Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
It's all good, but oh...The Dune. The book is worth it for this story alone.
Classic Stephen, desperation in suburbia. Too many dogs died for my taste but there’s some real gems in here. Loved the opening story about the scary alien car.
I purchased the audio book for this title because I was planning a road trip. I'm so glad I did! Stephen King talks in between stories about how he came up with them, etc. Awesome set!
This was not my favorite collection of Stephen King stories, but I still enjoyed it. I love that he wrote a little introduction to each story which described the inspiration for the story or some little insight about it. I wish he did this with everything he wrote. My favorite story was probably "Blockade Billy" which was a baseball story with a Stephen King twist. What I liked about it was that there was nothing supernatural about it at all - just a totally real, crazy whackjob of a villain. Oh, and "Bad Little Kid" was another good one - classic Stephen King kind of stuff.
dark
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A book of short stories by the King himself? Yes, please. I enjoyed quite a few of these stores but others just didn’t hit the mark. The good ones definitely outnumbered the bad though.
A decent collection, if uneven. Two great stories and a lot of really good ones, but also a ton of meh along with my least favorite novella, Morality.
Mile 81 (2011) 3.5 Stars
A cool take on the monster car. I actually wish it was longer.
"Premium Harmony" (2009) 2 Stars
I just got nothing from this. I guess it’s about how feelings change after a death, but yeah, nothing.
"Batman and Robin Have an Altercation" (2012) 2.5 Stars
It starts off well enough, but the end is a bit of a wreck.
"The Dune" (2011) 3 Stars
The end saves it.
"Bad Little Kid" (2015) 1 Stars
Just, what? I hated this one, and I didn’t get much out of it.
"A Death" (2015) 3.5 Stars
One can’t always trust their gut. Heh.
"The Bone Church" (2009) 2 Stars
Poetry is not my thing, and I prefer Browning or Kipling to this.
Morality (2009) 1 Star
Wow, a slippery slope version of morality. Ugh.
"Afterlife" (2013) 3.5 Stars
I struggle with King’s conception of “living life again” as a punishment for minor evil, but I like it overall. You can actually find another version of this on the Levar Burton Reads podcast. It’s a good listen.
Ur (2009) 3.5 Stars
Can’t really escape being a commercial, but it’s a neat commercial.
"Herman Wouk Is Still Alive" (2011) 3.5 Stars
Good slice of life.
"Under the Weather" (2011) 3.5 Stars
A pretty disturbing little tale about human love and the unwillingness to accept change.
“Blockade Billy” (2010) 2.5 Stars
The crime story is cool. The baseball is boring.
"Mister Yummy" (2015) 4 Stars
I actually really ended up enjoying this one. Death is something that many grapple with throughout their lives, and I like the perspective here.
"Tommy" (2010) 3 Stars
Poetry is just not really my thing.
"The Little Green God of Agony" (2011) 3.5 Stars
Weird, but definitely enjoyable.
"That Bus Is Another World" (2014) 2 Stars
Another one where I just didn’t really enjoy or get anything from it.
"Obits" (2015) 4 Stars
Cool idea, cool execution. A really fun one all around.
"Drunken Fireworks" (2015) 3.5 Stars
It’s a bit silly, but the idea gets at the general exuberance and danger of holidays and the feelings they stir.
"Summer Thunder" (2013) 3.5 Stars
Bleak and something that has been done before, by King even, but it’s well told, and I enjoyed it.
Mile 81 (2011) 3.5 Stars
A cool take on the monster car. I actually wish it was longer.
"Premium Harmony" (2009) 2 Stars
I just got nothing from this. I guess it’s about how feelings change after a death, but yeah, nothing.
"Batman and Robin Have an Altercation" (2012) 2.5 Stars
It starts off well enough, but the end is a bit of a wreck.
"The Dune" (2011) 3 Stars
The end saves it.
"Bad Little Kid" (2015) 1 Stars
Just, what? I hated this one, and I didn’t get much out of it.
"A Death" (2015) 3.5 Stars
One can’t always trust their gut. Heh.
"The Bone Church" (2009) 2 Stars
Poetry is not my thing, and I prefer Browning or Kipling to this.
Morality (2009) 1 Star
Wow, a slippery slope version of morality. Ugh.
"Afterlife" (2013) 3.5 Stars
I struggle with King’s conception of “living life again” as a punishment for minor evil, but I like it overall. You can actually find another version of this on the Levar Burton Reads podcast. It’s a good listen.
Ur (2009) 3.5 Stars
Can’t really escape being a commercial, but it’s a neat commercial.
