Just After Sunset *possible spoilers*

[theyspunaweb]

Alright, who has read it? Who has read some of it? I haven't seen a thread for this yet so I thought it should be made.

I bought it but I haven't read it yet. It may or may not be a Xmas gift for someone else. I've heard there are a few stories that are old, and a few that are new in the collection. What are your thoughts?

[jayson]

I know many people are reading this now, and some have probably finished by now, so I thought the time was right to start a thread about the book and its stories.

I was looking forward to this one as I usually love the short story collections. This one has not impressed me so far. I'm not quite done yet so something may yet please me, but so far, the best I can offer is a "meh" about "Stationary Bike" and "Willa". Both of those I enjoyed conceptually a lot more than I did the way King executed the concept itself.

"The Things They Left Behind" I have to say is one of the most trite and heavy-handed pieces of schmaltz I've ever read. It might very well be that it's difficult to write a 9/11 story without being trite or heavy-handed, but my if that's the case, just don't write the story. Yes, that day was tragic, but I didn't appreciate how purposely maudlin that story was. Quite frankly, I feel I've read more than enough fiction about 9/11 without having to read King's thoughts on the subject.

[JQ The Gunslinger]

Yea I didnt like "The Things They Left Behind" either. If you have read "Mute" yet, it is an enjoyable story.

[Darkthoughts]

I liked Stationary Bike - I think however that Gingerbread Girl, N and A Tight Place were my favourites - but as a whole not my favourite collection overall.

[educatedlady]

I agree with you, darkthoughts, not my favorite collection but the stories you named were the ones I enjoyed the most.

My mom doesn't like any of the stories so far...she's about halfway through the book.

[obscurejude]

I guess I know what I won't be reading over Christmas break. :lol:

[Sam]

I enjoyed ALL of these stories. My favorites are A Very Tight Place, Ayana, The Gingerbread Girl, Rest Stop, and Mute. They were horrifying, poignant, enthralling, fun, and thought provoking (in the order).

[ManOfWesternesse]

I thought it a reasonably good collection.
A few in there that will soon be forgotten (almost are already), but also a couple of good ones:-

-'N' was brilliant, I thought. I had a couple of old-time SK 'hair standing on the back of the neck going upstairs at 1am' moments with that one.
-'Stationary Bike' was very good.
-'Gingerbread Girl' was also good for me.
-'A very tight place' - was pretty good too.

[jayson]

"Rest Stop" was another one I didn't care for in the least.

It actually reminded me of a friend who similarly involved himself in trying to stop a guy from beating his girlfriend. My friend wound up facing assault charges and a civil suit. I guess that girl would rather have just been beaten to a pulp. My friend told his story better than King too, but perhaps that's because it actually happened.

[Darkthoughts]

I knew there was a "very" in that story title :lol:

Ayana and Mute were good, but I'd read those previously in Playboy and the Paris Review.

[Dave!]

Now I am torn more than ever. Not a big fan of the collections (I.E. Nightshift). But after Duma Key I can't help but be interested to see if this release has the same different feel to it. I've seen it in the store, picked it up, read the jacket, and put it back down three times now. Think I may pick it up, but am afraid to invest the $ for something I'll not think was worth it, or want to read again or recommend. Hmm...If you guys were to compare the majority of the stories to a previous SK work, what do you think most of the stuff would compare to as far as "feel", or even quality?

[jayson]

I can't really compare it to anything else.

Ultimately, don't let anyone else's reviews determine anything for you. We all take different things from different stories. What I may hate may appeal to others and vice versa. You could always check it out of your library if you are unsure if you want to pay the purchase price without knowing if it's something you will like and then if you do, you can always purchase your own copy.

[Heather19]

I've read about half of it so far. I enjoyed Willa (although I figured out what was going on from the get go), and I had previously read The Gingerbread Girl which I really enjoyed. The rest that I've read have been so-so.
Currently I'm about halfway thru A Very Tight Place (at the part where he just gets locked in). So far I'm not enjoying this one at all. I'm hoping it gets better, but the whole first part of the story has just bored me to tears. It seems like a lot of you have enjoyed this one so we'll see if I still feel the same way after I finish it.

[jayson]

I liked Mute with the exception of one ludicrous statement within that story. Early on in the story, Monette listens to a Josh Ritter cd and says Ritter is comparable to a young Bob Dylan.

