What I learned from Night Shift:

It is truly not an easy feat to quit smoking. I have come to realize this through the experiences and stories presented in the book.

I also understand that I have the ability to know what others need. This awareness has been enhanced by reading about the various characters and their circumstances.

Moreover, I have learned that I can be like a doorway, opening up opportunities and possibilities for myself and those around me.

The image of someone walking behind the rows has left a lasting impression on me, making me think about the hidden aspects of life and the people who operate in the shadows.

Sometimes, as the book shows, things that we thought were over can come back to haunt us. This serves as a reminder to always be prepared for the unexpected.

In 'Salem's Lot, the story is far from over. There are still mysteries and horrors lurking around every corner.

Finally, the advice to not drink bad beer and to get off our asses and mow our own lawns is a simple yet powerful reminder to take responsibility for our actions and to not rely on others to do the things we should be doing ourselves.

Overall, Night Shift has taught me many valuable lessons that I will carry with me for a long time to come.

These are the earliest stories that King penned, and they truly send serious chills down one's spine. The stories that simply rock are as follows:

"Jersualem's Lot" - Here, King showcases his remarkable ability to play with different literary styles. I sincerely wish he would produce more works in a similar vein.

"I am the Doorway" - This is an intriguing and shocking Sci-Fi tale that vividly reminds one of Bradbury's works.

"The Ledge" - King weaves a satisfying narrative about yet another tennis instructor who has an affair with another man's wife.

"Quitters, Inc." - Perhaps the most horrifying of the lot, this is a real story that shocks because it could genuinely occur to anyone in this day and age. What are you willing to sacrifice to quit? If your answer is "everything," then you haven't read this story yet!

"The Last Rung on the Ladder" - My personal favorite of this collection, it manages to be both terrifying and touching at the same time.

"The Woman in the Room" - It's a fascinating psychological study, although "Million Dollar Baby" executes a similar premise in a more shocking manner.

However, "Lawnmower Man" and "Trucks," which I find rather immature, bring down the average. Overall, this is a fine collection, albeit with some elements that are just plain stupid.

SK's first collection of short stories is truly a remarkable work. It features great stories like “Children of the Corn,” “Graveyard Shift,” “Sometimes They Come Back,” and other classics. Each story is a masterpiece in its own right, captivating readers with its unique plot, vivid characters, and thrilling atmosphere. The collection is a must-read for fans of the horror and mystery genres, as well as for anyone who appreciates good literature.

It is the perfect end-of-the-year read, as it will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you with a sense of excitement and anticipation. Whether you are curled up by the fire on a cold winter night or relaxing on a beach during the holidays, this collection of short stories is sure to provide you with hours of entertainment and enjoyment. So, don't miss out on this amazing literary work and pick up SK's first collection of short stories today!

In this book, we are privileged to encounter a significant portion of Stephen King's earliest published works. A total of 10 stories, which account for half of this book, were initially released in magazines before his first novel, Carrie, made its debut.

I was pleasantly surprised by these early pieces. It seems to me that King is not among those authors who require a great deal of time to develop their skills. I have heard/read that often writers produce their best work when they are not overly comfortable (I am aware that this is a misquote, perhaps from King himself...maybe Duma Key was one of the sources), and this is proven true for me here. These stories are from the period when he was striving to support his young family while also trying to establish himself in the literary world. The earliest published story appears to be "Strawberry Spring," which was published in 1968, six years before Carrie (which was originally intended to be a short story for another magazine, but was rescued from the garbage by his wife Tabitha, who encouraged him to turn it into a novel...I won't bore you with further details about it here, except to say...Yay! to Tabitha once again...she provided him with constant nudges and suggestions, which were excellent, and King's fans owe her a great deal).

The pre-Carrie stories are mostly collected near the beginning of the book, including both hits and misses (depending on the reader, of course), such as "Graveyard Shift" (1970), "Night Surf," which is related to "The Stand" (the amazing book that wasn't released until almost a full decade after the magazine article in 1969), "I am The Doorway" (1971), "The Mangler" (1972), "The Boogyman" (1973), "Grey Matter" (1973), "Battleground" (1972), "Trucks" (1973), "Strawberry Spring" (1968), and "Sometimes They Come Back" (published in March 1974). Since Carrie was released just the following month, it's safe to assume that it was probably not written before Carrie.

