Who else was over the moon (M-O-O-N, that spells excited!) when this book was first announced?
You all know Grandpa King is my #1. And for my very first pick in our book club we started almost three years ago, I forced Saige and Olivia to read The Stand.
I expected dread over its size, moans about sagging after the legendary beginning, and fists shaken at me for those scenes with Trashy and The Kid. What I got was enthusiastic praise and a riveting discussion that went on for over two hours.
Saige and Olivia still mention it today as a book they really enjoyed. It makes me so glad that the first King I decided to show them was that one.
Now, years later, we’ve finally got this anthology, which I preordered the day it was available for ordering. So many authors I love have entries in here- Nat Cassidy, Tananarive Due, Josh Malerman, Ronald Malfi, and Paul Tremblay to name a few. And with how much we all enjoyed The Stand, I knew this had to be a book club read.
It took three months for us to get around to it after the precious baby arrived on my doorstep. Three months of torture, of gazing longingly at this thick, voluptuous volume before I could finally crack it open like a pistachio.
Now, I’m writing this right before starting the book, and will be writing my reviews directly after finishing each story so that it’s nice and fresh in my mind, like the way I composed my “everything I read and watched” post for Horror Month.
Alright everyone. Here we go. Feel free to click around if you’re specifically interested in my opinion on your own favorites. And since there are thirty of these, the reviews will be short but (hopefully) sweet. Don’t forget to check the end of this post for my writing goal update!
- PART ONE: DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS
- Room 24 by Caroline Kepnes
- The Tripps by Wrath James White
- Bright Light City by Meg Gardiner
- Every Dog Has Its Day by Bryan Smith
- Lockdown by Bev Vincent
- In A Pig’s Eye by Joe R. Lansdale
- Lenora by Jonathan Janz
- The Hope Boat by Gabino Iglesias
- Wrong Fucking Place, Wrong Fucking Time by C. Robert Cargill
- Prey Instinct by Hailey Piper
- Grace by Tim Lebbon
- Moving Day by Richard Chizmar
- La Mala Hora by Alex Segura
- The African Painted Dog by Catriona Ward
- Till Human Voices Wake Us, and We Drown by Poppy Z. Brite
- Kovach’s Last Case by Michael Koryta
- Make Your Own Way by Alma Katsu
- PART TWO: THE LONG WALK
- I Love the Dead by Josh Malerman
- Milagros by Cynthia Pelayo
- The Legion of Swine by S.A. Cosby
- Keep the Devil Down by Rio Youers
- Across the Pond by V. Castro
- The Boat Man by Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes
- The Story I Tell Is the Story of Some of Us by Paul Tremblay
- The Mosque at the End of the World by Usman T. Malik
- Abagail’s Gethsemane by Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus
- PART THREE: LIFE WAS SUCH A WHEEL
- PART FOUR: OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE
- TL,DR: SUMMARY
- Monthly Writing Goals Update
PART ONE: DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS
Room 24 by Caroline Kepnes
Rating: 5/5
I wasn’t aware that Kepnes was the author of You until I checked her site, and you can absolutely tell by this story. Wow. This made me feel awful in a great way. I love the idea that murders could just go completely unchecked during the height of Tripps simply because dead people were the new norm. The way Abel slowly turns into a depraved psycho before our eyes is startling, and I love what it has to say about the victims of domestic abuse and how hard it can be to break themselves out of their situations, often only falling into worse ones.
More from Caroline Kepnes: You, Hidden Bodies, You Love Me, Providence
The Tripps by Wrath James White
Rating: 4/5
I was terrified when I saw this name. I haven’t read The Bug Collector yet, but it’s on my shelf, and I’ve seen people talk about it online. I had no idea how unhinged this guy would go.
And it was pretty unhinged. A filthy poor neighborhood vignette full of violent and bloody murder was exactly what I was expecting. I found it interesting that Talik was wondering about the other poor neighborhoods, and if they were falling apart the same way his was. It was also really disturbing how unshaken he was after seeing someone murdered in front of him.
