A solitary finger pokes out of a drain. Novelty teeth turn predatory. The Nevada desert swallows a Cadillac. This collection of Stephen King stories takes a roller-coaster ride through the macabre and monstrous, via explorations of good and evil.
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
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From Amazon
Many people who write about horror literature maintain that mood is its most important element. Stephen King disagrees: "My deeply held conviction is that story must be paramount.... All other considerations are secondary--theme, mood, even characterization and language."
These fine stories, each written in what King calls "a burst of faith, happiness, and optimism," prove his point. The theme, mood, characters, and language vary, but throughout, a sense of story reigns supreme. Nightmares & Dreamscapes contains 20 short tales--including several never before published--plus one teleplay, one poem, and one nonfiction piece about kids and baseball that appeared in the New Yorker. The subjects include vampires, zombies, an evil toy, man-eating frogs, the burial of a Cadillac, a disembodied finger, and a wicked stepfather. The style ranges from King's well-honed horror to a Ray Bradbury-like fantasy voice to an ambitious pastiche of Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald. And like a compact disc with a bonus track, the book ends with a charming little tale not listed in the table of contents--a parable called "The Beggar and the Diamond." --Fiona Webster --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
This is a wonderful cornucopia of 23 Stephen King moments (including a teleplay featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, a poem about Ebbet's Field and a brilliant New Yorker piece on Little League baseball) that even the author, in his introduction, acknowledges make up "an uneven Aladdin's cave of a book." There are no stories fans will want to skip, and some are superb, particularly "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," in which a husband and wife drive through a town that may literally be rock-and-roll heaven; "The Ten O'Clock People," about unredeemable smokers; and "The Moving Finger," which chronicles a digit's appearance in a drain. Together with Night Shift and Skeleton Crew , this volume accounts for all the stories King has written that he wishes to preserve. The introduction and illuminating notes about the derivation of each piece are invaluable autobiographical essays on his craft and his place in the literary landscape. An illusionist extraordinaire, King peoples all his fiction, long and short, with believable characters. The power of this collection lies in the amazing richness of his fevered imagination--he just can't be stopped from coming up with haunting plots. 1,500,000 first printing; BOMC main selection.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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I waited and watched for seven years. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I waited and watched for seven years. Read the first page
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By John M. Ford
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Mass Market Paperback
In his introduction to this collection, Stephen King recalls being a credulous youngster who believed all sorts of things--from the reality of Santa Claus to Richard Nixon's plan to get the country out of Vietnam. He is still like this, and willingly accepts the recurring disappointments in exchange for the ability to believe in a story and bring it to life. In this collection, his third following Night Shift and Skeleton Crew, King believes into existence twenty-two stories--and one nonfiction piece--intended to scare the reader "...so badly you won't be able to go to sleep without leaving the bathroom light on." Some of them deliver all too well.
Three of my favorites:
In "Dolan's Cadillac" we live through years of obsessive investigation and planning for revenge. A man traps the mob boss who ordered his wife's death and systematically covers up all evidence of his crime. Perfect.
If you could remove mankind's violent tendencies and bring about "The End of the Whole Mess" of murder and war, you would do it, right? Even if it wasn't the smartest thing to do.
In "Suffer the Little Children" we meet Miss Sidley, a teacher who has been taking care of children all of her adult life. One day her students begin acting strangely...so she takes care of them.
This book is highly recommended for Stephen King fans and readers who enjoy a well-crafted story that makes their brains squirm for a day or two after reading.
Three of my favorites:
In "Dolan's Cadillac" we live through years of obsessive investigation and planning for revenge. A man traps the mob boss who ordered his wife's death and systematically covers up all evidence of his crime. Perfect.
If you could remove mankind's violent tendencies and bring about "The End of the Whole Mess" of murder and war, you would do it, right? Even if it wasn't the smartest thing to do.
In "Suffer the Little Children" we meet Miss Sidley, a teacher who has been taking care of children all of her adult life. One day her students begin acting strangely...so she takes care of them.
This book is highly recommended for Stephen King fans and readers who enjoy a well-crafted story that makes their brains squirm for a day or two after reading.