A large number of movies (9 again) were also derived from this collection, either for the big screen or the small screen. I'll discuss these along with the stories, but again, I was amazed by the number of films that his early work inspired. (Though some are definitely best forgotten!)

This book is *almost* bookended with stories related to one of my favorite King books, "'Salem's Lot." We start with Jerusalem's Lot, a prequel that seems long and is written in the epistolary style. I both read and listened to it, and found that this story worked best for me when I listened with my eyes closed to envision the creepy tale. It has a very Lovecraftian style. The second-to-last story in the book is the so-called sequel, "One for the Road," which is a good story. Originally, I was disappointed because it didn't let us know the outcome of the main characters from the original story. However, upon reading it again, it's good and lets us know that things have definitely worsened in that town. It's an interesting read to see how much it has affected the surrounding towns. The short story is also effective at bringing the characters to life within its limited pages and has its fair share of fear. For these reasons, I liked the story.

I'm not going to write about each of these stories individually, mainly because I'm not good at rating each one. This book earns 5* from me due to some of the reasons I mentioned above, and because I truly enjoyed reading it. I only plan to mention some of my most and least favorites.

I was going to limit myself to the five stories I liked best (but it was too difficult). I liked "Graveyard Shift" (this, and "The Mangler" are the two movies I haven't seen yet), "The Mangler" (I was really surprised by how much I liked a story about a steam iron coming to life! Another cool aspect was a tie-in I noticed to "IT" - they talk a bit about an old refrigerator at a dump, with the same things entering it as in the story "IT" - if you've read "IT," you'll probably notice this part, even though this was written first), "I am the Doorway" (what a cool story!!! I read and listened to it several times), "The Boogyman" (again, it's incredibly great...and that closet...reminds me of closets in other books like "Cujo," but it's so good, with one of the best endings in the book! This is another one I read and listened to several times - I just liked it that much!), "The Ledge" (this one isn't horror, but it's nerve-racking...and the end is tremendous. Payback is a b*tch! Again, I read and listened to it), "Quitters Inc." (One of the best from the entire collection! This one, and "The Ledge" are both handled very well in the movie "Cat's Eye"), "The Last Wrung on the Ladder" (There's a moral to this one: Keep in touch with your family!!! Well written, yet with a heart-tugging ending).

Finally, the story that hit very close to home for me was "The Woman in the Room." It affected me because I can envision myself as that woman. I didn't think I could read this one at first. I put it off for days. I can read about all the pain in the world...as long as it's associated with some sort of unrealistic horror. This story was all too real. It's not horrific, unless you live with daily chronic - at times unbearable - pain. I was able to read this story, though. I actually had to schedule it into my life. I knew I could handle it if I had it ready to read after my afternoon dose of medication (which puts me in the tolerable camp). And I managed to read it. It was a mini-triumph for me! It's a sad story that raises a polarizing question. You'll know what that question is if you've read it. Very sad...and that terrible doctor, who you just hope will end up the same way someday - when you're feeling really angry, that is.

The worst story for me was "The Lawnmower Man," which also had one of the worst movies I've ever seen named after it. Stephen King even sued to have his name removed from it, and really...it had *almost* nothing at all to do with the story. In fact, it inspired the film "Virtuosity," which was released a few years later...and the leap from the short story King wrote to the movie "Virtuosity" is a significant one. I'm surprised Pierce Brosnan was in "The Lawnmower Man" - it was so ridiculous. King's story wasn't great, but it was nowhere near as bad as the movie.

