Four Past Midnight

Published: 1990

Four Past Midnight (1990) is a collection of four novellas, each exploring the terrors that emerge after dark. 'The Langoliers' features passengers on a plane that slips through a time rift into a world where reality is being consumed. 'Secret Window, Secret Garden' examines a writer accused of plagiarism by a menacing stranger with connections to his past. 'The Library Policeman' blends childhood fears with adult trauma as a businessman confronts a supernatural entity disguised as a librarian. 'The Sun Dog' introduces a camera that captures increasingly disturbing images of a demonic dog approaching with each photo. Written during King's sobriety, the collection showcases his renewed creative focus following his struggles with addiction. The novellas explore themes of time, creativity, childhood trauma, and perception with a clarity that some critics felt had been missing from his later addiction-era works. Upon publication, Four Past Midnight received generally positive reviews, with particular praise for 'The Langoliers' and 'Secret Window, Secret Garden,' though some critics noted unevenness across the collection. The book won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Collection and was a commercial success. Two of the novellas were adapted for the screen—'The Langoliers' as a 1995 miniseries and 'Secret Window, Secret Garden' as the 2004 film Secret Window starring Johnny Depp. King has expressed satisfaction with the collection, noting that the novella length allowed him to explore ideas too complex for short stories but too focused for novels. For readers, Four Past Midnight represents King's successful return to the novella format first showcased in Different Seasons, demonstrating his versatility across different lengths and horror subgenres. The collection is particularly notable for 'The Sun Dog,' which connects to King's later novel Needful Things through the character of Pop Merrill and the town of Castle Rock.

Themes

• Time
• Perception
• Reality
• Creativity
• Childhood fears

Adaptations

• The Langoliers (1995 miniseries)
• Secret Window (2004 film)

Collector Notes

Won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Collection. 'The Sun Dog' introduces elements that would return in Needful Things, making it an important part of the Castle Rock saga.