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The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
- Stories
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Dylan Baker, Brooke Bloom, Hope Davis, Kathleen Chalfant, Santino Fontana, Peter Friedman
- Length: 20 hrs and 11 mins
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Everything's Eventual
- 14 Dark Tales
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Becky Ann Baker, John Cullum, Boyd Gaines, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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The first collection of stories Stephen King has published since Nightmares & Dreamscapes nine years ago, Everything's Eventual includes one O. Henry Prize winner, two other award winners, four stories published by The New Yorker, and "Riding the Bullet", King's original e-book, which attracted over half a million online readers and became the most famous short story of the decade. Intense, eerie, and instantly compelling, they announce the stunningly fertile imagination of perhaps the greatest storyteller of our time.
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Great
- By Denis on 2023-11-16
Written by: Stephen King
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Skeleton Crew
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Matthew Broderick, Michael C. Hall, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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The master at his scarifying best! From heart-pounding terror to the eeriest of whimsy - tales from the outer limits of one of the greatest imaginations of our time! Trucks that punish and beautiful teen demons who seduce a young man to massacre; curses whose malevolence grows through the years; obscene presences and angels of grace - here, indeed, is a night-blooming bouquet of chills and thrills.
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Great stories, presentation needs works
- By Priscilla on 2020-01-09
Written by: Stephen King
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Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume I
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Tim Curry, Rob Lowe, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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A star-studded cast of readers present unabridged tales of horror and suspense from Stephen King's classic best-selling short story collection.
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it's really boring
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-21
Written by: Stephen King
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Just After Sunset
- Stories
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Jill Eikenberry, Holter Graham, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Just After Sunset - call it dusk, call it twilight, it's a time when human intercourse takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you. It's the perfect time for Stephen King.
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Just After Sunset
- By Sharron padden on 2021-10-03
Written by: Stephen King
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Full Dark, No Stars
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Craig Wasson, Jessica Hecht
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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"I believe there is another man inside every man, a stranger...." writes Wilfred Leland James in the early pages of the riveting confession that makes up "1922", the first in this pitch-black quartet of mesmerizing tales from Stephen King. For James, that stranger is awakened when his wife, Arlette, proposes selling off the family homestead and moving to Omaha, setting in motion a gruesome train of murder and madness.
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Quality Stories - Perfect Performers
- By Alex on 2019-06-20
Written by: Stephen King
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Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume II
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Kathy Bates, Matthew Broderick, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A star-studded cast of readers present unabridged tales of horror and suspense from Stephen King's classic best-selling short story collection.
Written by: Stephen King
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Everything's Eventual
- 14 Dark Tales
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Becky Ann Baker, John Cullum, Boyd Gaines, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The first collection of stories Stephen King has published since Nightmares & Dreamscapes nine years ago, Everything's Eventual includes one O. Henry Prize winner, two other award winners, four stories published by The New Yorker, and "Riding the Bullet", King's original e-book, which attracted over half a million online readers and became the most famous short story of the decade. Intense, eerie, and instantly compelling, they announce the stunningly fertile imagination of perhaps the greatest storyteller of our time.
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Great
- By Denis on 2023-11-16
Written by: Stephen King
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Skeleton Crew
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Matthew Broderick, Michael C. Hall, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The master at his scarifying best! From heart-pounding terror to the eeriest of whimsy - tales from the outer limits of one of the greatest imaginations of our time! Trucks that punish and beautiful teen demons who seduce a young man to massacre; curses whose malevolence grows through the years; obscene presences and angels of grace - here, indeed, is a night-blooming bouquet of chills and thrills.
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Great stories, presentation needs works
- By Priscilla on 2020-01-09
Written by: Stephen King
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Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume I
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Tim Curry, Rob Lowe, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A star-studded cast of readers present unabridged tales of horror and suspense from Stephen King's classic best-selling short story collection.
