You know, they used to describe Stephen King as the writer of all those vampire, werewolf and monster stories, but if you take a long look at his works, vehicles, possessed or otherwise, play heavily into his monster rotation too. Earlier works like Christine, Maximum Overdrive and From a Buick 8 all feature killer vehicles and so does his latest work, Mile 81.
Mile 81 is a short story originally released for e-readers, but it will be available in book and audiobook formats eventually. This tale takes place at an abandoned rest stop along the turnpike in Maine. It starts off with 10-year old Pete Simmons heading out to the old rest stop for a day of adventure only after his older brother wouldn't let him tag along with him and his friends. Armed with a magnifying glass and a half-empty vodka bottle he finds along the way, Pete enters the rest stop, peruses the left-behinds and ultimately gets a little woozy off a few sips of vodka. He eventually falls asleep, and while he's sleeping, outside all hell is breaking loose. You see, a mud-covered car has rolled up the ramp to the rest stop, and this is no ordinary car.
Reading Mile 81 is like listening to your favorite rock band do an acoustic set. All the necessary notes are still represented, and the songs still sound fantastic, but they're not quite the same. Taken as it is, Mile 81 is a fast-paced read and a highly enjoyable one, but it's not as deeply satisfying as long-form Stephen King.
Even still, I give Mile 81 **** out of *****.
No comments:
Post a Comment