********As for horrible movies based on these short stories, it would be a major oversight not to mention "Maximum Overdrive," based on the story "Trucks" (which actually surprised me in how much I enjoyed it...only King could make me interested in trucks circling a diner!). This movie was so bad that I wasted my rental fee by turning the idiotic thing off. YET, this is a most interesting movie to discuss!!!! Firstly, it was King's first and only directorial effort. Not only did it lose money at the box office, but further losses occurred when King and others were sued. See, there were several accidents on the set. One was especially ironic and horrific. During one scene, a radio-controlled lawnmower went berserk, striking a block of wood supporting a camera, which sent chunks of wood flying and cost the director of photography an eye. After the box-office failure, another 18 million was lost. This film was very deservedly nominated for a couple of Golden Raspberry Awards. King swore off directing, later admitting to being "coked up" the whole time and not knowing what he was doing. It shows. If you're an AC/DC fan, there is a silver lining...the album "Who Made Who" was released as the soundtrack to this movie. At least that album had some winners in it, including "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Hells Bells," and of course the title track.*******

Moving on to the small screen. The story "Battleground" had an exceptionally well-done episode of "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" based on it, starring William Hurt...and I swear I recognized one of those tiny soldiers from somewhere. It's very good - worth watching if you loved the story. One other on television: "Sometimes They Come Back" was so-so...not for me, either the story or the movie, though the acting wasn't terrible and I'd say look it up if you did like the story.

There were two stories that weren't bad, but I saw the ending from the first page in both of them. Those were the stories "Strawberry Spring" and "The Man who Loved Flowers." Again, not bad at all, I was just hoping I was wrong and there would be a twist. Still, "Strawberry Spring" especially is worth the read. I liked the atmosphere even though I saw the end coming...yes, it was still good.

Overall: Great Book. Not to be missed! And interesting side stories everywhere!!!!

I was extremely pleasantly surprised.

Boldly, I can say that all 20 of my grandmother's stories appealed to me.

Yes, the fact that stories like "The Vampire" (I don't know why they translated Boogeyman like that), "Jerusalem's Lot", "The Last Step" and "The Man with the Corkscrew" are my favorites ♥️

Certainly, I have regained my faith in King.

His works have always had a certain charm for me, and these stories are no exception.

The way he weaves the plots and creates the characters is truly masterful.

Each story has its own unique atmosphere and mood, which draws the reader in and keeps them engaged until the very end.

I am looking forward to reading more of his works and continuing to explore the wonderful world of Stephen King.

4.5

This is an impressive anthology of horror. It had been a long time since I read anything by King, and it has been a pleasure to return to him with such great stories. He combines different types of horror, with some stories being supernatural and others more of mystery or psychological nature.
All of the stories have appealed to me. However, as always, I have my favorites: "I'm the Doorway", "The Ledge", "Enough Said", "The Children of the Corn", and "The Last Rung on the Ladder". Each of these stories has its own unique charm and ability to send shivers down your spine. King's writing is masterful, as he is able to create vivid and terrifying worlds that draw you in and keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether you are a die-hard horror fan or just looking for a good scare, this anthology is definitely worth checking out.

The very young King's first short story collection is a Bradburyian and Lovecraftian overkill of short, sharp, and vicious terror pearls.

King often discusses the art and has mentioned the influence of these authors on his work several times. In his book "On Writing", he talked about imitating them. It's amazing how his short fiction has changed over the years, especially when seen from this perspective. It would be interesting to check if his other reads, which he openly lists each year, had a similar influence and if the voices of these authors can be seen in his works. I've already discussed this and have a redundancy problem, so just try it yourself. Mix old, middle-aged, and fresh short stories or novels from his collections together and see how he evolves. Or disturbingly mutates, which is a more appropriate word and what we Kingheads are desperately looking for.

Some of this was created in his twenties, quickly written before his success and full writing career. Some cynical fans and critics might say that there is a difference between the full-time writing King mass-producing books and the young King not having enough time to edit his work as often as other authors do. But I guess a bit of envy and suspicion about how a normal person is capable of producing so much amazing work also plays a role here. How can a single man be able to create so many masterpieces just by letting the characters tell their story, not knowing a definitive ending, not plotting, whiteboarding, storyboarding, just jumping into the fantasy land mode, and imagining art of an unknown dimension?

