Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Everything's Eventual by Stephen King starting on October 13, 2024.


Happy Reading!

Thanks!

The hardest part of these anthologies, for me, is probably going to be only reading the ones we're supposed to read for DT connections...

We’re reading them all except Sisters of something, right? Then reading that later?

I think we're reading less of Hearts in Atlantis?...

It's this one, from the note in The Stand in Nirkatze's post:

(skip "Little Sisters of Eluria" for now)

Eluria. I kept wanting to say Elune. Ha ha. Sisters of Elune was the server I played WoW.

Elune is the Moon God in WoW... worshipped by Druids and Night Elves?... definitely a big quest/plot point in Legion where you got all the Legendary Artifacts... maybe Shadowlands too...

So I started these and I do not get the DT connection. Obviously Little Sisters of Eluria (which I skipped!) is part of it but the rest? So far I fail to see how they relate. I am through L.T.'s Theory of Pets (view spoiler)[I don't get it. This is the third story out of 7 that has an ambiguous ending. The traveling salesman, we don't know what happened and the teenager who kills people by communicating with them, did he get away? He definitely tried to kill his handler, was that successful or did the guy have some protection? And the Western, what was that one? Out of the stories so far I have enjoyed Everything's Eventual and Autopsy Room Four, the rest have been meh. Perhaps it is because I am in the mood for horror and some of these are definitely not horror. I guess the one with the little boy and Satan wasn't terrible either. This has been meh so far, I have 6 stories to go so here's hoping I get some horror up in here lol (hide spoiler)]

Marie, honestly the only stories in this set that have direct DT connections are Little Sisters of Eluria and Everything's Eventual.

EE won't be obvious at this point but later in the DT series you'll see the connection.

I'm still debating whether Little Sisters actually should be held off on for now (I was the one that recommended skipping it for now in the original discussion). I've seen some blogs where they actually say it's a good introduction to the DT series.

It does work as a standalone, I guess. I need to go ahead and read it again and see what a fresh look thinks on the matter.

Really, as long as this: (view spoiler)[ The man n black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed... (hide spoiler)] is the first line you read in the DT series, that's what matters ;)

Chris wrote: "Marie, honestly the only stories in this set that have direct DT connections are Little Sisters of Eluria and Everything's Eventual.

EE won't be obvious at this point but later in the DT series yo..."

Everything's Eventual has been my favorite story so far and I am intrigued wondering what the DT connection is! Of course the story after I posted can be considered horror (The Road Virus Heads North) and the next, while not horror, was good (Lunch at the Gotham Cafe). I still don't get the Western one though.

I finished this yesterday and I liked most of the stories, definitely some more than others. My favorites were Everything's Eventual, Autopsy Room Four, 1408, The Road Virus Heads North, and The Man in the Black Suit. I didn't dislike any of the stories included but a few didn't fit in what I look for from Stephen King which I guess isn't a bad thing.

So spread sheet wise, anyone know how many pages to list? The edition I was going to use is 608 but skipped the one story. I googled it and this was listed in the first result: "The Little Sisters of Eluria" is a 66-page novella.....

https://stephenking.fandom.com/wiki/T...

I am good to use 542?

Starting this today! TY for the information about which have DT connections--I'd also forgotten about the "skip this story" command. Just listened to the first story so far, and it really struck me how good Stephen King is at taking those idle chills down your spine at random fears and turning them into a good story. Good horror in general, I'm finding, is more of that, and less gore and surprises like most movies I avoid...

1. Autopsy Room 4--really appreciating how quickly King can create that creeping fear out of less than an hour of audio... (view spoiler)[And I can't say I've had the specific fear of being cut up on an autopsy table while still dead--but of being dead, and not being noticed, sure. Especially being cremated or buried alive... (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze wrote: "Starting this today! TY for the information about which have DT connections--I'd also forgotten about the "skip this story" command. Just listened to the first story so far, and it really struck me..."

I liked that story especially the epilogue (view spoiler)[about the reason he stopped dating the doctor lol (hide spoiler)]

Definitely a lot of good funnies in this collection.

Though is it just me, or is there an overabundance of penis references? It seems like they're all over the place. Can't escape them. Feeling bombarded, and it's gross.

Finished, and enjoyed fine... though some I enjoyed more than others. Everything's Eventual and the first one were the highlights for me.

I read this a few days ago, same Nirkatze. There were a lot of penis references. I’ve read this collection though it’s been years so I remembered none of it. It stupid, because I’m a King Fan, but I’m always surprised by how much I enjoy his stuff. I was considering skipping this one since I’m hopelessly behind on my BR’s but decided it was pretty short and I enjoyed it a lot. I read the DT one since I’ve read DT and it’s a good story….less all the penis stuff. Ha ha.

There really was a lot of penis stuff... After you pointed it out, I saw it in a lot of the stories.. lol

I didn't realize 1408 was a King short! I remember seeing the movie when it came out. Kind of want to watch it again, I really don't remember if its any good. I wish he did a whole 1408 novel because that has lots of potential to be extra creepy!

I must be used to "potty talk" as my nephew says because I didn't notice it which does not make me sad lol

Definitely a good thing to be inured to it, @Ann-Marie! Sorry I made y'all notice more...

I do remember liking 1408... didn't know there was a movie!

I think I'm just gonna skip this and Hearts in Atlantis... I'm so behind, and going hog wild on Cozy November/December reads, and figure I'll be fine continuing with Dark Tower without them in January... I'm happy I read the novels we did, both for the Stephen King experience, and for the connections regarding (view spoiler)[King in Yellow/Crimson & Randall Flagg (hide spoiler)]

If I want, I can always read some anthology thread spoilers...