Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
by Stephen King
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Includes the story "The Man in the Black Suit"—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, MaineFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the iconic, spine-tingling story collection that includes winners of an O. Henry Prize and other awards, and "Riding the Bullet," which attracted over half a million online readers and became the most famous short story of the decade, as well as stories first published in The New Yorker, "1408," made into a movie starring John Cusack.
show more "Riding the Bullet" is the story of Alan Parker, who's hitchhiking to see his dying mother but takes the wrong ride, farther than he ever intended. In "Lunch at the Gotham Café," a sparring couple's contentious lunch turns very, very bloody when the maître d' gets out of sorts. "1408," the audio story in print for the first time, is about a successful writer whose specialty is "Ten Nights in Ten Haunted Graveyards," or "Ten Nights in Ten Haunted Houses," and though Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel doesn't kill him, he won't be writing about ghosts anymore. And in "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French," terror is déjà vu at 16,000 feet.
Whether writing about encounters with the dead, the near dead, or about the mundane dreads of life, from quitting smoking to yard sales, Stephen King is at the top of his form in the fourteen "brilliantly creepy" (USA TODAY) tales assembled in Everything's Eventual. Intense, eerie, and instantly compelling, they announce the stunningly fertile imagination of perhaps the greatest storyteller of our time.
Stories include:
-Autopsy Room Four
-The Man in the Black Suit
-All That You Love Will Be Carried Away
-The Death of Jack Hamilton
-In the Deathroom
-The Little Sisters of Eluria
-Everything's Eventual
-L.T.'s Theory of Pets
-The Road Virus Heads North
-Lunch at the Gotham Café
-That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French
-1408
-Riding the Bullet
-Luckey Quarter. show less
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PaperbackPirate from Stephen King in the introduction: "...if these stories work for you, buy another collection. Sam the Cat by Matthew Klam, for instance..."
PaperbackPirate from Stephen King in the introduction: "...if these stories work for you, buy another collection. ...for instance...The Hotel Eden by Ron Carlson..."
Member Reviews
I think many (most?) King fans will admit that King is at his best in the short form. King's full-length novels can sometimes ramble and fail to end, while his short works exploit the horrifying imagination that has made him famous. This collection generally holds to that truism, with the stories ranging from thoughtful to straight-up horrifying. In my opinion, none of the stories are duds but "That Feeling You Can Only Say What It Is in French" and the title story, "Everything's Eventual" are real standouts. I will say that I was surprised by how many of these stories had no really supernatural/horror element to them and simply relied on the everyday cruelties people carry out to tell the story. It was an interesting mix for someone show more whose name is so synonymous with the horror genre. show less
These stories are already a nice balance in themselves: eerie and spare, chilling and vivid, full of strong voices and real characters getting a jolt of terror out of an ordinary day. Like the horror writer in "The Road Virus Heads North," who stops off at a yard sale on his way home. Or the divorcing couple who get the true measure of one another in a bloody encounter with a maitre d' in "Lunch at the Gotham Café." Or the woman in the acidulous marriage whose sense of déjà vu keeps getting sickeningly stronger on her second honeymoon in "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French." One of King's least favorite stories, (his choice when asked), that was first published in "The New Yorker," reveals the roots of an old man's show more fear in a boyhood encounter with the devil on an idyllic stretch of trout stream in rural Maine. Another "New Yorker" story, "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away," is a poignant, haunting tale of a lonely traveling salesman whose graffiti collection engenders a life or death dilemma.