What's amazing, and a shame at the same time, is that King is so creative that Hollywood desperately took any grain of premise to make a movie out of it. It's as if there were no directors, screenwriters, and other authors capable of creating a short story or novel that could be made into a movie. Also, it's a proof that the book is always better, which might be a subjective obsessive reader's opinion and not the universal, forever wisdom I am famous for. Fart joke, lol.

Magazines have lost much of their importance for young authors to become popular, but at least they made King write in the shortest format ever possible, distilling the horror to the absolute minimum necessary and enabling something even the devil deemed impossible. Making him write in a short, not wordy, form.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...

Night Shift was Stephen King's first short story collection, released in 1978. It contains 20 fantastically written, gripping, and horrifying tales. This collection is often regarded as his best. King's ideas are fresh and outrageous, considering he wrote this at the start of his career.

\\n  Jerusalem's Lot - 4 stars\\n

Set in 1850, Charles Boones inherits the Chapelwaite manor, feared by the people of Preacher’s Corners town. It has a dark connection with Jerusalem’s Lot, a deserted village near the manor. The story is told through journal entries and letters, giving a Dracula and Frankenstein vibe.

\\n  Night Shift - 5 stars\\n

During the Fourth of July holiday weekend, employees at a mill are offered an extra bonus to clean an old basement. They soon discover something isn't right. The basement scenes are amazing, and the ending is perfect.

\\n  Night Surf - 2.5 stars\\n

A group of teenagers go to the beach at night in an apocalyptic world where most of the population has died from a contagious disease. It's a sad tale but too short to have much impact.

\\n  I Am The Doorway - 5 stars\\n

In a parallel reality where NASA reaches Mars and Venus, an astronaut on a mission to Venus has an accident and gains a dangerous ability. This is one of my favorites, brilliant and chilling, with a tragic ending.

\\n  The Mangler - 4 stars\\n

In an industrial laundry facility, a speed ironer machine tastes blood and likes it. It's a weird but effective idea, brilliantly executed.

\\n  The Boogeyman - 5 stars\\n

A man goes to a psychiatrist to talk about his past experiences that led to the death of his children. He can't take his eyes off the closet door. It's bone-chilling, with a jaw-dropping ending.

\\n  Grey Matter - 4 stars\\n

A kid goes to a bar, and a customer offers to take him home to his odd dad. It's a great and unique idea, but the ending is a bit of a letdown.

\\n  Battleground - 3 stars\\n

A professional hitman is targeted by a toyman he killed. It's funny and weird, with an unexpected ending.

\\n  Trucks - 4 stars\\n

Trucks and semi-trailers come alive and start killing people at a gas station. The theme of machines taking over is overused, but it's still a great story. The ending is a little underwhelming.

\\n  Sometimes They Come Back - 3.5 stars\\n

Two brothers cross paths with a gang of punks, and one dies. Years later, the surviving brother becomes a teacher, and his students start to die. It starts off great but the climax is a disappointment.

\\n  Strawberry Spring - 5 stars\\n

Students are murdered at New Sharon College, and the “strawberry spring” returns eight years later. It's terrifying, with an ending that will leave you breathless.

\\n  The Ledge - 4 stars\\n

Don't have an affair with a criminal lord's wife or make odd bets. This story shows humans pushing morality and fear to the limit for money and pride.

\\n  The Lawnmower Man - 3 stars\\n

A successful lawnmowing company has a mysterious owner. One client takes a peek and discovers a mystery. It's creepy but not overly enthralling.

\\n  Quitters, Inc. - 5 stars\\n

Quitting habits can be nasty for addicts and their families. This story has a brilliant but disturbing treatment.

\\n  I Know What You Need - 4 stars\\n

In war and love, there should be limits. An innocent tale turns into a nightmare when the truth comes out.

\\n  Children Of The Corn - 5 stars\\n

Vicky and Burt, a troubled married couple, take a road trip. They hit a boy with their car and discover a ghost town. It's my favorite, with great storytelling.

