From Inside Flap Past midnight, something happens to time, that fragile concept we employ to order our sense of reality. It bends, stretches, turns back, or snaps, and sometimes reality snaps with it. And what happens to the wide-eyed observer when the window between reality and unreality shatters, and the glass begins to fly? These four chilling novellas, a feast fit for King fans old and new, provide shocking answers. After all, past midnight is Stephen King's favourite time of day... One Past Midnight: The Langoliers takes a red-eye flight from L.A. to Boston into a most unfriendly sky. Only ten passengers survive, but landing in an eerily empty world makes them wish they hadn't. Something's waiting for them, you see... Two Past Midnight: Secret Window, Secret Garden enters the suddenly strange life of writer Mort Rainey, recently divorced, depressed, and alone on the shore of Tashmore Lake. Alone, that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger. Three Past Midnight: The Library Policeman is set in Junction City, Iowa, an unlikely place for evil to be hiding. But for small businessman Sam Peebles, who thinks he may be losing his mind, another enemy is hiding there as well - the truth. If he can find it in time, he might stand a chance. Four Past Midnight: The flat surface of a Polaroid photograph becomes for fifteen-year-old Kevin Delevan an invitation to the supernatural. Old Pop Merill, Castle Rock's sharpest trader, wants to crash the party for profit, but The Sun Dog, a creature that shouldn't exist at all, is a very dangerous investment. With an introduction and prefatory notes to each of the tales, Stephen King discusses how these stories arose in what is the world's most fearsome imagination. But it is the stories themselves that will keep readers awake long after bedtime, into those dark, timeless hours past midnight.

Comment This is a hardcover edition, published in 1990. This edition has 676 pages.

The Langoliers: This was definitely my favourite story in this collection, and is now one of my three favourite short stories written by Stephen King. Extremely tense, chilling and a little disturbing, this story freaked me out long after I finished reading it.

Secret Window, Secret Garden: I wasn't very taken with this story. It felt kind of flat and two-dimensional - totally unlike King's usual quality.

The Library Policeman: Parts of this story were predictable but there were some unexpected twists and, while I didn't find it scary, it was enjoyable to read.

The Sun Dog: One of King's 'Castle Rock' stories, this was the second best in this collection. It was really quite freaky, actually, and gave me quite a fright. I love the way it was left open for a sequel. I'm not sure if one was written, but I'll be looking into it.

Overall, Four Past Midnight is a superb collection of horror stories that is sure to give you shivers.

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Selected from the OzVBB.

Arrived thanks. On the pile...

I haven't read a Stephen King book for years and years so I am looking forward to this.