McSweeney's enchanted chamber of astonishing stories

Published in 2004 as Issue 13 of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, this anthology was edited by Michael Chabon and King himself. It follows the Mammoth Treasury (2003) as the second genre-forward McSweeney's anthology, collecting horror, dark fantasy, and supernatural fiction from literary writers.

The anthology leans further into horror and supernatural fiction than its predecessor. Contributors include Peter Straub, Joyce Carol Oates, Nick Hornby, and Roddy Doyle among others, each writing in genres they do not typically publish in. King's co-editorship and the inclusion of established horror writers give the collection a different weight than the first volume.

King's co-editorship reflects his ongoing argument that genre fiction and literary fiction are not opposed. He has spent his career insisting that horror—done with craft—is as serious an endeavor as any other fiction. Editing alongside Chabon let him make that case from a curatorial rather than authorial position.