Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Volume II

by Stephen King (Author/Narrator), Tim Curry (Narrator), Matthew Broderick (Narrator)

Nightmares & Dreamscapes is another virtuoso performance from the master of modern horror. Tales of vampires and lurking spirits, of inexplicable evil cloaked in the guise of childish innocence, of ordinary people driven to unthinkable extremes by the perversities of fate -- they're all here, told with King's inimitable blend of dark humor and heart-clenching suspense.

Chattery Teeth (Kathy Bates)
My Pretty Pony (Jerry Garcia)
Sneakers (David Cronenberg)
Dedication (Lindsay Crouse)
The Doctor’s Case (Tim Curry)
The Moving Finger (Eve Beglarian)
The End of the Whole Mess (Matthew Broderick)
Home Delivery (Stephen King)

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Fantasy, Mystery, Crime

Audio CD

First published October 29, 1993

About the author

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Reviews

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy hearing this fabulous short stories narrated by some great stars including Kathy Bates, Tim Curry and Matthew Broderick. I think my favorite story in this set is the one narrated by Matthew Broderick, about two brothers, one of whom is a genius child dedicated to making the world a better place...but be careful what you wish for.

Even if you've read the book, I recommend investing in these sets of audiobooks if you have the money to do so. They are really fun to listen to and remind me of some of the great stories written by Stephen King.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a good story. King does not often delve into the zombie genre. When he does, he often brings something fresh and interesting to the table. I liked how even in this story, he includes an unexplained alien invasion as well. It's actually quite scary but also full of King's typical idiosyncratic flair that makes so much of his work endearing.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume wasn't as good as the first. Best of this group is The End of the Whole Mess.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the strongest stories in the total collection, but it had some very strong ones.
Enjoyable overall, but the other volumes had the stronger stories.

[Sean Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Doctor's Case" is a whole lotta fun. I really enjoyed all the stories in this collection. "Sneakers" was kind of weak, but it was really good. All in all, I really enjoyed this.

[Karmologyclinic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damn this Stephen King... When he's good he's good but when he's bad, he's really bad. Half of the stories I love, half of them I just abandon. Unsure of whether I should rate this with 5 or 1 star, so it gets a 3.
David Cronenberg and Matthew Broderick as narrators were excellent though.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES by STEPHEN KING.
I read this book while listening to the 24 stories on 3 separate Auudible books. This wonderful collection of short stories was #39 in my bookclub THE 2ND ROUND OF STEPHEN KING. Short stories and their narrators include:
VOLUME 1:
SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN, read by Whoopie Goldberg.
CROUCH END, read by Tim Curry.
RAINY SEASON, read by Yeardley Smith.
DOLAN'S CADILLAC, read by Rob Lowe.
THE HOUSE ON MAPLE STREET, read by Tabitha King.
UMNEY'S LAST CASE, read by Robert B. Parker.
HEAD DOWN, read by Stephen King.
BROOKLYN AUGUST, read by Stephen J. Gould.
VOLUME 2:
CHATTERY TEETH, read by Kathy Bates.
MY PRETTY PONY, read by Jerry Garcia.
SNEAKERS, read by David Cronenberg.
DEDICATION, read by Lindsay Crouse.
THE DOCTOR’S CASE, read by Tim Curry.
THE MOVING FINGER, read by Eve Beglarian.
THE END OF THE WHOLE MESS, read by Matthew Broderick.
HOME DELIVERY, read by Stephen King.
VOLUME 3:
IT GROWS ON YOU, read by Stephen King.
THE FIFTH QUARTER, read by Gary Sinise.
YOU KNOW THEY GOT A HELL OF A BAND, read by Grace Slick.
THE NIGHT FLIER, read by Frank Muller.
POPSY, read by Joe Mantegna.
SORRY, RIGHT NUMBER, read by Full Cast.
THE TEN O’CLOCK PEOPLE, read by Joe Morton.
THE BEGGAR & THE DIAMOND, read by Domenic Cuskern.
A wrong turn on a lonely road lands a wayward couple in Rock and Roll Heaven, Oregon, where there’s no escaping the free nightly concert….A novelty toy becomes an unexpected and terrifying instrument of self-defense….An ex-con pieces together a map to unearth a stolen million dollars—but at what price?...A private investigator in Depression-era Los Angeles is finding his life unraveling as he discovers the shocking truth of who he really is….A third-grade teacher is willing to dig deep in order to exact revenge for his murdered wife.... These are just some of the haunting scenarios to be found in this classic collection—spellbinding tales from the darkest places and the unparalleled imagination of fiction’s master storyteller. Stephen King at his best! Loved it!

