The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
Stories
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4.4 • 614 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Includes the story “Premium Harmony”—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine
The masterful #1 New York Times bestselling story collection from O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King that includes twenty-one iconic stories with accompanying autobiographical comments on when, why and how he came to write (or rewrite) each one.
For more than thirty-five years, Stephen King has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of short fiction. In this new collection he introduces each story with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it.
As Entertainment Weekly said about this collection: “Bazaar of Bad Dreams is bursting with classic King terror, but what we love most are the thoughtful introductions he gives to each tale that explain what was going on in his life as he wrote it."
There are thrilling connections between stories; themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. In “Afterlife,” a man who died of colon cancer keeps reliving the same life, repeating his mistakes over and over again. Several stories feature characters at the end of life, revisiting their crimes and misdemeanors. Others address what happens when someone discovers that he has supernatural powers—the columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries in “Obits;” the old judge in “The Dune” who, as a boy, canoed to a deserted island and saw names written in the sand, people who then died in freak accidents. In “Morality,” King looks at how a marriage and two lives fall apart after the wife and husband enter into what seems, at first, a devil’s pact they can win.
“I made these stories especially for you,” says King. “Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.”
Stories include:
-Mile 81
-Premium Harmony
-Batman and Robin Have an Altercation
-The Dune
-Bad Little Kid
-A Death
-The Bone Church
-Morality
-Afterlife
-Ur
-Herman Wouk Is Still Alive
-Under the Weather
-Blockade Billy
-Mister Yummy
-Tommy
-The Little Green God of Agony
-Cookie Jar
-That Bus Is Another World
-Obits
-Drunken Fireworks
-Summer Thunder
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
You’ll stay up much too late reading these shiver-inducing short stories from America’s best horror writer. Each tale is introduced by King himself, who describes his process and motivation. No matter what you fear most—illness, aging, abandoned spaces, carnivorous cars—the stories in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams will find their mark. Thanks to King’s trademark deadpan humor and unnerving insight into the sinister parts of human nature, this is a powerhouse collection with an amazingly good title. It's also an excellent reason to keep the lights on.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Renowned author King's impressive latest collection (after 2010's Full Dark, No Stars) wraps 20 stories and poems in fascinating commentary. Each work's preface explains what inspired it and gives readers insight into King's writing methods, with occasional tidbits of his daily life. The stories themselves are meditations on mortality, destiny, and regret, all of which showcase King's talent for exploring the human condition. Realistic and supernatural elements sit side by side. The tragic "Herman Wouk Is Still Alive" contrasts the charmed lives of two world-famous poets enjoying a roadside picnic with the grim existence of two single mothers who are taking one last road trip. "Under the Weather" tells of a man's fierce love for his wife and the terrifying power of denial. "Summer Thunder," a story about a man and his dog at the end of the world, is a heart-wrenching study of inevitability and the enduring power of love. Other standouts include "Ur," about a Kindle that links to other worlds, and "Bad Little Kid," about a terrifying murderous child (complete with propeller hat). This introspective collection, like many of King's most powerful works, draws on the deepest emotions: love, grief, fear, and hope.
Customer Reviews
Not his best collection, but still great!
This collection of short stories from Stephen King disappointed me in only one way: Most of the stories were not as scary as they could have been. Otherwise, the book is totally enjoyable! Every story is a good story, but these are the best if you’re mainly looking for horror stories, as I was: Mile 81, the first story in the book, and quite a stunning opener, The Dune, which can best be summed up in one word: CREEPY, Bad Little Kid, which proves why there is probably no horror writer who handles the “bad seed” sub genre than King, Under the Weather, which is creepy and sad, The Little Green God of Agony, which seems to redefine the word TERRIFYING, That Bus is Another World, which is nothing short of horrifying, and Obits, which is compelling and disturbing! I received The Bazaar of Bad Dreams as a Christmas gift; I wanted the book because, while I am a huge Stephen King fan, I’m a bigger fan of his short stories than his novels. I’m a fan because I love horror stories, which is why I am a huge fan of his first two short story collections, Night Shift and Skeleton Crew, the only other short story collections I’ve read by him. This is the only reason I was slightly disappointed with this book. Still, I highly recommend it not only for his horror fans, but for any fan of his short story collections! Main reason: These 21 stories are all amazing!
Sweetly shortly
I like a long story. I love the Dark Tower Series the best. BUT
these stories are wonderful and Drunken Fireworks was pure T bliss and euphoria!
Love some, others are meh
Some of the short stories in this collection are just plain incredible, while others leave me bored. It’s typical of such a large volumn of work, and I think it’s not possible for someone to like absolutely everything an author makes. But otherwise it’s a great book and I’m so glad I bought it!