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Nightmares in the Sky Review

Stephen King, Architecture, Interior Design, Non-Fiction, Reference

Nightmares in the Sky

Published: 1988
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Architecture, Interior Design, Non-Fiction, Reference 


The Review

First and foremost, this is not a Stephen King novel. While there is some content written by King, it is far from his work. The photographer, f-Stop Fitzgerald, is in charge of this. There are some genuinely stunning photographs that, at the very least, remind me that there is so much going on that I neglect or simply walk by without ever looking up. And all of these magnificent images from a country decades younger than mine - for fear of stepping into something I shouldn't have - serves as a reminder to look up and around me every day.

Nightmares in the Sky: Gargoyles and Grotesques is a coffee table book about architectural gargoyles and grotesques that was released in 1988 and was photographed by f-stop Fitzgerald with accompanying writing by Stephen King. 

In the September 1988 edition of Penthouse, an extract was released. Images from the book were utilized as textures in the video games Doom and Doom II.

The book is a tribute to everything commonplace and yet unnoticed. True, the book is about gargoyles and grotesques preserved in concrete above our heads, but after reading it again, I realized that it could stand for anything - anything that is there in plain sight but we choose not to see - or anything that we see every day and dismiss as normal and mundane when it is far from it.

This book, I realized, is a subtle prod to halt and look about us, to appreciate what is both beautiful and awful before it is gone, as seen by many of the photographs in this book, where acid rain and atmospheric corrosion have begun to take their toll.

This is a book that conveys a variety of messages; the question is which ones you choose to notice and appreciate.

This is a large format coffee table book with gargoyle pictures. I'm so glad this book exists because look up at all the new buildings and there isn't a single gargoyle to be found! Shame. 

I've always been a lover of gargoyles, as well as the cartoon program about them, so when I spotted this book, I had to get it for the love of the subject. Those gargoyle pictures truly woke me up!

This takes me to a few criticisms of the book that have nothing to do with the stunning photography. 

The index, in my opinion, fails. It's scant and incomplete, and the photographs should include some separate subtitles. A historical background piece regarding gargoyles would have been nice instead of, or in addition to, Stephen King's essay. 

We know they have existed for millennia, but when and where did they originally appear? I, for one, would like to find out. But none of this means that I didn't enjoy what Stephen King wrote for this novel.

And King is correct when he adds that during his second hunt for them, there appeared to be less. As I previously stated, there are no gargoyles to be found when looking up at new structures. Enjoy them and let them send shivers down your spine while they're still here.

This is a fantastic book. The photographs are basic, yet they capture the beauty and mysticism of gargoyle imagery in New York and other American cities. I must admit that I bought this book because Stephen King's name was on the cover, and also because, as I previously stated, I am a lover of gargoyle-related things, and I thought it would be a fascinating addition to my book collection. 

When I got it home and started flicking through the pages, I was attracted by the blurry, often scary photos. 

King's words give some fascinating perspectives and experiences, but the book stands on Fitzgerald's photographs alone. 

Some of the gargoyles are frightening, some are ghastly, others are lighthearted, while yet others are just hilarious. They all attest to the artists' inventiveness and imagination.

This hardback, 128-page (or so) volume would seem right at home on your coffee table because it's an odd size to attempt to fit into most ordinary bookshelves, plus it's printed for the table or a spot that isn't a bookshelf. 

King's prose takes up roughly 35 pages; the book is, as it should be, concentrated on the images. 

It's not for everyone; if you're not a fan of picture books, avoid it. However, if you want fascinating images that capture an unusual topic, and/or if you are a Stephen King fan, this is one to bring home.


Final Thoughts

This book is spooky and lovely. Stephen King's article is amusing and delightful, but it is also emotional and insightful in the end. 

I could gaze at these stunning black-and-white photographs for hours. Really highly recommended, but not for those who believe it is a novel or a story because it is not.

I bought everything Stephen King wrote, co-wrote, or promoted, as I usually do. It's hypnotic, and it's a very, really, disturbing novel. I say this with affection and without reservation: those images are alive. 