Josh Ritter = Bob Dylan? Are you fucking kidding me?

King has shown me time and time again that while he likes the occasional good song here or there, for the most part his opinions on music are shit, but this was the ultimate example of that.

Josh Ritter = Bob Dylan. Not on this or any other level of the Tower.

The rest of the story was pretty good, if somewhat predictable.

[Sam]

Those ARE his opinions though, and he's the writer. Besides, that statement is not necessarily ludicrous. I am not familiar with Josh Ritter by name and cannot make a proper comparison, but I can say that I think Bob Dylan is one of the worst singers I have ever heard. He has written some very good songs, but I would rather listen to a coked up Whitney Houston than Dylan (and I am not a fan of Houston either). I'd rather listen to Clay Aiken than Dylan any day.

[DanishCollector]

Each to his own, of course, and that's as it should be. I like this collection a lot. King's recent short fiction has a special appeal to me, mostly because he experiences a great deal with this format. Surely his older short stories, all the way back to Night Shift, were awesome, and his newer output has the tendency to become slightly predictable here and there, but I still feel he packs a wallop. As much as I love his long, fat bricks of novels, I'm always a sucker for his short stories.

I don't agree at all with "The Things They Left Behind," I liked that one, in fact, I liked them all. "N." was the best, period. I have always been a fan of "The Cat From Hell" (old school King), but as it was not rewritten or updated the slightest, it seems outta place here amongst the other tales.

[DanishCollector]

I have to ellaborate on that a little: Every time King comes out with a collection, I take great delight in having the original magazine/anthology appearances next to the collection, and spot the differences, the rewrites. In this case, however, I could only find two: Willa and The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates, and these differences were very minor, more revisions in style only.

I'm still a bit baffled that King didn't rewrite "The Cat From Hell" just a little bit...as if he choose the tale in the last minute, threw it in there, and didn't bother to think it's a story first written and published in 1977. I wouldn't like cell phones or ipods or Internet in the story, but perhaps some few time updates. Still a good little tale, though.

[jayson]

Those ARE his opinions though, and he's the writer. Besides, that statement is not necessarily ludicrous. I am not familiar with Josh Ritter by name and cannot make a proper comparison, but I can say that I think Bob Dylan is one of the worst singers I have ever heard. He has written some very good songs, but I would rather listen to a coked up Whitney Houston than Dylan (and I am not a fan of Houston either). I'd rather listen to Clay Aiken than Dylan any day.

Ok. You disagree with me. I disagree with King. Hooray. I stand by what I said. King's opinion is laughable. I never said he wasn't entitled to it, but I am certainly entitled to find it laughable, as I am entitled to find a preference for Aiken over Dylan laughable. To me, there's more to listening to music than just identifying a pleasant voice. I find that authenticity goes a very long way. But to each their own.

[Jean]

Grr I wish I could read it right now. You have intrigued me.

[Darkthoughts]

:lol: Fait accompli!

[Sam]

I concur with you R of G, to each his own. I was just trying to point out how different our perceptions are. The sort of music I enjoy is southern rock and old school heavy metal. I know plenty of people who despise King but absolutely LOVE Danielle Steel. My mother doesn't read his books because they give her nightmares, but that's her. I knew a woman once who thought King was one of the worst writers the world had ever seen, and yet she thought the sun rose and set on V. C. Andrews. Go figure. Now back to our regularly scheduled forum.

[jayson]

I was just trying to point out how different our perceptions are.

Perception plus expectation = reality. :)

The whole of existence is subjective and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Sam]

I've always been one to ascribe to the idea that perception IS reality. And each person's reality is different from the next.

[jayson]

Same here my friend, same here. :)

[obscurejude]

I'll never read this collection of short stories. I don't know if that's what you set out to accomplish Jayson, but it sounds like counting pennies is more worthwhile than slugging it out with this one.

[Sam]

I wouldn't make a decision like that based on what one person said jude. I found this to be one of King's best collections. Far, far better than Night Shift and Skeleton Crew if only because all of the stories were enjoyable for me. And more than half of them were Grand Slams for me. I would really put it up against Everything's Eventual any day. I actually liked this better than EE, and that book had some GREAT tales to tell. Second only to Different Seasons, and DS only had four stories in it.

Give it a chance.