More from Wrath James White: Rabbit Hunt, The Bug Collector, The Resurrectionist
Bright Light City by Meg Gardiner
Rating: 4/5
This story is just what I’d expect from a thriller writer: heart-pounding, exciting, and dangerous. I like how Gardiner wondered what it would look like if someone started in Vegas and wanted to get out before it became Flagg town. I love a mishmash group of survivors, and these three were a great mix. Dani’s constant wavering between the light and the dark was harrowing at times, and the ending was very touching.
More from Meg Gardiner: UNSUB, The Dirty Secrets Club, Shadowheart
Every Dog Has Its Day by Bryan Smith
Rating: 4/5
Wow. I wasn’t expecting to cry today. While we took a minute to get there, I absolutely loved the way this story ended. We have a bit of Larry Underwood in this guy, who doesn’t mean to be a shithead but still hurts those around him, and he even has a little character arc. Very well done.
More from Bryan Smith: 68 Kill, Depraved, Slowly We Rot
Lockdown by Bev Vincent
Rating: 4/5
This was a great concept- what a tiny island town would do to defend their isolation and fragile immunity by distance. I love that it’s short and sweet, and leaves some questions unanswered.
More from Bev Vincent: The Dark Tower Companion, The Road to the Dark Tower, Stephen King: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences
In A Pig’s Eye by Joe R. Lansdale
Rating: 5/5
I had a great time with this one. I really like the survivalist feel to it, and it makes me interested to check out his novels. Jett and Ricky are a great duo and their struggle with both the hogs and Gene’s cannibals was riveting. It was exciting and interesting, and I liked the ending. Definitely a solid story.
More from Joe R. Lansdale: The Bottoms, Savage Season, The Thicket
Lenora by Jonathan Janz
Rating: 5/5
That’s how you get me. That’s how you do it. Put a dik-dik in any situation and I’m in. The further in I got, the more it started to kill me. I couldn’t handle him rocking in the chair with her. Baker is such an interesting character right away- Janz did a fantastic job of making him immediately sympathetic. I was also marveling at Janz’s ability with words. I sent Saige and Olivia all of my favorites, including “flumped”, “whanging”, “a fusillade of sneezes”, “schlink“, and “spraddled”. Incredible. I’m gonna have to read some of Janz’s novels. I will need to fight him, though. He can’t put me through that on a normal Thursday at the office.
This is my favorite so far.
More from Jonathan Janz: Children of the Dark, The Dark Game, VEIL
The Hope Boat by Gabino Iglesias
Rating: 3/5
This one was actually quite short, but it was a good glimpse into how the rest of the world would’ve looked during the superflu. I do like the open ending and thought it was very beautiful, but I wanted a little more from this one. Still a solid story, though.
More from Gabino Iglesias: The Devil Takes You Home, House of Bone and Rain, Coyote Songs
Wrong Fucking Place, Wrong Fucking Time by C. Robert Cargill
Rating: 5/5
Oh man did I have fun with this one. I love the idea of two underachieving movie buffs not really changing much about their lifestyle despite the apocalypse. I love Bill and how he just kind of shows up and is there. The food mart scene made me literally laugh out loud at “Guys? They have a friend”. All the movie references here were super fun and I appreciated the lighter tone this story took compared to some others. Great job.
More from C. Robert Cargill: Sea of Rust, Dreams and Shadows, We Are Where the Nightmares Go and Other Stories
Prey Instinct by Hailey Piper
Rating: 4/5
Everybody loves a clown. And this clown was cool. The whole thing about the old lady makeup really tore me up. Some of this one went over my head, but you get points by default if you include a clown.
More from Hailey Piper: Queen of Teeth, A Game in Yellow, Teenage Girls Can Be Demons
Grace by Tim Lebbon
Rating: 5/5
This is the one I was most excited about- the one in space. Hardly anyone considers what would happen to the astronauts in orbit if an apocalyptic event were to take place. The panic and claustrophobia is done really well here, and the ending was really tense and thrilling. Great entry.
More from Tim Lebbon: The Silence, Dead Red and Razor, Secret Lives of the Dead
Moving Day by Richard Chizmar
Rating: 5/5
Wow, this was a great entry from one of the biggest literary giants in here. The worldbuilding and characterization were absolutely on point, and while I won’t say who, we get to see someone from The Stand from an outside perspective! It was very fun and reminded me exactly how it felt to read The Stand the first time. Fantastic.