A word or two about the authors: Prior to witnessing "Nightmares in the Sky," I was unfamiliar with f-stop Fitzgerald's photography—(credited as "Photographer" on the book's cover); but a word of warning—once you see something, it's extremely difficult to un-see it; you've been warned. 

The title should be repeated: Nightmares In The Sky. Please keep that in mind if and when you pick up this fantastically terrifying book.

It offers the most stunningly terrifying photographs of Gargoyles that are now haunting ancient and fairly new buildings all across New York City, and they aren't drawings, they're photographs—the genuine, demonic stuff. 

There are photos here that will keep you awake at night. I had the uneasy sense that some of these monsters were actually mocking the viewer...with wonderful, even demonic—glee.

"Nightmares in the Sky" is pure, dark bliss for horror fans like myself. And the fact that the gargoyles are part of the architecture of a building itself heightens the spooky, the dread. This is not a coffee-table book for youngsters, nor is it for the faint of heart.

Another thing I remember from this fantastic tablet is Stephen King stating something that I'll never forget or get over. I guarantee you'll never look at a gargoyle the same way again. 

Please pardon me for not having the book in front of me, but Stephen King was discussing "They [the gargoyles] are frequently placed beyond our line of sight...so we don't see them." We don't see them, but bear in mind that they are always watching us."

Finally, I must notify the readers that this is not a story or a novel, but rather a collection of photographs, which is why I do not recommend it highly; yet, it is an excellent book for enthusiasts.


Synopsis

"This book will be a collection of fantastic and horrifying photographs of gargoyles taken by avant-garde photographer f-stop Fitzgerald (yes, that's his name and the spellings correct), with a wonderful text by none other than the master of horror, Stephen King. F-stop has captured gargoyles in all manner of poses, made all the more striking by the design by mark pollard. Through the use of gatefolds and full-bleed illustrations, these awesome creatures will seem practically to leap off the page. (4/5/88). UK YES"


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords

Book Are Great, Coffee Table, Coffee-Table Book, Gargoyles In This Book, King Fan, King Wrote, New York, Photos, Table Book


Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 70/100 Yes.

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Danse Macabre Review

Stephen King, Essays, History, Movie History, Media Tie-In, Performing Arts, Popular Culture, Social Sciences

Danse Macabre

Published: 20, April 1981
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Essays, History, Movie History, Media Tie-In, Performing Arts, Popular Culture, Social Sciences

Check the summary of this book here:
Danse Macabre Summary


The Review

Stephen King's nonfiction book, Danse Macabre, is about horror fiction in print, TV, radio, cinema, and comics, as well as the impact of modern social fears and anxieties on the genre. On February 23, 2010, it was reissued, along with a new essay titled "What's Scary." A sprint across the horror genre and a cultural snapshot that will appeal to horror lovers as well as those who want to start reading and watching but are unsure where to begin.

In 1980, Stephen King was thirty-three years old when he penned 'Danse Macabre.' At the time, he had only released five significant novels: Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand, and The Dead Zone. 

While these were the novels that established his early reputation, many of his most well-known works would follow Firestarter, Cujo, The Running Man, The Gunslinger (the first book in the long-running Dark Tower series,) Christine, Pet Sematary, It, Misery, The Tommyknockers, The Dark Half, and so on into the 1990s and beyond. 

So, when King mentioned his own novels to explain themes in Danse Macabre, he could only draw on the first five. We can undoubtedly find many more—and often far better—examples from his later work. 

For example, when King discusses The Bad Place in horror literature and movies, you and I, blessed with over forty years of perspective from reading his works, could immediately think of the Native-American burial site in 'Pet Sematary' or the infernal sewer in 'It.'

Danse Macabre is a product of its period, but that doesn't mean it isn't still educational and entertaining to read. 

King's ideas about what makes horror "succeed" are still eye-opening today, and his evaluation of some of the great horror novels and stories is often spot-on, as are the personal opinions he reveals along the way, such as in Chapter 4 when he recounts his colorful down east individual of an uncle trying to hose down a new well with an apple wood bough.

