Status
Checked out
Due April 16, 2024
Call number
Publication
Scribner (First Edition)
Pages
495
Description
"A master storyteller at his best--the O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King delivers a generous collection of stories, several of them brand-new, featuring revelatory autobiographical comments on when, why, and how he came to write (or rewrite) each story. Since his first collection, Nightshift, published thirty-five years ago, Stephen King has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of short fiction. In this new collection he assembles, for the first time, recent stories that have never been published in a book. He introduces each with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it. There are thrilling connections between stories; themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. "Afterlife" is about a man who died of colon cancer and keeps reliving the same life, repeating his mistakes over and over again. Several stories feature characters at the end of life, revisiting their crimes and misdemeanors. Other stories address what happens when someone discovers that he has supernatural powers--the columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries in "Obits;" the old judge in "The Dune" who, as a boy, canoed to a deserted island and saw names written in the sand, the names of people who then died in freak accidents. In "Morality," King looks at how a marriage and two lives fall apart after the wife and husband enter into what seems, at first, a devil's pact they can win. Magnificent, eerie, utterly compelling, these stories comprise one of King's finest gifts to his constant reader--"I made them especially for you," says King. "Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.""-- "From a master of the short story, a collection that includes stories never before in print, never published in America, never collected and brand new- with the magnificent bones of interstitial autobiographical comments on when, why and how Stephen King came to write each story"--… (more)
Description
Table of Contents:
Mile 81
Premium harmony
Batman and Robin have an altercation
The dune
Bad little kid
A death
The bone church
Morality
Afterlife
Ur
Herman Wouk is still alive
Under the weather
Blockade Billy
Mister Yummy
Tommy
The little green god of agony
That bus is another world
Obits
Drunken fireworks
Summer thunder.
Mile 81
Premium harmony
Batman and Robin have an altercation
The dune
Bad little kid
A death
The bone church
Morality
Afterlife
Ur
Herman Wouk is still alive
Under the weather
Blockade Billy
Mister Yummy
Tommy
The little green god of agony
That bus is another world
Obits
Drunken fireworks
Summer thunder.
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-11-03
Physical description
495 p.; 9.6 inches
ISBN
9781501111679
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member ecataldi
A huge collection of Stephen King short stories, some are horror filled, some have a hell of a plot twist, some are creepy, and others just make you think. There's a little something for everyone, especially the dedicated King fan. He writes an introduction for each story and talks about when he
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wrote it and what his inspiration was; it really added to the overall feel for each story. Some stories were better than others but it didn't subtract from the overall awesomeness of the collection; King is a master storyteller and his character building is literally out of this world. I hear the audiobook is amazing and I wouldn't mind checking that out as well. For fans of horror, short stories, and the macabre. Show Less
LibraryThing member adpaton
Stephen King is my favourite author – he also writes pretty well: in terms of sheer likeability though he reveals himself to be exactly the sort you’d want as a friend, someone to share a bottle with while talking the world to rights.
King introduces every short story with an anecdotal
Bazaar of Bad Dreams does contain a few nasties though: Obits combines humour, discomfort and the digital media in an unbeatable medley; Mile 81 is vintage King, full of mechanical malevolence, and The Little Green God of Agony will resonate strongly with anyone who has chronic pain.
This collection reflects the fact Stephen King has lived his life to the full, exploring topics like old age, music, addiction, morality, and mortality. But don’t expect a relaxing read – as the author himself says of his stories: “The best of them have teeth”.
King introduces every short story with an anecdotal
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explanation of what inspired that particular tale, and generally it’s something to which we can all relate - especially now he has moved past the horror stories that made him famous.Bazaar of Bad Dreams does contain a few nasties though: Obits combines humour, discomfort and the digital media in an unbeatable medley; Mile 81 is vintage King, full of mechanical malevolence, and The Little Green God of Agony will resonate strongly with anyone who has chronic pain.
