read books together when we hung out. I found the Bachman Collection amongst her parents' small library.
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Eephus
Footballguy
Has King ever commented on any relationship between this story and Norman Mailer's similarly named 1967 novel Why Are We In Vietnam?
I don't know if I've ever read any direct quotes about that from King, though it is pretty widely acknowledged as the source of the title. And I think it is clear that King has a lot of ideas about that era, in particular some of his feelings toward JFK, that seem to consistent with Mailer.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I could easily make an argument that Hearts In Atlantis is his best book. Especially from a Boomer perspective.
79. “Night Surf”
1969
Short story from Night Shift
Post-apocalyptic
2/5
- Captain Trips story
A group of young adult survivors of a plague which wiped out most of the world’s population struggle to find meaning in their grim future.
The plague in question is known as the A6 virus but is alternatively called “Captain Trips,” i.e. the same name as the virus featured in The Stand. (BTW, for those who don’t know, the name “Captain Trips” refers to Jerry Garcia). This story isn’t so scary as just really dark and depressing. There very little hope or humanity expressed here.
1969
Short story from Night Shift
Post-apocalyptic
2/5
- Captain Trips story
A group of young adult survivors of a plague which wiped out most of the world’s population struggle to find meaning in their grim future.
The plague in question is known as the A6 virus but is alternatively called “Captain Trips,” i.e. the same name as the virus featured in The Stand. (BTW, for those who don’t know, the name “Captain Trips” refers to Jerry Garcia). This story isn’t so scary as just really dark and depressing. There very little hope or humanity expressed here.
78. Insomnia
1994
Novel
Horror, fantasy
3/5
- Derry story
- Dark Tower story
Widower Ralph Roberts develops a terrible case of insomnia along with special powers that thrust him into a cosmic conflict.
This is by far the most important entry in the countdown so far. There is a ton that could be said about Insomnia. Probably most important is that outside of the novels that include the name, this is the most important book to the Dark Tower storyline. I won’t say more than that to avoid spoilers, but reading this is critical to appreciating that story.
There are a lot of other connections to King’s work here. Obviously, being set in Derry, there are multiple references to the events of It. There’s also a nice Pet Sematary Easter egg.
While this is probably one of King’s most important books, in terms of quality it is just ok. For the most part the story and the characters are pretty interesting. But for me it falls a little short of his great works for a couple of reasons. First, it is one of King’s plotted novels. Generally the author’s process is that he just starts writing and sees where things go. Rarely does he outline the entire plot of a novel before he starts writing, and I think when he does it always feels a little less natural (King himself agrees).
Second, this one tries to do too much. I generally like King’s books that are longer and have a lot of content. But it still needs to be tight. Here, there is the Dark Tower stuff, a bunch of stuff about aging, an exploration of domestic violence, call outs to Greek mythology, and it all gets a little muddy. Still, it’s a good book and I think I probably have it underrated a little bit here.
1994
Novel
Horror, fantasy
3/5
- Derry story
- Dark Tower story
Widower Ralph Roberts develops a terrible case of insomnia along with special powers that thrust him into a cosmic conflict.
This is by far the most important entry in the countdown so far. There is a ton that could be said about Insomnia. Probably most important is that outside of the novels that include the name, this is the most important book to the Dark Tower storyline. I won’t say more than that to avoid spoilers, but reading this is critical to appreciating that story.
There are a lot of other connections to King’s work here. Obviously, being set in Derry, there are multiple references to the events of It. There’s also a nice Pet Sematary Easter egg.
While this is probably one of King’s most important books, in terms of quality it is just ok. For the most part the story and the characters are pretty interesting. But for me it falls a little short of his great works for a couple of reasons. First, it is one of King’s plotted novels. Generally the author’s process is that he just starts writing and sees where things go. Rarely does he outline the entire plot of a novel before he starts writing, and I think when he does it always feels a little less natural (King himself agrees).
Second, this one tries to do too much. I generally like King’s books that are longer and have a lot of content. But it still needs to be tight. Here, there is the Dark Tower stuff, a bunch of stuff about aging, an exploration of domestic violence, call outs to Greek mythology, and it all gets a little muddy. Still, it’s a good book and I think I probably have it underrated a little bit here.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Yeah, there were about 3 different novels slammed together in this one and it didn't always work. It's a rough go if you're coming into King cold.