Danse Macabre was composed at a period when King was still extensively into alcohol—at one point, he nonchalantly mentions downing fourteen beers in a single night, noting that he'd taken it "quite easy" that night; elsewhere, he makes repeated matter-of-fact comments to "becoming delightfully loaded..." Whether it's due to the alcohol or not, he periodically goes off on wide, meandering tangents that, although amusing, appear to veer away from points that might have been conveyed considerably more swiftly and with much better accuracy.

There are a lot of great facts and wonderful storytelling along the way, but I think some of his comments should be taken with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to "vintage" horror movies. 

For example, while 'Dementia 13' is okay for a low-budget B movie from the early 1960s, I don't think it's anywhere near as excellent as King seems to remember—perhaps it's his own young nostalgia at work? 

He complains at length about the production values in the original 1942 version of Val Lewton's 'Cat People,' not to be confused with the forgettable, exploitative re-make from 1982, but most people watching this classic B movie for the first time are unlikely to notice the things that King finds so irritating. 

The original 'Cat People' was created during WWII, and shooting a night sequence on location in a blacked-out New York City would have been unfeasible. 

Also, in 1980, King had a low opinion of Wes Craven's films, which included Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, and The People Under the Stairs. 

However, in his forewords to later editions of Danse Macabre, King, while still mostly dismissive of Nightmare on Elm Street and, especially, the rather dull series it became, does offer some grudging admiration for Craven's 'Scream' movies, and he basically shouts about Dennis Illiadis' 2009 re-make of Last House on the Left.

Danse Macabre investigates the different influences on King's own work as well as key genre writings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 

Danse Macabre delves into the genre's history as far back as the Victorian era, although it predominantly concentrates on the 1950s through the 1970s, which approximately corresponds to King's own life at the time of publishing. 

King sprinkles his work with casual academic acumen, exploring archetypes, major authors, common storytelling methods, the psychology of dread, and his central notion of Dionysian horror.

"Horror Fiction in Cinema, TV, and Books: 1950 - 1979" should have been the subtitle so that Stephen King's fiction readers wouldn't pick it up and start reading it. They can be quite dissatisfied.

Given his literary output, it's possible that the author has a few red-eyed and capering buddies and readers. As he describes his own horror fiction: "I consider dread to be the most powerful feeling, thus I will attempt to scare the reader. But if I can't frighten, I'll try to horrify, and if that fails, I'll go for the gross-out."

While reading "Danse Macabre," I felt compelled to sever a few capers. King was able to get me into sometimes heated debates about his theory and choices for great terror. 

It was like sitting at a bar, sipping beer and debating with a sometimes obnoxious buddy. Unfortunately, like that slightly inebriated friend, this author tends to ramble tediously off-topic: the Vietnam War, Patty Hearst, the fate of MGM, many not-so-hilarious anecdotes about Harlan Ellison and, no, Mr. King, you haven't written the longest footnote in history—see Hans Zinsser's "Rats, Lice, and History"; dismissive critiques of certain pulp authors. 

Well, I guess that's what I'm doing now, but who's going to read this?; a tirade about grammar; and an entire chapter labeled "An Annoying Autobiographical Pause."

Actually, some of the side writings are small treasures if you're in the mood for them, but they do help to round out King's discussion on terror.


Final Thoughts

Danse Macabre is both purposely and unwittingly hilarious (see the movie review of "Robot Monster".) 

If you're someone who's watched at least some of the 'B' movies and TV series Stephen King has seen or has read a few of the horror books he assesses, this is a funny, thought-provoking book—a 421 page inside joke.

If you're not the correct age, Danse Macabre will undoubtedly bore you with its rants about defunct TV series, deteriorating celluloid films, and out-of-print horror stories. 

In his two forewords, King cautions us that he will be focusing on horror films made between the late 1950s and the early 1980s. 

If you couldn't read, watch TV, or go to the movies when you were younger, this book might not be for you.

All of this is to suggest that if you can stick with it; Danse Macabre is a worthwhile book, educational and frequently humorous. 

