The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
Reviewed by: Jacob Roberts, Reference Assistant
Genre: Horror
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: Readers have been intrigued, disturbed, and confused by Stephen King’s writing throughout the years. However, his short story collection that was released back in November of 2015, allows his fans to appreciate, and perhaps better understand, where he derives his inspiration for the bulk of his fiction. In The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, he puts on display a collection of short fiction he has worked on over the years. He starts with a story that he had reworked many times over the years, titled “Mile 81,” and ends with a short story called “Summer Thunder.” Each story is prefaced by a page that discusses where and how the idea originated. Some are fun stories, like “Ur,” where there is an unpopular English professor who discovers a tablet with a seemingly endless possibility of alternate timelines that contain new and different literature than what was published in his own. Other stories within his collection take on darker, and possibly more fantastical plots, such as “Mile 81,” where an alien car lands at a rest stop and continues to take victims as the plot unfolds.
My Review: Although not all of the stories were King’s best work, I enjoyed reading the collection of “bad dreams” that was put together in this volume. It demonstrates the weakest points of an author, along with the strongest. The reader is able to see King’s “best hits” right next to some of the stories maybe only some of his groupies would have ventured to read themselves. It also gives the reader a great advantage by allowing them insight into how a successful writer comes up with his own works. It makes writing more relatable, and it helps his more established fans understand the man behind the book—not to mention some of the stories were just good fun to read.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Insightful, Horrific, Fun
Give This a Try if You Like… The Best Horror of the Year by Ellen Datlow, Dark Screams: Volume 1 by Brian James Freeman (Editor), or From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!