This book was given to me as a Christmas gift about two years ago. It’s a collection of short stories that deal with themes such as death, fate and the past. And while Stephen King is generally known for writing horror, he also writes in the vein of poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and this book was a good blend of all three.
There were some horror elements thrown in there, especially with stories such as Summer Thunder. Or it at least felt horrific to me because it sent a very powerful message about humanity and the way we’re headed. There were other stories as well such as The Little Green God of Agony and Under the Weather that had creepy elements to them but were not as scary as his other works like The Shining.
I found a lot of the stories quite funny, too. Batman and Robin Have an Altercation is one that is hilarious, especially because of its title alone and Drunken Fireworks gives you a pretty good idea of what’s to come.
Overall, it’s a great collection of stories and a side of King’s writing that I hadn’t seen before. It showed me that he is truly a gifted writer with the ability to write on many different themes. Throughout it all though, he still maintains that element of horror because each story unsettles you in some way.
If you’re a fan of Stephen King and interested in some of his short stories (some that have never before been published and that he’s revisited), then I would recommend this book. Another cool part of the collection is that he prefaces each piece with an explanatory note about what inspired him to write it at the time.
Just as I was finishing this book, I also happened to coincidentally find the trailer for The Dark Tower. Maybe the universe is telling me I need to read more Stephen King books? 😉
Are you a Stephen King fan? What are some of your favourite books or short stories by him?
Creative Writing For Me 