And it was definitely worth the effort. In the rear, Stephen King adds two appendices that list 100 horror novels as well as all of the movies mentioned in the book. 

Enough to keep any healthily interested fan occupied for quite some time. I recommend it to true fans because, as already said, It is not for everyone, and if you want to read it, don't think of it as a story.


Synopsis

“From the author of dozens of #1 New York Times bestsellers and the creator of many unforgettable movies comes a vivid, intelligent, and nostalgic journey through three decades of horror as experienced through the eyes of the most popular writer in the genre. In 1981, years before he sat down to tackle On Writing, Stephen King decided to address the topic of what makes horror horrifying and what makes terror terrifying. Here, in ten brilliantly written chapters, King delivers one colorful observation after another about the great stories, books, and films that comprise the horror genre—from Frankenstein and Dracula to The Exorcist, The Twilight Zone, and Earth vs. The Flying Saucers.

With the insight and good humor his fans appreciated in on his writing, Danse Macabre is an enjoyably entertaining tour through Stephen King’s beloved world of horror.”


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords

Books And Movies, Harlan Ellison, Highly Recommended, Horror Genre, Jekyll And Hyde, Movies And Books, Night Shift, Peter Straub, Richard Matheson


Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 90/100 Yes.

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The Bazaar of Bad Dreams Review

Stephen King, American, Anthologies, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Mystery, Psychological, Short Stories, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Published: 3, November 2015
Author: Stephen King
Genre: American, Anthologies, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Mystery, Psychological, Short Stories, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller

Check the summary of this book here:
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams Summary


The Review

Stephen King's short story book The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is his sixth collection of short tales and his tenth collection overall. The collection earned the 2015 Shirley Jackson Award for best collection, while one of the pieces, "Obits," won the 2016 Edgar Award for the best short story. On October 18, 2016, an extra short story, "Cookie Jar," was published in VQR and included in the paperback edition.

Stephen King finest works have always been his short tales. This new collection demonstrates that King's ability to elicit fear in readers over the course of forty or fifty pages has not waned. 

Unlike previous collections, however, these tales frequently focus on the horror that exists within the human spirit rather than any external monster.

Another fantastic Stephen King compilation of short stories and novellas. He's like the Carlos Santana of literature in that nearly no one has written and sung more songs, and while some are more significant than others, many were enormous successes, and you can't point to a terrible one no matter how hard you try. 

He and Stephen King, on the other hand, aren't going to give up on you now, or ever. Be aware that these stories are dark and gloomy even by Stephen King's standards, but since you're buying a Stephen King anthology, I'm sure that won't worry you. And, unlike many of his prior works, I found these stories to make me ponder even more. They're going to stick with you.

There are Author's Notes for each tale here, and if you're new to the author, the notes will give you some delightful insight into his creative process, which King's Constant Readers like when he agrees to chat with us for a little bit. 

It also debriefs you after he's terrified the living daylights out of you. You recognize that, no matter how insane or terrifying one of his characters or stories may appear to be, the author is not only a mentally healthy, normal person from Maine, but also a really well-adjusted someone whose viewpoints you'll like, or at the very least want to consider.

There are twenty stories in all in this book, with just three or four that I am unfamiliar with from previous publishing in periodicals or on Amazon Kindle. A handful, such as "Blockade Billy," was even published in hardcover. 

Despite this, a handful of his recent works such as "Into the Tall Grass" have been regretfully overlooked. This does not distract from the work's overall excellence.


The titles of the short stories in this book, as well as some information about them, are listed below; however, I must warn readers that some of the information on these stories is about the plot of the respective stories, but I am not adding any extra stuff that was not included on the back of the book, so I can still call this spoiler-free info:

01 - Mile 81
King's brief narrative is really intriguing. It is truly the strangest and most fascinating story that many people have never heard about. It takes a certain talent to be able to do what Stephen King does.