\\n  The Last Rung On The Ladder - 5 stars\\n

A heart-breaking tale of two siblings and their fading connection as they grow older. It's a sad story among all the horror.

\\n  The Man Who Loved Flowers - 5 stars\\n

Love and murder are in the air, and a man's fateful date with a woman turns tragic. It starts innocent but takes a sudden turn.

\\n  One For The Road - 5 stars\\n

This short story is a sequel to Salem’s Lot. Two men venture into a blizzard to save a family stranded in Jerusalem’s Lot. It makes me want to read Salem's Lot next.

\\n  The Woman In The Room - 3 stars\\n

A man feels remorse and guilt after ending his mother's suffering. It's a tragic but dull story to end the collection.

Overall, Night Shift is a fantastic collection that I would recommend to anyone interested in King's short stories.

Stephen King has had a profound and far-reaching influence on me as an author. This collection of short stories holds a special place in my heart and will always be a particular favourite.

It was one of the precious books that I carried with me in my backpack during my travels around the world. As I journeyed, I made the original notes that would ultimately evolve into my novel, Drug Gang. I read this book numerous times, and each reading left me with a sense of wonder and excitement.

The book is filled with an abundance of fantastic stories, making it extremely difficult to single out a favourite. However, the story that truly resonated with me and is perhaps closest to what I would write myself is Quitters, Inc. From the very first time I read it, it has been etched deeply in my mind.

Overall, this is an amazing book that is an absolute must-read for all Stephen King fans. It offers a captivating and diverse range of stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you craving for more.

Quick thoughts: What can I say? This is a collection of some of the finest horror shorts I have ever read. The wide variety of genres and excellent storytelling will have you eagerly devouring each one.

Here are all the individual updates:

Story 1 of 20: "Jerusalem's Lot" - What a fun, brooding, and spooky tale featuring a family home and a town with a dark past. I absolutely LOVED the letter writing perspective and the church sequences. (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Story 2 of 20: "Graveyard Shift" - A deceptively fun story that quite literally creeps up on you at the end. Stay out of the basement!

1.5 STARS
This is quite possibly one of the worst collections of stories I've ever had the misfortune to read.

At times, it was an absolute struggle to tell one story apart from another. The characters, for the most part, were disappointingly flat and seemed to blend into one another, all feeling the same, save for those rare occasions when they were possessed by something supernatural.

Each and every one of these stories was so outrageously over the top and anti-climatic that they failed to even remotely instill a sense of fear. Only one story, namely "Children of the Corn," managed to have any sort of impact on me. Perhaps this was because it was one of the longer tales and thus had a bit more of a backstory to flesh it out.

I seriously doubt that I would rate any of these stories higher than a 3. It was a huge letdown for me. I actually dreaded picking up this book and only persevered to the end because I had already invested so much time into it at that point.

Overall, this collection of stories was a major disappointment and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a good scare or engaging reading experience.

King's first short story collection has received a rating of 4.125 stars. As shown below, I have rated and reviewed each story individually. Then, I summed up all the ratings and calculated the average to obtain my overall rating.

This was my second reading, and it was better than I remembered. There are a few stories that could potentially be skipped, but it's advisable to read them all for a complete experience!

************************

Jerusalem's Lot - 4.5 stars
An earlier story set in the same town and its surroundings as in the novel 'Salem's Lot. Written in a style of letters and journal entries, it strongly reminded me of horror classics like Dracula and Frankenstein. This is a nice little taste of demonic mischief and eerie foreshadowing. A great way to kick off a short story collection!

Graveyard Shift - 5 stars
Time for some spring cleaning! Nature can be crazy at times, and your boss can be a jerk. Combine the two, and you get this terrifying story of revenge. I spent most of the time cringing in horror!

Night Surf - 2.5 stars
Not bad, but not really a full-fledged story. Since it takes place in the world of The Stand, it feels more like a writing exercise that King used to build the larger story. Or perhaps an anecdote he considered including but ultimately removed from the final product. Without knowledge of the backstory of The Stand, I'm not sure this story will hold much meaning for a reader.