Not one of the fourteen stories disappointed me; they were varied: humorous, reflective, and scary. This book is really for King fans who've read all of his other works. If you haven't read the classics, read those first, then read this book - otherwise you'll never know how good King really is. show less
Not one of the fourteen stories disappointed me; they were varied: humorous, reflective, and scary. This book is really for King fans who've read all of his other works. If you haven't read the classics, read those first, then read this book - otherwise you'll never know how good King really is. show less
Alates sissejuhatusest ja süngelt lummavast avaloost “Lahkamispalat nr 4” kuni “Õnneraha” viimaste lehekülgedeni viib Kingi vaieldamatult meisterlik keelekasutus lugejat paratamatult judinaid tekitavale tundele, et King on tõesti ühenduses tumedate jõududega. Raamatusse on koondatud Kingi parimad lood läbi aegade, kaasa arvatud O. Henry auhinna võitnud “Kuulisõit”, mis avaldati algselt e-raamatuna, kartuses sellest kujunevat tavaraamatute kirstunaela. Esimest korda paberile jõudnud lugu räägib Alan Parkerist, kes asub pöidlaküüdi abil teele oma sureva ema juurde – paraku viib see reisimismeetod teda kaugemale, kui ta oleks iial osanud arvata. Kõige tulihingelisematele Kingi fännidele on suurimaks show more maiuspalaks kindlasti “Eluuria väikesed õed”, esmakordselt kogumikus “Legendid” ilmunud lühiromaan, mille tegevus toimub Kingi pidevalt laienevas Sünge Kantsi universumis. Samuti on kogumikus lood “See tunne, mida saab väljendada ainult prantsuse keeles” (kaasahaarav lugu põrgust naise hinges), “1408” (kummituslike reisijuhtide autor satub silmitsi oma suurima hirmuga), “Kõik on mõeldav” (raamatu nimilugu poisist, kelle unistuste töö kujuneb tõeliseks õudusunenäoks), “L. T. teooria lemmikloomadest” (üllatava lõpuga lugu abielulahutusest) jt. Ei saa öelda, et Kingi raamat sobiks öökapiraamatuna rahulikku und tooma, kuid samas on see kaasakiskuv ja põnev lektüür, mis imeb endasse kõik need, kes tüdinud rahulikest ja rutiinsetest olukirjeldustest või läägevõitu armastusromaanidest.
Lugude saateks esitab King tutvustavad esseed, mis avavad lugejale konkreetse loo tausta ja autori kavatsusi. show less
Lugude saateks esitab King tutvustavad esseed, mis avavad lugejale konkreetse loo tausta ja autori kavatsusi. show less
Everything's Eventual is a collection of 14 short stories by Stephen King. It contains his story "1408", which has become quite popular when a movie starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson was made of it, and "Everything's Eventual", which gives the book its title. To my mind, the collection, however, is much more than just those two stories. There is not one story in this book that I disliked. In fact, I loved almost every single one. Taken together, they are an outstanding example of Stephen King's story-telling skills.
Before I started reading the book I had thought that Stephen King writing a short story was basically impossible. Seeing how long his novels are, I had not thought him capable of using fewer words than usual to tell show more his stories. This book, however, has proven me wrong - big time. I read the first story "Autopsy Room Four" on the plane and I was captivated instantly. It is about a man who is still alive but paralyzed and who reports the preparations for the autopsy that is soon to be done on him only to be rescued in the last minute. This story was great to get me hooked and I was impressed that King could do short stories as well as he does novels. My personal highlight of the collection was "The Little Sisters of Eluria". Its main character is Roland Deschain, known to King's constant readers as the gunslinger from The Dark Tower novels, and it is set right before the beginning of the first Dark Tower novel. On his way to the tower, Roland encounters strange creatures in a seemingly forgotten town who beat him down. He is rescued by the sisters mentioned in the title of the story. Soon he finds out, though, that he is not completely better off in their care as they have their own motives for keeping him in their company.
"1408" is a really frightening story. I am not easily scared by what I read, but this story did the trick for me. I had a really strange feeling as soon as the protagonist entered the haunted hotel room 1408. I was alone in my apartment and I read the story right before going to bed. This was probably why it scared me and I could not switch my mind off and go to sleep directly after reading it. Of course, this might be totally different for other readers, and I strongly assume it will be, but King has a way of grabbing your full attention and having you get lost in the story.