[obscurejude]

Well if you were in grad school and had little time for pleasure reading you might change your mind Sam. No time for mediocrity. Besides, I was half joking, but me and Jayson are pretty good friends and if he finds it less than compelling the chances are that I will as well.

You seem like a smart guy, so I might give it a chance when I'm old and sipping lemonade in my wicker chair on the porch complaining about the youngsters driving by to my cat.

[Sam]

Actually, this is the type of book I DID gravitate toward when I was in college. Short stories are just that, short. I didn't realize you were sorta joking though. I do understand how things are though. When my wife was in grad school she barely had ten dollars left to get her through the rest of the month after paying her utilites and rent at the beginning of the month. She lived on crackers and fish sticks. I myself did the crackers and Ramen noodle soup thing. :panic:

[jayson]

I agree with Sam that no book necessarily strikes any two people the same way, though I suspect we all know that.

I disagree with Sam that this is among the best of the King short story collections. I have always enjoyed the short story collections, and having finished the last of the stories in J.A.S. last night, I can say that not only do I not find this to be among the best, I find it to be the single worst. Aside from "N" (which was quite good) the rest of it was, at best, mediocre and predictable and that would be a generous appraisal for some of the other stories. For me, it certainly doesn't compare to Different Seasons. Those stories will stay with me my entire life. With any luck, I'll have forgotten most of the stories in J.A.S. by the end of this year. I wanted to like these stories, but it wasn't happening.

[Sam]

I think in this instance it simply has more to do with our experiences in life Jayson (congrats on the new position and have fun). Some of the stories I really identified with for one reason or another. Another part of it is I simply love the new voice that King has found. It is resulting in stories that more fully develope the characters than he used to. The stories end up a little longer, but the characters live more brightly to me. And it simply could be the fact that I will forever equate this particular tome with the fact that I got to meet one of the heroes of my childhood at the reading he did in Massachusettes. I freely admit that my vision may be clouded by that, BUT I had read many of the stories prior to this book's publication and already knew that I enjoyed them.

I am sorry you did not find them as good as I did. I found the stories better in this one and Everythings Eventual than in his other collections. (I'm not counting Four Past Midnight and Different Seasons since they had only four stories each or Hearts in Atlantis as I see that as one big story, not a collection.) I rather think it comes from his growth as a writer, but as you say, different opinions is what makes this place work. (Though I disagree. It would be soooo much better if everyone held MY opinion, IMO.)

[jayson]

:lol:

I'm glad you enjoyed them Sam, it's good to know someone does. I know I wanted to. It certainly won't turn me off to reading further publications from King. He's more than earned benefit of my doubts at this point to at least give all of his new works a read (except Faithful, that one is not allowed in my home).

And thanks for congrats. I appreciate it.

:)

[theyspunaweb]

I don't get it. I started a thread about this before but no one made any comments, do you have to be a higher rank or something to start such threads?

[jayson]

I don't get it. I started a thread about this before but no one made any comments, do you have to be a higher rank or something to start such threads?

I looked everywhere for a thread on this book. I'm so sorry if I missed yours because I'd have just added to that one if I'd have found it.

[Jean]

Sorry friends, it's entirely my fault, I overlooked it that there was already such a thread when this one was started. I'll merge them now.

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[ManOfWesternesse]

....I started a thread about this before but no one ....?
It may simply have been too early, with people still reading it & trying to avoid spoilers?
(I know my copy sat for a week or so while I finished another Book, then I took my time reading Sunset and avoided any threads until I finished.)
... and no, you don't have to be any 'rank'.
:grouphug:

ps. That Av you have is infectious - you can't help but smile when you look at it!

[obscurejude]

Actually, this is the type of book I DID gravitate toward when I was in college. Short stories are just that, short. I didn't realize you were sorta joking though. I do understand how things are though. When my wife was in grad school she barely had ten dollars left to get her through the rest of the month after paying her utilites and rent at the beginning of the month. She lived on crackers and fish sticks. I myself did the crackers and Ramen noodle soup thing. :panic:

Good points Sam. I'm sorry if I came off dismissive. When I see it at the used bookstore later in the year, I'll pick it up and give it a try. I appreciate you taking the time to explain why you liked the stories so much. :couple: Like I said, I was sort of joking in regards to Jayson.

[Brice]

I don't get it. I started a thread about this before but no one made any comments, do you have to be a higher rank or something to start such threads?