I Am The Doorway - 5 stars
This story explains the cover of the edition I'm reading. It's great horror sci-fi. King does an excellent job of packing a lot of content into just ten pages or so. I also love it when the very last sentence of a story has as much impact as the entire rest of the story. This is truly awesome stuff!

The Mangler - 5 stars
More demonic possession - I'm sensing a theme here! I'm pretty sure that most King fans regard this short story as one of his classics. It led to a series of, I'm sure, very cheesy horror movies. I never saw them, but I've read this short story many times, and I know that I love it!

The Boogeyman - 4 stars
This is an allegorical tale about a racist, sexist, generally unpleasant man who is quick to judge others but blind to his own faults. But, you can't hide from the boogeyman!

Gray Matter - 4 stars
Does this taste a little off to you? In an age of e-coli and biohazard scares, this story will play on your fears about what might be lurking out there, waiting to get you from the inside out. It scores a 10 out of 10 on the gross meter!

Battleground - 5 stars
Definitely one of my top 5 favorite Stephen King short stories. Probably the best King ending of any of his stories. This story is short but sweet and worth reading even if you don't read the rest of the book.

Trucks - 5 stars
The basis for King's only directorial effort, the classic Maximum Overdrive (yes, I said classic! FIGHT ME!) They also made another movie based on it, but I'm not sure why. What if all those semis on the interstate took over? Maybe they're angry? There's a nostalgic place in my heart for this story!

Sometimes They Come Back - 3.5 stars
You guessed it - demons again! This was the longest short story in the collection so far. When reading short stories, I feel like they have to be perfectly crafted to get in, get out, and BOOM! Leave you blown away in just a few words. While I enjoyed this one, I think it rambled on a little too long, and the ending was probably the least shocking of any in the book so far.

Strawberry Spring - 4 stars
I really like the storytelling in this one. I also find it interesting how the rumor mill and media distortion of stories that we see today were just as big an issue back in the 1970s; everyone had a different take, and everyone believed it 100%. There's a bit of a cheesy twist at the end, but overall, it's not bad!

The Ledge - 5 stars
This is another of my favorite short stories. It also made its way to the big screen in the 80s classic Cat's Eye. There are no demons or monsters in this one, just humans pushing morality and fear to the limit in the name of money and pride.

The Lawnmower Man - 3 stars
I remember reading this story a long time ago, and it's always the one I think of when I think of King short stories that I don't like quite as much as the others. It's just kind of out there; a bit creepy, but not overly enthralling (for me). They also (for some reason) made a terrible movie based on this, which was mainly just the same title.

Quitters, Inc. - 5 stars
Another classic King short story and probably one of his most well-known. Like the previously discussed story, The Ledge, this is also featured in the 80's King movie Cat's Eye. The plot of this one is just so oddly cool, and the means to an end so logically maniacal that you can't help but say, \\"That's f#%$ed up! But, kinda makes sense!\\"

I Know What You Need - 4 stars
Stephen King's version of the movie What Women Want. But, of course, it's not a comedy!

Children of the Corn - 4.5 stars
Kids can be super creepy! You won't take driving through the countryside for granted after reading this one. This is another classic King story that I think most people have heard of. Also, I believe it has inspired more movies than any other King story or novel. I just checked, and there have been 10 - the earliest in 1984, the most recent in 2018.

The Last Rung on the Ladder - 2 stars
Meh. Not a bad story, but it just doesn't quite feel right in the context of this book. So far, it's my least favorite in this collection.

The Man Who Loved Flowers - 4.5 stars
Now that's an awesome way to tell a whole story in just 6 pages. Well-executed and mysterious. To be blunt, young love can be painful!

One for the Road - 4.5 stars
We've been here before... many times... and we will definitely go here again someday. But, whenever we go, evil is sure to follow. A very creepy sequel!

The Woman in the Room - 2.5 stars
As my mother is in a nursing home, I struggled a bit with this one. It's kind of an unexpected end to this collection. I think it would have been better to end on the story before this one.