I will not go on to relate the contents of all the 14 stories in the book, but will just leave you with a strong recommendation to give it a try, even if you usually do not like Stephen King too much. This collection of short stories might change you opinion. 5 stars. show less
Before I started reading the book I had thought that Stephen King writing a short story was basically impossible. Seeing how long his novels are, I had not thought him capable of using fewer words than usual to tell show more his stories. This book, however, has proven me wrong - big time. I read the first story "Autopsy Room Four" on the plane and I was captivated instantly. It is about a man who is still alive but paralyzed and who reports the preparations for the autopsy that is soon to be done on him only to be rescued in the last minute. This story was great to get me hooked and I was impressed that King could do short stories as well as he does novels. My personal highlight of the collection was "The Little Sisters of Eluria". Its main character is Roland Deschain, known to King's constant readers as the gunslinger from The Dark Tower novels, and it is set right before the beginning of the first Dark Tower novel. On his way to the tower, Roland encounters strange creatures in a seemingly forgotten town who beat him down. He is rescued by the sisters mentioned in the title of the story. Soon he finds out, though, that he is not completely better off in their care as they have their own motives for keeping him in their company.
"1408" is a really frightening story. I am not easily scared by what I read, but this story did the trick for me. I had a really strange feeling as soon as the protagonist entered the haunted hotel room 1408. I was alone in my apartment and I read the story right before going to bed. This was probably why it scared me and I could not switch my mind off and go to sleep directly after reading it. Of course, this might be totally different for other readers, and I strongly assume it will be, but King has a way of grabbing your full attention and having you get lost in the story.
I will not go on to relate the contents of all the 14 stories in the book, but will just leave you with a strong recommendation to give it a try, even if you usually do not like Stephen King too much. This collection of short stories might change you opinion. 5 stars. show less
I read this book because my own short story collection was listed as comparable to Everything’s Eventual on Kirkus Reviews. I sincerely hope that’s the case as I found King as good as ever here, delivering short narratives as comfortable as an old pair of jeans. The standouts for me were, “1408”, “Riding the Bullet”, “The Road Virus Heads North” and the title story, “Everything’s Eventual”. Truth is, I will go just about anywhere with King and did here, with the exceptions being The Dark Tower piece, “The Little Sisters of Eluria”—I’ve got a problem with cowboy fiction I guess, especially cowboy fantasy fiction. Pass! No matter what he’s writing about, he knows how to be a good host. It’s hard to deny show more King throws some of the best word parties around. Long live short fiction! show less
This collection of short stories from King is a bit uneven, ranging from some real snorers – like the story of a man who is bitten by a rare snake on a golf course, paralyzed by its venom but still aware of what’s happening to him, and is almost dissected on the autopsy table – to some true rippers.
My favorites included “Everything’s Eventual,” a surreal tale of what happens to a young man who can inflict death with his mind when he becomes employed by the government; “L.T.’s Theory of Pets,” a comic-turned-horrific story about dog people and cat people; “That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French,” a real chiller about the last moments before death; and “1408,” a haunted hotel room story that kept me show more up way past my bedtime.
I also enjoyed rereading “The Little Sisters of Eluria,” a long tale about King’s famous Gunslinger Roland when he was just setting out on his long journey, which was first published in an anthology edited by Robert Silverberg. All in all, the gems outnumbered the dogs, and this is a good collection for King fans who may have missed some of his stories that have heretofore only appeared in unusual editions, such as CD or electronic format. show less
My favorites included “Everything’s Eventual,” a surreal tale of what happens to a young man who can inflict death with his mind when he becomes employed by the government; “L.T.’s Theory of Pets,” a comic-turned-horrific story about dog people and cat people; “That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French,” a real chiller about the last moments before death; and “1408,” a haunted hotel room story that kept me show more up way past my bedtime.
I also enjoyed rereading “The Little Sisters of Eluria,” a long tale about King’s famous Gunslinger Roland when he was just setting out on his long journey, which was first published in an anthology edited by Robert Silverberg. All in all, the gems outnumbered the dogs, and this is a good collection for King fans who may have missed some of his stories that have heretofore only appeared in unusual editions, such as CD or electronic format. show less
Yet another example of why I love Stephen King. Every story in this book was great. King's ability to write like he's speaking only to YOU is one of my favorite things about him. You get the feeling that he's telling you a secret, letting you in on some amazing observation of life, without him needing to spell every D-E-T-A-I-L out in big bold block letters. But that's not to say that this isn't detailed - his work always is. It's just not condescendingly detailed. You may think that he is verbose, and in some cases I'd agree, but he never condescends to his readers, and trusts that we are smart enough to see what he's aiming at without having to hold our hands.