More from Richard Chizmar: Chasing the Boogeyman, Gwendy’s Button Box (with Stephen King), Memorials
La Mala Hora by Alex Segura
Rating: 3/5
This one was definitely a good time like all the others, and it had some good horror elements to it. It didn’t quite stand out as much as some of the others, though. Still a solid story.
More from Alex Segura: Alter Ego, Secret Identity, Dark Space (with Rob Hart)
The African Painted Dog by Catriona Ward
Rating: 5/5
So, I’m afraid of Catriona Ward. I tried reading The Last House on Needless Street once, and I just couldn’t do whatever it was going to do with that cat. Sorry. My one weakness. So this made me nervous, especially since, judging from the title, it’s involving another animal.
I loved it. The perspective of the painted dog is incredibly written, and the journey of these two little guys was one of the most exciting in this whole collection so far. This one will stick in my brain for a long time. Right now it’s head-to-head with Lenora.
More from Catriona Ward: The Last House on Needless Street, Looking Glass Sound, Sundial
Till Human Voices Wake Us, and We Drown by Poppy Z. Brite
Rating: 5/5
I knew from experience that I was in for a treat here. This story was classic Brite- weird as hell, disgusting, and sexy in a way that makes you feel sick. Loved it. Top two (Lenora, The African Painted Dog) has now become top three. The characters, while we spent relatively little time here, felt so real to me, and the ending was sweet and sad. Fantastic.
More from Poppy Z. Brite: Exquisite Corpse, Drawing Blood, Are You Loathsome Tonight?
Kovach’s Last Case by Michael Koryta
Rating: 4/5
This was a fun little snippet exploring a few characters clinging to the tenets of civilization before the superflu. I liked the twist with the suspect, and it did present a question that I’d always wondered about: Can a vaccine be made from the blood of the immune? The flu was man-made, yes, but it’s still biologically a virus, so a vaccine should theoretically be possible.
More from Michael Koryta: Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Ridge, An Honest Man
Make Your Own Way by Alma Katsu
Rating: 5/5
Having some experience with Katsu’s work, I think this story definitely delivered as a taste of her style. As most of her success has been from historical horror, Katsu makes her entry here feel historical despite taking place in the 90s with her isolated, rural setting. And she built the atmosphere almost effortlessly. The way things go sour so steadily was very eerie.
More from Alma Katsu: The Hunger, The Deep, The Fervor
PART TWO: THE LONG WALK
I Love the Dead by Josh Malerman
Rating: 4/5
Finally! I’ve been anxiously awaiting reaching my buddy here’s entry. Malerman became an instant favorite after I read Incidents Around the House earlier this year. This story was a really fun romp- just an unhinged Grateful Dead fanatic trying to cope with the loss of the world. A great time, funny and nasty.
More from Josh Malerman: Bird Box, Incidents Around the House, Pearl
Milagros by Cynthia Pelayo
Rating: 3/5
This one was short and sweet. I liked the fresh setting of Puerto Rico and the “indoor chicken”. We definitely had those growing up. This one didn’t really do too much besides that to stand out to me, though it was enjoyable.
More from Cynthia Pelayo: Children of Chicago, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Vanishing Daughters
The Legion of Swine by S.A. Cosby
Rating: 3/5
While I did enjoy the idea of using pigs to rid yourself of troublesome robbers who’ve overstayed their welcome, I’m not a big fan of S.A. Cosby. I don’t mean to offend anyone who is, but his writing style is a little grating to me, both in this story and in Razorblade Tears. It’s a little too jagged, or something. I don’t know. This story wasn’t so long that it really bothered me though.
More from S.A. Cosby: Razorblade Tears, All the Sinners Bleed, Blacktop Wasteland
Keep the Devil Down by Rio Youers
Rating: 4/5
This story had a great structure. I liked how we started in the present and kept flashing back to the past- always a good way to keep up the excitement. It reminded me of Richard Matheson’s Duel, with the whole car chase part. The ending with the train was also pretty awesome.
More from Rio Youers: The Bang-Bang Sisters, No Second Chances, Sleeping Beauties (Graphic Novel)
Across the Pond by V. Castro
Rating: 2/5
Well that was… just disturbing. While I did appreciate a look over in Europe during this whole thing and had been wondering if any non-Americans saw Flagg or Mother Abagail, I could’ve done without all the rest of that. I mean, I can handle graphic sexuality just fine, but this felt a little too mean. Kind of disrespectful of the victim in some way I can’t really articulate.