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it's really boring
- By Anonymous User on 2023-02-21
Written by: Stephen King
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Just After Sunset
- Stories
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Jill Eikenberry, Holter Graham, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just After Sunset - call it dusk, call it twilight, it's a time when human intercourse takes on an unnatural cast, when nothing is quite as it appears, when the imagination begins to reach for shadows as they dissipate to darkness and living daylight can be scared right out of you. It's the perfect time for Stephen King.
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Just After Sunset
- By Sharron padden on 2021-10-03
Written by: Stephen King
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Full Dark, No Stars
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Craig Wasson, Jessica Hecht
- Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
"I believe there is another man inside every man, a stranger...." writes Wilfred Leland James in the early pages of the riveting confession that makes up "1922", the first in this pitch-black quartet of mesmerizing tales from Stephen King. For James, that stranger is awakened when his wife, Arlette, proposes selling off the family homestead and moving to Omaha, setting in motion a gruesome train of murder and madness.
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Quality Stories - Perfect Performers
- By Alex on 2019-06-20
Written by: Stephen King
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Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume II
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Kathy Bates, Matthew Broderick, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A star-studded cast of readers present unabridged tales of horror and suspense from Stephen King's classic best-selling short story collection.
Written by: Stephen King
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Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume III
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Gary Sinise, Joe Morton, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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A star-studded cast of readers present unabridged tales of horror and suspense from Stephen King's classic best-selling short story collection.
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33 yrs of reading his books.
- By Anonymous User on 2018-07-17
Written by: Stephen King
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Four Past Midnight
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: James Woods, Tim Sample, Willem Dafoe, and others
- Length: 29 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Four chiller novellas set to keep listeners awake long after bedtime. One Past Midnight: "The Langoliers" takes a red-eye flight from LA to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only 11 passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn't. Something's waiting for them, you see.
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2 outta 4 isnt bad
- By Ryan Granson on 2018-09-22
Written by: Stephen King
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Sleeping Beauties
- A Novel
- Written by: Stephen King, Owen King
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 25 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep: They become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent; and while they sleep they go to another place.... The men of our world are abandoned, left to their increasingly primal devices. One woman, however, the mysterious Evie, is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease.
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Loved And Hated
- By Genevieve on 2018-10-22
Written by: Stephen King, and others
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Gray Matter and Other Stories From Night Shift
- And Other Stories from Night Shift
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: John Glover
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Listeners can chill to this dramatic unabridged production of 6 short stories from the consummate master of horror, Stephen King. Culled from his best-selling book Night Shift, it brings the demonic stories fully to life - and the terror even closer to home.
Written by: Stephen King
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Bag of Bones
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King
- Length: 21 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Even four years after the sudden death of his wife, best selling novelist Mike Noonan can't stop grieving, nor can he return to his writing. He moves into his isolated house by the lake, which becomes the site of ghostly visitations, ever-escalating nightmares, and the sudden recovery of his writing ability. What are the forces that have been unleashed here - and what do they want of Mike Noonan?
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Slow and Uneventful
- By John on 2018-06-21
Written by: Stephen King
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Revival
- A Novel
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: David Morse
- Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs - including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession.
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Review of Steven King's Revival
- By Jose N. Alaras on 2019-03-05
Written by: Stephen King
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The Outsider
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Will Patton
- Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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An 11-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.
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Not a Waste of Time
- By Kyle G on 2018-06-04
Written by: Stephen King
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Rose Madder
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Blair Brown
- Length: 17 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Rosie Daniels leaves her husband, Norman, after 14 years in an abusive marriage. She is determined to lose herself in a place where he won't find her. She'll worry about all the rest later. Alone in a strange city, she begins to make a new life, and good things finally start to happen. Meeting Bill is one, and getting an apartment is another. Still, it's hard for Rosie not to keep looking over her shoulder, and with good reason. Norman is a cop, with the instincts of a predator.
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Not my fav king ending
- By Nick Podporski on 2022-11-19
Written by: Stephen King
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Desperation
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King
- Length: 21 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Located off a desolate stretch of Interstate 50, Desperation, Nevada, has few connections with the rest of the world. It is a place, though, where the seams between worlds are thin. And it is a place where several travelers are abducted by Collie Entragian, the maniacal police officer of Desperation. Entragian uses various ploys for the abductions, from an arrest for drug possession to "rescuing" a family from a nonexistent gunman.
