Worth Reading: Yes.

Summary: Just After Sunset is the latest collection of short stories from Stephen King. He mentions in the introduction that short-story writing is an art in itself which he thought he may have lost the touch for.
He hasn’t.

This is a mixed bag of 13 short stories. There is one, possibly two, that I thought could have been dropped but generally they are well written.

“The cat from hell” is classic Stephen King

“Willa” is not classic Stephen King and is a really nice tale because of it.

That last comment doesn’t read quite right. I’m a SK fan and have come to know his writing style rather well. “Willa” doesn’t conform to his classic writing style that I’ve come to know but it still a great tale, well told.

What I don’t really like (I don’t hate it) is the section where he talks about his reasons/situation for writing the story. But, he wrote it so I’ll read it.

Tags: stephen king

Worth reading: Yes

Summary: While on a hike with her older brother and mother, nine year old Trisha becomes tired of the constant bickering between the two.

To give herself a break from the squabble, she decides to take a shortcut through the bush and meet up with them on the next swtich-back of the path. But now she's lost.

Each step is taking her farther and farther away from them and before long she is lost and alone in the wilderness.

As she tries to find her way out of her predicament, she passes the time listening to broadcasts of the Boston Red Sox games, dreaming that her favorite player - Tom Gordon - will come to her rescue.

Hunger and exposure are not Trisha's only problems. Before long, she comes to terrifying realization. Something has been destroying the trees and leaving a trail of butchered animals in the woods.

Something real. Something dangerous. Something that may now be following Trisha's trail.

Something that is getting closer.

Yet another hard-to-put-down short novel from Stephen King.

Tags: books, stephen king

Worth Reading: If you're a SK fan then yes it certainly is. For everyone else, I think it might be an acquired taste. This is a re-read for me. Indeed, I've read it countless times.

Summary: Tarker's Mills is a quiet town in Maine. Quiet, that is, until one winter on a full moon, a railway-man in the middle of nowhere has his throat ripped out.

Each full moon, as the attacks continue, the residents of Tarker's Mills become more terrified. The police have no clues as to what is killing the good people of the town.

Marty Coslaw, rider of the silver-bullet, has seen it. Marty has survived an attack - just.

And now, Marty knows who it is.

This is a very small novella from SK. If you're familiar with his longer works you'll understand. The story roughly follows the lunar cycle and is illustrated nicely. It may take you about 40 minutes to read and is worth the time.

Tags: books, stephen king

Worth Reading: If you're a SK fan then yes it certainly is. If you're not, then this is a nice place to start your collection.

Summary: Edgar Freemantle. Successful building contractor, Father, and Husband. Until a serious accident on a worksite should have killed him, but instead takes his right arm, damages his brain and otherwise leaves him a broken man with a destroyed marriage.

Duma key. A sparsely settled key off the Florida coast. Long stretches of beach. A place where artists go to get away from it all. The place Edgar goes to recover, recuperate and heal. A place where Edgar finds new friends and a talent he never knew he had. A place that holds a secret. One that has remained buried for a long time. One that is waking up.

I'm a SK fan from way back. I think I have most of his books. He doesn't write them fast enough.

Tags: books, stephen king

I'm a rather big Stephen King fan. A fan in the sense that I've read almost everything he's ever written more than once, and everything he's ever released in Australia... more than once. As I was hunting around for the contents of the previous blog entry I came across the Gunslinger Litany. I had this tucked away on a CD from years back.

It always reminds me of Clint Eastwood, or rather the character of Roland reminds me of Clint Eastwood (greatest western gunslinger ever created..You can thank me later Clint). Can you imagine a world where everyday people took this type of thing seriously? I can, I look forward to it. To me it seems a much simpler life.

The Gunslinger Litany
( ...as recited by Roland of Gilead, last of the Gunslingers)

I do not aim with my hand.
He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my Eye.

I do not shoot with my hand.
He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my Mind.

I do not kill with my hand.
He who kills with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my Heart.

Tags: books, stephen king