Many people who write about horror literature maintain that mood is its most important element. Stephen King disagrees: "My deeply held conviction is that story must be paramount.... All other considerations are secondary--theme, mood, even characterization and language."

King's third collection is GREAT!

As an enormous fan of King, this book was warmly welcolmed in my arms. I wasn't dissapointed. As always, when it comes to King, I was sold. There's also a particular reason why I welcomed this book so much: In various books about King, I learned about many of those early and hard to find King stories, all the uncollected ones, and the rare ones. I was a bit sad about realizing that maybe I would never ever own these oddities. Then, finally, a new collection of King-stories showed up, mostly containing some of those old and hard to find stories. I was happy! And the book also featured a few new ones. Again, with Night Shift and Skeleton Crew, I liked all the stories, even the teleplay Sorry, Right Number (I haven't seen the adaptation yet), the Brooklyn August-poem and the Head Down-essay. I loved The Night Flier, The Moving Finger, Chattery Teeth, You Know They Got a Hell of a Band, Home Delivery, Crouch End, Rainy Season. My Pretty Pony really touched me. I don't know a hang about baseball (I am Danish, sorry!), but King makes it interesting. All I can say is that any true King fans must read this book. There's also a Sherlock Holmes-mystery involved. I only wished that King had included stories like The Cat from Hell, Man With a Belly, Pinfall, and some others of those hard to find. What about this story "The King Family and the Farting Cookie" that he wrote for his children some years ago? That could have been major fun to own that gem!

Hard to believe he actually got this published

After I read this book I found it hard to believe that Stephen King, the once master of suspense, actually wrote it. It lacked depth, imagination, and creativity, and left no impression on the memory. What was his point? If King could go back and erase just one of his works I'm sure this would be it.

A collection of some of King's best short fiction.

NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES is a collection of some odd, eclectic short fiction, showcasing Stephen King at his macabre best.

In "Dolan's Cadillac," a man gets revenge for his murdered wife...through hard labor and ingenious thinking. "Suffer the Little Children" is a tale for every child who had an insufferable teacher, and wanted to do something about it."The Night Flier" is a tale of obsession that leads to the ultimate horror. In "Popsy," a young boy is kidnapped...but his grandfather is on his trail, and has a few surprises up his cape. "The Moving Finger" is a macabre tale of madness...or the utmost sanity. In "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," a young couple is about to attend an amazing rock concert...which may last for the rest of eternity. "The Ten O'Clock People" tells of two societies who live beneath normal human radar; one is benevolent, while the other is bent on world domination. "Crouch End" and "The Doctor's Case" are great examples of British fiction by an American, the latter about Sherlock Holmes. In the fantisful "The House on Maple Street," four children are about to unlock the secrets of their home. "Umney's Last Case" is a bizarre crime-noir, about the power an author has over his story, and vice versa. "Head Down" is an enchanting essay about kids and baseball.

NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES. Stephen King. Need I say any more than that? A wonderful, intriquing, and entertaining collection, this book is guaranteed to occupy a welcomed place on your bookshelf. This collection goes to show why Stephen King is one of contemporary literature's best writers.