Stephen King: Just After Sunset review

The master of horror still gives me shivers. The newest of Stephen King's collection of short stories includes the tales called "Willa" (2006), "The Gingerbread Girl" (2007), "Harvey's Dream" (2003), "Rest Stop" (2003), "Stationary Bike" (2003), "The Things They Left Behind" (2005), "Graduation Afternoon" (2007), "N." (2008), "The Cat from Hell" (1977), "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates" (2008), "Mute" (2007), "Ayana" (2007) and "A Very Tight Place" (2008).

Some of these stories include more fantastic elemtents than actual horror, but all of them share the feeling of unexplained and make you feel quite uncomfortable. "The Gingerbread Girl", "Rest Stop", "Graduation Afternoon" and "A Very Tight Place" are not supernatural stories, they only include the element of fear and the main character being in a place you definitely don't want to be. The rest of the short stories have the little touch of supernatural in them. It might be something you could explain logically (like "Mute") or then something so disturbing you don't want to think about it ("The Cat from Hell" or "N." which reminded me of H.P. Lovecraft).

Stephen King has a certain style of writing that some enjoy and some dislike. His story might start from a very usual place and for several pages deal with mundane things and then - something happens. You get to the turnpoint and the whole story changes totally. The element of surprise works, at least in most of the case. "Stationary Bike" surprises you with the ending. "Harvey's Dream" is so well constructed it gives you shivers. "The Cat from Hell" and "N." are so disturbing you want to take a short pause. Or just keep reading.

If you enjoy Stephen King and a short horror fiction every now and then, you should read these stories. Then you might want to turn on the lights.
/ [Caterin S.]

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