Book Review: STORIES. Edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. *** and a 1\2 out of *****

I fell out of love with short story anthologies a long time ago. There are dozens of them published every year, and only a handful that are worth the paper they are printed on. The deciding factor, always, is the editor. Stories, an anthology of tales that span many genres, but with a special focus on the fantastic, and edited by author Neil Gaiman and author and veteran editor Al Sarrantonio, is, for the most part, one of the better ones.

In his introduction to the collection of stories, Neil Gaiman says that all good stories, regardless the genre, have to have this one factor: While turning the pages, the reader has to keep asking him/herself, "And then what happened?". Out of the 27 stories included here, 16 had me asking that question as I lost myself in the tales. 16 out of 27 ain't bad, right? So, in my book, that makes this collection a success.

Out of these 16 stories, stand-outs include "The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains" by Neil Gaiman, a thrilling story of revenge and magic; "Unbelief" by Michael Marshall Smith, a clever little tale about a hitman, with a neat twist; "The Stars Are Falling" by the incomparable Joe R. Lansdale, a touching and highly atmospheric story about a man who returns from a war to discover that the life he left, including a loving wife and a son, no longer exists; "Polka Dots And Moonbeams" by Jeffrey Ford, a wonderfully weird tale about two lovers stuck in time, that hops genres with astounding ease; "Leif In The Wind" by Gene Wolfe, a disturbing Sci-Fi tale that manages to pull off in 13 pages what many writers fail to achieve in a novel; "The Therapist" by Jeffrey Deaver, a clever tale about a psychopath who thinks he's possessed; "Parallel Lines" by Tim Powers, an entertaining ghost story; "The Cult Of The Nose" by Al Sarrantonio, a superb psychological horror story, and the best tale included here; "Stories" by Michael Moorcock, a touching and compelling tale about the lives of writers; "The Maiden Flight of McCauley's Bellerophon"  by Elizabeth Hand, a wonderfully moving story about a group of friends who set out to recreate a film for a dying friend; and "The Devil On The Staircase" by Joe Hill, a frightening tale about a boy from a poor village who comes face to face with a devil, and how that encounter changes him forever.

So if you are in the mood for a bunch of good short stories, some of them true examples of the art form, then look no further. Stories is it.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2013 - 2021.

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Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @Dark.Fantastic.AK·Writer

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Book Review: NIGHT SHIFT. By Stephen King *** and a 1\2 out of *****

What to do with the dilemma that is Stephen King? A prolific author, an assured stylist, and a man whose prose is so readable it is almost hypnotic. But there's also that other Stephen King, the one who writes interminable books that go nowhere, who is so politically correct to the point of blandness, and who flirts with crassness with seeming glee. Yes, I am conflicted about Stephen King. I love a lot of his work, but I also, well, don't like a lot of it. That wasn't always the case. As a younger man, I used to be a die-hard fan, saving much needed money to buy as many books of his that I could find, salivating over any movie poster that featured his name, and defending him to high-brow poseurs who called him a hack.

I still defend his work to these philistines, though, at least his earlier books. You see, I've come to realize that there are three epochs in the career of the King. There's early King (1974-1978), books that were mostly written before, but published after, he found success. All of those are great (including The Long Walk, Carrie, Salem's Lot). There's post-success King (1979-1987), books that were written and published after his breakout success with the movie adaptation of Carrie (1976). These include the much overrated The Shining, the masterpiece that is The Stand, the haunting The Dead Zone, the middling Firestarter, the awful Christine, the terrific Pet Sematary, and the masterwork that is Misery. And, lastly, there is post-fame King, books published after he became a household name all over the world (1988-Present). This period is the most problematic of all. It includes good books (Duma Key, The Colorado Kid), ok books (Cell), and books that are just terrible (the bland Mr. Mercedes, and the almost unreadable The Institute).

Which brings me to good, old, Night Shift (1978), King's very first short story collection, and a true box of wonders. In Night Shift, King showcases all his strengths, weaknesses, styles, and obsessions. From the blood and thunder Gothic horror of the opener, "Jerusalem's Lot" (a prequel to the novel Salem's Lot), to the pulpy, overheated, but terrifically entertaining horror of "Graveyard Shift" (about giant rats and exploited workers) and "The Mangler" (a truly ridiculous story about a killer laundry machine), to the forgettable but atmospheric prequel to The Stand, "Night Surf".

There are also a handful of truly original and masterfully told tales of terror and suspense. Like the disturbing "I Am The Doorway", about a man who may or may not be possessed by an alien force that just wants to kill for pleasure; "Strawberry Spring", about a man who violently kills college students in a fogbound campus; the Hitchcock Presents homage that is "The Ledge"; and "One For The Road", a terrifying and somber sequel to Salem's Lot.

But the standout is "The Last Rung on The Ladder", a heart-wrenching tale of innocence, love, and loss, about the toll time takes on the bond between a brother and a sister, and the vows they made to each other as children only to abandon them as adults. This story is a wonderfully written piece of literature, and, arguably, was the first indication that King had the ability to write masterfully in any genre, and so is a precursor to such beloved classics like the novellas "The Body" and "Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption", both featured in the collection Different Seasons.

So, if you find yourself disappointed with King's uneven output in the past two decades, travel back in time and pick up a copy of Night Shift. It features a number of duds, but it also has some stories that will chill your bones and warm your heart, and remind you that there once was a king named King.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2021.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @Dark.Fantastic.AK·Writer

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