Stephen King's latest short story collection consists of twenty (more or less) original stories and novellas, once again proving that King's imagination has not yet ceased to create new horrifying and stunning scenarios which he is able to put so easily and fluently into words. However, there are quite a few reasons for why this collection generally rather disappointed me, even though King managed to hide some true gems in here. 
 I am going to talk about some of them in depth in the rest of this review (without spoiling any plot elements), but so long, as for my reading experience, I can only think of how this collection mildly disappointed and excited me at the same time - a feeling King seems to love to create with his very ambivalent stories. Be sure to read this only if you are used to King's writing style, as I don't think the collection works for non-King readers. 
 1) Mile 81 (4/5 stars) 
 Pete, an eleven-year-old boy, explores a closed gas station and becomes drunk for the first time in his life. Julianne, a lesbian farmer caring for horses, drives up at the gas station and finds an old car - a car which hasn't been there when Pete arrived minutes ago, with no driver in sight ... 
 This novella displays a strong introduction to the collection by combining King's more recent writing style with classic Christine-like horror. For me, it was a case of being in the right mood to read this story, because any other day, it might have received only two stars or even one due to its hilarious ridiculousness. But, if you don't mind the ending - and it should have become obvious by now that if there is one thing Stephen King cannot write well, then that's endings - this is a strong story about some interesting characters. 
 Even though King stole one of his own ideas, I can forgive him for that, because this entertaining story made up for a funny hour of reading. 
 2) Premium Harmony (3/5 stars) 
 A short and simple story which managed to stun me with the sadness it made me feel. Available online in a copy of the New Yorker here, and recommended for a short read - preferably in the hot summer, as that might add to the story's atmosphere. But don't expect it to be light-hearted ... it isn't. However, it was a very intriguing trip without any typical fantasy/horror elements. 
 3) Batman and Robin Have an Altercation (4/5 stars) 
 This is the way horror could well happen in real life. And the realistic feeling attached to it totally freaked me out, because one day, there is a possibility of us becoming the parents of our parents - and isn't this prospect fear-inducing? Don't be misled by the strange title; this is a very serious story about a man whose father is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. 
 4) The Dune (4,5/5 stars) 
 I usually enjoy protagonists who could be our grandparents, and it was the same with this short story. Featuring an astounding supernatural element and a surprise ending, this proves Stephen King's writing talent perfectly. One of my favorites from the collection. 
 5) Bad Little Kid (5/5 stars) 
 Reminiscent of The Green Mile and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: A Story from Different Seasons, this prison story focuses on George Hallas, a murderer who is going to be convicted to death for killing a seven-year-old boy. He talks to his lawyer, Leonard Bradley, about his extraordinary story, and soon the tale drifts off into almost unbelievable tension. 
 My personal favorite out of the collection, and recommended whole-heartedly for every fan of a good horror story. 
 6) A Death (3,5/5 stars) 
 In this story, King didn't create characters you'd particularly care for, but he managed to write a thrilling story with an intriguing atmosphere, embedded in a question of morality about belief and faithlessness. "A Death" was the first story by King I've ever read, and for me personally, it was a perfect introduction to his works. This short story can be read for free here and is not even 5000 words long, so ... read this interesting little story. It is worth it. 
 7) The Bone Church (2/5 stars) 
 Stephen King should stick with short stories. King as a poet? That's like Pennywise as a nice guy. Just doesn't work. 
 8) Morality (3/5 stars) 
 A young married couple's life is turned into complete turmoil when an aging man offers something unexpected. A story about questions of morality unfolded, and while I appreciated the dark undertone King used to deal with the serious topic, this insane story made me feel sick for hours after reading it. The thought that characters like these could be living just across your street is what makes this so horrifying. 
 9) Afterlife (4/5 stars) 
 After his death, a man encounters a possible scenario of the afterlife. Shocking and thought-provoking - easily one of the better King stories. 
 10) UR (3/5 stars) 
 Originally published seven years ago as a Kindle eBook, this novella deals with a university teacher reading in his Kindle and soon figuring out that some aspects of his new purchase are not quite the way they should have been. In the beginning, I was intrigued by the very interesting premise, especially since King referred to a lot of well-known authors like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, but in the end, this drifted off into ridiculousness and left a lot of potential aside without having made use of it. I am mildly disappointed, yet it was definitely an enjoyable read - if you look for something entertaining. 
 11) Herman Wouk Is Still Alive (1/5 stars) 
 I simply didn't get the point of this story. The title is completely misleading, the characters are ... okay, let's better not talk about them; the story is as thin as a sodden piece of water; the writing is close to the worst as it ever got with King. Definitely a story to be forgotten soon. 
 12) Under the Weather (3/5 stars) 
 Again, I felt like something else could have been added to the story to give it more layers. This story is about a man and his ill wife, but it is impossible to add anything else without spoiling the ending. King says himself in the introduction that the ending is easy to be predicted, and it was. The build-up of the tension was nicely done, yet also unsatisfying in the end. 
 13) Blockade Billy (1/5 stars) 
 I am no fan of baseball, and that pretty much sealed the deal for me with this story. There was nothing behind those words which was able to grab me. The baseball jargon doesn't interest me at all, the story was simply consisting of some random plot elements, and the characters were untypically uninteresting, considering how characters are usually King's strength. Not recommended. 
 14) Mister Yummy (3/5 stars) 
 Nothing extraordinary. A gay man in a retirement home reminisces his difficult life of dealing with his sexuality and talks to a friend about his experiences. Easy to forget again. 
 15) Tommy 
 Again: Please, Mr. King, I know those poems are only experiments, but if you ever managed to fail at one awfully, it is in these poems. 
 16) The Green God of Agony (3/5 stars) 
 Typical King horror mixed with interesting characterism and autobiographical experiences results in a disturbing tale which feels so far from being believable that it almost feels real again. The sixth-richest man of the world survives a plane crash in a similar way as King survived his car accident, and despite his nurse's warnings, he now tries to exorcise his pain - with horrible consequences. Interesting story, but not my favorite and difficult to get into. 
 17) That Bus is Another World (3/5 stars) 
 A story surrounding the question of what should I do when I suddenly witness a crime? What are my priorities? Well-done, but also a story which relies mostly on atmosphere and will be forgotten after only a few days. 
 18) Obits (4,5/5 stars) 
 One of my favorite King stories, this deals with a reporter and his way to deal with a supernatural power which enables him to kill people with grave consequences. This is Stephen King at his best. 
 19) Drunken Fireworks (2/5 stars) 
 An entertaining story about the feud of two families, but the entertainment rather lies in its ridiculousness. 
 20) Summer Thunder (3,5/5 stars) 
 An apocalyptic short story recommended to fans of The Stand. Very well-written and memorable. 
 In the end, this collection very much feels like another hit-or-miss gathering of stories, some of which were great, some of them annoying, most rather unconvincing, yet interesting. The most interesting part about this consists of King's introductions he wrote for each and every single one of the short stories, offering a lot of insight into his usual writing process and autobiographical pieces of information.