02 - Premium Harmony
I'm not sure if I was supposed to feel afraid, appalled, or disgusted by this. I have to admit that I felt more sympathy for the dog than for Mary. Does it make me a horrible person? NO. Because I adore animals.


03 - Batman and Robin Have an Altercation
Although King has previously written Holmesian detective fiction, his novel "Batman and Robin Have an Altercation" does not feature the masked icon. 

It does, however, sadly chronicle a middle-aged man's visit to his Alzheimer's-stricken father in a nursing facility and what happens as a result.


04 - The Dune
My particular favorite of these pieces is "The Dune," about a state Supreme Court justice whose counsel finds the mystery of the judge's childhood haunt.


05 - Bad Little Kid
It was also highly enjoyable, and I believed it might have been a full-length novel. It emphasizes the dread of not being believed, of being considered mad by everyone. 

Knowing something is genuine but being questioned by everyone to the point of questioning your own mind is a terrifying concept. 

The main character is pushed to the breaking point and does an act that portrays him as a monster.


06 - A Death
King claims to have been influenced by Thomas Williams' novel The Hair of Harold Roux (1975), which he considers as "the finest book about writing ever written."


07 - The Bone Church
The poem's tale is delivered in the first-person vernacular of a bar client who demands alcohol from his nameless listener in return for memories. 

He recalls a tragic trip into the jungles of an undisclosed continent, with only a few of the once-large crew surviving at the end. A terrible, supernatural adventure awaits the surviving.


08 – Morality
This story is about a married couple in financial trouble and an act that may rescue them monetarily but had a much larger moral cost, was one of my faves. 

King did an excellent job of demonstrating not just what these individuals were capable of, but also how committing a single act released terrible and buried urges. 

I loved reading this one because of the complexity of the couple's relationship. They were somewhat partners in crime, which caused them to see each other from a new perspective. 

What is the line between how far is too far? The wife's acts came to resemble those of an animal, and she looked unable to stop them.


09 – Afterlife
It is a narrative about a guy who dies slowly and painfully from cancer, but finds himself in a cruel ouroboros, repeating the mistakes of the past in slightly different ways, but with the same end result.


10 – Ur
This novella explores the concept of parallel universes in a similar spirit to his work 11/22/63, and it also has a few allusions to his Dark Tower series, which I found fascinating. 

An English professor who finally buys a Kindle and discovers previously unpublished works by famous departed authors such as Poe and Shakespeare; I would have looked for Jane Austen myself. 

Another story about a character who believes he is going insane and believes no one would believe him. He eventually discovers future news clips on the magical Kindle after reading several unseen books. 

He now recognizes he has the power to change the path of events that have yet to occur. This story is about whether you should meddle with the future or not, because certain things are destined to happen, no matter how horrible they may appear.


11 - Herman Wouk Is Still Alive
Some of his other stories reflect King's age. When I saw the headline of his tale, "Hermann Wouk Is Still Alive," I questioned if anyone under the age of forty even knew who he was.


12 - Under the Weather
The creep factor in this one is insanely strong, which is compounded by predicting the outcome. A fantastic and highly recommended tale


13 - Blockade Billy
Stephen King is well-versed in baseball history, as seen in this work. With the brutal content, I found the game's atmosphere to be more engaging. It's not a lengthy narrative, but it's worth a read.


14 - Mister Yummy
It's strange, and it has something to do with homosexual life, as the title indicates, but it's not as straightforward as it seems.


15 - Tommy
It is a literary poem. The poem is written in free verse and is rich with 1960s slang and cultural allusions, which spanned King's whole adolescence. 

It tells the story of the titular young man, a hippy who died of leukemia, and the lives of his closest friends after his death. 

The poem's themes of the unavoidable ravages of aging and dying make it a memory postmortem. 

The notion in the opening that Tommy is based on a real person places it in the confessional genre of poetry.


16 - The Little Green God of Agony
Very spooky and well-developed characters. The "Monster" is a little strange, but I liked the finale. The story has also been described as a "tribute to the classic monster and old dark house stories" by King.


