Just After Sunset

I haven’t always been a big fan of short stories. During my high school years, they seemed like additional ways for our teachers to torture students already loaded down with hours of homework. But since we had to read and respond to them in order to graduate, we naturally acquiesced. It wasn’t until I got to college that one of my professors introduced me to the writings of the late Flannery O’Connor. From there, I was hooked. Her imagery was vivid, her attention to detail was exquisite, and the endings that came out of nowhere were memorable. She made the process seem quite easy—or so I thought. A few years later, I tried my hand at writing my own short story—and quickly found out that I had a long way to go before I reached the level of the masters of the genre.


So when I learned that renowned author Stephen King was about to release a series of short stories, I was immediately intrigued. Admitted, the only work of his I’ve read was Misery, but it’s one of the few titles I distinctly remember. Nevertheless, I found the new collection, entitled Just After Sunset, at the local bookstore (it has a cover that will play tricks with your eyes) and am curious to see what’s inside.


What might it include? Interesting characters in challenging situations? Emotionally-charged plotlines? Trips that are out of the ordinary? Each is a real possibility.


According to the title description, the stories are going to remind the reader that “nothing is quite as it appears.” Sounds a lot like life, huh? We would love to be able to script our entire destinies while on Earth, but life rarely goes according to our plans. That’s because we are not our own; God not only created us, he knows the plans and has the blueprints for our existence. To that end, he makes sure there’s a reason for everything—even the minutest details of our day. Trusting him to handle our lives for us would be wise.


Now that the sun has gone down, it’s time to start reading Just After Sunset. I’m sure Mr. King would have it no other way.

Quantum of Solace

I'll give the bad news first: Quantum of Solace isn't as good as Casino Royale. While action is what most of us came for, in Quantum it pretty much takes over, leaving little room for the more character-centered storyline that gave its predecessor much of its strength. Although Quantum of Solace does contain its own share of twists, turns, and revelations, its more formulaic tale of simple government/corporate conspiracy does not exactly stand out amidst similar others. And even though Quantum of Solace does deliver adrenaline-pumping chase and fight scenes of almost every sort, with a rapid-fire editing style more akin to the Bourne franchise than Bond, a part of me missed the smoother, more fluid style that has always been classic 007.


That said, Quantum of Solace is still a good movie. As number two in what is expected to be at least a four-film run with Daniel Craig in its title role, its existence as more of a follow-up to the first and a bridge to the next is understandable. While it did take me a few beats to get up to speed with its rapid-fire action, that action still kept my heart pumping (in a good way) for most of the film's running time. And while both the film's espionage plot and character development are decidedly less engaging than in the first, they both still manage to pull you into their world and carry you along for the ride.


This Bond is touchy-feely, when he's not cold-cocking folks. He actually leaves villains alive to be prosecuted (sometimes), and admits his affection for Vesper, for Mathis, even M. This is not your father or your grandfather's Bond, but this is a Bond for 2008, where conscience is demanded, and blind allegiance is ridiculed (or should be).


This Bond IS different. The viewers are right. But this Bond is better, more real, and more substantial than any Bond before. Daniel Craig still won't win an Oscar, but he's proved that an old dog can learn new tricks, can grow, and become more human. And in doing so, Bond proves that there's hope and redemption for all of us, if we would only learn how to forgive.