Six Scary Stories Paperback – October 31, 2016

It's probably harder to write a short scary story than another kind because once the arc is set, how do you deliver a surprise? A swimmer determined to take a dip in a place she shouldn't, a bedroom full of nasty toys that unstitch each other, yet another stuffed toy that smells so much like a deceased, hated husband . . . there isn't much room once such premises have been laid down to do anything but unfurl details that can't stray far from the starting points. Of the stories in this collection, none is particularly scary, none is distinguished enough to merit hardcover publication (with or without Stephen King's name as editor). The first is a little creepy in a way that Robert Aickman's work was creepy, but lacking Aickman's depth of characterization and cleverness. One is passingly amusing as a satire. Several are well written. But this is a very thin collection that could have fit comfortably into half its space. Finally, did each of the six contributors have to write a preface declaring their admiration for Stephen King? Isn't anyone embarrassed by this kind of thing?

When any author attaches their name to anything, their fans take notice. When Stephen King attached his name to Six Scary Stories, he was making a statement to potential buyers: these stories are scary. They aren't. There may be elements that are disturbing, thrilling, or bizarre, but with the exception of the first tale (which wasn't all that scary either), I would say these are just six stories masquerading as scary.I'll agree with Stephen King on one thing: of these six stories, the winner was the most entertaining of the bunch. The other five, whittled down from a contest pool of eight hundred, are all over the place. Most are forgettable, the lone exception being La Morte De L’Amant, a tale I found exciting, but never horrifying.

I purchased this BOOKLET, thought it was a novel, it is not, just a thin booklet, because it said"Six Scary Stories Paperback – October 31, 2016by Stephen King ". This is a direct copy of what was advertised, I copied and pasted it here.I paid $14.95 and received a thin booklet, with loose pages that is NOT WRITTEN BY STEPHEN KING. This should be stated on the ad.I should be refunded fully without having to go through the hassle of returning in these covid times. Other buyers please be warned, THIS IS NOT STEPHEN KING, just some short, immature stories. i wrote better stories in 5th grade.

Big let down. The only story I could even finish without skimming to the end was Wild Swimming. All the teddy bear coming to life stories I just find intolerable. I know King is big on the whole "inanimate objects come to life" theme, but please, one or two is enough.So Wild Swimming..... is this seriously a thing? Swimming in a pond is a outdoor professional sport? I grew up in SC so I guess I was an enthusiast of this noble sport and didn't even know it.At the risk of being criticized, I'm beginning to think only English women must be able to appreciate English women writers. Here's my impression.......Oh dear, the phone is ringing. I suppose should pick it up, but its probably nosey Ms. Crowningshireham from across the street phoning to see if my cat Snuggles has been rooting around in her petunias again. But then perhaps its (goes through a dozen other scenarios while the phone continues ringing.....).Anyway, I guess King's endorsement is a big thing for an author but I have to wonder if he even read them. Not scary by a long shot.

Stephen King should leave reviewing other authors stories to someone else. I read this book from cover to cover in an hour. It's called Six Scary Stories. It should have been called Six Stupid Stories. They were all boring and predictable. I won't be passing the book along to friends who like Stephen King, because, well, for one thing it's not written by Stephen King, and two, I wouldn't do that to my friends. This is nowhere near Stephen King caliber. I will give it to the thrift store, but I feel sorry for whoever waste's their money on it. I've never been so disappointed in a book in my life.

These six short stories were chosen by Stephen King, as he felt they all were worthy of publication. Personally, I liked the first the best; though the remaining five were worthy of the contest he ran. These are short stories, with the fifth one being very short. But, that was the goal to each author. Getting your point across succinctly in a short amount of space. I didn't find them all to be horror, but enjoyed them all the same.I had a sneaky suspicion there would be many low rates and there are. Plainly stated, King did not write these, but chose them. To that end, he did well; as did the authors.

Just a 'warning' - there is not a Stephen King story in this collection. He was involved in picking the stories, and he has written an introduction to them, but that is all. You have been warned...Second warning, none of these six are very 'scary'. It doesn't mean that they aren't good or entertaining (except for 'The Spots', which I found to be awful...), I just didn't find them to be "scary". Three of the stories involve toys or stuffed animals, which felt like too many, for a collection of six. Sort of a three tale creepy 'Toy Story' gathering. Short and easy to read, just skip the third story, and you'll have a decent hour of Halloween-appropriate reading.

The Last story was certainly the best one. Two toy stories was one too many, but the second one with Sophie and Bunny et al was genuinely creepy. I couldn't read spots at all. The first story, the one that won the competition, could have been better but was too predictable, plus the silly and unnecessary jab at the Soviets was offputting. I prefer my horror with no propaganda. All in all, disappointing. At least it was inexpensive via Kindle.

I found these stories disappointing.

Amazing thankyou so much

Great new writers. Looking forward to novels from them.

Good

I bought this for my wife. She said it was pretty good with the first story being the best of the bunch. She is a Stephen King fan so I bought for her as a secondary gift to another one of his main books.These are not his stories but stories he was involved in judging for a Literary contest. The first story was the winning entry with the others being 'honourable mention'.