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Good, but not great
- By Sally on 2018-10-01
Written by: Stephen King
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Different Seasons
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 20 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Four gripping novellas tied together by the changing of seasons. Hope Springs Eternal - "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption": An unjustly imprisoned convict seeks a strange and startling revenge...the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award nominee The Shawshank Redemption.
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I love Stephen King!
- By Debbie on 2019-05-18
Written by: Stephen King
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The Dark Half
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Thad Beaumont would like to say he is innocent. He'd like to say he has nothing to do with the twisted imagination that produced his best-selling novels. He'd like to say he has nothing to do with the series of monstrous murders that keep coming closer to his home. But how can Thad deny the ultimate embodiment of evil that goes by the name he gave it - and signs its crimes with Thad's bloody fingerprints?
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The King Of Horror Does Not Disappoint
- By Goodie Two Shoes on 2018-09-20
Written by: Stephen King
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Graveyard Shift
- and Other Stories from Night Shift
- Written by: Stephen King
- Narrated by: John Glover
- Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Consummate master of his craft, Stephen King has kept millions awake past midnight shivering at tales that probe the shadows and reveal the dark side. Now listeners can chill to this second dramatic unabridged production of short stories from his best selling book, Night Shift. It brings Stephen King's demonic stories fully to life - and the terror even closer to home.
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My Halloween read
- By KAT M K on 2019-11-26
Written by: Stephen King
Publisher's Summary
Named to the American Library Association’s Reference & User Services (RUSA) Listen List!
Other narrators include: Cotter Smith, Will Patton, Edward Herrmann, Holter Graham, Frederick Weller, Mare Winningham, Craig Wasson, Thomas Sadoski, and Tim Sample.
A master storyteller at his best - the O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King delivers a generous collection of stories, several of them brand new, featuring revelatory autobiographical comments on when, why, and how he came to write (or rewrite) each story.
Since his first collection, Nightshift, published 35 years ago, Stephen King has dazzled listeners with his genius as a writer of short fiction. In this new collection he assembles, for the first time, recent stories that have never been published in a book. He introduces each with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it.
There are thrilling connections between stories, including themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, and what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. "Afterlife" is about a man who died of colon cancer and keeps reliving the same life, repeating his mistakes over and over again. Several stories feature characters at the end of life, revisiting their crimes and misdemeanors. Other stories address what happens when someone discovers he has supernatural powers: the columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries in "Obits"; the old judge in "The Dune", who, as a boy, canoed to a deserted island and saw written in the sand the names of people who then died in freak accidents. In "Morality", King looks at how a marriage and two lives fall apart after the wife and husband enter into what seems, at first, a devil's pact they can win.
Magnificent, eerie, utterly compelling, these stories comprise one of King's finest gifts to his constant fan. "I made them especially for you," says King. "Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth."
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What listeners say about The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Can't Read Enough - Kindle Rocks!
- 2018-09-19
not bad, but not his best work
Maybe I expected something different. But I found most of the stories to be rather boring.
#Audible1
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5 people found this helpful
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- Sally
- 2019-01-09
Not Thrilled
really enjoyed the numerous narrators throughout this audiobook. the stories however really left me cold for the most part. I don't like stories that end leaving you asking, WTF?
and many of the stories in this group definitely left me scratching my head. I believe I will stick with his full-length novels.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Veanne
- 2023-07-20
Classics!
Loved listening to all the different readers. Love short stories from Mr King! All as great as his loooong stories. Worth a listen.
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- samONT
- 2023-06-19
Who doesn’t love a book of King short stories?!
I don’t know how this book sat in my library without me realizing it’s short stories, I love King’s short stories and novelettes. Edward Hermann, Mare Winningham and Will Patton are my favourite readers. Great stories.
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- Charles A. Partridge
- 2023-03-04
Draws you right in.
There’s more than one here that really get you down deep. Very well written and some very disturbing. Caught myself getting drug down into disbelief more than once during this listen.
