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Just After Sunset

Just After Sunset

HorrorLiterary Fiction
Pages
544
Published
2008
Language
English

Synopsis

Stephen King returns with his fifth collection of short fiction, featuring fourteen chilling tales that explore the darker corners of human experience. From unsettling encounters at roadside rest stops to the lingering effects of past traumas, these stories offer a diverse range of suspense and horror. Prepare for a journey through the unsettling and the unexpected, as King once again demonstrates his mastery of the short form.

Prose complexity
3/10

Vibe

DarkTenseThought-ProvokingAtmospheric
Mystery BoxMorally Grey

Genres

Horror Literary Fiction Suspense Short Stories Body Horror Gothic Psychological Thriller

About the author

S
Stephen King

Stephen King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author whose work has defined popular horror fiction for more than half a century. Born in Portland, Maine, he grew up in poverty after his father abandoned the family, and credits his mother's resilience and a voracious reading habit as the foundations of his imagination. He began selling short stories to men's magazines while working as a high school English teacher, and published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974—his wife Tabitha retrieved...

Characters

All characters in Just After Sunset

Frequently asked questions

  • What is Just After Sunset?

    Published in 2008, Just After Sunset is a collection of 13 stories originally published in various magazines. It includes 'N.' (a Lovecraftian horror story told through a psychiatrist's case notes), 'The Gingerbread Girl' (a survival story about a woman running from a killer on a Florida beach), 'Harvey's Dream' (a flash story about a nightmare with a terrible real echo), and 'Graduation Afternoon' (a flash piece set during a catastrophic event).

  • What is 'N.' about and why is it significant?

    'N.' is told through a psychiatrist's case files and letters—an epistolary horror story about a patient with OCD who has encountered a field in rural Maine that holds something terrible at bay through a specific configuration of stones. The story is an explicit homage to Arthur Machen's 'The Great God Pan' and to Lovecraftian cosmic horror. King has said it is the most frightening story he has written.

  • What is 'The Gingerbread Girl' about?

    A woman running obsessively on a Florida beach after a personal tragedy encounters a killer at his isolated beach house. It is a taut survival thriller in the mode of Gerald's Game—a single character under extreme physical threat, finding reserves of ingenuity she didn't know she had. King has said he admires survival stories about women finding unexpected strength.

  • Are these stories connected to other Stephen King books?

    While the collection revisits thematic ideas found in works like The Stand and The Dark Tower series, it functions as a standalone volume where no familiar characters from those larger sagas make an appearance.

  • Was any story in this collection adapted for the screen?

    The story titled N. was adapted into a graphic digital entertainment series consisting of 25 animated episodes released around the same time as the book.

  • Did the author provide any specific inspiration for these tales?

    The author notes that the collection was influenced by his experience editing The Best American Short Stories 2007, and he explicitly cites Arthur Machen's cosmic horror story The Great God Pan as an inspiration for the piece titled N.

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