Hey! There are no ranks at all. It's a big site. Sometimes threads get overlooked. It happens. I assure you it was nothing personal, nor was it due to ranks...as there are none. :)

[theyspunaweb]

You guys are all so nice, sorry I bugged out. Besides I seem to log on this website once every week (or just whenever I start a new SK book), so that could have just as well been enough of a case.

I am really excited to start this book, or for at least some of these stories with what most of you have said. I haven't read any of the the stories in it that have been previously released. I'm excited to read the short ones, since I've been reading series books for a long time now.

[JQ The Gunslinger]

I finished JAS. It was deffinetly just alright. "N" was a good story, but the rest are just ok.

[Patrick19]

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I can't say that it's my favorite short story collection by a long shot (Everything's Eventual is my fav). I really enjoyed N, even though I had already seen the web-comic thing and knew everything that was going to happen.
Very Tight Place... wow that grossed me out. Typically King doesn't really do that to me - I just found it too disgusting and couldn't read it all the way through in one sitting. Maybe I just have too vivid of an imagination, but I just felt it was a bit much.
I'd have to say that the story I liked the most was 'Stationary Bike'. It kinda made me want to make a painting of my own like the character in the story so that I'm not so damn bored on my treadmill. But I'm not sure if I really liked how that turned out for him haha.

[theyspunaweb]

I just read the first story and am in the middle of Gingerbread Girl. Pretty dissapointed with the first one...it seemed pretty boring to me.

I also skipped ahead and read The Cat from Hell or whatever. I thought for sure I knew the end of the story the whole time:

I thought the cat was really making the "hits" for the man in the house...killing people off and would just kill the hit man off also. I was wrong, and it just ended and then I felt pretty unclever, for thinking I was clever.

[ManOfWesternesse]

...I'd have to say that the story I liked the most was 'Stationary Bike'. ...
Yes, I really enjoyed that one, though the ending came a bit abruptly I thought?



I just read the first story and am in the middle of Gingerbread Girl. Pretty dissapointed with the first one...it seemed pretty boring to me.


Gingerbread girl was one of my favourites in the collection.
Agree on the first story (Willa) - I know it was a major disapointment at the time - and already I can't even remember what the story was about!

[theyspunaweb]

...I'd have to say that the story I liked the most was 'Stationary Bike'. ...
Yes, I really enjoyed that one, though the ending came a bit abruptly I thought?



I just read the first story and am in the middle of Gingerbread Girl. Pretty dissapointed with the first one...it seemed pretty boring to me.


Gingerbread girl was one of my favourites in the collection.
Agree on the first story (Willa) - I know it was a major disapointment at the time - and already I can't even remember what the story was about!

Yes just finished Gingerbread Girl and Harvey's Dream. I really enjoyed Gingerbread girl. My boyfriend and I thought the pase was so crazy in that story, the background was pretty long and then it just jumps right into everything.

[Tiffany]

I just finished "The Things They Left Behind" and enjoyed it enough. Enjoyed sounds like too happy a word...like I was singing and dancing while reading it but y'all know what I mean.

So far the only one that I wasn't crazy about was "Rest Stop."

Sort of off-topic:
I guess it's just that it's been a while since reading a newer King book, but I gotta say I really love his intros. I can't say that I've read every single one but the ones I have, I haven't been bored with. What I love the most is how sincere it feels when he's talking to me or you or whomever. To Constant Reader.

[Jean]

Have just finished reading N., and was very unimpressed. It reads like a cross between Flexible Bullet and Crouch End, both of which I like a lot, but recognition kills a lot of effect... plus many other sources, both King and non-King, echo there and I couldn't help feeling some prevailing second-handedness of what I was reading; let alone that the story was monotonous like hell, - worse, it was totally predictable.

[theyspunaweb]

Have just finished reading N., and was very unimpressed. It reads like a cross between Flexible Bullet and Crouch End, both of which I like a lot, but recognition kills a lot of effect... plus many other sources, both King and non-King, echo there and I couldn't help feeling some prevailing second-handedness of what I was reading; let alone that the story was monotonous like hell, - worse, it was totally predictable.

Predictable...yeah, but wasn't that a total giveaway because of how king started the story? It was started off with a disclaimer practically...so that's why it was a giveaway. I felt like almost told us how it was going to end, if you didn't get it, then it shouldn't surprise you all that much to see that fate of all charecters invloved were linked. Hope that was not spoilerish, I tried to say it without having to put behind a cut.