Some of these stories are more straightforward than others, but some are show more brilliantly subtle. It's hard for me to decide which one is my favorite, but after giving it some thought, I think that I'd have to say it's "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French". This story is short, only 24 pages, but I was impressed by just how much was conveyed in such a small amount of words. So much history, so much regret and satisfaction and fear and anger, so much expectation and irritation. You could almost feel what it was like for this couple to have been married for 25 years... and then on top of that, there's Carol's deja vu, and the fear associated with that, which is a different type of fear entirely. I loved the way that with each run-through we learn more about what's causing the deja vu, and I thought it was brilliant. I've had deja vu before, I think everyone has, and while Carol recognized it and was able to live within it and even almost predict the things that would come next, my experience has been that it's a fleeting moment of disorienting recognition that I only realize I've felt after it's already gone. I can only hope that I never have the experience it the way that Carol did.
I loved the two stories that were tied to the Dark Tower series, "The Little Sisters of Eluria" and "Everything's Eventual". Both of these stories tie wonderfully into the Dark Tower universe and provide more background and depth and life to the story as a whole. Of the two, I actually preferred the more subtle "Everything's Eventual", but I loved both. I just loved the way that we never really know what's going on with Dinky, what he's gotten himself into, but we know it's bad, and that where it leads, eventually, is worse, for him and for us. Little Sisters is great though, and seeing Roland again was a little bit like meeting up with an old friend that you haven't seen in many years. This story provides a bit of background into both Roland and his world, and when taken in context with The Gunslinger, proves that Roland is nothing if not unpredictable.
Also very high on my list is "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away", which is a brilliant story about the little things that get us through, that fascinate us and make us want to keep going more than the big things.
I very much enjoyed "LT's Theory Of Pets". One should not look at a living creature as a gift to be given, because they cannot be owned. They have thoughts and feelings and desires and needs just like the rest of us, they just can't communicate them as we can. But this is also a story of the breakdown of a marriage and how quickly things can go badly when a single (OK, two) peas are placed under the mattress. What we do in love and the desire to please can have quite unexpected consequences.
I liked each of the stories in this book, but I have to say that these were my favorites. I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for some great stories, King fan or not. :) show less
Some of these stories are more straightforward than others, but some are show more brilliantly subtle. It's hard for me to decide which one is my favorite, but after giving it some thought, I think that I'd have to say it's "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French". This story is short, only 24 pages, but I was impressed by just how much was conveyed in such a small amount of words. So much history, so much regret and satisfaction and fear and anger, so much expectation and irritation. You could almost feel what it was like for this couple to have been married for 25 years... and then on top of that, there's Carol's deja vu, and the fear associated with that, which is a different type of fear entirely. I loved the way that with each run-through we learn more about what's causing the deja vu, and I thought it was brilliant. I've had deja vu before, I think everyone has, and while Carol recognized it and was able to live within it and even almost predict the things that would come next, my experience has been that it's a fleeting moment of disorienting recognition that I only realize I've felt after it's already gone. I can only hope that I never have the experience it the way that Carol did.
I loved the two stories that were tied to the Dark Tower series, "The Little Sisters of Eluria" and "Everything's Eventual". Both of these stories tie wonderfully into the Dark Tower universe and provide more background and depth and life to the story as a whole. Of the two, I actually preferred the more subtle "Everything's Eventual", but I loved both. I just loved the way that we never really know what's going on with Dinky, what he's gotten himself into, but we know it's bad, and that where it leads, eventually, is worse, for him and for us. Little Sisters is great though, and seeing Roland again was a little bit like meeting up with an old friend that you haven't seen in many years. This story provides a bit of background into both Roland and his world, and when taken in context with The Gunslinger, proves that Roland is nothing if not unpredictable.
Also very high on my list is "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away", which is a brilliant story about the little things that get us through, that fascinate us and make us want to keep going more than the big things.
I very much enjoyed "LT's Theory Of Pets". One should not look at a living creature as a gift to be given, because they cannot be owned. They have thoughts and feelings and desires and needs just like the rest of us, they just can't communicate them as we can. But this is also a story of the breakdown of a marriage and how quickly things can go badly when a single (OK, two) peas are placed under the mattress. What we do in love and the desire to please can have quite unexpected consequences.