I actually thought the core story (Ralph and his lady) worked the best. But, as @turnjose7 says, if you really want to understand what King was doing with the Dark Tower series you should probably read this once.
I like the core story as well. It's interesting seeing him right from the perspective of older characters when he is known so much for writing from the perspective of kids.
The Longtime Lurker
Footballguy
Have read the Dark Tower series, haven't read Insomnia. Plus 1 to the summer reading list. Really cool thread and so much i haven't read already discussed. Going to have to take time to make time for a bunch of these. 
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I tend to like to read horror novels in the summer for some reason. I went to the used store the other day and grabbed Insomnia for $2.50. I had been gravitating to it the last couple visits and pulled the trigger.
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77. “Sneakers”
1989
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror
3/5
A music executive is perplexed to see the same pair of shoes under a bathroom stall day after day, seemingly never moving.
I guess I like this story a lot better than most. It isn’t typically considered one of King’s best short stories. But it is pretty creepy, and I think it has more depth than it is given credit for. While on the surface it is a ghost story, it’s really about a discontent man who has trouble acknowledging who he is. Mostly, it’s just a fun read.
1989
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror
3/5
A music executive is perplexed to see the same pair of shoes under a bathroom stall day after day, seemingly never moving.
I guess I like this story a lot better than most. It isn’t typically considered one of King’s best short stories. But it is pretty creepy, and I think it has more depth than it is given credit for. While on the surface it is a ghost story, it’s really about a discontent man who has trouble acknowledging who he is. Mostly, it’s just a fun read.
76. Christine
1983
Novel
Horror
3/5
A possessed car wreaks havoc on the citizens of a Pittsburgh suburb and on the mind of its young owner.
Among the King novels with a household name, Christine is one of my least favorite. There are certainly elements of it that I like. While the characters are not my favorite King characters, I do like the psychological toll the experience takes on Arnie Cunningham. But overall, the dialogue is weak compared to most King novels and some of the scenes involving the car, including the final confrontation, get a bit silly. There are a lot of memorable scenes that stick in my mind, but overall I was slightly disappointed here.
1983
Novel
Horror
3/5
A possessed car wreaks havoc on the citizens of a Pittsburgh suburb and on the mind of its young owner.
Among the King novels with a household name, Christine is one of my least favorite. There are certainly elements of it that I like. While the characters are not my favorite King characters, I do like the psychological toll the experience takes on Arnie Cunningham. But overall, the dialogue is weak compared to most King novels and some of the scenes involving the car, including the final confrontation, get a bit silly. There are a lot of memorable scenes that stick in my mind, but overall I was slightly disappointed here.
75. Riding the Bullet
2000
Novella from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5
A young man hitchhiking across Maine to see his ill mother has a terrifying experience in the car that picks him up.
If you want a story that will make you lose your faith in humanity, this is a good place to start. I won’t say much because I don’t want to spoil it, but the climax of this one goes to a pretty dark place. Nevertheless, the story itself is engrossing.
There is also a nice piece of trivia associated with this story. It was the first book to ever be published as a mass market e-book. 400,000 copies were downloaded in the first 24 hours.
2000
Novella from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5
A young man hitchhiking across Maine to see his ill mother has a terrifying experience in the car that picks him up.
If you want a story that will make you lose your faith in humanity, this is a good place to start. I won’t say much because I don’t want to spoil it, but the climax of this one goes to a pretty dark place. Nevertheless, the story itself is engrossing.
There is also a nice piece of trivia associated with this story. It was the first book to ever be published as a mass market e-book. 400,000 copies were downloaded in the first 24 hours.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I agree with just about all of this. I like the way King formatted the book and the rock-and-roll quotes at the chapter heads, but I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters.
zamboni
Footballguy
I liked the book, although to me definitely paled to many of the other big-time ones from the early part of his career. The movie adaptation also was decent enough - perhaps among the closest to the book plotline/characters among all his adaptations.
74. “Quitters, Inc.”
