Back to Back Stephen King Reads : Full Dark, No Stars and Sleeping Beauties

One of my Kingsies, Stephen King's latest book to date

     I purchased the book last November 2017. I had intended it to be a ceremonial read by 2018. It will be this special novel that I'll read first for a new year and that's what I did. Before reading this one, I did some in between reads, Brida by Paulo Coelho (3rd-time read) and Full Dark, No Stars, a collection of four stories by Stephen King. I badly wanted to delay the reading but just one day, on February 11, 2018, I just had to put an end to the chapters. Finished the book, I did.It came into my thinking that the book might be one of the last books Stephen King, a 70-year old famous writer of horror and thriller, has written. Though I received a news about an upcoming book from him entitled "The Outsider".

     Going back to the Sleeping Beauties book, it's a collaboration between father and son -Owen King and Stephen King. It was Owen King who thought about the concept of the book. Owen one day asked his father about the possibility of all women not waking up. Stephen saw an idea worth writing about. The story was a hit. The book won the title of best horror book on Goodreads. The thrill of knowing the chaos without women is a concept which was never explored in other books. The originality made the book stand out among the rest of those on the shelves.

Let me give you a brief overview of events. One day a woman just popped out of nowhere from the forest of Dooling (setting of the story) and passed by a trailer which was a home to a drug addict. The addict abuses his girlfriend.The addict was killed by the woman from the forest who was later on called as Eve Black (Evie).The appearance of Evie was also when the news of a sleeping sickness called "Aurora" appeared affecting women all over the world, infants including. Those affected were covered with cocoon-like material. The sickness would start as soon as women fall asleep. Those who tried to remove the cocoon-like material from a woman affected by the sickness would release a beast-like creature with a killing intent. Evie claimed to be the key to everything, that as long as she lives for several days she'll help in solving the mysteries surrounding the Aurora sickness.She was protected by Clint Norcross, the sheriff's husband.  On the other side of the plate, Frank Geary from animal control was informed by Evie that the only way to cure the women was to kill her. So is Evie on the good side or the bad side? That's the question as she's acting like both.What happened to all the men who were left behind? Some acted as prince charmings while others, took advantage of the situation to release the evil within them.

     On the book, a variety of stories about women and their struggles filled the pages, mostly about those convicted of crimes and were in a correctional facility.Women who fell asleep were transported to a place without a man.They started creating a community while waiting for the possibility of a cure for the sleeping sickness.In the end, it's up to them to decide if they'd like to come back or not. Will they?

     The ending was a Stephen King ending, good and bad parts, people moving on with their lives after sacrifices. For some they'll find it a happy ending for all, some would say it's a sad one. For me, the ending had a hammer to the characters who sacrificed the most. It was unfair yet that added to the spice which reached out to my core with a grip.

To add, the challenge imposed by Stephen was for the readers to identify which parts were written by Owen. I had a hard time with this one. Though, the darker the lines I believe the more they belong to Stephen. Lines without mercy or inhibitions in showing how the human mind can get sicker than it's supposed to be, they always belong to the writer I'll always love, Stephen King.

     Let's go to the second book Full Dark, No Stars. It's a book containing 4 stories. As the title suggests, every story is pitch black and not for those with faint hearts.

     The first story was 1922, this has a movie on Netflix which you might want to check out. A bittersweet, horrific ending is what I can say. The plot is, husband and son collaborated to have the wife killed.The wife was supposed to sell the land which was against the husband's love for the farm.  The story focuses on what happens after a crime beyond forgiveness is committed and how revenge, at some points, circles back without mercy.

     The second story, Big Driver, proved that sometimes a greater darkness is needed to overcome some darkness. The protagonist here was tricked and driven to the point of revenge where she had given the due evil needed to defeat the monsters.

    The third story is Fair Extension. Don't be fooled by the title as it's entirely the opposite of what's inside. It's about a man and how far his selfishness can go. This is a story which will tear you apart in making a decision as to which side you're on. And as I always say, your reactions will show the effectiveness of the story. The stronger your emotions, the more powerful the book is. And I'll say, this is just a powerful story.

     A Good Marriage was the fourth and last story in the book. This one was about discovering a huge buried secret on her marriage yard and decided to take justice into her own hands. The protagonist was clever in her own way of owning what she was not able to prevent for years. But again, not without consequences, always the consequences.

     So this is it. Long live Stephen King!