Umney's Last Case

Last updated
"Umney's Last Case"
Short story by Stephen King
Umney's Last Case.jpg
Cover of the separate publication (1995)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Mystery, science fiction short story
Publication
Published in Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Publication typeCollection
Publisher Viking
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
Publication date 1993

Umney's Last Case is a short story by American author Stephen King, first published in King's collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993). In July 1995, it was published as a separate paperback as part of Penguin's 60th anniversary. [1]

Contents

Umney's Last Case is an example of metalepsis in narratology. [2]

Background information

Prior to the story's original appearance in the Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection, Viking Press made the text available online three weeks prior to the book's publication in September 1993 via OBS (The Online Bookstore) for $5. [3] [4]

Plot summary

The story begins as a Raymond Chandler pastiche, and follows a private investigator named Clyde Umney as he goes about what he thinks is just another morning in 1930s Los Angeles. He soon discovers that his life as he knows it is falling apart. All of his lifelong friends and associates are abruptly departing in one fashion or other, for reasons ranging from winning the lottery to terminal cancer, and many of them express disdain towards Umney in place of farewells. He is brooding alone in his office when he receives his final client: Landry, the crime-fiction author who created him. Having suffered the loss of his wife and child as well as a severe case of shingles, Landry took an overdose of medication and found himself in the world of his creation. He demonstrates that his will is law in this world, and explains to a helpless Umney that he intends to take Umney's place to live a life of eternal adventure and excitement. Umney is cast into oblivion—or so it seems.

Instead, Umney finds himself in the year 1994, occupying the vacated body of his creator. Although he realizes/acknowledges that his previous existence was a sham (and falling apart), he also finds himself equally despising the ugly, bland, and generally inadequate nature of the "real" world. He announces that he has begun to practice the craft of writing so that he might return to his fictional home in order to take back his world and his life, and end Landry's.

Television

"Umney's Last Case" was included as the third installment of TNT's Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King , starring William H. Macy in a dual role as both Umney and the author. It originally aired on July 19, 2006. Macy was nominated for an Emmy for his performance. [5]

Jon Condit of DreadCentral rated the episode two out of five stars. Condit said that the episode deviates too highly from King's original story, and the changes only make the story worse. [6] Brian Pope of DVD Verdict rated it a B+ and said that Macy's performance was worthy of an Emmy. [7] Christopher Noseck of DVD Talk said that the episode is "not completely satisfying" but is the best of the episodes on that disc. [8] Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times called it "a gonzo noir special with some postmodern curlicues" that emphasizes class issues common to King's work. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Nightmares & Dreamscapes</i> Short story collection by Stephen King

Nightmares & Dreamscapes is a short story collection by American author Stephen King, published in 1993.

"The End of the Whole Mess" is a short science fiction story by American writer Stephen King, first published in Omni Magazine in 1986. It was collected in King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes in 1993 and in Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse in 2008. The story is written in the form of a personal journal, and tells the story of the narrator Howard Fornoy's genius younger brother's attempt to cure humanity's aggressive tendencies.

"Suffer the Little Children" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King. It was first published by Cavalier in February 1972. The story was later published as part of the collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes in 1993. In the "Notes" section of Nightmares & Dreamscapes, King wrote that it was originally supposed to be published in his 1978 collection Night Shift, but editor Bill Thompson opted to have it cut. King had wanted to cut "Gray Matter", but deferred to Thompson's choice.

"The Night Flier" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the 1988 anthology Prime Evil: New Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror, and then in King's own 1993 Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainy Season (short story)</span> Short story by Stephen King

Rainy Season is a short horror story by Stephen King, first published in the Spring 1989 issue of Midnight Graffiti magazine, and later included in King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection. It ended a bout of writer's block from which King had been suffering.

"Crouch End" is a horror story by Stephen King, set in the real-life North London district of Crouch End, originally published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1980), and republished in a slightly different version in King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection (1993). It contains distinct references to the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.

"Battleground" is a fantasy short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the September 1972 issue of Cavalier magazine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.

"Autopsy Room Four" is a short story by American writer Stephen King. It was first published in King's limited-edition collection Six Stories in 1997 and appeared in the anthology Robert Bloch's Psychos later the same year. In 2002, it was collected in King's collection Everything's Eventual. It was adapted into a short film in 2003. It was also part of TNT's Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King series in the summer of 2006.

