Blood and Smoke

by Stephen King, Stephen King (Read by)

Overview

Now from Encore—world-renowned bestselling storyteller Stephen King reads three chilling tales of paranoia and addiction.

In this audio-only trilogy of short stories, King tells the tales of three men, each smokers, who are grappling with their nicotine addiction as well as the personal demons that will determine their fates.

In Lunch at the Gotham Café, Steve Davis is brooding over his recent breakup with his wife, plus the increasing stress of trying to quit smoking. When desperation pushes him to seek solace in a quiet luncheon, nothing prepares him for the horrors he will face at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.

In the Deathroom is the story of a man named Fletcher who is imprisoned and tortured in a South American stronghold. He has information his captors want, and they will stop at nothing to get it out of him. His only hope for escape and survival lies in a final request: One more cigarette before he dies, please.

And in 1408, listeners are introduced to Mike Enslin, a famous author of “true” ghost stories. When he decides to spend a night in New York City’s most infamous haunted hotel room, he must survive the ordeal without the help of his trusty smokes.

Unfiltered horror at its best, these inventive, blood-chilling stories showcase King’s compelling talent at its height. With unparalleled skill, King explores the perils of isolation and addiction, bringing the cravings of the mind to hideous life in Blood and Smoke.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442336216
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date:	10/05/2010
Edition description:	Abridged
Sales rank:	473,422
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Hometown:

Bangor, Maine

Date of Birth:

September 21, 1947

Place of Birth:

Portland, Maine

Education:

B.S., University of Maine at Orono, 1970

Website:

http://www.stephenking.com

Editorial Reviews

King has become the most innovative of authors when it comes to the publishing format of his books. In Blood and Smoke, he offers three short horror stories, loosely tied by the theme of cigarettes and smoking, exclusively in audio. The worlds he creates in "Lunch at the Gotham Caf ," "1408," and "In the Deathroom" are vivid and chillingly surreal. King himself delivers the reading, which showcases to near perfection his mammoth storytelling talents; the words themselves, plus their pace and inflection, and the use of sarcasm and humor are all his own. This will become a classic; essential for all fiction collections.--Kristen L. Smith, Loras Coll. Lib., Dubuque, IA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

After hearing these stories, you have to wonder if the master of gore was working through some personal issues... Regardless, the result is this trio of sometimes gruesome, sometimes funny tales about the quite literal pain of escaping the clutches of nicotine. Stephen King does a marvelous job reading his own work. His subtle humor and obvious pleasure in relaying the scary parts to his audience are a thrill to hear. BLOOD AND SMOKE is not recommended for those who have recently quit smoking--King’s loving descriptions of the act are enough to make non-smokers reconsider. Still, this is an extra-special addition to any listener’s collection of King stories because it can be found only on audio. R.A.P. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

APR/MAY 00 - AudioFile