The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Published: 2015

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015) collects twenty stories written after Just After Sunset (2008), including previously published works and new material. The collection showcases King's range from traditional horror ('Mile 81,' 'Bad Little Kid') to literary fiction ('Premium Harmony,' 'Batman and Robin Have an Altercation'), crime stories ('A Death'), science fiction ('Ur,' 'Summer Thunder'), and even poetry ('The Bone Church'). Uniquely, each story features an introduction by King explaining its origins and creative process, creating an unusually personal glimpse into his writing methods. The collection's themes reflect King's preoccupations in his seventh decade—mortality, aging, and ethical dilemmas feature prominently in stories like 'Morality' and 'Under the Weather.' Several stories explore technological anxieties, particularly 'Ur,' originally written for Amazon's Kindle launch, about a pink e-reader accessing books from parallel universes. The collection concludes with 'Summer Thunder,' a post-apocalyptic tale that ranks among King's most elegiac works. Critics praised the collection's diversity and King's introductory notes, though some found the quality inconsistent across twenty pieces. The book performed well commercially, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Several stories have been adapted as short films through King's 'Dollar Baby' program, where film students can license select stories for $1. King has described the collection as representative of his late-career interests, noting that mortality naturally becomes a more prominent theme as a writer ages. For readers, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams offers both entertainment and insight into King's creative process through his illuminating introductions. The collection demonstrates King's continued commitment to the short form even as novels dominated his commercial output, while showcasing his versatility across multiple genres. The varying length of the pieces—from flash fiction to novellas—highlights King's technical range, while the personal introductions create an unusually intimate reading experience.

Themes

• Mortality
• Technology
• Ethical choices
• Aging
• Apocalypse

Adaptations

• Several stories adapted as short films through King's 'Dollar Baby' program

Collector Notes

Unique for featuring personal introductions by King before each story, explaining their origins and writing process. Contains King's first published poems, 'The Bone Church' and 'Tommy.'