“The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams shows, yet again, why there’s no one quite like King”
The No. 1 bestselling writer has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of novellas and short story fiction since his first collection Night Shift was published. He describes the nature of the form in his introduction to the book: ‘There’s something to be said for a shorter, more intense experience. It can be invigorating, sometimes even shocking, like…a beautiful curio for sale laid out on a cheap blanket at a street bazaar.’
In The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams there is a curio for every reader – a man who keeps reliving the same life, repeating the same mistakes over and over again, a columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries, a poignant tale about the end of the human race and a firework competition between neighbours which reaches an explosive climax. There are also intriguing connections between the stories; themes of morality, guilt, the afterlife and what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past.
Why We’re Excited About This Book: Stephen King’s short story collections have always been a showcase for his different styles of writing, beyond just his trademark block-buster horror. His sixth collection, The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams, is no different. There’s horror in stories like ‘Mile 81’ and horror of a different, prophetic kind in ‘Summer Thunder’. But there are also stories about how marriages work (‘Pefect Harmony’), baseball (‘Blockade Billy’) and even some poems here.
King prefaces each story with a note about how he wrote it–King is always interesting when writing about writing and his creative process, so these sections will prove a treat for long-term fans and aspiring writers alike.
The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams contains both new and previously published work and shows, yet again, why there’s no one quite like King.
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is out now from Hodder & Staughton.
“Nocturnes 2 is full of tales just as accomplished and scary as those in the first.”
Fans of The Book Of Lost Things and Nocturnes will be delighted with this superbly crafted collection of short stories of the supernatural from John Connolly.
A decade after Nocturnes first terrified and delighted readers, John Connolly, bestselling author of thirteen acclaimed thrillers featuring private investigator Charlie Parker, gives us a second volume of tales of the supernatural. From stories of the monstrous for dark winter nights to fables of fantastic libraries and haunted books, from a tender narrative of love after death to a frank, personal and revealing account of the author’s affection for myths of ghosts and demons, this is a collection that will surprise, delight – and terrify.
Night Music: Nocturnes 2 is a masterly collection to be read with the lights on – menace has never been so seductive.
Why We’re Excited About This Book:
John Connolly is best known as the author of the Charlie Parker novels, but in 2007 he also proved himself a formidable short story writer with his Nocturnes collection. Now he follows it up with a new volume and it’s safe to say that Nocturnes 2 is full of tales just as accomplished and scary as the first.
Connolly has always been a writer who crafts fiction that his readers love, and one of the key themes in the stories here is the love of books. Opening novella ‘The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository’ tells what happens to characters in books after the author has died; ‘The Fractured Atlas’ is Connolly’s take on the ‘forbidden books’ idea, and the volume concludes with an autobiographical essay ‘I Live Here’ in which the authors explores his influences and childhood love of horror.
In between, we get tales about a girl who can do miracles, Lazarus, domestic violence, bootlegging and a horrific painting that may or may not exist.
Classic Connolly. What more do you need to know?
Night Music: Nocturnes 2 is out now from Hodder & Staughton.
JAMES EVERINGTON