This collection reflects the fact Stephen King has lived his life to the full, exploring topics like old age, music, addiction, morality, and mortality. But don’t expect a relaxing read – as the author himself says of his stories: “The best of them have teeth”.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SharonMariaBidwell
Proves what I’ve always said, that King is labelled wrongly as a horror writer. He’s a storyteller. I can see where some may label this collection as self-indulgent but then, as a storyteller, he no doubt wants to share these tales and has earned some forbearance. Not that there’s no other
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reason to read this collection. I liked it. I didn’t adore it, but some stories I liked more than others, a few I loved, and there were none I hated. Short story collections are books I dip in and out of and often take me weeks, even months to complete, while I soar through novels, but I found King’s writing here so familiar and familiarly ‘comfortable’, I finished the book off without setting it aside. Some stories are a tad silly, some fun, some questioning…I wouldn’t say any are scary but then I’m seldom scared by King’s work, or by anyone’s, so I’m not singling him out in that regard. As a ‘constant reader’ adding this to my bookshelves was a no-brainer and while it’s not the best of his work, I wasn’t disappointed. Show Less
LibraryThing member nancyewhite
The joy in reading this is largely in the introduction King writes for each story. They are funny and interesting. I also happen to like his voice when he is writing directly to the Dear Reader. That being said, the stories were a bit uneven for me. Some were fantastic. Others not so much.
The Dune
The Dune
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may be in the top five of my favorite King short stories. I loved it so much I had to come home and tell the story of an old man editing his will to my partner and son. Bad Little Kid was also great. Blockade Billy was a wonderful baseball story with a Stephen King twist. Morality and Herman Wouk is Still Alive were dark, dark, dark. I disliked Drunken Fireworks greatly and admit that I skimmed the poetry. Show Less
LibraryThing member ozzieslim
I am definitely a reader-come-lately to Stephen King. I read my first King novel in my twenties and it was literally years before I read another. Not because I didn't enjoy it but because I was hung up on the idea that King was a “horror” writer. I was wrong and I wish the marketing people had
This is a book of short stories. Each one is prefaced with an introduction in which King discusses when it was written, the story behind how he came up with the ideas in the story, how it reflects on other work he has written and a host of other observations. There are also some insightful thoughts on writing as an art and a craft and how other writers have influenced this authors work.
There is something for everyone in this collection and for those who enjoy short stories and can appreciate the difficulty in this style of writing, those readers will be richly rewarded. There are also great lessons for writers and this book is like having a master class in short fiction at hand.
Among my favorites, and there were many because very few of the stories in this volume fall short of the mark, were the following:
“Bad Little Kid” - the quintessential story of an imp whose lifelong mission is the commission of trouble for one man.
“Mile 81” - for those that enjoyed “Christine” a different take on a car as evil.
“Afterlife”- a meditation on dying and reincarnation
“Ur” - for anyone who loves books and believes e-readers are the devil's tool, this one is thoroughly wonderful! It makes me love my Nook even more. I am waiting to find the Ur menu and archive!!
“Blockade Billy” - for the baseball and sports buffs.
“Mister Yummy” - a great snapshot of old age and the world of AIDS. And yes, Mr. King, you're right...you don't have to be gay to write well and with insight and respect about the gay experience. Bravo!
“Tommy” - one of two poems that King included in this volume.
“Obits” - a secret power that we sometimes we wish we might possess but could also spell disaster.
“Drunken Fireworks” - are there any other kind? I laughed all the way through this one. It is such a true observation of human beings and the way they interact. And drink! And light off fireworks!
I was given this book as a gift and what a wonderful gift. I read as often as possible. Many times late at night and there were at least a few nights when I could barely keep my eyes open but I didn't want to put the book down. I had to wrest it from my partners hands. She is a King reader from way back and now that I am not obsessing about her ruining it for me, she can finally get her hands on it. She did manage to sneak in one story and keeps asking “Are you done yet?”
