For those of you new to Stephen King, don't judge a book by the cover titles of films made for them. With the notable exceptions of The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and a few others most of King's numerous short stories, books and novellas haven't translated well to celluloid. That said, Dreamcatcher is an excellent way to introduce new readers to Stephen King and for past fans of his work it is an opportunity to reacquaint and immerse in writing typical of his style.
However, although Dreamcatcher has many key elements of the horror genre, it is (at least partially) a science fiction book. Not so much little green men, instead grey androgynous aliens with ESP and plots to take over the world. Less Disney and more X-Files.
With dark intent the book centres around five childhood friends all linked by their own thought processes and by a dreamcatcher; a native American charm to ward off evil and catch nightmares. To survive they must battle alien viruses, mutated weasels and military officials with murderous agendas, while in a race against time to save the planet. Some will live and others won't but in Dreamcatcher King rouses sympathy, apathy, love or hatred for all his characters; even fleeting personalities who warrant only a page but contribute to the story by showing depth to the main characters or by tying up loose ends.
An enjoyable read all around, I can thoroughly recommend Dreamcatcher. It should delight new readers and welcome home old friends. If you want a book with a bit of a bite, Dreamcatcher has very sharp teeth!
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