[Danh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I start my review I want to apologize for my writing and Grammer... I'm attempting to overcome some neurological issues so my writing is well lacking but this is my practice.....

Just another brilliant piece of king work. But this one is just something special. I mean ... a Sherlock Holmes story where everything is turned on its ear (I mean lestrade breaks the law and Watson solves the case are just two examples...) but yet the story keeps the tone and flavor of Conan doyals original creation perfectly (IMHO at least)

There's also a story where a boy and his grandpa just have a chat. A chat about time. But that particular story may be more real and more beautiful than all of kings writing because it was like this surprise visit from my grandpa who's been dead for decades. The way the old man talks with the boy is so eerily like my grandfather I swear he came to life for a few hours. Which is a mark of a good writer yes?

There's several other great stories but these two were my favorites. I truly love that not every story is horror which explains the dreamscapes part of the title.

Mr King if you ever read this review (which is highly unlikely I know) thanks for a few great hours with two of my idols :) makes for some lovely dreams

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chattery Teeth (Kathy Bates) 4 stars
classic King on the road, with an oddly if gruesomely wholesome conclusion
My Pretty Pony (Jerry Garcia) 3.5 stars
Sneakers (David Cronenberg) 3 stars
Dedication (Lindsay Crouse) 2 stars
The Doctor’s Case (Tim Curry) 3.5 stars
The Moving Finger (Eve Beglarian) 3 stars
The End of the Whole Mess (Matthew Broderick) 3 stars
Home Delivery (Stephen King)

[Amber Araneae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a few of the stories and was rather bored by several others but I finished it before the New Year (2018) on NYE and that is a goal I am quite proud of. Not the worst book to end on, that is for sure. Favorite stories were Chattery Teeth, Sneakers, Dedication and The Moving Finger.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today I finished “Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Volume 2” by Stephen King. Another solid set of short stories. My favorite was “The End of the Whole Mess,” a story about the end of the world and the geniuses that lead us to destruction.

[Rebecca Bollweg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible book. It never fails. Master Storyteller. As usual some stories were better than others, but even on the stories that I wasn’t digging the actual storyline, his writing makes it fun to listen to.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepiness level-medium. Narrations- good. Transition music- annoying.

[Billy Wells · Rating 2 out of 5]

This volume only had two stories of interest to me. The other two volumes are fine, but this one is my least favorite King collection.

[Randy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over all the stories in Volume 2 failed to compare to Volume 1. I would recommend skipping this part all together.

[Jay Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pick and choose with the stories in this one. Some are fantastic while others just drag on.

[nawar 🐉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

had a fun time reading. I listened to the audiobook actually. Loved Kathy bates narration

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of short stories. Although the plot-lines are unrelated, the excellent voice of Stephen King tells each tale well. It is a great read.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Stephen King, so they short stories were good. Of course, some will be better than others. I enjoyed Mr. King himself narrate one of the stories.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few good stories in this collection, a few duds. I loved sneakers and did not like the Sherlock Holmes one. Did the audio book. Overall good narration.

[Dasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 estrellas

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

King’s b-tier (or which most of this collection represents) towers above his contemporaries.

[Alan Villafana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all things Stephen King. If you are a fan, old or new, you will enjoy this collection of short stories.

