His last name is King for a reason. This is the best author to ever live.

I discovered King as a youngster. I grew up (demented) reading horror stories such as 'Salem's lot, It, The Stand and Pet Sematary. I know what it's like to be so scared of a book, you won't read it while you are at home alone. It's a delicious feeling. And I've suffered through books that barely gave me a shudder: Rose Madder, Dreamcatcher, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. All may have been good stories, but they were missing that little bit of terror that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up while I was reading them after everyone else was safely in bed.

Well, guess what? King is back, Baby! This is a great collection of short stories with a little something for everyone. It's got enough color in it for the storyteller in us all, and just enough terror to keep the reader up at night. This is one of those books that sucks you in immediately!

The cover art alone is intriguing. Of course, King's name takes up the first third, but below that is crystal water glass with a drop of blood in it. Turn the book to the back, and you'll see a scene of mayhem in a posh restaurant. That and the title, Everything's Eventual are from the stories within. Written below the title are the simple words: 14 Dark Tales. I, of course, found this hard to resist.

This, according to the dust jacket, is King's first collection of stories since his Nightmares and Dreamscapes, which was published nine years ago. Among the fourteen "Dark Tales" is his recent e-book, read by over half a million readers online, making it the most famous short story of the decade. Might I also add that it is one of the best stories in the book, and that is paying quite a compliment?

Really there is so much to love about this new book by Stephen King, but my two favorites are simple. One is that he writes a short little introduction, telling the reader how he came up with the idea for the story or some other little tidbit. The second is that he revisits old stories. The careful reader will recognize some settings, towns or even characters from previous books and stories. This clever touch adds enjoyment to the already wonderfully gloomy task of reading!

Let's begin! To select the order of the stories in this book, King took all of the spades out of a deck of cards, plus the Joker, and based on the order they came out of the deck, that was the order he put them in the book! This was based on the list his publisher sent him. Next book's order is to be determined by Tarot!

Autopsy Room Four
With this story, King felt he had to tackle the subject of premature burial. We are revisited by Mick Jagger and his lyrics blaring "I know, it's only rock and roll, but I like it!" while the doctors do their work in Autopsy room four. If you read Dreamcatcher, you will remember that Mick Jagger's "Sympathy for the Devil" is what was playing in the headphones of the soldiers of fortune sent to kill the aliens. The story is about what you'd expect and I figured it out quickly. It does have a few twists and turns, so it is enjoyable, though not the best of the collection.

The Man in the Black Suit
King tells us that the idea for this story began from a friend's retelling of his grandfather's claim that he had seen the devil in the woods. This story reminds me so much of It, which is perhaps why it is my favorite. In it, the lead character loses a brother as a child (as Bill Denbrough lost his brother, George), has terrible dreams about him as a corpse and meets the devil who takes on human form (much like It took on the form of a clown) by a wooded stream (which sound amazingly like the Barrens). This story, though not a novel, has a richness of characters that chills you to the bone. They all are colorful and have their own identities, right down to the yapping little dog named Candy Bill.

All That You Love Will Be Carried Away
I got myself all excited by the title of this one, only to feel a vague sense of disappointment after reading the last paragraph. It wasn't scary, but the characters are richly developed. One of the ideas I felt could have been expounded on a bit more was that the graffiti written on bathroom doors across America was a bit like a code. King mentions this briefly and then is back to the story at hand. I was intrigued, and hopeful for more on that, but alas it was not to be. Did I mention this story wasn't scary?

The Death of Jack Hamilton
Remember the old saying, "there is no honor among thieves?" Well, it appears that indeed there just may be. If you are a fan of old gangster types, such as Bonnie and Clyde, then this story may be appealing. Again, the characters are all individuals and you find yourself "rooting" for the bad guys. Another story that's not scary, so I could certainly have lived without it.

In the Deathroom
This one is written in the typical Stephen King style. He tends to drop his readers right smack-dab in the middle of the story without so much as a setup! This leaves the reader scurrying to figure out what is going on, and into what has he been dropped? This story is about an interrogation in South America which goes badly...for the interrogators. Alas, though there are multiple murders, this one doesn't make me shudder.

The Little Sisters of Eluria
OK, I admit it. I hated the Dark Tower Series, of which this story is about. I skipped it.

Everything's Eventual
Creepy sounding, isn't it? Well, it is, in reality, not as dark as it sounds. "Eventual" is one potheads slang for the word "great" or "groovy." This story isn't scary, but it is spooky, and you won't want to put it down. At just over 50 pages, you don't have to! These characters have some bizarre behavior traits, which makes them utterly delicious.

L.T.'s Theory of Pets
This one has a great little story to it, and you can really dig on the characters. I found the southern accents they portrayed a little annoying (we don't sound like that, do we?) but the characters themselves were priceless! There's a neat little twist at the end designed to give you a shiver!

The Road Virus Heads North
This is absolutely one of the best stories in the book! You will recognize the sharp teeth of the villain from It. It gives a whole new meaning to stopping at yard sales! I don't want to spoil the story for you, but this one is fantastic and not to be missed.

Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
Now can you guess what the cover art is about? This is another story with a delicious twist, but it left me really wanting more! Also, I hate unanswered questions. In this one, the wife leaves the husband, and seems to loathe him, but we never find out why. Still, a good story, even if you don't get all of your answers.

That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French
Ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? Well, you'll be reading it with a bit of a macabre twist when you read this story. I enjoyed it, but found the story a bit redundant (ha ha.)

1408
Oh, I get delectable goosebumps all over just thinking about this story! Nothing like a skeptic getting initiated into the spirit world by a haunted hotel room. It's so "The Shining" and that is why I love it. If you read this story, you'll have proof positive that Stephen King used to do hallucinogens.

Riding the Bullet
One of the best stories in the book, the main character in this story takes a ride with a corpse and makes a choice that will forever change his life. It is believable, because we've all felt that little niggling thought in the back of your mind that we women call "intuition." Good and scary!

Luckey Quarter
Well, what a way to end the book. This is probably the worst and most predictable story in the whole book. This chamber maid gets a tip from a traveler in a gambling town outside of Vegas. It is a quarter, he says it is lucky. Did I mention she is dirt poor, single, raising two kids? Yeah, you can guess the rest.

Even though the book does have its duds, the hits more than make up for them! If you are a faithful Stephen King fan, you will not want to miss this book.



Recommended: Yes