Nightmares and Dreamscapes

I noticed that without ever realizing I was doing so, I was almost always bringing a Stephen King book with me on my long trips abroad. Hence, I figured I needed to follow that trend for my latest Central American adventure. But I didn't want to bring a novel because it's often difficult to stay focused on a particular plot when you're moving around a lot. This collection of short stories appeared to be the perfect option and I'm glad to report that it didn't disappoint!

Anthologies and collections are often mixed bags filled with a few gems and the inevitable filler material. Not so with Nightmares and Dreamscapes, however. Sure, some pieces are better than the others, but they are all quality short fiction tales. Other than the non-fiction baseball essay written for The New Yorker, which is decidedly out of place in this collection but still an interesting read in its own right. This book kept me company in various coffee shops and bars, and never once did I feel bored.

Here's the blurb:

A wrong turn on a lonely road lands a wayward couple in Rock and Roll Heaven, Oregon, where there’s no escaping the free nightly concert….A novelty toy becomes an unexpected and terrifying instrument of self-defense….An ex-con pieces together a map to unearth a stolen million dollars—but at what price?...A private investigator in Depression-era Los Angeles is finding his life unraveling as he discovers the shocking truth of who he really is….A third-grade teacher is willing to dig deep in order to exact revenge for his murdered wife.... These are just some of the haunting scenarios to be found in this classic collection—spellbinding tales from the darkest places and the unparalleled imagination of fiction’s master storyteller.

In the introdution, King explains that it has become harder and harder for him to write short fiction. Which is why he's so proud of the compiled material for Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Be that as it may, I wouldn't have been able to say this was so while reading this collection. The more limited format forces the author to write in a tighter fashion, which often seems to bring the best out of him. As a matter of course, there are a few oddball pieces that are extremely weird. Yet for the most part, the rest are the sort of horror and dark fantasy tales the author has accustomed us to.

Nightmares and Dreamscapes starts with a bang with "Dolan's Cadillac." A great tale of revenge, it sets the tone for what follows. In terms of styles and themes, this collection is all over the place. The various pieces showcase the length and breadth of Stephen King's imagination. While some are old school horror stories, others are more sophisticated tales that show a more mature author, one that wishes to explore and broaden his horizons.

Other standouts include "The Night Flier" which features a vampire with a pilot's license; "Popsy" which features a dumb kidnapper about to get his comeuppance; "Chattery Teeth" and "The Moving Finger" and "Sneakers" which are all 80s-style horror pieces akin to the ones that made Stephen King famous; "Dedication" is a story that stays with you for a while afterward; "My Pretty Pony" is a nice story about a boy and his grandfather trying to explain the nature of time; "The Ten O'Clock People" shows that trying to quit smoking can have unexpected repercussions; "The House on Maple Street" features kids trying to get rid of their new stepfather.

The rest of the stories all have something that makes them worth reading, even if they don't shine like the ones mentioned above. Nightmares and Dreamscapes truly is good from start to finish. Baseball fans will find something to like about the article "Head Down," while readers who don't care for the sport can just skip it. Still, it's an uplifting read about kids that shows everything that's great about sports before money, sponsorships, and fame get in the way.

The final verdict: 8/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.