by Anne Hatcher

Created on: December 05, 2008   Last Updated: December 07, 2008

As is usually the case with a collection of Stephen King's short stories, "Just After Sunset" is a mixed bag. There are a couple of truly great stories, several very good ones, and a few pieces of self-indulgent hooey (hey, when you're Stephen King, you can do that, right?).

From the perspective of a book reviewer, it's a solid collection that contains some of King's best writing in recent years. From the perspective of someone who used to rely on King to deprive me of any hope of a good night's sleep, though, it's a bit disappointing. There is most definitely some teeth-grinding suspense (I dare you to put the book down in the middle of "The Gingerbread Girl"), but there are few, if any, scares. Maybe it's a fair trade-off; I was never spooked, but I was often genuinely moved.

Here's a breakdown of a few of the book's offerings:

The Good: Let's start with the standouts (though I suggest you read them last, so the others won't suffer so much from comparisons).

"The Gingerbread Girl" is one of King's best stories to date. It's a simple but fiercely clever thriller about a grieving young woman who makes one spectacularly bad decision. If you can stop reading midway through this one, even for a bathroom break, you're a better person than I am.

"N." is one of the best Lovecraft tales Lovecraft never wrote. It's an epistolary story, composed entirely of letters, journal entries and news items, that chronicles a madness-inducing confrontation with cosmic horror. Great stuff.

The specter of Sept. 11 hovers over several of Sunset's tales, but it takes center stage in "The Things They Left Behind." Arguably the creepiest installment in this volume, it's also the most touching.

"Willa" is a beautifully written treatment of one of the horror genre's most tiresome cliches. Familiar territory seems somehow new and fresh in King's capable hands. In a very weird way, it's charming and even sweet.

The Bad: "Mute" is predictable, prosaic, and ultimately forgettable. The same can be said for the odd "Stationary Bike," and the bland "Ayana."

Okay, so none of these stories are actually bad, per se, but none lived up to their considerable potential.

The Ugly: "The Cat From Hell" (actually a 30-year-old story, anthologized here for the first time) reminds us that King hasn't lost his boyish affection for the goofy gross-out. It's a silly story, but almost certain to elicit an "Eugh!" at the end.

And then there's "A Very Tight Place." "While it doesn't trump the Holy Grail of gross stories - Chuck Palahniuk's "Guts" - it's still guaranteed to induce cringes." When it's all said and done, it's a strangely satisfying little piece.

There are a few other stories that range from so-so to quite good. If you're hoping for stories as chilling as "1408" or "Suffer the Little Children," you'll be disappointed. But if you're just hoping that a good writer will tell you some often good and occasionally great stories, you're in for a treat.

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