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- Debbie
- 2021-03-03
Will Patton ALWAYS my favorite ❤
Enjoyed the poems, baseball, and especially the fireworks 🎆. Thanks for the wonderful ride!
Now on to Later.
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- Chris Pitcher
- 2021-02-10
some great short stories
I would love to see Cookie Jar made into a novel!! I know Mr King would knock it out of this world!
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- A
- 2017-10-20
Diverse collection of King stories
this is a very diverse collection of King's shorts stories, as such there is a few that I did not I think were as great. All the narrators are fairly good with some, like Patton, standing out. the intros by King are great for getting some backstory. overall as with any selection by King you won't be disappointed buying this.
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- Jim
- 2017-10-12
A Fantastic Compilation
Many of the stories were great, and most of the performances were fantastic. It was interesting to hear all the different styles, all matched well with the story.
My favourite was Er/Ur I believe it was called about the Kindle, very engaging and I can always listen to anything that ties to the Tower. Very happy I gave this one a shot
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- Jim "The Impatient"
- 2015-12-10
HE'S A CUP OF COFFEE
COULD YOU GET ARRESTED FOR DRUNK BIKING?
If you have read any of my reviews on any of King's work, than you have heard me say this before, but it is so true in these stories. King writes stories about characters, about people. Lots of his books, have very little horror in them. They seem terrifying, because of the investment you have in the characters. Another writer might come up with more terrifying situations, but if you don't care about the people in the story, it is not as scary. I am constantly amazed in King's ability to look into the human mind and tear out, those items which are uncomfortable. For instance in one story, a guy's wife dies in a local convenience store. He is sad and he did love his wife, but at the same time, he is wondering what females will give him sympathy sex.
The stories
I read lot of anthologies and story collections. I actually prefer them. It is amazing what a good writer can fit into a small story and the wow factor is usually bigger than in a novel. If a story is bad, than I don't have that much time invested until I get to another story. Most collections have two or three really good stories, some good stories and several bad stories. This collection has an unusual amount of really good stories. Only two stories did I not care for and one of them was a poem. Mile 81, is typical King. No one does 8 to 12 year old boys better than King. Add to that a car that eats people. Premium Harmony, may dwell too much into reality to be comfortable for most. The Dune, has one of those surprise endings, you can only get in a short story. A Death, is a heart rending Western. Morality, makes you wonder, could that be me, in that situation? Herman Wouk Is Still Alive, is a good look at how the other half lives. It always amazes me that King, who has been rich and famous for so long, still can write about the down and out so well. Under The Weather, will stay in my mind for years. The horror in this story is, I know people who can lie to themselves that convincingly. I am not a big baseball fan, much more a football fan, but I loved Blockade Billy. I love a period piece with the language of the time and profession. It was very entertaining. Batman and Robin,hit my heart hard as, my mother died of Alzheimer's in October. Obits, really made me think. As a pet lover with an elderly dog, I teared up during Summer Thunder. All book lovers and anyone with favorite authors should love Ur. But that's not all.
Narrators
These are some of the best in the field. I am a huge fan of Will Patton and he reads two stories. Who ever did Blockade Billy made that story ten times better to listen to than read. The very first story Mile 81 is read in a slow monotone and needed to be put on 2x, but the rest were true professionals and made listening better than reading.
Genre
I agree with another reviewer, these are not very scary. They are more human interest stories. They are great writings on subjects that are hard to categorize. Be warned these stories include lots of sex, violence, bad language and some gore. I will think about some of these for a long time, but I will not have any nightmares over them.
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207 people found this helpful
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- DecemberRain
- 2015-11-10
Loved it
A breakdown of the book story by story:
Mile 81- Strange things can happen on a deserted stretch of road. 5 stars
Premium Harmony- One minute they are fighting, the next she is gone. 5 stars
Batman and Robin have an Altercation- Love is thicker than dementia. 5 stars
The Dune- your fate is written in the sand. 3 stars
Bad little kid- A "bad little kid" is sabotaging his life. Is he crazy?
A Death- I cant remember this one.
