Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King - A-

Indiana: There's a big snake in the plane, Jock!
Jock: Oh, that's just my pet snake Reggie.
Indiana: I hate snakes, Jock! I hate 'em!
Jock: Come on! Show a little backbone, will ya!

Dear Steve:

Can I call you Steve?  Thanks.

The first book of yours that I ever read was Night Shift.  I was in 7th or 8th Grade.  That collection of stories caused a number of sleepless and restless nights for that 13 year old.

The most enduring legacy from that collection is my lifelong fear of rats.  Yes, Steve, rats.  I don't know what they ever did to you, but they obviously peed in your Wheaties.  They'd have had to for you to portray them as evil incarnate as often as you do.

Rats tend to show up most prominently in your short stories and novellas.  I thought that I beyond getting freaked by rats, but then I read 1922 from "Full Dark, No Stars."  And you did it again!  I'm a 44 year old man having nightmares about rats! 

I gotta tell you, though, "Full Dark, No Stars" was a fun read.  In my opinion, your best in a while.  I liked the characters in Duma Key a lot, but other recent works like Cell and Under the Dome were sort of retreads, weren't they?  And don't get me started on the last two books of the Dark Tower series.  What a letdown.

"1922," about a father and son after an unspeakable act, was the perfect first story in this collection.  I greatly enjoyed the revenge story, "Big Driver."  "A Good Marriage," about a husband's secret life, was terrific.  "Fair Extension," about a deal with the devil, was the weakest of the four stories in my opinion.  Even though weaker, the story was still disturbing and thought provoking.

Anyway, please, enough with the rats.

Signed, a big fan.

Live long, read and prosper.  We'll leave the lights on for you.