Readers who love Stephen King won't be disappointed and readers who are not normally King readers, I encourage you to explore him as a writer. You will be pleasantly surprised and probably a convert. The good news? King has a huge volume of work so converts will not have to wait impatiently for the next book. We have a lot of catching up to do!
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done a better job of placing King in the hands of readers because he is a very, very entertaining writer and his subject matter is so much broader than horror. He is a writer who explores the human condition.This is a book of short stories. Each one is prefaced with an introduction in which King discusses when it was written, the story behind how he came up with the ideas in the story, how it reflects on other work he has written and a host of other observations. There are also some insightful thoughts on writing as an art and a craft and how other writers have influenced this authors work.
There is something for everyone in this collection and for those who enjoy short stories and can appreciate the difficulty in this style of writing, those readers will be richly rewarded. There are also great lessons for writers and this book is like having a master class in short fiction at hand.
Among my favorites, and there were many because very few of the stories in this volume fall short of the mark, were the following:
“Bad Little Kid” - the quintessential story of an imp whose lifelong mission is the commission of trouble for one man.
“Mile 81” - for those that enjoyed “Christine” a different take on a car as evil.
“Afterlife”- a meditation on dying and reincarnation
“Ur” - for anyone who loves books and believes e-readers are the devil's tool, this one is thoroughly wonderful! It makes me love my Nook even more. I am waiting to find the Ur menu and archive!!
“Blockade Billy” - for the baseball and sports buffs.
“Mister Yummy” - a great snapshot of old age and the world of AIDS. And yes, Mr. King, you're right...you don't have to be gay to write well and with insight and respect about the gay experience. Bravo!
“Tommy” - one of two poems that King included in this volume.
“Obits” - a secret power that we sometimes we wish we might possess but could also spell disaster.
“Drunken Fireworks” - are there any other kind? I laughed all the way through this one. It is such a true observation of human beings and the way they interact. And drink! And light off fireworks!
I was given this book as a gift and what a wonderful gift. I read as often as possible. Many times late at night and there were at least a few nights when I could barely keep my eyes open but I didn't want to put the book down. I had to wrest it from my partners hands. She is a King reader from way back and now that I am not obsessing about her ruining it for me, she can finally get her hands on it. She did manage to sneak in one story and keeps asking “Are you done yet?”
Readers who love Stephen King won't be disappointed and readers who are not normally King readers, I encourage you to explore him as a writer. You will be pleasantly surprised and probably a convert. The good news? King has a huge volume of work so converts will not have to wait impatiently for the next book. We have a lot of catching up to do!
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LibraryThing member hubblegal
Having been a Constant Reader of Mr. King’s for a very long time, I’ve been highly anticipating this collection of short stories. And I wasn’t in the slightest disappointed with this presentation. Although there were a few stories that weren’t new to me, Mr. King’s work is worth a second
“Batman and Robin Have an Altercation” is a heartfelt story of a man visiting his father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and the unexpected turn that a road rage incident takes. “Morality” is an insightful study of the lure that sin can sometimes have on mankind. “Herman Wouk is Still Alive” was a truly depressing but fascinating tale made more so as it was based on a true incident. Although “Under the Weather” didn’t have a surprise ending as you could see it coming almost from the start, it was such a sad, moving tale. “The Little Green God of Agony” was a truly scary story with a perfect ending. In my opinion, “Summer Thunder” was one of the most touching apocalypse stories I’ve ever read.
I also very much enjoyed that each story was preceded by a short commentary written by the author as to his inspiration for the story. While these comments were geared toward other authors, they gave a lot of insight into the author’s work.
Mr. King packs a lot of punch into each tightly drawn short story and I enjoyed each and every one of them. As usual with his work, the book went by much too quickly. Fortunately, he’s a prolific author and his next book is due in less than a year. Highly recommended to those who enjoy O’Henry-type books with a bite.
