The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

January 25, 2016
A dream team of talented performers reads these 18 tales and two poems by master fictioneer King. Several of the stories—including “Blockade Billy,” a baseball yarn with a predictable violent punch line, and “Under the Weather,” an exploration of the grim effect a tragedy has on an ad man—are not the author’s strongest, but they are given a boost by, respectively, Craig Wasson’s keep-rounding-the-bases-and-slide-into-home exuberance and Peter Friedman’s conversational narration, which shifts the emphasis from the repetitiveness of what he’s saying to the compelling way he’s saying it. Other stories are as strikingly composed as they are performed. As wonderful as the professional readers are, it is King’s nasal voice that distinguishes the production, preceding each story with information about its creation. He also begins the collection with an intriguing introduction explaining the differences between writing novels and short fiction, warning about the stories that follow: “The best of them have teeth.” A Scribner hardcover.

Starred review from September 14, 2015
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. Agent: Chuck Verrill, Darhansoff and Verrill.