More from V. Castro: Goddess of Filth, Maria the Wanted, The Haunting of Alejandra
The Boat Man by Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes
Rating: 3/5
I’m not sure if I’m just getting burned out at this point or not, but this one was just good, nothing super special. I am a big fan of Tananarive Due, but I think I’m just getting kind of tired of “everyone’s having these dreams and going west!” Not the story’s fault, it is a collection set in the same situation, but damn, I might recommend reading this book in small pieces over a long time period.
More from Tananarive Due: The Reformatory, The Good House, The Between
More from Steven Barnes: Star Wars: The Cestus Deception, Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss, Twelve Days
The Story I Tell Is the Story of Some of Us by Paul Tremblay
Rating: 5/5
As soon as I saw my buddy Paul’s name, I felt like I might be close to relief after the dull same-ness I was starting to feel. And he did not disappoint. It almost seems like this story was placed where it was for that exact purpose- it breaks up the monotony of people choosing Vegas or Boulder by showing us a character that doesn’t give a rat’s ass about either side. Pretty refreshing. The conversational tone was also a nice break from the constant repeating narrative. Love my guy Paul. Go read Horror Movie.
More from Paul Tremblay: A Head Full of Ghosts, The Cabin at the End of the World, Horror Movie
The Mosque at the End of the World by Usman T. Malik
Rating: 5/5
Whew, this was a breath of fresh air. Finally a story set NOT in the US, and NOT about dreaming of Flagg or Mother Abagail. In book club we discussed curiosity over whether the eastern hemisphere had their own battle for good and evil, and what that might look like. This was a fun glimpse into that, and it was actually really creepy at the height of the action.
More from Usman T. Malik: The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn, Midnight Doorways: Fables from Pakistan, City of Red Midnight: A Hikayat
Abagail’s Gethsemane by Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus
(NOTE: I honestly couldn’t figure out if they meant Wayne Brady as in the comedian, so I’m just including a picture of Broaddus.)
Rating: 2/5
I was wondering if anyone would try to write from one of King’s characters’ POV. It turned out… not fantastic. A lot of the action was kind of hard to follow, and we didn’t really… do anything here. Or say anything. I don’t know- I feel like we really got Mother Abagail in the original story. We saw her childhood and performance at the Hall and got a pretty well fleshed out picture of her. So, if any of these authors were going to take a character and expand on them… She just wouldn’t have been my first thought. Give me more on a once-mentioned side character in Boulder, or that guy in Vegas that was nice to Tom Cullen. You know?
More from Maurice Broaddus: The Usual Suspects, Unfadeable, Buffalo Soldier
PART THREE: LIFE WAS SUCH A WHEEL
He’s A Righteous Man by Ronald Malfi
Rating: 5/5
Yesss my boy is here! Deliver me, Mister Malfi, from the drag that is the second half of this collection! You see, what’s great about Malfi is that he’s a King superfan, so he’s using some deep cuts as inspiration here. I’m really, really glad he gave us a break from the constant loop of “Are you having dreams?” “Yes” “Me too. Let’s go to Boulder” “No, let’s go to Vegas” *one kills the other*. This story also had a fantastic twist, and was the perfect length to keep me interested while not going on for too long. Thanks, Mr. Malfi.
More from Ronald Malfi: Small Town Horror, Ghostwritten, The Narrows
Awaiting Orders in Flaggston by Somer Canon
Rating: 5/5
This was a nice change of pace as well. I was really hungry to see some settlements in times that took place after the event in Vegas. I liked the idea of someone who never had any dreams and what it might mean. Zeke was awesome and really endearing.
More from Somer Canon: A Fresh Start, Vicki Beautiful, You’re Mine
Grand Junction by Chuck Wendig
Rating: 4/5
Okay, this is cool. Finally a glimpse into the far future after the events of the superflu. No one else has been brave enough to do this yet, though I do still have a few more stories to go. I had fun with this one, and I liked that it kept to the theme of good vs. evil.