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read, and there were many more new ones than those previously read. He has always been a connoisseur of character development and he’s at the height of his profession with these masterful characterizations. “Batman and Robin Have an Altercation” is a heartfelt story of a man visiting his father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s and the unexpected turn that a road rage incident takes. “Morality” is an insightful study of the lure that sin can sometimes have on mankind. “Herman Wouk is Still Alive” was a truly depressing but fascinating tale made more so as it was based on a true incident. Although “Under the Weather” didn’t have a surprise ending as you could see it coming almost from the start, it was such a sad, moving tale. “The Little Green God of Agony” was a truly scary story with a perfect ending. In my opinion, “Summer Thunder” was one of the most touching apocalypse stories I’ve ever read.
I also very much enjoyed that each story was preceded by a short commentary written by the author as to his inspiration for the story. While these comments were geared toward other authors, they gave a lot of insight into the author’s work.
Mr. King packs a lot of punch into each tightly drawn short story and I enjoyed each and every one of them. As usual with his work, the book went by much too quickly. Fortunately, he’s a prolific author and his next book is due in less than a year. Highly recommended to those who enjoy O’Henry-type books with a bite.
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LibraryThing member jules72653
I love me some Stephen King short stories! His novels tend to be wordy but he is forced to use just the right quantity of words in his short stories. There was only one story that I really DISliked. The rest were either good or great!
LibraryThing member bearlyr
The only thing possibly better than a Stephen King book is a collection of his short stories! This collection has it all... from a car more monstrous than "Christine" to the end of the world. Mr. King, once again, does NOT disappoint! This is a must read for any fan!
LibraryThing member Iira
Time and again I say I don't like short stories and time and again I give a collection of short stories praise and a high rating. So, I'll just stop saying I don't like short stories. This one was again a great collection of selected stories from one of my favorite horror writers, always a delight
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to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
In many ways, horror works best when it's not too drawn out an experience. Layering on the suspense often results in my feeling like it's just all too unlikely, the kiss of death for that genre. Stephen King is the master of horror, but even his books tend to be less tightly written than they could
Here, with The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, King collects some stories published elsewhere, from Blockade Billy, which was published as a novella in 2010, to Ur, which he wrote as a kindle single. [Ur] was, by far, my favorite in the collection, because of the premise of the story, in which a college professor orders a kindle and receives the wrong kind, one which gives the owner the option of downloading books by authors from parallel universes, of which there are millions. So in one ur, Hemingway didn't write [The Sun Also Rises], but did write two novels he didn't write in this ur, and you could download those two novels for a few dollars each. Of course, this being King, the magical kindle has a distinct downside.
I enjoyed the stories in this collection, and while there are stories I'll remember more than others, there wasn't a dud in the book.
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be. His short stories, however, never fail to hit their mark. Of course, for Stephen King, the definition of short story is loose, with many of his best edging over into novella territory, but with need to keep the story as concise as possible results in King's most effective writing. Here, with The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, King collects some stories published elsewhere, from Blockade Billy, which was published as a novella in 2010, to Ur, which he wrote as a kindle single. [Ur] was, by far, my favorite in the collection, because of the premise of the story, in which a college professor orders a kindle and receives the wrong kind, one which gives the owner the option of downloading books by authors from parallel universes, of which there are millions. So in one ur, Hemingway didn't write [The Sun Also Rises], but did write two novels he didn't write in this ur, and you could download those two novels for a few dollars each. Of course, this being King, the magical kindle has a distinct downside.
I enjoyed the stories in this collection, and while there are stories I'll remember more than others, there wasn't a dud in the book.
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LibraryThing member jrthebutler
A collection of short stories. Favorites include UR, Morality, Obits, and Drunken Fireworks.
LibraryThing member SebastianHagelstein
A collection of short stories that I overall enjoyed. I'm glad that they were a mix of supernatural horror stories and plausible thrillers. The twists in a lot of the stories were great. And I liked that some of the stories were just straight stories without twists.
