Just After Sunset: Stories (Collectors Set)

King says he hadn't been writing a lot of short stories, had sort of lost the knack, and this was also partly due to writing novels long enough to choke camels.

When offered the chance to edit 'Best American Short Stories' he said yes instantly, hoping it would fire his short story brain up a bit. Apparently it did, and here's a book with some of the results, along with some others.

While not as good as the earlier collections (and not as long), at 3.50 still a good book, with several strong stories.

Just After Sunset : Willa - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : The Gingerbread Girl - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : Harvey's Dream - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : Rest Stop - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : Stationary Bike - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : The Things They Left Behind - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : Graduation Afternoon - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : N. - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : The Cat from Hell - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : Mute - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : Ayana - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : A Very Tight Place - Stephen King
Just After Sunset : Sunset Notes - Stephen King



Dead country wolf frightener dance partner.

3.5 out of 5


Unstick yourself from the fridge, bash, break, run away, swim.

4 out of 5


I think maybe bad news.

3 out of 5


Pseudonymous pissbreak beater punishment.

3.5 out of 5


Cholesterol three speed art trip.

3.5 out of 5


Retirement cube ghosts.

3 out of 5


New York nuclear.

3.5 out of 5


Numerology CTHUN.

4 out of 5


Ripped my guts out.

3.5 out of 5


Post-crash pre-advice.

4 out of 5


Undie junkie murder confession.

3 out of 5


Kiss of life transfer.

3.5 out of 5


Dunny dumped witch escape.

3.5 out of 5

Stephen King shows again that he is adept at the short story form with this collection. His stories explore territory familiar to King fans: premonition, the afterlife, the supernatural, and conflict with evil. King's skill shines in most of the stories, but there is a distinct feeling that he struggled with a few of them. His stories have a strong appeal for me when I can relate to the situations and characters, and when the action is plausible. I had no trouble enjoying the characters -- they are well rounded and well written. Most of the situations are also well planned. However, the action seems contrived in a few of the stories. When, as a reader, I begin to question why a character takes an action - an action that doesn't make sense given the situation - I begin to feel that the author is trying too hard to bring the story together. In particular, some of the actions in "Willa", "The Gingerbread Girl", "Ayana", and "The Cat From Hell" give me this impression.

On the other hand, King is in fine form in the other stories. "N." is a very engaging tale that combines an examination of obsessive-compulsive disorder (a mental demon to be sure) with a demon of an entirely different sort. If H. P. Lovecraft was a modern-day author and psychologist, this would have been his finest work. And "A Very Tight Spot" will have you hooked from the first paragraph. It is a yarn that will have you grossed out, but completely drawn in.

Overall, Just After Sunset is a read worth the time and money. I'm pleased to see Stephen King is still in the short story business, and I'm looking forward to reading more of his new work.

I love Stephen King books (some better than others) but always a good read. I loved this book of short stories, too. He always refers to pop culture somewhere in his stories which really speaks to me. The only down side with short stories is that they are compact and end quickly (give me a good 500-600 page novel of King's and I'm in heaven). He always "brings it" though, even if the plot seems far-fetched (the cat from hell!!). If you enjoy Stephen King you will like this book of short stories.

I think it was terrible that Mr. King neglected to let us "Constant readers" know that this book had at least three stories which were already published in men's magazines. I bought these mags just to read the stories. Now I feel cheated because I had to pay for them once again in this long awaited book. If I could return it, I would.

I always eagerly await anything new coming from Mr. King, and he rarely disappoints. This anthology is excellent, a real pageturner. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good story. This is a must-have for all Stephen King fans.