“Now, at this evening in King’s long career, we have before us what will be his final collection of short stories, ‘On the Starless Night.’” - Neil Gaiman (novelist) Stephen King’s third collection of short stories, ‘On the Starless Night,’ published nearly 30 years after ‘The Four Seasons’ of ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ has been published by Golden Bough.
"One Starless Night" consists of four short stories, and Stephen King himself said, "The stories in this book are poisonous," as they contain the common theme of "retribution" in a chilling and powerful way.
Published in 2010, it was selected as an Amazon Book of the Year that year and won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Anthology.
In 2011, the novel was nominated for the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel and the short story "1922" was nominated for the Best Novel Award. The short story "A Happy Marriage" was made into the film "The Good Marriage" and the short story "The Big Driver" was made into the drama of the same name, both of which attracted much attention.
Stephen King, who has 300 million readers worldwide, created a sensation this summer with his first mystery novel, Mr. Mercedes, which won the 2015 Edgar Award and sold over 20,000 copies in a short period of time in Korean bookstores.
"One Starless Night" is the first collection of short stories to be published in the 21st century. As novellas such as "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," "Stand By Me," and "The Mist" are considered the quintessence of Stephen King's novels, this collection will provide readers with an opportunity to fully enjoy Stephen King's novels.
“In writing ‘One Starless Night,’ I tried my best to record what people in desperate situations might do and what courses of action they might choose.
“The characters are not people who have lost hope altogether, but people who know that even our most fervent hopes (and even our most fervent hopes for our fellow citizens and for the society we live in) sometimes turn out to be bubbles.” - Stephen King From the author’s afterword Stephen King’s novels that move between past and present, fantasy and reality The first story, “1922,” deals with the tragic downfall of a man who murders his wife and young son.
Said to be inspired by Michael Resch's non-fiction book, Deadly Journey to Wisconsin, this work features no tangible ghosts or otherworldly plots, but depicts the protagonist's slow descent into madness with remarkable detail.
"1922" Plot: In 1922, when his wife, a farmer, tries to sell the land she inherited from her father-in-law and leave for the city, he conspires with his son to brutally murder her.
They try to cover up the incident by secretly burying it in the well in front of the house, but an aura of misfortune envelops the house as rats appear from nowhere and begin to attack the livestock.
Eventually, even my bright son runs away from home, and 'I' fall into the abyss of life... The second story, "The Big Driver," begins with an introduction reminiscent of Stephen King's own work, "Misery," and features a female novelist as the main character, but culminates in a shocking revenge drama in the middle.
The novel is praised for vividly portraying the protagonist, who is on the verge of death due to a mysterious man, and his psychological state of opening up his five senses to survive, with Stephen King's characteristically detailed descriptions and fast-paced writing style.
"Big Driver" Plot: While returning from a lecture, writer Tess follows the speaker's advice to take a shortcut, but ends up stranded in the mountains with a flat tire.
While they are in an area without communication, a truck stops to help, but Tess faces a life-or-death situation.
The third work is "A Fair Deal," which is inspired by the classic "Deal with the Devil."
This is a story about a protagonist who, at the end of his life, drives an old friend he has made the object of his jealousy and envy to ruin, presenting a development that overturns conventional wisdom.
"Fair Trade" Plot: Streeter is facing death from terminal cancer.
A mysterious man appears before him, offering a deal that will extend his life.
The terms of the deal are the counterparty to be offered as a sacrifice.
Streeter hesitates and chooses his old friend... The final work is "A Happy Marriage," which depicts the conflict and fear of a woman who accidentally discovers her husband's secret.
“The marriage was happy.
In the long run, it was one of the two happy marriages.
As she walked down the street, she never doubted that happiness, just as she believed that gravity would hold her to the ground.
Until I got into the garage that night.” Stephen King presents a captivating account of the misfortunes that suddenly strike us in our daily lives, using detailed descriptions and meticulous descriptions.
"Happy Marriage" Plot: Darcy, who thought she had enjoyed the happiest marriage of her life for 27 years, is shocked when she accidentally learns of her husband's past.
The loving and affectionate husband was actually a serial killer.
So what decision will Darcy have to make? "The four stories in this book are about retribution and conspiracy.
It's also a story about a crime that seems inevitable, and about how we rationalize the world to ourselves and how we rationalize ourselves to the world.
“These powerful stories, in their own way, contain a desperate venom.” - Neil Gaiman (novelist) Foreign book review What would have been reduced to a predictable revenge story if encountered by an inexperienced writer was reborn as a story filled with empathy and reflection in the hands of Stephen King.
―Washington Post Such haunting stories that make you wonder if even the writer himself was trembling with fear.
―The New York Times Stories that are poignant and venomous in their own way, yet wonderful friends you want to spend the night with.
―The Guardian