The latest from bestselling author Stephen King (The Shining, Lisey’s Story) is a short story collection entitled Just After Sunset. It’s his first collection since 2002’s Everything’s Eventual, and it contains a lot of very good stories that were published in magazines such as Esquire, The New Yorker and Paris Review, just to name a few.
Along with an introduction and an an addendum by King, the stories in order are
- Willa
- The Gingerbread Girl
- Harvey’s Dream
- Rest Stop
- Stationary Bike
- The Things They Left Behind
- Graduation Afternoon
- N.
- The Cat from Hell
- The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates
- Mute
- Ayana
- A Very Tight Place
Though all the stories reside within King’s realm, there is variety in style, length and form; supernatural disaster, crime, suspense, and everything in between. There is sure to be more than one that will please even the most ardent King fan. In this unabraidged audio book version there are a few that caught me ear right away. The first one to do so was The Gingerbread Girl. It is read by Mare Winnignham, and she delivers one heck of a performance in this terrifying tale of a woman named Em who retreats to Florida to escape a tragic event in her life.
The second one to do so was a previously unpublished story titled “N.” Taste varies, but this one is the cream of a very compelling, thought-provoking (and fertile) crop. This one has four narrators: Holter Garaham, Denis O’ Hare, Ben Shenkman, and Karen Ziemba, all lending a hand in creating a rich auditory experience. To say it’s just about obsessive-compulsive disorder is oversimplifying it. There is a strong theme here, but the less said the better. I came to this story fresh (I had to, it wasn’t published anywhere else) and was richly rewarded for it.
Another bonus by getting the audio book is to hear King read a story himself. He narrates “Harvey’s Dream” and does a fine job. The unabridged audio book runs 15 hours, so there is plenty of listening pleasure to be had. All in all, Just After Sunset is a must-have for diehard and casual fans of Stephen King.