Just After Sunset

Title: Just After Sunset

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 2008

Date read: 19th July 2021

Score: 4/5

Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Psychological, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Just After Sunset" by Stephen King, published in 2008, is a collection of thirteen short stories. As the title suggests, the tales often explore the liminal space between day and night, reality and the uncanny, where the mundane can suddenly take a dark and unsettling turn. The collection showcases King's versatility across various subgenres of horror, suspense, and psychological drama.

Here are some of the notable stories included in the collection:

"Willa": A strange and poignant tale about a man who wakes up after a train derailment to find that his fiancée is gone. As he searches for her, he discovers a truth about their situation that blurs the lines between life and death.

"The Gingerbread Girl": A harrowing psychological thriller focusing on Emily, a woman dealing with profound grief after the death of her infant daughter. She takes up extreme running, which leads her to an isolated island and into the clutches of a dangerous serial killer. This story is notable for its intense suspense and the protagonist's resourcefulness.

"Harvey's Dream": A chilling and deeply unsettling story about an elderly man, Harvey, who wakes from a nightmare convinced that something terrible has happened to his daughter. His wife, Janet, struggles to understand whether it's just a dream or a premonition, highlighting the fragility of memory and reality.

"Rest Stop": A crime writer, recovering from a drinking binge, finds himself in a rest stop bathroom where he witnesses an act of domestic violence. His suppressed alter ego, a vigilante character from his own novels, emerges to deal with the situation.

"Stationary Bike": A man trying to get in shape on a stationary bike starts experiencing strange, increasingly vivid hallucinations related to a painting on his wall, leading him into a bizarre and dangerous alternate reality.

"The Things They Left Behind": A powerful and emotional story about a man who survived the 9/11 attacks because he overslept. He begins to find the personal belongings of his deceased co-workers appearing in his apartment, serving as ghostly reminders and a means to process his survivor's guilt.

"Graduation Afternoon": A wealthy teenage girl at a graduation party witnesses an unimaginable catastrophe unfold from afar, providing a stark commentary on privilege and the sudden fragility of the world.

"The Cat from Hell": A darkly humorous and gruesome tale about a hitman hired to kill a seemingly ordinary cat that is believed to be a supernatural force of vengeance.

"The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates": A grieving widow receives a phone call from her recently deceased husband, who offers her a final, unsettling piece of advice.

"Mute": A traveling salesman confesses a dark secret to a mute hitchhiker, assuming the man cannot hear him. The consequences are far more sinister than he anticipates.

"Ayana": A touching and mystical story about a blind young girl who possesses a miraculous healing touch and the ability to inspire faith in others, bringing about seemingly impossible acts of grace.

"N.": One of the longer and more complex stories in the collection, "N." is told through journal entries and psychiatric notes. It explores themes of obsessive-compulsive disorder, ancient cosmic horrors, and the delicate balance that prevents a monstrous entity from crossing into our reality, often connected to a series of stone markers. This story has ties to King's broader mythology, particularly involving the concepts of cosmic evil.

"A Very Tight Place": A visceral and darkly comedic revenge tale where a man is trapped in a portable toilet by his vengeful neighbour, leading to a desperate and disgusting struggle for survival.

"Just After Sunset" is celebrated for its diverse range of plots and characters, its blend of the ordinary with the extraordinary, and King's continued ability to tap into common fears and anxieties, offering both chilling suspense and thoughtful insights into the human condition.

Comments:
A very diverse selection of stories, nothing particular to say other than, the length of most gave an opportunity to have a whistle-stop tour through one of his tales.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)