"The Reach" by Stephen King

"The Reach" by Stephen King 

This story has been published many times, originally in Yankee, under the name "Do The Dead Sing", and then later in Skeleton Crew under the name "The Reach."  I read this story in the anthology "The Dark Descent" edited by David G. Hartwell. 

An old woman, Stella Flanders, contemplates her time living on an island for her entire life.  She considers things she would say to her children and her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.  She thinks about everything that has happened on the island and all the things that she has seen.  She thinks about how the island is more of a family than just a community. 

Stella Flanders has seen her share of things and it all takes place around The Reach.  That space between the island and mainland.  Mainland where there is life outside of the small community.  Stella never found a need to go across the reach and was content to live right where she was on the island. 

Time is a funny thing.  It can pass slow for some, but fast for others.  Stella's life was flashing before her eyes.  She thought of all the different times the island came together as a family and who did what and when.  That's around the time she started to see ghosts. 

She first started to see her dead husband.  It scared her to death, but she didn't let it get to her.  She knew that it meant she was dying.  She figured that it was her time to go.  She wasn't quite ready, but she accepted the fact that was how life went.   

Eventually after accepting her fate she decides to go follow the advice her dead husband has been giving her.  It's time to go to the mainland.  So she bundles up nice and warm and head out to The Reach.  Following her dead husband she starts the trek across The Reach to mainland. 

Stephen King throws around a lot of character names in this story.  He really only keys in on a few of the characters and it's pretty easy to distinguish who's who with King's writing style.  He let's you know who's important and who you need to keep an eye on.  Take his cue. 

I am a huge Stephen King fan, so this is probably quite biased.  I loved this story.  It is a story of love and life and crossing from one life into another.  Feeling the love of friends, community, and family.  To feel the love of dead ones welcome you with open arms.  To see what the beginning was and what the future has to hold

Stephen King Interviews

Stephen King is a favorite author of mine since childhood.  I know, a bit warped for a child to read, but we all started on this path somewhere. 

I thought I'd list some interviews Stephen King has done.  He's done so many over his career there is no possible way of listing them all, at least right now, but I have put together some links for pursuing in free time. 

• Paris Review - http://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5653/stephen-king-the-art-of-fiction-no-189-stephen-king 
• Rolling Stone: The Last Word: Stephen King on Trump, Writing, Why Selfies Are Evil - http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/stephen-king-on-trump-20160609 
• Rolling Stone: The Rolling Stone Interview - http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/stephen-king-the-rolling-stone-interview-20141031 
• Stephen King: on alcoholism and returning to the shining - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/21/stephen-king-shining-sequel-interview 
• How Stephen King Teaches Writing - http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/09/how-stephen-king-teaches-writing/379870/ 
• Los Angeles Review of Stephen King: The Blue Collar King - https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-blue-collar-king-an-interview-with-stephen-king/ 

Stephen King's career is really interesting to read about.  I love his simple outlook on things in life and how he remains (for the most part) just a regular guy.

Also, if  your interested there is a Stephen King reading group based out of the site Goodreads.com.

You can find that here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/203-stephen-king-fans

The Dune by Stephen King

"The Dune" is a short story written by Stephen King.  I read this story in "The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror of 2012 by Paula Guran (Editor)" and published by Prime Books.

This is a story about an old man, who is a retired judge, and a mysterious island he frequently travels to like an addict with a drug.  He enjoys spending time on the island and often spends his days napping in the sun on the islands beach.  Then after spending the day at the island he calls up his friend, and attorney, to update his will.  He sits down and tells his attorney the story of the island.

This was a great short story.  Stephen King is a master at the short fiction craft.  With his origins starting with short stories and his mastering the craft over so many decades it was a pleasure to read.

We enter the story with the old man heading to the island.  There is a feel of the fraility of the old man and then we find out he's a judge and a bit more about him.  I like how the old man, or the judge, is portrayed.  He is old and feeble, but at one time he reigned supreme.

Enter into the picture his friend the attorney.  They spend time together going over the judge’s will and make final touches.  After they are done the judge decides to tell the story of the island.

There is a great Stephen King twist at the end.  Of what us constant readers have come to expect.