I first read this collection approximately a thousand years ago when I was a sophomore or junior in high school. That was during the mid to late eighties, and my fascination with Stephen King was at its peak. Now, nearly thirty years later, I am rereading all of King's books, mostly in chronological order, in an attempt to recapture the ecstasy I felt upon reading them initially.

To my great delight, Skeleton Crew has withstood the test of time remarkably well. In fact, it has held up impressively.

This collection of stories, most of which were written when King was on the verge of becoming a household name and a horror icon, contains some of his most spine-chilling tales that he ever committed to paper.

Stories like The Mist, The Monkey, Mrs. Todd's Shortcut, The Raft, Nona, Survivor Type, Uncle Otto's Truck, Gramma, and The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet are all brilliant examples of the author's masterful handling of the short story form. I absolutely loved revisiting each and every one of the stories presented in this collection. It was a truly enjoyable experience. Highly recommended for fans of King, or for anyone who loves short stories in general.

Revisiting Skeleton Crew, Stephen King's collection of twenty-two short stories published in 1985, for the first time since I was in 7th grade was an absolute delight.

That was a time when I was trying to imitate Don Johnson's style and struggling to get Madonna's "Into the Groove" out of my head. The horror stories that I adored as a 12-year-old were each even better than I recalled.

A couple of them that I didn't have the patience for back then became newfound gems. However, a lot of the stories that I never took a liking to are still just as bad.

The five-star stories include The Mist, a novella of apocalyptic doom and ravenous monsters at the doorstep, perhaps the most terrifying thing I've ever read. It's an imaginative and horrible blend of The Alamo and H.P. Lovecraft. I've reread certain passages to confirm what I thought I read. King's portrayal of how quickly good people turn into a mob when faced with their own mortality is one of his greatest works.

Mrs. Todd's Shortcut was one I skipped at age 12. Without monsters or boogeymen, but with love stuff? Yuck! But this time around, King's creativity shone through for me, as did his unabashed romance for Ophelia Todd, one of the more captivating characters in his rogues' gallery.

The Jaunt is a spellbinding science fiction tale that chronicles the invention of teleportation (in 1987!) and how a family preparing for a trip to Mars hundreds of years later learns a valuable lesson about space-time travel. It still blows my mind.

The Raft is another of King's most primal and terrifying tales. In many of his stories, I can envision myself escaping the predicament with logic and a wealth of knowledge of horror movie clichés, but this is one story I want no part of.

Uncle Otto's Truck was another one I skipped over when I was younger. Since then, I've come to appreciate a great story. Everyone has a story to tell, and I can hardly resist a first-person account by a character who seems to be whispering to the reader that they have something they really need to get off their chest, something we might not believe but that really happened.

The four-star stories include The Monkey, which isn't quite as scary as I remember but is still beautifully written. A windup monkey with crashing cymbals doesn't quite frighten me, but the protagonist's journey from an orphaned boy to an adult and his battle with this evil thing is engaging.

Nona starts off a bit rough, but it's another great story, a jailhouse confession by a convicted killer whose account of his raven-haired, irresistible accomplice can't be verified by any witness. It's quite creepy, and the tie-in to The Body was an unexpected bonus.

Survivor Type isn't very suspenseful, more of a gross-out story, but the lengths King goes to describe how a rogue doctor ended up marooned with surgical equipment and heroin are incredibly imaginative.

The other stories range from decent (The Reaper's Image, Word Processor of the Gods) to absolute disasters (I can't even begin to figure out what's going on in Milkman #1 or Milkman #2). I now remember why, after The Raft, Skeleton Crew becomes a bit of a chore to get through and finish. There's junk mixed in with the treasures, but part of the fun was rummaging through and discovering that for myself.

Overall, this is a truly great collection of short stories by the King.

We have witnessed a significant number of these stories being adapted into films. For instance, The Raft was included in George A Romero's Creepshow 2, and The Mist was brought to the big screen by Frank Darabont, who is also known for the adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption.

However, it is some of the less frequently discussed stories in this collection that really stood out for me. The Jaunt, which first appeared in The Twilight Zone Magazine in 1981, was an outstanding blend of science fiction and horror. It has truly withstood the test of time in a genre that often doesn't age well. Mrs Todd's Shortcut is similar, offering an interdimensional and enjoyable experience. Special mention must also be made of The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands for its fantastic final image and the creeping dread of Gramma.

With a total of 22 stories in this collection, it's inevitable that there would be some that are not as strong. I can't imagine anyone giving much praise to Here There Be Tygers or Cain Rose Up.

Certainly, this is a remarkable collection of stories that will appeal to a much broader audience than just Stephen King die-hards. It continues to demonstrate that, despite being a writer often accused of overwriting, he can still master the short form with great proficiency.

I have a deep affection for this book.

It has become an essential part of my life.

Every time I pick it up, I am immediately drawn into its captivating world.

The story is so engaging that I find it difficult to put the book down.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, making me feel as if I know them personally.

The author's writing style is beautiful and流畅, adding to the overall charm of the book.

I have read this book multiple times, and each time I discover something new and exciting.

It has taught me valuable lessons and has broadened my perspective on life.

I truly believe that this is one of the best books I have ever read, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.