The Bram Stoker Prize-winner for Best Fiction Collection—four chilling novellas from Stephen King that will “grab you and not let go” (The Washington Post). “Stephen King is a master storyteller, and you will never forget these stories,” raves the Seattle Times about Four Past Midnight. This collection, guaranteed to keep readers awake long after bedtime, features an introduction and prefatory … an introduction and prefatory notes to each novella by the author.
One Past Midnight: “The Langoliers” takes a red-eye flight from LA to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only eleven passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn’t. Something’s waiting for them, you see.
Two Past Midnight: “Secret Window, Secret Garden” enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake. Alone, that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger.
Three Past Midnight: “The Library Policeman” is set in Junction City, Iowa, an unlikely place for evil to be hiding. But for small businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind, another enemy is hiding there as well—the truth. If he can find it in time, he might stand a chance.
Four Past Midnight: “The Sun Dog,” a menacing black dog, appears in every Polaroid picture that fifteen-year-old Kevin Delevan takes with his new camera, beckoning him to the supernatural. Old Pop Merrill, Castle Rock’s sharpest trader, aims to exploit The Sun Dog for profit, but this creature that shouldn’t exist at all, is a very dangerous investment.
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This is a fantastic book by Stephen King. It has four tales: The Langoliers, Secret Garden, Secret Window, The Library Policeman, and the Sun Dog.
I read this book when I was in high school. I must admit that even to this day, the story (The Langoliers) was so powerfully written for me that I do not like the sterile white in an airport. It has stuck in my mind always a fear implanted by this story.
The Sun Dog is also a story that I think of every time that I drive by a pawn shop. Every single time.
I must admit, though, that I hated the Library Policeman. While I love most of Stephen King’s writings, this story is a horrifying story about child rape. The story does move on from there, but what is told, in my opinion is too graphic.
Overall, though, I love this book. But next time I read it, I will leave out the Library Policeman.
Each of these stories is wonderful in its own right.
This was my first Stephen King and have I been hooked. I have every first edition hard cover book my favorite author has released. Each story in this book left an imprint on my mind. Great book for first time Stephen King readers. What an imagination and what a writer. You cannot go wrong with that combination.
This is four short stories by Stephen King. What more could you want??? Amazing, he could write a story about a turnip and everyone would love it. Great stories, every single one.
For the three people on earth who haven’t read any of Stephen King’s books, here’s a selection of short stories to get you started.
I have read and reread this many times since the age of 12. My favorite is the Langoliers. It is awe inspiring and gripping. The Library Policemen is a tragic and horrific tale and if you have triggers, do not read it.
With his first official collection of horror novellas, the King of Horror delivers 4 supernatural shockers that are scary enough to keep you up till Four Past Midnight! In fact, I should warn you that these creepy, haunting stories are terrifying enough that you just might stay awake till dawn! The Langoliers is about a commercial flight that becomes a bizarre, chilling journey into terror after a handful of passengers find that they are now the only ones on the plane. In Secret Window, Secret Garden, a troubled writer finds evil standing at his front door when he meets a stranger who claims the writer stole his story. The Library Policeman is about a small businessman who finds his worst nightmare waiting in a small town library, a nightmare from his past. The Sun Dog is about 15 year old, Kevin who receives a camera as a birthday gift, but this gift could become a curse because of the horror he finds lurking in the photos he takes, a nightmare creature that keeps coming closer and closer to being able to tear Kevin apart! If you want a collection of stories from Stephen King that will scare you out of your wits while entertaining you, he will keep you up till well past the witching hour with this marvelous collection of screamers!
Some great novella in this collection, my favorite being Secret Window, Secret Garden
A 4-part collection of novellas from the mind of Stephen King. In this book we’ve got; The Langolears – where a small group of plane passengers awaken to find all others aboard have vanished.
Secret Window Secret Garden – where a writer is confronted by a stranger claiming the writer stole his story.
The Library Policeman – where a man fails to return some library books on time and finds himself being hunted by a very unfriendly librarian.
Sun Dog – where a Polaroid camera keeps showing photos of a demonic dog, no matter what else you take pictures of.
So I’m really only a fan of Secret Window, Secret Garden. It’s a great mystery that builds into a good ending (they changed the ending in the Johnny Depp movie version and I’m undecided which I like more). You’re made to wonder at the legitimacy of it all right until the end.
The other 3 stories a kind of forgettable for me. Langolears gets a slight pass because of the sheer oddness of it all, and it made me want to watch the 90s miniseries.
But unfortunately the other 2 stories were kind of meh for me, and I can see why they’ve never been adapted to screen. Library Policeman is actually a nod to IT though, possibly a tie-in with the same sort of being?
I actually found Sun Dog pretty boring, though if you look at it as a prologue of sorts to Needful Things then that spices it up slightly.
All in all not the strongest of SK’s shorter works, but they can be enjoyed in their own ways too.
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