I enjoyed this story a lot because I wanted to find out more, but I too felt like I had heard a lot of it before. Maybe parts of that are why I enjoyed the story too...It definitely felt like King was revisiting areas or relms which he was firmiliar with. I couldn't help but be reminded of

Susannah and the demon having sex in the ring to try and pull jake through another world...and this ring of stones to another world full of evilness. Weren't there stones surrounding in the DT scene also?

Also I loved that he linked the OCD to the story, I thought that was original and pretty cool. I have epilepsy, and acutally the first time I had a seizure, I didn't know what it was, I almost thought there could be something evil inside me! (this is embarressing, but I hurt myself sort of badly and didn't know what the first one could be) so I think that those areas are a great place to explore in story telling, because in real life, people can seriously believe the scariest of things.

[Jean]

I understand that the predictability was a means he used on purpose; the problem is, I find this means dubious, just as well as the whole idea of "revisiting". It might work, or it might not; in my case it didn't. I also understand that
the personal moment might make this story for you much more interesting than it was; it's also a matter of perception, because this here bear, being disturbed in various ways, still doesn't find anything original in the way King treated it in this particular case.http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gif
Also, it's not only the ending which I meant when I said "predictable" - it's the whole development of the story, step by step and every step known in advance; not from the inner logic of the novella, but alas, from other literature.

[jayson]

Interesting thoughts from both Jean and theyspunaweb.

I also take predictability on a case by case basis. King is often purposely predictable and sometimes it works for me, but sometimes it doesn't. "N" still worked for me because of the way it played out through the OCD's progression. I actually give King credit for writing a story that held my attention despite being nearly completely predictable.

[Jean]

You know Jayson... maybe the order of the reading played prominent part in your impression... I mean, I started with N., and now am slowly trying to make it through the rest of the stories, starting with the first of them... I have to say that on their background N. really does stand out, and if I had read after those preceding it, I might think of it a little better - but it would be a deceptive feeling anyway.

(for example, Gingerbread Girl nearly killed me with its utter pointlessness... others were at least shorter... So far I - marginally - liked only Rest Stop)

[jayson]

Perhaps that plays a role. I did read them in the printed order and "N" was the first one that I cared for at all so it stood out to me.

"Rest Stop" struck me as a bit of "the writer as tough guy" fantasy. I suppose many of us have thought about something like that at some point or another. I'm just not sure it made for something I wanted to read about. On the plus side, it was set in a part of Florida I know and I was thus able to picture the whole thing a little better than places I have never been in Maine. He got it a little more correct than he did parts of Tampa which were in Duma Key which he got quite wrong.

[Darkthoughts]

Jean, I loved The Gingerbread Girl! Why did you find it pointless?

[Jean]

It read to me like Reader's Digest version of Gerald's Game; if not for that similarity, it would be like what you can read in a women's magazine about someone's another "liberating experience". I've spent a lot of time at the dentist's the summer before the last, and got acquainted with the genre... only GB was so much longer...

[alinda]

Ah well thanks to our bear, I now am reading Willa, I too will go in order this time, oh and thanks Jean.:huglove:

[Jean]

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[theyspunaweb]

I understand that the predictability was a means he used on purpose; the problem is, I find this means dubious, just as well as the whole idea of "revisiting". It might work, or it might not; in my case it didn't. I also understand that
the personal moment might make this story for you much more interesting than it was; it's also a matter of perception, because this here bear, being disturbed in various ways, still doesn't find anything original in the way King treated it in this particular case.http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gif
Also, it's not only the ending which I meant when I said "predictable" - it's the whole development of the story, step by step and every step known in advance; not from the inner logic of the novella, but alas, from other literature.

Jean, you're right. Like most things, it probably just works with some people or doesn't. I did read them in order, and I have been dissapointed with most of the stories, except this one. You knew what was happening or what happened throughout the whole story, but it's how it happened, and how the charecter felt. And you're right, I probably felt a little bit more connected to the character personally because of my own background, and I'm sure that's why I was into this story. Hmm.

I'd like to hear from others once they've read it since there was such a hype about this story.