"Herman Wouk Is Still Alive" (2011) 3.5 Stars
Good slice of life.
"Under the Weather" (2011) 3.5 Stars
A pretty disturbing little tale about human love and the unwillingness to accept change.
“Blockade Billy” (2010) 2.5 Stars
The crime story is cool. The baseball is boring.
"Mister Yummy" (2015) 4 Stars
I actually really ended up enjoying this one. Death is something that many grapple with throughout their lives, and I like the perspective here.
"Tommy" (2010) 3 Stars
Poetry is just not really my thing.
"The Little Green God of Agony" (2011) 3.5 Stars
Weird, but definitely enjoyable.
"That Bus Is Another World" (2014) 2 Stars
Another one where I just didn’t really enjoy or get anything from it.
"Obits" (2015) 4 Stars
Cool idea, cool execution. A really fun one all around.
"Drunken Fireworks" (2015) 3.5 Stars
It’s a bit silly, but the idea gets at the general exuberance and danger of holidays and the feelings they stir.
"Summer Thunder" (2013) 3.5 Stars
Bleak and something that has been done before, by King even, but it’s well told, and I enjoyed it.
A so-so collection of short stories. There was an aftertaste of King's greatness to some of the stories but not enough for me to rate this collection higher.
A wonderful collection of King’s that dazzles (as expected).
What can we expect to find when the end finally comes and that white light winks our consciousness out of existence? A cloud of angels rolling out a welcome party? Or maybe it’s more like Einstein’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
+++++
INDIVIDUAL REVIEWS:
Premium Harmony - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The end of this tale left me gutted. I will forever love King’s descriptive writing and ability to spirit me away.
Even in something so short, I was enraptured by the goings-on of his protagonist.
Drunken Fireworks - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A refreshing break from King’s usual horror. The man can write it all! I will never watch fireworks without thinking of this story again!
Mr Yummy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
There’s talk of those close to death’s door seeing their personal reaper in different forms. Why not a David Bowie look-alike with glitter on his cheeks?
Under the Weather - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A normal day at the advertising office. A wife sick at home. The smell of something dead coming from your apartment...
Obits- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gave me some serious “Death Note” vibes, and I really enjoyed the dark twist that came with this story.
Batman and Robin Have an Altercation - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am sensing a theme of old age and mortality creeping into King’s writing as he grows older, and it makes for some very unsettling pieces for a different reason than we are accustomed to. A son takes his father with Alzheimer’s to Applebee’s every Sunday. This story has nothing particularly terrifying -- only the scary reality of aging and its effects on those we love. I really appreciated this as a different vein than his usual spooky fiction.
Little Green God of Agony - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
We’ve all heard of the little green men that live on Mars. This was my first time hearing of a little green monster that feeds on the suffering of its victim.
Herman Wouk is Still Alive - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Suuuuuuuuper sad.
Summer Thunder - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Any story with an animal companion has me messed up. Woefully sad and beautifully written!
Bad Little Kid - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A child murderer is facing down his last few days of life before getting a lethal injection. But was his crime justified? I surprised myself with how much I loved this dark little tale. It’s the kind of short story that you wish was a bit longer.
What can we expect to find when the end finally comes and that white light winks our consciousness out of existence? A cloud of angels rolling out a welcome party? Or maybe it’s more like Einstein’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
+++++
INDIVIDUAL REVIEWS:
Premium Harmony - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The end of this tale left me gutted. I will forever love King’s descriptive writing and ability to spirit me away.
Even in something so short, I was enraptured by the goings-on of his protagonist.
Drunken Fireworks - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A refreshing break from King’s usual horror. The man can write it all! I will never watch fireworks without thinking of this story again!
Mr Yummy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
There’s talk of those close to death’s door seeing their personal reaper in different forms. Why not a David Bowie look-alike with glitter on his cheeks?
Under the Weather - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A normal day at the advertising office. A wife sick at home. The smell of something dead coming from your apartment...
Obits- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gave me some serious “Death Note” vibes, and I really enjoyed the dark twist that came with this story.
Batman and Robin Have an Altercation - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am sensing a theme of old age and mortality creeping into King’s writing as he grows older, and it makes for some very unsettling pieces for a different reason than we are accustomed to. A son takes his father with Alzheimer’s to Applebee’s every Sunday. This story has nothing particularly terrifying -- only the scary reality of aging and its effects on those we love. I really appreciated this as a different vein than his usual spooky fiction.
Little Green God of Agony - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
We’ve all heard of the little green men that live on Mars. This was my first time hearing of a little green monster that feeds on the suffering of its victim.
