Stephen King, the master of suspense, is back with a new collection of short stories titled Full Dark, No Stars. These four tales are meant to showcase the darkest side of humanity, and had quickly topped many bestselling lists. Of course, given the author, this is absolutely no surprise. But, critics everywhere seem to either love or hate this new compilation of terror, and of course his legion of loyal fans are right there to speak praise of his works. But, do these four new compositions stand out as some of his best, or are they some of the worst in recent years?
Posts Categorized: Books
Stephen King: “A Good Marriage”
“A Good Marriage” is available on Full Dark, No Stars
The fourth and final story to Full Dark, No Stars is the tale “A Good Marriage.” At this point, Stephen King has tackled quite a lot regarding the darkest of human nature, from rape right down to evil spirits and rats looking to get revenge. But, this time around, we’re given a tale of discovery, and the horrors that can come with it. Does “A Good Marriage” equate to a good closing, or will it have you wanting to leave regardless of for better or worse?
Book Review - Stephen King: “Fair Extension”
“Fair Extension” is available on Full Dark, No Stars
“Fair Extension” is the third part of the Full Dark, No Stars collection by Stephen King, and it’s also the shortest. Ranging a meer thirty three pages of text, this one ventures into the concept of jealousy, as well as the tried-and-true theme of making a deal with the devil. No, there are no fiddles involved, but does this tale grab the reader and not let go, or is this a deal made to be broken?
Stephen King: “Big Driver”
“Big Driver” is available on Full Dark, No Stars
The second short story in the Full Dark, No Stars is “Big Driver.” Unlike the “psychological” aspect that this book tries to push, especially with the previous story in the set called “1922,” it actually treads into the rape revenge setting, something a little uncommon in the author’s works of the past. Given the concept of the story, it is safe to say that it does play into the dark nature of humanity though, which is another aspect this compilation of tales likes to boast about itself. But, with so many novels and films that take this genre and do it quite well, does “Big Driver” end up contributing to it, or is this one simply not that memorable?
Andrew Bonazelli: DTV
Andrew Bonazelli is a managing editor over at the Decibel magazine. Over the years, he’s taken his work outside that medium and put them to literary form. With a couple other books under his belt, such as The Regular and Deathless Obscene, he returns to book shelves once more with his latest offering, DTV. The book itself acts more like a modern “Where Are They Now?” telling of eighties and nineties washed up Action movie stars in a manner that blurs the lines between reality and film. But, is this a good enough concept to fill up a ninety plus page novel in the form of a entertaining homage, or will it simply become too tongue and cheek while poking the belly of the film style largely missing from today’s movie going experience?
Stephen King: “1922”
When it comes to Stephen King, many say that the man can write no wrong. However, I have found many of his “short” stories to be more enjoyable than his epic tomes he calls a novel length tale. “1922” is the first story of five in the Full Dark, No Stars compilation book, and given that this is meant to be a collection of really dark material, it was something that couldn’t be passed up. But, does this tale really satiate the hunger for a quality, if not brief, psychological thriller?
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