Bazaar of Bad Dreams – Stephen King

This is the first in a series of reviews of short story collections.  All part of my careful campaign to bring short stories back to the respect they deserve.  See “Focus on the Short Story“

Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King (2015) – A collection of 20 stories and poems that display the author’s legendary storytelling at its very best.  King offers a little backstory for each of the pieces as well, making the book great fun for those who love wonderful stories and those who like the “peek behind the curtain”.

My wife handed me this book because she knows that I love short stories and that I have great respect for King (one of her all-time favorite authors).  After about a third of the book, I asked her when she stopped loving me.  That got the anticipated look of horror and quick denial.  My real question was “How can I go on pretending to be a short story author after reading the work of a master?”  It’s fashionable in some circles to sneer at King and his success.  All it takes is blinding oneself to the legions of happy readers, truckloads of money he’s earned, and the undeniable quality of his writing.  In other words, you need to be a self-important dope.

I’ve said it before, the core aspect of human communication, whether it’s books, movies, television, radio or writing of any kind, is storytelling.  You may or may not like Stephen King’s body of work, but you can not deny his talent as a storyteller.

For most of us, Stephen King means Horror.  While there is plenty that falls into that category, the author is more than capable of branching out into other stories as well.

There’s a wonderful look at the social competition among summer folk around a lake in “Drunken Fireworks” as an example of a story that doesn’t have a horror vibe at all.  I have to admit that some of the more classic King stories were my favorites.

“Mile 81” which features a car that makes “Christine” look like “My Mother the Car”.  “Mister Yummy” that touches on the AIDS epidemic of the ’80s and the contemplation of death for us all.  “Bad Little Kid” which tells the story of a man who kills the child demon that is haunting him and the consequences of that act.  This story was originally published only in French and German.  The novella “Blockade Billy” is a story with just a taste of horror for baseball fans everywhere.  Imagine “The Natural” told by, well, Stephen King.  “The Dune” explores the curse of prophecy, “Ur” the challenge of the multiverse, I could go on and on.  Each story displays King’s mastery of his craft.

Plus he does what I enjoy so much as a reader (and did in “Shorts” as well) by including a little background on the story and the process.  It’s a wonderful read.

Just so damn wonderful…

It’s enough to make a writer want to walk away from short stories.

Naaaaaaaaaah, just tells me what the standards look like.

Why You Will Like It – Because it’s wonderful writing in support of brilliant storytelling.  What more does any reader want?

Rating – **** Recommended