- On Gingerbread Girl, I liked it. Not compared to his other novels but to the other stories in this book, because it caught me off gaurd. It wasn't what I thought it would be about, and the plot went from slow, to instantly fast and crazy. I liked the unexpectedness about it.

[ManOfWesternesse]

Hmmm... I see what you're saying Jean, but I still enjoyed both N and Gingerbread Girl (those 2 + Stationery Bike would be my 3 picks from this collection).
.. not compared to anything else, King or otherwise, I just read them and enjoyed them. (Yes, I can be quite shallow betimes! :lol: )

Isn't it great really that, after all the years and all the stories, we constant readers can still like and dislike King's work so differently!

[Jean]

I read Stationery Bike yesterday, and have to say it would be more or less ok if it was much shorter. The message just doesn't fit the number of words it took him to get it across; the same with Lisey's Story or Bag of Bones; I would suspect it was a characteristic feature of recent King if not for Duma Key where this ratio was absolutely perfect, to my ursine taste.

[jayson]

I read Stationery Bike yesterday, and have to say it would be more or less ok if it was much shorter. The message just doesn't fit the number of words it took him to get it across...

I agree, and enjoy the apparent irony of using too many words when the message (as I read it) is "use moderation".

[Jean]

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear4bis.gif

[ManOfWesternesse]

:lol:

[theyspunaweb]

Why do you think King mentioned Alice in Wonderland references throughout the collection of stories? (at least 4 that I caught...) or maybe that is why he put these together for the book? I almost didn't like that he kept mentioning the story.

[Matt]

Your av is so cute theyspun :clap:

I'm right in the middle of this book and the stories are mostly okay for me. I listened to Stationary Bike on audio months ago and I enjoyed The Gingerbread Girl because no matter how often I hear it, I love those kinds of stories.

[Brice]

Have just finished reading N., and was very unimpressed. It reads like a cross between Flexible Bullet and Crouch End, both of which I like a lot, but recognition kills a lot of effect... plus many other sources, both King and non-King, echo there and I couldn't help feeling some prevailing second-handedness of what I was reading; let alone that the story was monotonous like hell, - worse, it was totally predictable.

Well, it's directly inspired by Machen's Great God Pan and reminiscent of Lovecraft and that whole sort of thing. It's definitely derivative of them and others, but I expected this. It was actually something I looked forward to. I loved the story.

[Jon]

I thought "N" was the best in a weak line up of stories.

[AcidBumbler]

Hmm. I liked it but... I don't know. It was really good but I found that it wasn't one of King's best. I loved the one about the cat, but that's the only one I can remember fully enjoying and being unable to put down.
The rest were good stories but I found that it took me a long time to read and I also found myself checking what page I was on. :doh:

[jsn]

what a great read.

king keeps doing it right.

i think i read the whole thing in less than a day.

[Odetta]

I just finished this book a couple of weeks ago.
For me, I am a huge fan of SK's short stories... these were OK at best. It was almost too easy a read for me.

[Savvy]

I'm not a great fan of short stories and since I've read Just after sunset, I can only remember N and Stationary bike clearly. So I'm taking it that these were my favourites lol

[herbertwest]

An error in "N." ???

The second letter written by Sheila is from the 8th of june 2008, while the article about her suicide is from the 1st of june 2008.

How can it be?

[Brainslinger]

I just picked up the hardback edition of this book for £1.99 in a book shop's closing down sale! Excellent value considering this would proably be around a tenner RRP.

[WeDealInLead]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Overall I like it better than Night Shift. I like the simplicity of Night Shift and the best stories from that collection are better than the best stories from JAS, but JAS is more solid throughout. There are no stories like The Mangler you know? Or the one with the trucks.

[beam*seeker]

I liked JAS almost as much as Everything's Eventual. The cat from Hell story was f**king awesome. Almost as good as LT's THeory of PEts--possbily my fave short story of his

[LadyHitchhiker]

I'm halfway through it... just read one that really was too much for me, but I stuck through it anyways... must keep reading! :)

[Jean]

which one was it?

[LadyHitchhiker]

The one about the wife being beaten. For obvious personal reasons, too much for my heart right now, so I skimmed it.

[mae]

The Losers Club podcast episodes on this book:


https://bloody-disgusting.com/podcasts/3767632/just-after-sunset-pt-1-the-losers-club/
https://bloody-disgusting.com/podcasts/3768361/just-after-sunset-pt-2-the-losers-club/