rainontheroad

Everything's Eventual is a good collection of the kind of writing that has made Stephen King so popular. However most of this collection was not as 'spine-chilling' as the blurb suggested. The two genuinely scary pieces were '1408' and 'The Road Virus Heads North'. '1408' was one of the scariest things that I have read recently. I think this was because a certain amount of mystery was maintained. You really lose the plot in this story. This induces that suspense, uncertainty and loss of control that successful horror writing is all about. I also felt that 'L.T's Theory on Pets' could have been tweaked into a something a little better. 'Lucky Quarter' and 'That Feeling...' seem to be just fillers. 'Lunch at Gotham cafe' was a gore-fest that lacked imagination and creativity. In some other stories like 'Riding the Bullet' and 'The Deathroom', The author seems to fall just short of being able to deliver the knock-out blow. The type of blow that makes you check if the windows are closed before you go to sleep. 'All that you loved will be carried away' and 'The death of Jack Hamilton' are two really well written stories but unfortunately they do not scare. I found 'The little Sisters of Eluria' long but ultimately a very beautiful (and eerie) piece of writing that would complement any horror collection. The notes that the author has included at the beginning of each story are very useful to those who love writing. However explanations do render the exotic mundane and it would have been a better book if he had either left them out or buried them all at the back of the book.