"You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" is a 1992 horror short story by American writer Stephen King. It was first published January 1992 in the horror anthology Shock Rock and later included in King's collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes. It concerns a young couple on a road trip in Oregon when they accidentally wander into a small town inhabited by dead rock and roll legends.

<i>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> (2006 film) 2006 American film

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 2006 adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella. It was directed by John Carl Buechler, and produced by Peter Davy, British American film producer. The film is set in modern times instead of Victorian England.

Richard Christian Matheson is an American writer of horror fiction and screenplays, the son of fiction writer and screenwriter Richard Matheson. He is the author of over 100 short stories of psychological horror and magic realism which are gathered in over 150 major anthologies and in his critically hailed hardcover short story collections Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks, Amazon #1 bestseller Dystopia, and Zoopraxis. He is the author of the suspense novel Created By. He also authored a magical realism novella set in Hollywood titled The Ritual of Illusion, and was the editor of the commemorative book Stephen King's Battleground. Matheson also adapted the short story which was made into an iconic episode of the TNT series Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King and won two Emmys.

"The Road Virus Heads North" is a short story by Stephen King. The story first appeared in 999, an anthology published in 1999 and edited by Al Sarrantonio. In 2002, it was collected in King's Everything's Eventual.

"Popsy" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King, included in his short story compilation Nightmares & Dreamscapes, published in 1993.

"Home Delivery" is a short story by American writer Stephen King. It was first published in the zombie anthology Book of the Dead (1989) and later included in King's short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993).

"Sorry, Right Number" is a teleplay written by author Stephen King for an episode of the horror anthology series Tales from the Darkside. It is the ninth episode of the fourth season. It was later included in King's 1993 short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, and is the only such work that King has included in any of his anthologies. It appears in script format, and begins with an authors' guide for screenplays and abbreviations.

<i>The Mangler</i> (film) 1995 film by Tobe Hooper

The Mangler is a 1995 horror film directed by Tobe Hooper and written by Hooper and Harry Alan Towers. The film is based upon the Stephen King 1972 short story of the same name, which appeared in his 1978 inaugural short story collection Night Shift. It stars Robert Englund and Ted Levine. It also spawned two sequels, The Mangler 2 and The Mangler Reborn.

"The Fifth Quarter" is a short story by American author Stephen King, originally published in the April 1972 issue of Cavalier and later collected in King's 1993 collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes. It was filmed as an episode of the TNT miniseries Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.

<i>Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King</i> 2006 American anthology television series

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King is an eight-episode anthology miniseries that aired on TNT, based on short stories written by American author Stephen King. It debuted on July 12, 2006, and ended its run on August 2, 2006. Although most of the stories are from the book collection of the same title, some are from different collections by King. A trailer confirming a DVD edition of the series was released in October 2006. The series was filmed entirely in Melbourne, Australia.

Tory Mussett is an Australian actress. Her first television appearance was in an episode of the detective drama Murder Call. She later appeared in an episode of Flat Chat, and had a larger role in Crash Palace.

The 21st American Society of Cinematographers Awards were held on February 18, 2007, honoring the best cinematographers of film and television in 2006.

References

  1. ↑ Beahm, George (1998). Stephen King from A to Z: An Encyclopedia of His Life and Work . Andrews McMeel Publishing. p.  233. ISBN   9780836269147.
  2. ↑ Lutas, Liviu (2011). "Narrative Metalepsis in Detective Fiction". In Kukkonen, Karin; Klimek, Sonja (eds.). Metalepsis in Popular Culture. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN   9783110252804.
  3. ↑ "20th-Century American Bestsellers". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy". www.obs-us.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 1997. Retrieved 12 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ↑ Bas, Bulent (2007-07-19). "Emmy Winners List". CBS News . Retrieved 2013-11-25.
  6. ↑ Condit, Jon (2006-07-20). "Nightmares & Dreamscapes: Umney's Last Case (TV)". DreadCentral . Retrieved 2013-11-25.
  7. ↑ Pope, Brian (2006-11-14). "Nightmares And Dreamscapes". DVD Verdict . Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-25.
  8. ↑ Noseck, Christopher (2006-10-24). "Nightmares & Dreamscapes - From the Stories of Stephen King". DVD Talk . Retrieved 2013-11-25.
  9. ↑ Heffernan, Virginia (2006-07-12). "Exploring Darkness and Anxiety in Stephen King's 'Nightmares and Dreamscapes'". The New York Times . Retrieved 2013-11-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.