1978
Short story from Night Shift
Thriller, psychological horror, satire
2/5
A company uses extreme methods to “help” its customers quit smoking.
A lot could be said about “Quitter, Inc.” and it is probably one of the most analyzed of King’s early short stories. Replete with dark humor, it satirizes the self-help industry while painting a grim picture of the pain of addiction. Certainly, King’s own struggles with substance use were an influence here and obviously this is a subject that he addresses in many of his works, but this is perhaps his most effective exploration of that topic.
1978
Short story from Night Shift
Thriller, psychological horror, satire
2/5
A company uses extreme methods to “help” its customers quit smoking.
A lot could be said about “Quitter, Inc.” and it is probably one of the most analyzed of King’s early short stories. Replete with dark humor, it satirizes the self-help industry while painting a grim picture of the pain of addiction. Certainly, King’s own struggles with substance use were an influence here and obviously this is a subject that he addresses in many of his works, but this is perhaps his most effective exploration of that topic.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
Love this one.
73. “Popsy”
1993
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror
2/5
A gambler who gets involved in child trafficking to pay his debts regrets abducting one particular child when the kid’s grandfather shows up.
There is a connection between this story and another great story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes, “The Night Flier,” but I won’t elaborate in order to avoid spoilers. We have a nice twist here as we are obviously rooting against the child abductor, but as we learn more about Popsy it feels strange to be rooting for him. Ultimately, the ending leaves the reader feeling pretty satisfied.
1993
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror
2/5
A gambler who gets involved in child trafficking to pay his debts regrets abducting one particular child when the kid’s grandfather shows up.
There is a connection between this story and another great story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes, “The Night Flier,” but I won’t elaborate in order to avoid spoilers. We have a nice twist here as we are obviously rooting against the child abductor, but as we learn more about Popsy it feels strange to be rooting for him. Ultimately, the ending leaves the reader feeling pretty satisfied.
72. “The Mangler”
1972
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
2/5
A possessed laundry press machine becomes a homicidal, flesh-eating monster, terrorizing a small town.
Such a weird concept for a story. King did work at an industrial laundromat for a time, which is why that particular job seems to be a part of several of his stories. Blue Ribbon Laundry is not only featured here, but also in Carrie and Roadwork. As strange as this concept is, King somehow pulls it off and makes a legitimately interesting and scary story out of it.
1972
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
2/5
A possessed laundry press machine becomes a homicidal, flesh-eating monster, terrorizing a small town.
Such a weird concept for a story. King did work at an industrial laundromat for a time, which is why that particular job seems to be a part of several of his stories. Blue Ribbon Laundry is not only featured here, but also in Carrie and Roadwork. As strange as this concept is, King somehow pulls it off and makes a legitimately interesting and scary story out of it.
71. “1408”
1998
Short story from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5
A man who writes non-fiction accounts of reportedly haunted places, and is a paranormal skeptic himself, resolves to stay overnight in a hotel room that has been associated with multiple mysterious deaths.
“1408” isn’t very long compared to a lot of King’s stories, but there is a lot to it. There is some pretty interesting writing preceding Mike’s entry into the titular room. Once inside, the tone shifts a couple of times as the intensity builds. The sense of supernatural horror is palpable, but it’s the parallel development of psychological trauma that is probably more interesting.
Of note, this story was used in On Writing as an example of King’s writing process.
1998
Short story from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5
A man who writes non-fiction accounts of reportedly haunted places, and is a paranormal skeptic himself, resolves to stay overnight in a hotel room that has been associated with multiple mysterious deaths.
“1408” isn’t very long compared to a lot of King’s stories, but there is a lot to it. There is some pretty interesting writing preceding Mike’s entry into the titular room. Once inside, the tone shifts a couple of times as the intensity builds. The sense of supernatural horror is palpable, but it’s the parallel development of psychological trauma that is probably more interesting.
Of note, this story was used in On Writing as an example of King’s writing process.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
This is a really well-done short story. It's exactly as long as it needs to be - something King didn't always adhere to.
zamboni
Footballguy
Haven’t thought about this one in ages - definitely a creepy one from Night Shift.
