Blockade Billy - Book Review

Stephen King's writing is not known for being subtle but many times it is rife, of course, with subtext. However the lack sometimes of paranormal influences reveals interrogatives of the human condition. Unbeknownst in a smaller anthology, the intersection within this idea of the novella "Blockade Billy" [Stephen King/Hodder & Stoughton/144pgs] takes thorough examination of the ideals of "want" versus the mentality of old. Like another character in "Dreamcatcher" (though one less blazening so), the logic of opportunity with Billy is structured by an inherent force of will power, albeit unconscious in this case. The love of baseball inherent in King is proudly on stage with the visualization of attacking at home plate worthy of a Twilight Zone episode if a god was playing umpire from above. The reveal is done courtesy of a 3rd person perspective of telling to King - "the author" - which, although functional, works egregiously as a plot device, the ultimate wrangling relying on the fact that it never happened despite any evidence to the contrary.The shorter story on the back of "Blockade" is "Morality" about a husband and wife cornered into the idea of committing a sin for a retired minister who, flush with money, wants to perceive the idea of "sin" itself through someone else's hands. Fate brings out psychological cracks in terms of violent sex within the woman having to execute said "plan". Like "Indecent Proposal", the idea becomes that consequence is always the judge of the beholder but, unlike that Hollywood fantasy, the resolution is never so clean (or happy). Watching King play in this direction is appreciated (though his paranormal work is exceptional) but "Blockade Billy" and by extension "Morallity" show an understanding of the human condition unweilding but also entertaining. Out of 5, I give it a 3 1/2.