LibraryThing member DYanishevsky
Ok I'm going to admit it, I didn't finish this book. I seriously just could not get into it. I have yet to figure out what everyone sees in Stephen King's writing. I really wanted to like this book but I honestly didn't.
LibraryThing member arielfl
I nice mix bag of horror stories from the master. The majority of stories have been published before but they were all fresh to me except for Drunken Fireworks which was released as an audio only story several months ago. My favorite stories included the one about the sand dune with the doomed upon
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it and the one about the bad boy. On the down side he included two stories where he the dog died. You cannot kill dogs Mr. King, only people! All in all not as great as some of his other anthologies but it's Stephen King so it was still a fun read none the less. Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
I am unabashedly a Stephen King fan. That doesn't mean I love all his works – some work for me and some don't quite hit the mark. The same is true of this book of short stories. There were some I loved and some that were entertaining but I didn't love. And I disliked the one where dogs do not
Mile 81 is classic King, a good, ol' horror story, with monsters and gore and brave children. Some, like Drunken Fireworks, are more about the nature of people.
I love how Mr. King explained how he came to write each story, what and who influenced it. To me, those pages were as entertaining as the stories.
Anyone familiar with Stephen King's writing (and who isn't to some degree?) knows he can write big doorstopper books. This book of stories shows again that he is just as talented with shorter tales.
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fare well. But that is just me – I can separate fact from fiction when bad things happen to people, but I don't do that when it comes to animals. There was another where the dog didn't fare well, and that one hurt to read, but it was a good story, and I appreciated it anyway.Mile 81 is classic King, a good, ol' horror story, with monsters and gore and brave children. Some, like Drunken Fireworks, are more about the nature of people.
I love how Mr. King explained how he came to write each story, what and who influenced it. To me, those pages were as entertaining as the stories.
Anyone familiar with Stephen King's writing (and who isn't to some degree?) knows he can write big doorstopper books. This book of stories shows again that he is just as talented with shorter tales.
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LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
I just finished it, and I'm sad that it's done. A very entertaining and engaging collection! I'd read quite a few of these before, and it was not at all a bummer to read them again. And the book ends with a perfect last story! I also enjoyed very much "The Dune", "Under the Weather", and "Obits".
"Blockade Billy". I wrote it May of 2010 when it was released as a book (!!!), "I would give 1/2 a star for the value of this book. At a cover price of $14.99 it is waaaay over priced!" I felt at the time it was a short story that was sold to us King addicts at a ridiculous price! And it is only 40 pages in this collection! We got totally ripped off back then! Is that any way to treat us Constant Readers? Gee whiz man, how much money is enough!
Ok, rant done. I actually adore "Blockade Billy" and am just grumpy that I got gouged. It's a great story, and this is a great collection, even the Kindle advertisement! Keep writing them Uncle Stevie, and I'll keep reading them! But as for buying them... well, this was the first new King book I didn't buy! Thanks public library!
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But, I do have two "beefs", both having more to do with the business of selling books/stories than the tales themselves. Of the story "Ur", I wrote in March of 2009, "It felt like a long written advertisement for Amazon!" And it still does! I hate to say this about my all time favorite author, but it reads like a cash grab and an artist "selling out". And then there's "Blockade Billy". I wrote it May of 2010 when it was released as a book (!!!), "I would give 1/2 a star for the value of this book. At a cover price of $14.99 it is waaaay over priced!" I felt at the time it was a short story that was sold to us King addicts at a ridiculous price! And it is only 40 pages in this collection! We got totally ripped off back then! Is that any way to treat us Constant Readers? Gee whiz man, how much money is enough!
Ok, rant done. I actually adore "Blockade Billy" and am just grumpy that I got gouged. It's a great story, and this is a great collection, even the Kindle advertisement! Keep writing them Uncle Stevie, and I'll keep reading them! But as for buying them... well, this was the first new King book I didn't buy! Thanks public library!
