Everything's Eventual (Hardcover)

King has broken from his tradition of starting with a longer story, which in previous collections has acted as a barrier to the rest of the book. The brilliant "Autopsy Room Four" kicks off this collection, and is short enough (compared to "Jerusalem's Lot," "The Mist," and "Dolan's Cadillac" from previous collections) that by the time you reach the longer stories, you are so engrossed that you don't even realise you're still turning pages.

Not only are the stories shorter, there are significantly less of them than there are in the previous collections. But with three prize-winners tucked away inside the covers, there is still something for everyone.

One of the traditions he has maintained, is that of adding notes about each story - telling the reader where and how inspiration struck. This adds a more personal feel to the book, as if King were writing just for you! Many Kingoholics live for these notes, and the introductions to the short story collections, to glimpse an insight into their Hero's mind, and how it works. The more "user friendly" approach of adding the notes before or after each story, instead of at the back of the book, also removes the annoying "backwards and forwards" element (if you're anything like me, you HAVE to read the notes for each story WHEN you read the story, not altogether at the end!) making for a much more enjoyable reading experience.

The one thing that always delights me about King's short stories, is the "literary quality" of them. Although I started reading King for the shocks and horror, I LOVE the way her writes short stories - all the gritty realism we have come to expect from him, but written in a more scholarly, eloquent fashion. You can see this for yourself in most of the stories in this book, particularly "The Man in the Black Suit."

Nightmares & Dreamscapes will always be my favourite, but this latest collection is another worthy addition to the volumes of King's short stories, and will keep everyone happy for another seven (or so) years!

Buy it now, steal it if you must, but make sure you get a copy.

Hell with all his critics: I like Stephen King. There are some tales contained within Everything's Eventual - of calibre great enough to warrant such deserved acclaim as the O. Henry award for Best Short Story, back in '96 - and it stands alone, independent of its author and his assured readership, as a triumph in both scope and execution. King writes with a deft and professional touch, and reads in smooth, easy-to-swallow chunks. His tales are rich and varied, and punctuated with honest interludes by way of introduction or afterword that make me lust after another On Writing. These personal touches are as down-to-earth and everyday as one might wish for, and I can't help but admit that not only am I an admirer of King's fiction, but also the author himself; he seems a frank and wise gentleman, and just the sort that I'd be honoured to call a friend.

With regards to the collection itself: it has my blessing, and my recommendation. If you aren't a King fan, for whatever reason, then you aren't a King fan - that much is given - but for all those of you with open enough minds to accept good, entertaining fiction for what it is: you'd be missing out on something quite special without a copy of Everything's Eventual. Of course it has its lowlights, if I may coin such a phrase - but their number pales in comparison to that of the countless wonders this edition presents. The author is a rare and comforting presence in the literary world of today, and Everything's Eventual offers yet another opportunity for the public to "discover" Stephen King all over again.

And believe me when I tell you he's worth discovering.