Four Past Midnight

"Four Past Midnight" is a collection of four novellas by Stephen King. Each story is unique, but they all share a common theme of psychological horror and suspense. The book was published in 1990 and quickly became a bestseller.

The first novella, "The Langoliers," follows a group of people who wake up on a plane to find that everyone else on board has disappeared. As they try to figure out what happened, they discover that they have somehow traveled through time and are now stuck in a bizarre, empty world.

The second story, "Secret Window, Secret Garden," centers around a writer named Mort Rainey who is being stalked by a stranger named John Shooter. Shooter accuses Mort of plagiarizing his work and becomes increasingly violent as Mort tries to defend himself.

The third novella, "The Library Policeman," tells the story of Sam Peebles, a man who is haunted by memories of a terrifying librarian from his childhood. As he delves deeper into his past, he uncovers a dark secret that threatens to destroy his life.

The final story, "The Sun Dog," follows a teenage boy named Kevin who receives a Polaroid camera for his birthday. But when he develops the pictures he takes, he realizes that the images are all of a menacing black dog. As the dog seems to grow more real and dangerous with each photo, Kevin must find a way to stop it before it's too late.

Overall, "Four Past Midnight" is a chilling collection of stories that showcases Stephen King's mastery of the horror genre. The novellas are all well-written and engaging, with vividly drawn characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

The book's popularity has led to several adaptations, including a made-for-TV movie based on "The Langoliers" and a feature film adaptation of "Secret Window" starring Johnny Depp. "Four Past Midnight" remains a classic of horror literature and a must-read for fans of Stephen King's work.