Herman Wouk is Still Alive - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Suuuuuuuuper sad.
Summer Thunder - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Any story with an animal companion has me messed up. Woefully sad and beautifully written!
Bad Little Kid - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A child murderer is facing down his last few days of life before getting a lethal injection. But was his crime justified? I surprised myself with how much I loved this dark little tale. It’s the kind of short story that you wish was a bit longer.
I read this book as part of Horror Afficonados January group read on Goodreads.
I honestly don't know what happened with this one. I usually love Stephen King's short stories and novellas. Heck I re-read them all of the time. Even though I may not love all of the stories, I still manage to love the entire collection as a whole. This time I either did not like, felt meh to okay, to just that's good about the stories. None of the stories floored me or had me sitting around checking my windows and doors to make sure that they stayed locked. Instead I was all, oh I hear a stair creaking and would go back to reading. That's not normal people!
Mile 81- (2 stars). I liked this one okay when it was first published as it's own standalone. Stephen King reworks it a bit and it really does not hang together well. I could read the old sections and new sections quite clearly and the flow was all wrong in this one. The main protagonist, Pete Simmons, in this one also was turned into more of a jerk too. I should not be rooting against you while reading. He is all of 10 years old and King gives him the mannerism of a 16 year old boy.
Premium Harmony- (1 star). I get what King was trying to say in this one, it just didn't work at all. I felt like I was being held down and forced to watch the aftermath of a car crash. I wasn't interested in anything that was going on at all.
Batman and Robin Have an Altercation- (2 stars). Once again I get what he was doing, the only thing that was surprising about this one was the end. Other than that, nothing moved me much that way or the other. King is usually able to imbue so much in his short story characters. I felt like the main character was totally flat in this one.
The Dune- (3 stars). Just because the ending was great. I knew it was coming, but since everything else in the story felt same old same old, this was a typical King ending that made me think of his stories in Graveyard Shift.
Bad Little Kid- (3 stars). Interesting premise, but this one should have been a novella. There was too much going on here and in the end things felt rushed.
A Death- (5 stars). I thought this one was really good. It actually left me with a big old question at the end too which was good. Part of me wonders if the ending as is is the true ending, or is someone else doing a sleight of hand.
The Bone Church- (1 star). Sorry, I could not get into this poem. I felt myself cringing in places.
Morality-(3 stars). Once again an interesting premise that did not have a satisfactory ending. I felt like I was reading someone else and not Stephen King. I keep wracking my brain, but I seriously feel like I may have read something similar to this before.
Afterlife- (5 stars). This was really good and I liked the whole set-up. One wonders though, what door would you choose if given an option?
Ur- (2 stars). I read this thing way back when it was the first free kindle short on Amazon. In fact I think it came for free with my Kindle. I remember thinking it was interesting them. It really doesn't hold up now. Back when Kindles were new it made a lot of sense for this story to be set up the way it is. However, I have to forget everything I know about my Kindle and just accept certain things. Just like with Mile 81, it is updated in certain places and it really should have been left alone.
Herman Wouk Is Still Alive- (5 stars). A tragic story from beginning to end.
Under the Weather- (3 stars). I knew where this was going from the very beginning. An okay story.
Blockade Billy- (3 stars). The first couple of pages were so boring. It took me a while to push through the story. It didn't get interesting until almost the very end.
Mister Yummy-(3 stars). Once again, an okay story. I really don't know what else to say besides I think it really didn't fit with the other stories that much.
Tommy-(1 star). All I could think of was being in college and when people did spoken poetry slams. Shudder.
The Little Green God of Agony-(3 stars). I was bored from beginning to end. I really don't know what to say since this is probably the second story that could be really seen as horror.
That Bus is Another World-(2.5 stars). This was not what I was expecting. And it really wasn't that great of a story.
Obits-(2 stars). I feel like I read this story before as well. Not exactly like this of course, but it reads similar to some other stories I have read.
Drunken Fireworks-(3 stars). Well I liked it better written than listening to it, that's for sure. I already listened to this last year and could not understand what the narrator was saying. Reading this was much better, though the story was still kind of meh.
Summer Thunder-(3 stars). I feel like King always seems to have these kind of and this is how the world end stories in his collection. This one felt anti-climatic though.
So all in all I wasn't blown away by the whole collection. I really didn't feel horror while reading these stories for the most part. Most of the stories just seemed sad and tragic. Which really don't fit with the prologue that King sets up for his constant readers. I thought I was going to be scared to the point of leaving my lights on.