Looking at the list more, I think I may have been premature in this post. It does seem to be true of the short stories, but in terms of novels there are still 2 or 3 that have enough good stuff to elevate them in the list but also have some weak parts. I'll point those out as we get to them.
70. “Home Delivery”
1989
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror, science fiction
2/5
A pregnant young woman confronts her fears while inhabitants of an offshore Maine island rally to fend off a zombie invasion.
I don’t think this is one of King’s more well-known stories, but it might be one of his most underrated. King isn’t known for zombie stories, but he apparently does them very well. This one has compelling, sympathetic characters that the reader becomes invested in and can really root for.
1989
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror, science fiction
2/5
A pregnant young woman confronts her fears while inhabitants of an offshore Maine island rally to fend off a zombie invasion.
I don’t think this is one of King’s more well-known stories, but it might be one of his most underrated. King isn’t known for zombie stories, but he apparently does them very well. This one has compelling, sympathetic characters that the reader becomes invested in and can really root for.
69. “I Am the Doorway”
1971
Short story from Night Shift
Horror, science fiction
2/5
An astronaut returns from a space mission mutated so that his body develops tiny eyeballs which serve as a link to a distant extraterrestrial civilization.
When I first read Night Shift, this was possibly the story that fascinated me the most. It is such an interesting and creepy concept. I’ve now read it multiple times and it remains one of my favorite stories in that collection.
1971
Short story from Night Shift
Horror, science fiction
2/5
An astronaut returns from a space mission mutated so that his body develops tiny eyeballs which serve as a link to a distant extraterrestrial civilization.
When I first read Night Shift, this was possibly the story that fascinated me the most. It is such an interesting and creepy concept. I’ve now read it multiple times and it remains one of my favorite stories in that collection.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
Cool thread. Thank you.
foxco
Footballguy
Love this one too. Man, Night Shift is freaking dark.
68. “Crouch End”
1980
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror
3/5
In a North London district where people occasionally vanish without a trace, a woman tries to convince authorities that her tales of fantastic, horrifying monsters are true.
This is King’s take on H.P. Lovecraft’s work and was first published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. Just a really solid horror story that leaves you feeling creepy the entire way.
1980
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror
3/5
In a North London district where people occasionally vanish without a trace, a woman tries to convince authorities that her tales of fantastic, horrifying monsters are true.
This is King’s take on H.P. Lovecraft’s work and was first published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. Just a really solid horror story that leaves you feeling creepy the entire way.
67. The Regulators
1996
Novel
Horror, western, science fiction
2/5
- Richard Bachman book
Inhabitants of a normal suburban street are terrorized by a posse of futuristic cops who kill anyone they see.
The Regulators is a companion novel to Desperation. The two books were released on the same day and feature many of the same characters, though in very different circumstances. Desperation was billed as being written by King himself, while The Regulators was reportedly written by Richard Bachman (the latter had supposedly “died,” by that time, but the preface indicates the manuscript was found by his widow).
This is probably one of King’s weirdest novels. In a way I like the strangeness of it, but I suspect there are some who would find it annoying. One thing that downgrades it a little for me is that it definitely does not feel like a typical Bachman novel; it’s too detached from reality. If you read it back-to-back with Desperation, though, it's a lot of fun.
1996
Novel
Horror, western, science fiction
2/5
- Richard Bachman book
Inhabitants of a normal suburban street are terrorized by a posse of futuristic cops who kill anyone they see.
The Regulators is a companion novel to Desperation. The two books were released on the same day and feature many of the same characters, though in very different circumstances. Desperation was billed as being written by King himself, while The Regulators was reportedly written by Richard Bachman (the latter had supposedly “died,” by that time, but the preface indicates the manuscript was found by his widow).
This is probably one of King’s weirdest novels. In a way I like the strangeness of it, but I suspect there are some who would find it annoying. One thing that downgrades it a little for me is that it definitely does not feel like a typical Bachman novel; it’s too detached from reality. If you read it back-to-back with Desperation, though, it's a lot of fun.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I liked the beginning of the companion novel better, but I like this one through to the end more. He was really getting into his "all things tie to the Tower" phase here.