I liked each of the stories in this book, but I have to say that these were my favorites. I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for some great stories, King fan or not. :) show less
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Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, he became a teacher. His spare time was spent writing short stories and novels. King's first novel would never have been published if not for his wife. She removed the first few show more chapters from the garbage after King had thrown them away in frustration. Three months later, he received a $2,500 advance from Doubleday Publishing for the book that went on to sell a modest 13,000 hardcover copies. That book, Carrie, was about a girl with telekinetic powers who is tormented by bullies at school. She uses her power, in turn, to torment and eventually destroy her mean-spirited classmates. When United Artists released the film version in 1976, it was a critical and commercial success. The paperback version of the book, released after the movie, went on to sell more than two-and-a-half million copies. Many of King's other horror novels have been adapted into movies, including The Shining, Firestarter, Pet Semetary, Cujo, Misery, The Stand, and The Tommyknockers. Under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, King has written the books The Running Man, The Regulators, Thinner, The Long Walk, Roadwork, Rage, and It. He is number 2 on the Hollywood Reporter's '25 Most Powerful Authors' 2016 list. King is one of the world's most successful writers, with more than 100 million copies of his works in print. Many of his books have been translated into foreign languages, and he writes new books at a rate of about one per year. In 2003, he received the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. In 2012 his title, The Wind Through the Keyhole made The New York Times Best Seller List. King's title's Mr. Mercedes and Revival made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2014. He won the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 2015 for Best Novel with Mr. Mercedes. King's title Finders Keepers made the New York Times bestseller list in 2015. Sleeping Beauties is his latest 2017 New York Times bestseller. (Bowker Author Biography) Stephen King is the author of more than thirty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are "Hearts in Atlantis", "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon", "Bag of Bones", & "The Green Mile". "On Writing" is his first book of nonfiction since "Danse Macabre", published in 1981. He served as a judge for Prize Stories: The Best of 1999, The O. Henry Awards. He lives in Bangor, Maine with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. King's book, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories, made the 2015 New York Times bestseller list. (Publisher Provided) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales
- Original title
- Everything's Eventual
- Alternate titles*
- Ruumiinavaussali numero 4; Mustapukuinen mies; Kaikesta rakkaasta joutuu luopumaan; Jack Hamiltonin kuolema; Kalmanhuoneessa; Elurian pikku sisaret (show all 13); Kaikki on rentoo; L. T:n lemmikkieläinteoria; Lounaalla ravintola Gothamissa; Se tunne jolle on nimi vain ranskaksi; 1408; Luodin kyydissä; Onnenmyntti
- Original publication date
- 2002-03-19
- People/Characters
- Howard Cottrell; Katie Arlen; Gary; The Man in the Black Suit; Alfie Zimmer; Homer Van Meter (show all 30); Jack Hamilton; John Dillinger; Melvin Purvis; Joseph Moran; Volney Davis; Arthur Barker; Fletcher; Roland of Gilead; Walter o'Dim (The Man in Black); Sister Jenna; Great Sister Mary; Richard 'Dinky' Earnshaw; Mr. Sharpton; L. T.; Richard Kinell; Steve Davis; Diane Davis; William Humboldt; Guy; Mike Enslin; Mr. Olin; Alan Parker; George Staub; Darlene Pullen
- Important places
- Autopsy Room Four; Nebraska, USA; Little Bohemia Lodge, Wisconsin, USA; South America; The Deathroom; Eluria (show all 10); Maine, USA; Gotham Cafe; New York, New York, USA (Hotel Dolphin | Room 1408); Laconia, New Hampshire, USA (The Bullet in Thrill Village)
- Related movies
- 1408 (2007 | IMDb); Riding the Bullet (2004 | IMDb); Nightmares and Dreamscapes: Autopsy Room 4 (2006 | IMDb); Nightmares and Dreamscapes: The Road Virus Heads North (2006 | IMDb)
- Dedication
- This is for Shane Leonard
- First words
- It's so dark that for awhile-just how long I don't know-I think I'm still unconscious.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)So luckey, oh luckey me.
- Original language
- English
- Disambiguation notice
- This is the collection "Everything's Eventual" by Stephen King.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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