The Bone Church. - A poem. 2 stars
Morality- Such a little act for so much money! Is it worth it? 5 stars
Afterlife- an investment banker confronts his life after death. 4 stars
Ur- He discovers his kindle can tell him the future. 5 stars
Herman Wouk is Still Alive- depression is serious business! 5 stars
Under the Weather- Brad is a busy advertising rep. His wife is under the weather, but that's ok she is going to be better any day now. 5 stars
Blockade Billy - About Baseball. Meh.
Mister Yummy- Who will come for you when its your time? 4 stars
Tommy- A poem. Meh again.
The Little Green God of Agony- what if Agony was a living breathing thing living inside you? 5 stars
That Bus is another world- How responsible are we for the things that happen to a stranger? 4 stars
Obits- He writes the obit, and the person dies. 5 stars
Drunken Fireworks- a fireworks competition gets bit out of control. 4 stars.
Summer Thunder- its the end of the world. 4 stars.
Overall a fantastic read with some amazing narrators, and a book I would definitely recommend to a friend. 5 stars!
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139 people found this helpful
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- Thomas
- 2015-11-11
Doesn't Belong in the Horror Genre
This is a really nice collection, but it doesn't belong in the Horror Genre. I realize that it is almost automatic to assume that "because it was written by THE ONE AND ONLY Stephen King", that it must be horror. Well I disagree. I've read quite a bit of King's work over the last 30 years, and what I've noticed is that the older he gets, the more his stories revolve around the issue of mortality. These stories range from "it was okay" to "wow, that was amazing". but the one thing that I believe holds true, is that these are not the type of stories the man used to write. While listening to this book, I found myself hoping that the next one would send chills down my spine. Well I'm almost through the book and "no such luck". I don't want to take anything away from this collection, as the stories are truly heart-warming. I also know that horror is somewhat relative to the perceptions of the reader. So I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. But to me, this is not Horror. Thanks for reading my review.
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- Don Gilbert
- 2015-11-05
A Little Supernatural, Horror, and Insight
Stephen King likens himself to a midnight street vendor peddling his tales, and if nightmares are what you seek than his short story collection “Bazaar of Bad Dreams,” delivers. This is an eclectic collection of some old favorites and new consisting of some real-life horrors, amazing supernatural fantasy, and even poetry Stephen King style. What makes these stories even more interesting, especially the Audio version, is each story is preceded by a few words of insight and inspiration from the author himself.
The ensemble cast of narrators does a great job bringing each story to life; which may or may not be a good thing since they are from Stephen King..
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92 people found this helpful
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- R. Sullivan
- 2019-08-18
whispering is so irritating!
it's a great book, and I loved listening to it. but I really need to point out to you that if the narrator whispers, I have to turn my volume way up to hear it. then the next line is normal voice, or even yelling, and my ears ring!!! volume balancing is a thing, ppl.
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- jaredean
- 2016-01-08
How to get 100% Enjoyment from This "Book"
First off, believe the hype - this collection of short stories is worth your credit and more. I am thoroughly pleased with the stories and selection.
I am also very pleased to have little snippets between each story, told to us from Mr. King as well, because it really is great to hear his insight into his writing process, thought process and all of that.
The ONLY downfall (and the only reason i gave the Overall a 4 star) is that the comments on each story should come AFTER the story is finished. The reason is that he often gives away plot points, some minor - others major, about the story you are about to listen to. After the third or fourth time i decided to skip his comments and then come back to them after i listened to the story. It made the process much better and if the book audiobook was produced that way it would be 5 star for sure.
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74 people found this helpful
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- Inge
- 2015-11-03
I just love short stories ;)
every single story well read and fun to listen to ;) A good mix of stories it is as well.
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- Jan
- 2015-11-06
Thumbs Up From A "Constant Reader" of King
Mr. King addresses his constant readers with personal notes prior to each story in this new anthology. There is a lot of new material, but also some previously published stories that he has revised. He makes no apologies for the revision of old stories, and explains that what he writes is never finished until he dies.