More from Chuck Wendig: The Staircase in the Woods, Wanderers, The Book of Accidents
Hunted to Extinction by Premee Mohamed
Rating: 3/5
I’m so tired… just so tired. 100 pages left. No light in sight. This story was good. I enjoyed it. That’s all. Lord help me, I’m sick of this.
More from Premee Mohamed: The Butcher of the Forest, The First Thousand Trees, The Annual Migration of Clouds
Came the Last Night of Sadness by Catherynne M. Valente
Rating: 5/5
Wow. Holy crap. This should’ve been the last story. The way Valente cuts between following Fern, whose narrative voice is hilarious and original, and following various ways the earth is moving on (or not) after the original superflu- absolutely genius. The prose is lush in the right places and casual where it fits. This story made me put Libby holds on some of her novels. So beautiful. Great job. Top three is now top four.
More from Catherynne M. Valente: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Space Opera, Comfort Me With Apples
The Devil’s Children by Sarah Langan
Rating: 4/5
I really liked this take on the medical future after Captain Trips. Of course once medicine was back in practice people would be experimenting for some sort of cure or vaccine. I liked seeing all the different takes on the next few decades of humanity, and I think this one was my favorite- it’s optimistic and also realistic.
More from Sarah Langan: Good Neighbors, Pam Kowolski is a Monster, A Better World
PART FOUR: OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE
The Unfortunate Convalescence of the Superlawyer by Nat Cassidy
Rating: 5/5
It absolutely killed me to have to wait until the last 50 pages to get to Nat Cassidy. This guy is the literal coolest and one of the best writers in this book by far. This story was FULL of fantastic references and was written very much in the style of King with the mid-paragraph thoughts and repeated phrases. Absolutely cool as hell- Nat is clearly the biggest fanboy in here and he managed to channel his inner King so perfectly.
More from Nat Cassidy: When the Wolf Comes Home, Mary: An Awakening of Terror, Nestlings
Walking on Gilded Splinters by David J. Schow
Rating: 1/5
I’m sorry but I think I’m just too dumb to understand what this was. When we met for book club, Saige asked both me and Olivia to explain (even briefly) what this story was. We could not.
More from David J. Schow: The Shaft, Bullets of Rain: A Novel of Suspense, Suite 13
TL,DR: SUMMARY
I’m going to be honest- I had no idea I would be so exhausted by the end of this. I appreciate what this book was, and there were definitely some fantastic stories in here, but it became a slog, which is unfortunate. Somebody definitely should’ve limited the amount of entries allowed for the “initial” time period. And only a few authors tried to expand on characters we knew from The Stand, and they were (mostly) done poorly or unnecessarily (Abagail’s Gethsemane).
Another gripe all three of us in book club shared was the lack of stories that take place during the events of the second half of The Stand– where were our vignettes of Boulder residents working to get the power running, clearing bodies, participating in the newborn democracy? Where were the engineers and technicians that worked for months to get the (fire)power going in Vegas? Those were the stories we hungered for the most, and we didn’t get them. We also wanted some POVs from beyond the US, and we only got a few, some of them being lackluster or straight-up bad (Across the Pond).
Okay okay, I’ll lighten up. Positivity time.
Some of these stories will stick with me for a long time. My personal top four favorites were Lenora, The African Painted Dog, Till Human Voices Wake Us and We Drown, and Came the Last Night of Sadness. Since starting this book, I’ve bought two Catriona Ward books and placed Libby holds on some Catherynne M. Valente books. Despite its overheavy bulk as a whole, this collection had some fantastic gems from really talented writers.
Is it worth a read?
Yes– if you’re a pretty dedicated King and/or The Stand fan. As a whole, this book drags way too long and repeats too many of the same ideas. But it does expand the mythos of this beloved world in mostly good ways. If you do get it, DO NOT try to read it quickly and in one chunk. Break it up, take your time, maybe even skip around a bit between the different parts.
Monthly Writing Goals Update
19,691 / 20,000 words
Well, that was unexpected. I don’t know, man. I’m just having a great time with all my active projects right now!
I decided to start including a Brandon Sanderson-style project update portion, so you guys get a better idea of what exactly I’m doing all week.
Aaaaand I can’t get my computer to download the image! So we’ll start that next week.
Thanks for hanging around!
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