The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

The No. 1 bestselling writer presents a generous collection of stories – some brand new, all assembled for the first time in one book – each with a revelatory introduction.

Stephen King has dazzled readers with his genius as a writer of novellas and short story fiction since his first collection Night Shift was published. ‘There’s something to be said for a shorter, more intense experience,’ writes King. ‘It can be invigorating, sometimes even shocking, like … a beautiful curio for sale laid out on a cheap blanket at a street bazaar.’

In The Bazaar of Bad Dreams there is a curio for every reader – a man who keeps reliving the same life, repeating the same mistakes over and over again, a columnist who kills people by writing their obituaries, a poignant tale about the end of the human race and a firework competition between neighbours which reaches an explosive climax.

There are also intriguing connections between the stories – themes of morality, guilt, the afterlife and what we would do differently if we could see into the future or correct the mistakes of the past.

Effervescent yet bittersweet, juxtaposing the everyday against the unexpected, these stories comprise one of King’s finest gifts to both his ‘Constant Reader’ and new audience. King introduces each with a fascinating autobiographical passage about its origins or his motivation for writing it, giving unique insight into his craft which will delight the millions inspired by his celebrated non-fiction title On Writing.

‘I made them especially for you’, says King. ‘Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.’