Through the years, I would watch for, but never received, a lot about this author from the inside looking out. As years have gone by, he has gradually opened up more and addresses the important marks on the timeline of his life, and how those affect his writing. He kind of "unfolds" himself, which fits him, doesn't it.
Enjoyed every minute of this anthology, but most of all, really liked that he reached out to his "constant readers" with a much more personal focus. There was some real lateral momentum going on there.
I had been disappointed lately in the narrators chosen for the past few short story singles of King's on Audible, and felt the author/narrator match was totally whack. No disappointments here. Narration was a direct hit.
Mr. King mentions in one of his pre-story narrative essays, that he is now 69. That gave me a queasy feeling in my stomach. I can't imagine not having Stephen King new release dates to look forward to. Stay healthy, Mr. King.
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- Cynthia
- 2015-11-28
A short story/A kiss in the dark from a stranger
I'm no Annie Wilkes from Stephen King's "Misery" (1987), but I am a Fan with a capital 'F'. A friend once noticed that I've got an entire tall bookshelf dedicated to King. The books are arranged by publication order, although the Bachman books and King's collaboration with F-Stop Fitzgerald "Nightmares in the Sky" (1988) always look out of place. I put the anthologies like "The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year" (2008) and "The Complete Masters of Darkness" (1989) in a separate section.
King's short story collections can be great. I read and reread "Night Shift" (1978) so many times the front cover of the paperback fell off. Personal favorite? "The Mangler", but "Graveyard Shift" is a close second. Both are stories of blue collar jobs gone horribly awry. And "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" (1993)? I've practically got "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" (1992) memorized. I pull the book down and revisit the story every October - along with "The Ten O'Clock People." I smoked for years and that story gives valor to a bad habit.
This collection is okay, but not great. I'd already read or listened to some of the most memorable stories in "The Bazaar of Bad Dreams" (2015). "Mile 81" (2011) was first published as a limited edition Kindle book, and I downloaded the App special to read it. I drive a lot and pass closed rest stops, and I carefully look at them as I drive by now. Examine them, in fact. "Blockade Billy" (2010) was a Cemetery Dance limited edition. Unavoidable complaint about the listen: the cover artwork for "Blockade Billy" is nostalgic and intriguing, and it's too bad it's not with the Audible edition. "The Dune" (2011) is one of the great stories in "The Bazaar of Bad Dreams." I had chills running from my stomach up, and my hair tried to stand itself on end.
I didn't like Ur (2009 ebook) the first time I tried to read it, and didn't like it any better as an Audible - but I did at least manage to get through it. I wish I'd liked "Obits" (2015) more than I did - it echoes of Dinky Earnshaw in "Everything's Eventual" (1997, short story; 2002, collection of short stories), and the Dinkster is an interesting if uncurious character. And "Herman Wouk is Still Alive" (2011)? I didn't think I'd liked it - but I can't stop thinking about it. It did win the 2011 Best Short Fiction Bram Stoker Award for a reason.
There's a bonus to the Audible edition that every true King Fan with a capital 'F' will love. The introduction to each story is read by King himself. If you want to be truly surprised by new stories, though, I recommend listening to his introduction afterwards. There's a different narrator for each story. Edward Herrmann performs Mile 81", and he's quite good - and so is Will Patton, as usual.
The title of the review paraphrases a quote from "Skeleton Crew" (1985), another collection of King's short stories.
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- DobieChuck
- 2015-11-12
Captivating Storytelling
What a wonderful display of range and skill... King is an absolute master of the medium... There are stories for all here - the traditionally creepy King tales accompanied by many that show what a diversely capable storyteller he is... Sad, depressing, the uncomfortably real, the everyday dark and creepy, the horrifyingly fantastic, and so much more, and all w/ the trademark black humor... Niches and genres for everyone...Many of the stories had me thinking back on past loved reads and their authors, like rediscovering old friends... The narration was overall very good, although a couple of stories were negatively impacted by poor voices, but not enough to skip the story... I usually read collections slowly, coming back for a story everyday or so, but read this one through w/ only a couple of interludes... Spend the credit and enjoy
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