First of all, let me just say that I have been on this new kick with short stories. It’s not that I’m terribly busy, but my time has been pretty chopped up lately. I’ve found that short stories are a great way to get my fill of fiction in a short time.
This book was perfect for that. I liked some stories better than others. I remember some better than others. Some interested me more than others. Never once was I particularly unhappy with a story. The ones I remember the best are:
Riding the Bullet
Autopsy Room Four
The Little Sisters of Eluria
L.T.’s Theory of Pets
Those are the stories I find myself thinking about after I’ve finished the book. Of these four, the one I think about the most is Autopsy Room Four. This is because, now that I’m out in the desert, I am quite aware of the snake threat. This story may be a little scandalous for some of you, so take that into account before you read it.
I really liked how The Little Sisters of Eluria kinda broke up the feel that the stories were giving off. It was just a nice break. It was well placed, and I definitely love how King chose the order he did. He took a deck of cards, separated the spades and added a joker. He numbered the stories 1-14 and then shuffled the cards. The order they were in after the shuffle was the order the stories went in. Gotta love it.
One of my favorite things about this book was that it had a little blurb from Stephen King about these stories. I’m currently reading his book “On Writing” and I think these blurbs and that book are a really good glimpse inside his mind. Unlike that travel book I just read, Stephen King’s book on writing is really an interesting read. I look forward to reviewing it.
Anyway, if you love to read and your time is limited, pick up a collection of short stories. Stephen King is always a win in my book… but I haven’t finished reading through his stuff, so maybe I shouldn’t say always.