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an indelible image I still can't get out of my mind. My personal favorites are: Dolan's Cadillac and Sorry, Right Number and You Know They Got A Hell of a Band.I also enjoyed, as a writer, that Stephen King included "Notes" at the conclusion of Nightmares & Dreamscapes.
King is always entertaining and worth losing sleep over. Also recommend the film adaptation on DVD (which also contains stories from Night Shift)Nightmares & Dreamscapes - From the Stories of Stephen King.
Nightmares & Dreamscapes is a classic in the tradition of Poe, HP Lovecraft and Rod Serling and King, like his predecessors, is the master of the short story. Nightmares and Dreamscapes not only entertains us, but gives great insight into Stephen King's imagination.
Believe, and you will see how a dime can still derail a freight-train if Stephen King lays it on the track. I myself was raised on tall tales and superstitions and even had the Gold Key Comic King was referring to in the book's intro "Myth, Belief, Faith and Ripley's Believe It Or Not," about the guy with the candle stuck in the center of his shaved skull.
or skull.
A gripping tale.* End of the Whole Mess: 8.0 Imagine coming out with water that warps everyone's brain's and causes Alzheimer's across the world.* Moving Finger: 9.5 Might be the scariest tale in this collection. now imagine developing a character who becomes real and takes over your life.* The Fifth Quarter: 8.7 The real question is, after reading the story: would you do the same thing. Some of these stories stick with you long after reading them, and TNT did some justice by turning some of these into one hour movies.It would be hard to say that I have a favorite, but here is a list of what I really liked, ranked on a scale of one to ten:* Dolan's Cadillac 8.9 overall.
Imagine a town that causes people to slip into different dimensions.* The Ten O'clock People: 8.4 Think twice next time you have your morning cigarette on your break.* Rainy Season: 8.5 A spooky tale that makes you churn when reading. I know I might.I might be missing a couple other good ones but I don't think there were any real duds. Wait 'till it starts "raining."* Umney's Last Case: 8.7 Imagine going from the 1930's to the present.
King has written some great short stories, including those in Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, and Everything's Eventual, but this might be tops on the list. You'll never think of Buddy Holly, Elvis, and the rest of the famous rock stars the same way again.* The House on Maple's Street: 9.5 Another scary tale that is a great read and possibly will scare you even after it's all over.* Crouch End: 7.7 Not one of my favorites, but still pretty wild. If you like short stories that are mind boggling, scary, and has a lot of twists, you will really enjoy Nightmares & Dreamscapes.
Great story about revenge and dedication to getting back at the person who killed your wife.* Chattery Teeth: 9.2 An awesome twist at the end that should have been predictable but somehow wasn't. You may be looking over your back next time you urinate.* You Know They got a Hell of a Band: 8.9 A story that is both funny and scary.
What more do you want from a book. It's ridiculously awesome Steven King short stories. He's a master.
Fine, I'm a dinosaur but that price tag. I the complete collection on cassette. Sweet Mother of Mercy, Please. How in the name of God the Father Almighty could a collection of CD warrant a one thousand dollar price tag. Is it autographed by the author himself.
For my taste, the truly frightening stories were outnumbered by the more mediocre. Some of the tales have been made into movies (I vaguely remember seeing Miguel Ferrer in "The Night Flier"), others were entirely new to me. With such a wide variety of stories (some give a "Kingsian" take on the mundane, as in "Chattery Teeth", others are stock horror like "The 10 O'Clock People") there is sure to be something for everyone here.Why the four stars then. Caught with a long layover and a longer trans-Atlantic flight, I picked up _Nightmares and Dreamscapes_ to kill the time. Nonetheless, it did make time pass quickly, and I don't regret reading the collection, even if it is quite a bit astray from my typcial fare. All of them are vintage "King" - the suspense, the way in which the tension is heightened, the graphic and unique details that keep one up at night. It has been over 15 years since I last read a book by Steven King (_Misery_, which I enjoyed), so I knew what I was in for, even if it had been awhile._Nightmares_ is a collection of King's short stories, some published in previous anthologies, some written under his pen name before he became famous. The stories, though were hit-and-miss.
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