Thomas Lee > Recent Status Updates

Finished ‘Ayana’
Hard to place this one, the story and writing itself is nothing fantastic but it explores some pretty deep stuff that’s interesting to think about.
4/5

Finished ‘Mute’
Read this in one sitting. Very interesting story telling format switching from a confessional to a car ride and back. Really enjoyed this one, one of my favorites from the collection. 4.5/5

Having a slightly better time with it now

This book sucks but I’m going to finish it

Finished “The New York Times at Bargain Rates’
Shorter story, only 12 pages, which makes sense considering he wrote this one up in one sitting. Not much to it but interesting and spooky in an unknown and unanswered kind of way. Super easy read. 3.5/5

Finished ‘The Cat From Hell’
This one was frustrating in the way that the main character could’ve easily avoided his conflict. Well written and definitely gross. I picture SK sitting in a room thinking about what he can try to make scary. He’s done cars, paintings, and a million other things, in this one he tries a house cat. Pretty decent. 3/5

Finished ‘N.’
This was by far the most anticipated story for me going into this collection. I’d seen N. on countless top SK short story lists. This one did not disappoint. It featured Lovecraftian horror, SK’s incredible ability to write insanity, and a great ending. This is a complete story, definitely recommend reading this one
5/5 easy

Finished ‘Graduation Afternoon’
Wasn’t sure where this one was going at all and I thought the narrative was slightly confusing but wow does it end with a bang. Literally. Such a bleak and frightening ending. Definitely made these ten pages worth it.
3.5/5

Finished ‘The Things They Left Behind’
This was SK’s homage and paying of respects to the victims of 9/11. He wove a story together that hammered home the point that each individual in those buildings on that day had lives, loved ones, hobbies, individual personalities, and so much more. It was moving, but not one I’ll be re reading anytime soon.
3/5

Just finished ‘Stationary Bike’
A very interesting story and in a way one I related to strangely. This was one that captivated me from the vivid description and interesting concept, made me feel very immersed. Definitely an ending I didn’t expect. Really enjoyed this one and I’m getting into these SK shorts
4.5/5

Finished ‘Rest Stop’
Something about this I really enjoyed. I can’t quite put a finger on it, but you can always tell when a writer puts a little of their magic into a story, I think SK did with this one. Felt very involved, great atmosphere and writing.
4/5

Finished ‘Harvey’s Dream’
This was a short one but it is written in such a vivid way that you truly feel how bleek the circumstance is from the main character’s jaded point of view. Ending was chilling. 4/5

Finished ‘Gingerbread Girl’
I wasn’t exactly sure where this one was going at first but it just turned out to be another showcase of SK writing insanity. Nothing crazy about this one, but enjoyable and some signature good character writing. 3.5/5

Finished ‘Willa’. This one had an eerie dreamy quality to it from the jump that was captivating. The beginning of the story is a bit jarring but it all comes together in the end. Amazing atmosphere and spook factor. Read it all in one sitting. 4/5