Nightmares and Dreamscapes [Paperback]

This was the first short story collection of SK I read. The stories vary so much in content and quality that there is something to please- and displease- everyone.
Whilst some of the stories are typical King style, there are others which I just didn't 'get'; It Grows On You, for instance. My favourite story was Chattery Teeth- I think it was the spats that got me! I also got very involved in Dolan's Cadillac, a fine story of retribution which shows us that revenge is truly a dish best eaten cold. Crouch End was short, bizarre and effectively conveyed the fear of being lost in a new place. It read like a drive through some of the housing estates I have visited actually!
In short, for every gem there's one I didn't enjoy much or didn't 'get'. I had little or no idea of what My Pretty Pony was about, and still don't. The notes at the back by Mr King, explaining how each story came to being, is a good insightful read.
If I have made this book sound not worth buying, I take it back; there are some classics in here, just a few duds too. Buy it, even if its just to find out what the Chattery Teeth did...

In my opinion, Nightmares and Dreamscapes is one of King's most varied collections. It contains everything from the gore-streaked (Home Delivery, The Moving Finger), to the quiet and thoughtful (It Grows on You, My Pretty Pony), a sci-fi tale (The House on Maple Street), and a couple of Bachman/Stark efforts (The Fifth Quarter, My Pretty Pony again). There's also a tele-play script (Sorry, Right Number), a piece of sports journalism (Head Down), a poem (Brooklyn August), and a couple of pastiches (The Doctor's Case, Umney's Last Case), along with the Lovecraftian-inspired Crouch End.

There are some genuine curios here -- but there are also a lot of classic King stories, and if you wanted to provide someone with a taster of King's work, this would be a good choice. The tales span King's career up to the point of the volume's publication in 1993, from early tales to contemporaneous creations.

Of course, this could see it accused of being a collection of sub-standard work, stories that weren't quite good enough to make it into other collections. This is something King himself discusses in the introduction and notes -- a lot of these tales have been published elsewhere in marginally different forms, and some were cut from previous volumes. Even so, these tales don't come across as second rate in the slightest -- the variety means that not everyone will like or appreciate every tale, but also that there's something for everyone. This truly is a volume that could appeal to everyone, as it showcases horror in all its various guises and forms, and demonstrates its versatility in a way few others can.

The perfect introductory volume -- and great for any King fan. If horror is your thing, you really don't have anything to lose.

In his introduction to this collection, Stephen King recalls being a credulous youngster who believed all sorts of things--from the reality of Santa Claus to Richard Nixon's plan to get the country out of Vietnam. He is still like this, and willingly accepts the recurring disappointments in exchange for the ability to believe in a story and bring it to life. In this collection, his third following Night Shift and Skeleton Crew, King believes into existence twenty-two stories--and one nonfiction piece--intended to scare the reader "...so badly you won't be able to go to sleep without leaving the bathroom light on." Some of them deliver all too well.

Three of my favorites:

In "Dolan's Cadillac" we live through years of obsessive investigation and planning for revenge. A man traps the mob boss who ordered his wife's death and systematically covers up all evidence of his crime. Perfect.

If you could remove mankind's violent tendencies and bring about "The End of the Whole Mess" of murder and war, you would do it, right? Even if it wasn't the smartest thing to do.

In "Suffer the Little Children" we meet Miss Sidley, a teacher who has been taking care of children all of her adult life. One day her students begin acting strangely...so she takes care of them.

This book is highly recommended for Stephen King fans and readers who enjoy a well-crafted story that makes their brains squirm for a day or two after reading.