Just After Sunset
Stephen King
This is one of the strongest short-story collections I’ve read, certainly one of King’s strongest. Perhaps the difference is that he wrote most of these stories on the backend of a successful literary career, with the confidence of a mature artist and little motivation other than the sheer pleasure of the work. The stories might be wrapped in weird, but most also conceal a thoughtful meditation on the human condition. Even the lesser stories are worth a read, and that’s not always my experience with such collections.
• “Willa” Strangers waiting for a train at a remote Wyoming depot make an unpleasant discovery. A familiar plot, but executed with a muted beauty that stays with you.
• “The Gingerbread Girl” A woman runs from her dead child and dead marriage, but sometimes running takes you to bad places. A taut, tense adventure thriller, a bit drawn out.
• “Harvey’s Dream” An aging couple on the wrong side of love grapples with a very bad dream.
• “Rest Stop” A successful author discovers the real world needs a brand of heroism that only exists in his books. Aims to say something about human nature, perhaps undershoots.
• “Stationary Bike” A widower takes his doctor’s advice to get in shape, but not everyone likes the new man. Strong Twilight Zone vibes with an unexpected resolution.
• “The Things They Left Behind” A survivor of 9/11 experiences an extreme bout of survivor’s guilt. An unexpectedly tender tribute to the ones we lost and the ones we didn’t.
• “Graduation Afternoon” A graduating high-school girl soaks in the last golden afternoon of the rest of her life. Nostalgic, dreamlike, achingly tragic.
• “N.” Remnants of a dead psychiatrist’s notes unveil the psychosis of his final patient, and perhaps something even worse. An enjoyable cosmic horror reminiscent of Lovecraft.
• “The Cat from Hell” A hitman receives a simple assignment — kill a cat. Written straight with a touch of horror, but undeniably a dark comedy.
• "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates" A widow receives an unexpected phone call from a phantom number. Well-written and touching, ultimately didn’t do much for me.
• "Mute" A man confesses to a priest, unsure of whether or not he’s committed a terrible sin. Straightforward and satisfying, longer that it needs to be.
• "Ayana" A man waiting for his father to die finds himself in the middle of a miracle. I like that so much is left unexplained, just as any good miracle shouldn’t be.
• "A Very Tight Place" A man is trapped in what might be one of the worst places to die. This story has a deep ick-factor, but it’s a riveting yarn if your stomach can take it.
Author: Stephen King