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LibraryThing member DrApple
Like all of King's short story collections, some of these were wonderful and some just weren't my taste. I particularly loved "Mister Yummy" with its cast of senior characters. King's writing is, as always, flawless.
LibraryThing member BillieBook
Uncle Stevie does it again with another brilliant, wide-ranging collection of short fiction. Not every story worked for me as a reader, but every story worked.
LibraryThing member Carol420
From Book Cover:
Since his first collection, Nightshift, published thirty-five years ago, Stephen King has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of short fiction. In this new collection he assembles, for the first time, recent stories that have never been published in a book. He introduces
My Thoughts:
An absolutely excellent collection of short stories...an enjoyable gift to all Stephen King fans. But be aware that like all collective things there will be some the reader absolutely loves...some that are just okay...and some that the reader could have just by-passed and some people will do just that. No matter what your likes and dislikes about this offering you will have to agree that King is still the master of the macabre. He should write a story about leaving his brain and imagination to science. 4 stars because I liked more than i didn't.
Since his first collection, Nightshift, published thirty-five years ago, Stephen King has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of short fiction. In this new collection he assembles, for the first time, recent stories that have never been published in a book. He introduces
Show More
each with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it. There are thrilling connections between stories; themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. “Afterlife” is about a man who died of colon cancer and keeps reliving the same life, repeating his mistakes over and over again. Several stories feature characters at the end of life, revisiting their crimes and misdemeanors. Other stories address what happens when someone discovers that he has supernatural powers—the columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries in “Obits;” the old judge in “The Dune” who, as a boy, canoed to a deserted island and saw names written in the sand, the names of people who then died in freak accidents. In “Morality,” King looks at how a marriage and two lives fall apart after the wife and husband enter into what seems, at first, a devil’s pact they can win. Magnificent, eerie, utterly compelling, these stories comprise one of King’s finest gifts to his constant reader—“I made them especially for you,” says King. “Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.”My Thoughts:
An absolutely excellent collection of short stories...an enjoyable gift to all Stephen King fans. But be aware that like all collective things there will be some the reader absolutely loves...some that are just okay...and some that the reader could have just by-passed and some people will do just that. No matter what your likes and dislikes about this offering you will have to agree that King is still the master of the macabre. He should write a story about leaving his brain and imagination to science. 4 stars because I liked more than i didn't.
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LibraryThing member rglossne
Stephen King's short fiction is always entertaining. Here there are some stories with elements of horror or the supernatural, but most are about people confronting questions of life, death, and morality. I especially liked his introductory paragraphs, where King gives hints about where the story
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may have come from. Thoroughly enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member JeffV
The is a collection of short stories and novellas, some new, some updated versions of stories previously published. Not all of them really fit into the "horror" genre, and there's a few that might make good Twilight Zone episodes. One recurring theme involves age -- either dealing with people that
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have dementia or other elderly issues, or reminiscing about events (real or imagined) that occurred in the '60's. Methinks Stevie is starting to feel the specter of old age, but he is embracing it the best way he knows how, by spinning mostly entertaining stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member phoenixcomet
Stephen King's latest round of short stories are all good reads, covering a variety of topics done in a variety of styles and some with a little supernatural twist. Quick reads, and a packed volume.
LibraryThing member klarsenmd
Great short fiction from a master. Even though I have previously read a few of these, it was great having them all in one collection. The intros to each were a sweet little bonus as well.
LibraryThing member wearylibrarian
If you are looking for Classic King you may be disappointed in this book. The short stories run hot and cold. There are a few that are pure King but others leave you wondering what happened-and who actually wrote these stories. The endings are abrupt and confusing.
LibraryThing member flourgirl49
This is another brilliant collection of short stories, but I'm quite biased since I love Stephen King - always have, always will.
Awards
Shirley Jackson Award (Winner — Collection — 2015)
RUSA CODES Listen List (Selection — 2017)
Call number
FIC G Kin