66. “Autopsy Room Four”
1997
Short story from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5
- Derry story
A man regains consciousness in an autopsy room, finding that he is completely paralyzed and unable to signal the people about to begin examining him.
The concept here is certainly terrifying. It is based on the short story "Breakdown" by Louis Pollock, though with King’s own unique twist. There is certainly some great suspense here, but more than anything the story is darkly humorous, particularly at the end.
1997
Short story from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5
- Derry story
A man regains consciousness in an autopsy room, finding that he is completely paralyzed and unable to signal the people about to begin examining him.
The concept here is certainly terrifying. It is based on the short story "Breakdown" by Louis Pollock, though with King’s own unique twist. There is certainly some great suspense here, but more than anything the story is darkly humorous, particularly at the end.
65. Rose Madder
1995
Novel
Horror, dark fantasy, thriller
2/5
After years of domestic abuse, Rosie Daniels finally escapes from her police officer husband only to be relentlessly pursued by him across the country as he becomes increasingly unstable and even more violent.
Early in his career, King faced criticism for being weak at writing female characters. This always seemed like a lame criticism to me given Carrie White, Mother Abigail, Charlie McGee, Sandra Stansfield, Stella Flanders, Annie Wilkes, etc. Nevertheless, in the early 1990’s he made a definite effort to feature strong female characters more prominently, starting with companion novels Gerald’s Game and Delores Claiborne, and following up a few years later with Rose Madder.
All three novels are more rooted in realism and everyday horror than his typical work. But Rose Madder breaks away from this and features a lot more supernatural elements as it progresses. I think this is unfortunate as the beginning of this novel is absolutely gripping, but it loses steam toward the end with fantastical elements which are ok, but fairly uninteresting by King standards.
1995
Novel
Horror, dark fantasy, thriller
2/5
After years of domestic abuse, Rosie Daniels finally escapes from her police officer husband only to be relentlessly pursued by him across the country as he becomes increasingly unstable and even more violent.
Early in his career, King faced criticism for being weak at writing female characters. This always seemed like a lame criticism to me given Carrie White, Mother Abigail, Charlie McGee, Sandra Stansfield, Stella Flanders, Annie Wilkes, etc. Nevertheless, in the early 1990’s he made a definite effort to feature strong female characters more prominently, starting with companion novels Gerald’s Game and Delores Claiborne, and following up a few years later with Rose Madder.
All three novels are more rooted in realism and everyday horror than his typical work. But Rose Madder breaks away from this and features a lot more supernatural elements as it progresses. I think this is unfortunate as the beginning of this novel is absolutely gripping, but it loses steam toward the end with fantastical elements which are ok, but fairly uninteresting by King standards.
64. The Running Man
1982
Novel
Thriller, dystopian
1/5
- Richard Bachman book
- Derry story
In a dystopian future, desperate husband Ben Richards enters a televised contest in which he must avoid being killed by trained hunters in order to win money for his family.
This was the second story I ever read by King. The last of the Bachman books before his pseudonym was publicly exposed, it fleshes out the dystopian future that is glimpsed in other works like Roadwork. It’s a great story and really well written, though it is pretty bleak. For those who have seen the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, it bears little resemblance to that. It does, however, contain a rare Bachman connection to King’s larger world as a key scene takes place in Derry (this work precedes the publication of, but not the writing of, It and is actually the first mention of King’s famous town outside of an excerpt from that novel that was published as the short story "The Bird and the Album").
1982
Novel
Thriller, dystopian
1/5
- Richard Bachman book
- Derry story
In a dystopian future, desperate husband Ben Richards enters a televised contest in which he must avoid being killed by trained hunters in order to win money for his family.
This was the second story I ever read by King. The last of the Bachman books before his pseudonym was publicly exposed, it fleshes out the dystopian future that is glimpsed in other works like Roadwork. It’s a great story and really well written, though it is pretty bleak. For those who have seen the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, it bears little resemblance to that. It does, however, contain a rare Bachman connection to King’s larger world as a key scene takes place in Derry (this work precedes the publication of, but not the writing of, It and is actually the first mention of King’s famous town outside of an excerpt from that novel that was published as the short story "The Bird and the Album").
