The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: A riveting, dark story collection from the No. 1 bestseller

Stephen King

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The short story OBITS won the 2016 Edgar for best short story.

The No. 1 bestselling writer Stephen King presents a generous collection of thrilling stories and introduces each with a revelatory piece on when, where or how he came to write it.

There is a treasure here for every reader: a man who keeps reliving exactly the same life, repeating his 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.

'I made them especially for you,' says King. 'Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.'

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS

Introduction

Mile 81

Premium Harmony

Batman and Robin Have an Altercation

The Dune

Bad Little Kid

A Death

The Bone Church

Morality

Afterlife

Ur

Herman Wouk Is Still Alive

Under the Weather

Blockade Billy

Mister Yummy

Tommy

The Little Green God of Agony

That Bus Is Another World

Obits

Drunken Fireworks

Summer Thunder

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Praise for The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

  • This collection of short works... reveals King's mastery of the novella - GuardianA tense inventory of stories... King manages to portray a remarkable depth of character within the swiftness of a short story and manoeuvres a vast range of plots...There are treasures to be found in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams and those who love King... will find much to savour - IndependentHe seduces you with an intimate author's note introducing each tale, then proceeds to chill you to the bone. Do not read before bed - Daily MailKing is a laureate of small towns; his ear for dialogue is unerring ... He is also one of those rare authors who can write well about childhood. Most potently, King can sketch a full-blooded character in just a few pen strokes. This gift comes to the fore in his short stories, where every syllable counts - Sunday TelegraphA more versatile writer than you might imagine - Sunday TimesThe Bazaar of Bad Dreams is the title it more than lives up to, but just as interesting as the stories themselves are their prefaces, in which he reveals what inspired each one. Who besides King would conjure a flesh-eating station wagon from a drive to see his college sweetheart? - ObserverSome of King's strongest work in recent years brought together to form an excellent collection - Sci-Fi BulletinShort stories have a famous place in the King oeuvre, with the likes of The Body and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption finding second lives on the big screen as Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption... Like all the greats, though, his ability to grip the reader's mind, body and soul with his prose makes it all look easy - USA Today

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Stephen King

Stephen King

STEPHEN KING is the author of more than seventy books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent titles include Fairy Tale, Holly, and If It Bleeds, all number one Sunday Times bestsellers.

Many of his titles are the basis for major motion pictures including IT, Stand By Me (adapted from The Body) and The Shawshank Redemption, which is IMDb's top-rated movie of all time.

King is the recipient of The Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence 2022, the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

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