[Zachary Marianetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not dissapoint. I was actually overjoyed that this book both gave me chills up my spine, and nightmares. The stories are typically from the perspective of normal people thrust into unreal situations that simulate a realistic reaction to such situations. That aspect scares me a good deal. A unique and like-able trait of this book is that it consists of MULTIPLE good stories being a book OF short stories. I liked the story "Heatwave" in which a young couple buy a house in the country side and receive a telltale warning of frogs raining from the sky from an elderly couple. They disregard this warning and spend a night in their new home only to awake in the middle of the night by a paralyzing thud on the roof, followed by more. Another short and macabre story that struck me as scary was definitely "The Finger" in which a middle aged man with bladder issues goes to the bathroom to discover a finger sticking out of his sinks drain. Terrified he must use the bathroom and he continues his attempt to no avail. Over the next couple of days the finger continues to scratch and his wife misses it each time she is called over. His wife goes away to visit family and the husband takes measures into his own hands buying acidic drain cleaner and a vicious power saw to dismember the unwanted finger.
Finally, my most hated and loved story in this book was "Home Delivery". A feeble and submissive womans demanding husband has died and left her with child on a small secluded island off the coast of New Jersey. Over the course of the next couple days she struggles to move on as Hawaii begins to have reanimated dead wander the streets. This initially proves no threat until humans get closer to them and they attack them biting them at will. The "zombies" begin to like what they are tasting, and attack humans for food. America claims its Chinas doing and China says they are having equal if not worse magnitude problems. America is mere weeks away from thermo-nuclear war when a countryside makeshift astronomer discovers star wormwood; a collosal wriggling mass in the sky. It is discovered that these "worms" have been falling to Earth and taking command of dead bodies and that there was almost no stopping star wormwood. Frantically the united nations of the world fire orbital nuclear weapons at the worms (which wriggle away dodging the missiles). Slowly the frantic screams of the world die out, and this woman is left with a village full of live people, safe, but secluded from the rest of the world. In a last attempt the nations of Earth send a space mission up to the star wormwood. The author displays a terrifying news broadcast in which the downfall of the ship is narrated by the British commander of said ship who paints a terrifying portrait of dismemberment, suckling acid spewing worms, and the claustrophobic and heart stopping terror of being in an isolated supply closet, on a lone ship, in space...
The whole situation is displayed through news broadcasts and town hall meetings which transforms it into a much more terrifying behemoth.

[Hulk McDangerous · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had the liberty to listen and read this work, thus the review will be somewhat the same to my previous review of the text work.

The introduction is quite dull, following Maddie's small town life on an island. Holistically American, the men are burly and the women are feminine. Everyone has their place. Its a great backstory but it does run on too long. Suddenly. Zombies. The story about the zombies and how they affect the world is fascinating and easily the best part of this story. A lot is left to the imagination as the protagonists must deal with the horror that awaits. The final act comes off somewhat of a let down, with very little scares and characters introduced that I couldn't with.

The audio book edition came in the 'End of the whole mess' collection. This story was read by Stephen King himself, which instantly made this story a star cooler. It was hilarious, and particular awesome hearing King put on a phony posh British accent for one character. He presented the story in an engaging manner without any purple prose. The collection included the likes of Mathew Broderick and Tim Curry and I still think King made a kick ass narrator. Although I did notice some spoken lines with poor quality. It may have been that the line was the best of a lot of bad takes.

All in all. Don't pay for it by itself, unless you're a completionist - or you want to hear Stephen King talk about killin' some mother effin zombies.

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" is from a collection of short stories that Stephen King had in some random box in his basement and decided to publish when he didn't have anything else on hand. I love Stephen King short stories, but "Skeleton Crew" and "Nightshift" (which are both excellent books) are definitely a lot better than "Nightmares and Dreamscapes." However, if you are a huge Stephen King fan, you will probably still find "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" entertaining. Although volume 1 is good, I wasn't as impressed with volume 2. I did like the first and last stories in volume 2, which is why I gave it 3 stars.

[Rad Brosius · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good horror book that will scare you and takes twists and turns. I think that it is a good book to read if you enjoy short scary stories. This has very intense situations that I enjoyed reading about. 4 books.

[David Neff · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars “Chattery Teeth”
2 Stars “My Pretty Pony”
3 Stars “Sneakers”
3 Stars “Dedication”
2 Stars “The Doctor’s Case”
1 Star “The Moving Finger”
4 Star “The End of the Whole Mess”
2 Stars “Home Delivery”

[Shawn Flanagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely King's best Volume of Nightmares & Dreamscapes, followed by #1. The third volume was the most disappointing.