17 - That Bus Is Another World
Oftentimes psychotic MCs thrive, occasionally they don't; I loved it but not as much because of specific events, but it doesn't imply the tale was horrible.


18 - Obits
This one had a delightfully unique idea, and despite the concerns, I thought the finale worked nicely.


19 - Drunken Fireworks
Both the short tale and its audio version had me laugh out loud, which is something I seldom do when reading! 

Tim Sample's flawless Maine accent makes this a delightful and brief read. I don't think any other storyteller could have done it as well as he did. 

I was skeptical when I first heard his voice, but it only took a minute or two for him to lure me into the "down East" environment. I'm sure I'll listen to it again!


20 - Summer Thunder
This narrative, obviously, cannot rival with The Stand because it is a mammoth tomb that goes on forever and can be roughly 1400 pages long, but Summer Thunder is a frightening mini-apocalypse just the same but with a very fast read.


Overall, Stephen King's compilation is excellent. It features new and recently published stuff that matches his admirers' high expectations. A fantastic way to spend one's evening reading time.


Final Thoughts

Surprisingly, Stephen King included a few poems in this anthology. While he has done so in the past, I must admit that I like his prose.

That is not a terrible thing, and he also pays homage to horror writers like H.P. Lovecraft and Arthur Machen, who died before King began his career. 

For fans of the horror genre, these are welcome nods to some of King's most frequent sources of inspiration.

This time, Stephen King mentions his literary inspirations in many of the stories in his author's notes, and I have to confess, there were a lot of writers named that I'd never heard of before. 

So, like I'm sure many others, I went down to the library and began looking for some of these people's books, which was far more gratifying than using Google. 

And let me tell you, since reading this, I've discovered some hidden jewels within those shelves. 

So there's no stopping you now. Purchase the book. Take a look at the stories. And make yourself at home at The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams.


Synopsis

“Includes the story “Premium Harmony”—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine

The masterful #1 New York Times bestselling story collection from O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King that includes twenty-one iconic stories with accompanying autobiographical comments on when, why and how he came to write (or rewrite) each one.

For more than thirty-five years, Stephen King has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of short fiction. In this new collection he introduces each story with a passage about its origins or his motivations for writing it.

As Entertainment Weekly said about this collection: “Bazaar of Bad Dreams is bursting with classic King terror, but what we love most are the thoughtful introductions he gives to each tale that explain what was going on in his life as he wrote it."

There are thrilling connections between stories; themes of morality, the afterlife, guilt, what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past. In “Afterlife,” a man who died of colon cancer 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. Others address what happens when someone discovers that 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 names written in the sand, 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.

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


Useful Search Related Words & Keywords

Bad Dreams, Bazaar Of Bad, Blockade Billy, Drunken Fireworks, God Of Agony, Green God, Herman Wouk, Little Green, Little Kid, Night Shift, Summer Thunder


Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.

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Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (1990) (R)

1408 (2007) (R)

Stand by Me (1986) (R)

Apt Pupil (1998) (R)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) (R)

Secret Window (1994) (PG-13)

The Langoliers (1994) (PG-13)

Under The Dome - Season 1 (2013) (13+)

Dreamcatcher (2003) (R)

Cell (2016) (R)

Bag of Bones Season 1 (2012) (13+)

Dolores Claiborne (1995) (R)

It (1990) (R)

It (2017) (R)

It Chapter Two (2019) (R)

Needful Things (1993) (R)

Desperation (2006) (16+)

Silver Bullet (1985) (R)

The Tommyknockers (1993) (M)

Christine (1983) (R)

The Dead Zone (1983) (R)

Misery (1990) (R)

Carrie (1976) (R)

Firestarter (1984) (R)

Mr. Mercedes Season 01 (2017) (TV-MA)

Thinner (1996) (R)

The Running Man (1987) (R)

The Dark Half (1993) (R)

The Green Mile (1999) (16+)

Salem’s Lot (1979) (G)

Salem’s Lot: The Miniseries (2004) (NR)

The Dark Tower 8 Book Boxed Set (Paperback)

The Dark Tower (2017) (PG-13)

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