Just After Sunset

Starred review from September 1, 2008
In the introduction to his first collection of short fiction since Everything's Eventual
(2002), King credits editing Best American Short Stories
(2007) with reigniting his interest in the short form and inducing some of this volume's contents. Most of these 13 tales show him at the top of his game, molding the themes and set pieces of horror and suspense fiction into richly nuanced blends of fantasy and psychological realism. “The Things They Left Behind,” a powerful study of survivor guilt, is one of several supernatural disaster stories that evoke the horrors of 9/11. Like the crime thrillers “The Gingerbread Girl” and “A Very Tight Place,” both of which feature protagonists struggling with apparently insuperable threats to life, it is laced with moving ruminations on mortality that King attributes to his own well-publicized near-death experience. Even the smattering of genre-oriented works shows King trying out provocative new vehicles for his trademark thrills, notably “N.,” a creepy character study of an obsessive-compulsive that subtly blossoms into a tale of cosmic terror in the tradition of Arthur Machen and H.P. Lovecraft. Culled almost entirely from leading mainstream periodicals, these stories are a testament to the literary merits of the well-told macabre tale.

This collection of short stories includes a few written early in the horror meister's career, some of which have been published previously on audio. Among the standouts are "Stationary Bike," performed by Ron McLarty, whose affinity for King's works also shines in "A Very Tight Place." Jill Eikenberry's delivery of "Graduation Afternoon" and "The New York Times at Special Discount Rates" suffers from her lisp, which proves distracting in an audio-only performance. The full-cast production of "N." draws the listener into its creepy manifestation of what happens to trespassers who persist after multiple warnings. King himself takes on "Harvey's Dream," delighting listeners with his laid-back tone and Maine accent. If the offerings in this compilation are any indication, we hope King continues with more short story collections. R.L.L. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from May 1, 2009
In his first collection of short stories since "Everything's Eventual" (2002)also available on audio from Recorded Books and S. & S. AudioKing shares narrating duties with a cast including Jill Eikenberry, Mare Winningham, George Guidall, Ron McLarty, and others. The talent will keep listeners engaged, while the 14 stories' characterization, tension, and suspense will leave them wanting more. King's own near-death experience in 1999 shows its influence in much of these writings, heightening their emotional impact. Highly recommended. [The Scribner hc, a "New York Times" and "Publishers Weekly" best seller, was recommended "for all popular fiction collections," "LJ" 9/15/08.Ed.]Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.-Penn Valley Lib., Kansas City, MO

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