By DanD
Format:Mass Market Paperback
NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES is a collection of some odd, eclectic short fiction, showcasing Stephen King at his macabre best.
In "Dolan's Cadillac," a man gets revenge for his murdered wife...through hard labor and ingenious thinking. "Suffer the Little Children" is a tale for every child who had an insufferable teacher, and wanted to do something about it."The Night Flier" is a tale of obsession that leads to the ultimate horror. In "Popsy," a young boy is kidnapped...but his grandfather is on his trail, and has a few surprises up his cape. "The Moving Finger" is a macabre tale of madness...or the utmost sanity. In "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," a young couple is about to attend an amazing rock concert...which may last for the rest of eternity. "The Ten O'Clock People" tells of two societies who live beneath normal human radar; one is benevolent, while the other is bent on world domination. "Crouch End" and "The Doctor's Case" are great examples of British fiction by an American, the latter about Sherlock Holmes. In the fantisful "The House on Maple Street," four children are about to unlock the secrets of their home. "Umney's Last Case" is a bizarre crime-noir, about the power an author has over his story, and vice versa. "Head Down" is an enchanting essay about kids and baseball.
NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES. Stephen King. Need I say any more than that? A wonderful, intriquing, and entertaining collection, this book is guaranteed to occupy a welcomed place on your bookshelf. This collection goes to show why Stephen King is one of contemporary literature's best writers.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
If you're a King fan, I'd read this pretty good collection of short stories. A few stories are amazing (Umney's Last Case, Crouch End, and Dolan's Cadillac to name a few), and most of them are okay-good.
There are, however, a few that made me laugh out loud at the sheer idiocy. For example: "Rainy Season," a ludicrous story about giant, fanged toads falling out of the sky and attacking a young couple summering in a remote town; "My Pretty Pony," which is not horror or interesting at all, about some old grandfather imparting some incredibly boring wisdom on to his unfortunate grandson; and "Chattering Teeth," about a man who is saved from a homicidal hitch hiker by a pair of possessed wind-up teeth.
All in all, however, a good book and a must-read for any King fan.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not My Cup Of Tea
I love Stephen King, however after reading this book, I have re-confirmed that short stories really are not my cup of tea. Read more
Published on Mar 27 2010 by Sarah Lynn Barnim
4.0 out of 5 stars
King's stories provide both chills and grins
This collection of stories is typical King--you may not like every single one, but you're sure to find at least one that scares you and one that makes you laugh. Read more
Published on Sep 11 2003 by Beth Cholette
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Combination of Short Stories
I recommend this to anyone out there who love steven king and/or short stories. this is an excelent collection!
Published on Sep 11 2003 by Amanda Wright
4.0 out of 5 stars
crimehorrordrama
i like SK particularly as a short story writer. if he has a good story he never fails then. considering his other collections, this was not as inventive as the two previous. Read more
Published on May 15 2003 by jan erik storebø
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for teens
I'm not a big Stephen King fan but Nightmares & Dreamscapes is quite good. I worked for three years as a summer camp counselor and when you have a group of 15 year old boys,... Read more
Published on Dec 18 2002 by Aaron Marks
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Master Speaks
Good old fashioned horror, and when the master speaks we listen. I dug into a used copy of this after finishing "Night of the Beast," Harry Shannon's rollicking,... Read more
Published on Dec 9 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars
Something For Everyone
At 692 pages, "Nightmares & Dreamscapes" is a doorstopper of a book. I planned to read it a story at a time over a period of weeks, but as usual got hooked on King and read it... Read more
Published on Sep 28 2002 by sweetmolly
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sub-par at best
I will admit to being totally incapable of understanding Stephen King's fans. It's not that I don't like him. Read more
Published on Aug 27 2002 by Brian Seiler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent short stories
This is a very, very good collection. It ranges from the macabre to the heartfelt, from the scary to the puzzling. Read more
Published on Aug 16 2002 by RachelWalker
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good "Old-Fashioned" Shivery Tales, and then some
Nobody tells an old fashioned hair-raiser like King does.
And he tells plenty of them in this fat volume of not-too-short short stories. Read more
And he tells plenty of them in this fat volume of not-too-short short stories. Read more
Published on Aug 7 2002 by Linda Painchaud-Steinman
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