by Jay Wilburn

The plan is to reread all of Stephen King’s works in the order that they were published. Richard Chizmar of Cemetery Dance had the vision. I’m doing it because I am a writer and I want to improve my fiction. And I love Stephen King’s stories. I think there is something to be learned through this process.

You can also go back to the beginning and read Before Carrie or any of my other posts up through this one and beyond by checking out this link to the Master List of all my #StephenKingRevisited posts.

I bought the hardback on Nightmares & Dreamscapes for my dad for Christmas one year. I was home for part of that break, so I’m not positive what year that was. Maybe the year that book came out, but it might have been a year later.

I was reading the book before I wrapped it late one night. I had the TV on and turned all the way down. He walked downstairs and I hid the book under a blanket. So, from his perspective, I was just sitting there on the couch, doing nothing, with the TV turned all the way down.

My dad started watching something else and I eventually snuck off with the book. I’m sure he thought I was jerking off down there because what other explanation was there?

I got the book back from his shelf after he died and that’s the copy I still have now.

As a younger reader, I was always more excited about King’s new short story collections than I was his novels. When I saw one coming out, I’d grab it up without consideration. When a new novel came out, I’d read over the cover copy and consider if I was going to purchase it now or later.

My favorite zombie short story of all time is in this collection. Several other great stories from this one stick out in my mind. It may be my favorite of his collections. I recently wrote an article I don’t believe has yet been published where I determine what his best collection is. Though this one could be my favorite, I think his best collection might be either Night Shift or Different Seasons.

I am looking forward to revisiting these stories.

My next post in this series will be After Nightmares & Dreamscapes which will be linked on the Master List of all my Stephen King Revisited posts.

Jay Wilburn

Jay Wilburn has a Masters Degree in Education that goes mostly unused since he quit teaching to write about zombies. Jay writes horror because he tends to find the light by facing down the darkness. His is doing well following a life saving kidney transplant. Jay is the author of Maidens of Zombie Kingdom a young adult fantasy trilogy, Lake Scatter Wood Tales adventure books for elementary and middle school readers, Vampire Christ a trilogy of political and religious satire, and The Dead Song Legend. He cowrote The Enemy Held Near, Yard Full of Bones, and The Hidden Truth with Armand Rosamilia. You can also find Jay's work in Best Horror of the Year volume 5. He is a staff writer with Dark Moon Digest, LitReactor, and the Still Water Bay series with Crystal Lake Publishing.

Jay's Patreon Page | Purchase Signed Books