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
This one lost me in the back half. I finished it, but it wasn't so much to see what would happen next as it was to get it over with. I agree with you that the opening however-many pages were really good, though. I feel like this is one of those ideas that would've been better as a short story or a novella.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Yeah, if you've only seen the 1980s film you may not recognize anything other than the title and some character names if you read this. I think they are remaking the movie (with Glenn Powell in the lead, maybe?) that is supposed to stick much closer to the book. The '80s movie was fun in an '80s way (& Richard Dawson killed in his role), but it was basically a live action cartoon. The book is not that.
63. The Sun Dog
1990
Novella from Four Past Midnight
Horror
3/5
- Castle Rock story
A boy receives a Polaroid camera as a gift, only to find it is a gateway to horror.
Four Past Midnight is probably not as well-known as some of King’s other collections, but it is one of his best. All four novellas that comprise it are very good even if none rises to the level of being among his greatest works. Of the four, The Sun Dog is probably the least interesting since it has the simplest story and not as much happens, but it is still solid. It also is important in terms of introducing additional details about the town of Castle Rock including “Pop” Merrill’s shop The Emporium Galorium (though the shop had briefly been mentioned in Pet Sematary). In fact, King considered The Dark Half, The Sun Dog, and Needful Things, to be the “Castle Rock Trilogy,” so if you are a fan of those two longer novels, The Sun Dog is required reading.
1990
Novella from Four Past Midnight
Horror
3/5
- Castle Rock story
A boy receives a Polaroid camera as a gift, only to find it is a gateway to horror.
Four Past Midnight is probably not as well-known as some of King’s other collections, but it is one of his best. All four novellas that comprise it are very good even if none rises to the level of being among his greatest works. Of the four, The Sun Dog is probably the least interesting since it has the simplest story and not as much happens, but it is still solid. It also is important in terms of introducing additional details about the town of Castle Rock including “Pop” Merrill’s shop The Emporium Galorium (though the shop had briefly been mentioned in Pet Sematary). In fact, King considered The Dark Half, The Sun Dog, and Needful Things, to be the “Castle Rock Trilogy,” so if you are a fan of those two longer novels, The Sun Dog is required reading.
62. “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling”
1999
Short story from Hearts in Atlantis
Magical realism
1/5
Bobby Garfield returns to his hometown to attend a friend’s funeral.
The final story in Hearts in Atlantis brings closure to several plot lines from earlier in the collection. If you have seen the movie, the book ending is a little different and a little better in my opinion. Honestly, there isn’t a ton to this story, and I expect some wouldn’t rank it nearly so high. Maybe, I’m just a softie, but I like the somewhat hopeful ending we are given here after a lot of disappointment and tragedy earlier in the book. The title is a reference to The Platters' 1958 song "Twilight Time".
1999
Short story from Hearts in Atlantis
Magical realism
1/5
Bobby Garfield returns to his hometown to attend a friend’s funeral.
The final story in Hearts in Atlantis brings closure to several plot lines from earlier in the collection. If you have seen the movie, the book ending is a little different and a little better in my opinion. Honestly, there isn’t a ton to this story, and I expect some wouldn’t rank it nearly so high. Maybe, I’m just a softie, but I like the somewhat hopeful ending we are given here after a lot of disappointment and tragedy earlier in the book. The title is a reference to The Platters' 1958 song "Twilight Time".
61. “The Reach”
1981
Short story from Skeleton Crew
Fantasy
1/5
An elderly woman who has lived her entire life on an island and never set foot on the mainland determines that her last act will be to cross “The Reach.”
Based on an actual person that King had heard about, this story was first published under the title "Do the Dead Sing?". Not scary at all, this excellent story nevertheless explores interesting questions of life and death and the passage of time, and has some beautiful writing with lovely imagery.
1981
Short story from Skeleton Crew
Fantasy
1/5
An elderly woman who has lived her entire life on an island and never set foot on the mainland determines that her last act will be to cross “The Reach.”
Based on an actual person that King had heard about, this story was first published under the title "Do the Dead Sing?". Not scary at all, this excellent story nevertheless explores interesting questions of life and death and the passage of time, and has some beautiful writing with lovely imagery.
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