It has been an extensive period since I last read the collection in its entirety. However, I am currently engaged in reviewing each individual story as I embark on a rereading journey.

"Jerusalem's Lot," rated 4 stars, offers a delightful blend of Lovecraftian horror intertwined with some backwoods religious occultism, resulting in a truly enjoyable and thrilling experience.

"Graveyard Shift," with a rating of 3.5 stars, is not for the faint of heart or those easily squeamish. This story is a remarkable exploration of creature horror, where the actions and nature of humans often prove to be more terrifying than the actual creatures themselves.

"The Boogeyman," also receiving 4 stars, would likely have achieved a 5-star rating for its intense creep factor if not for the somewhat cheesy ending.

"Sometimes They Come Back," rated 4.5 stars, has received much lower reviews from my friends. Nevertheless, I still have a deep affection for it due to its palpable tension and the sense of nostalgia it evokes.

"Children of the Corn," a 5-star masterpiece, is one of my all-time favorite Stephen King stories. It is filled with psychological horror and features creepy children that will make you think twice before venturing into a cornfield.

Overall, I have to say that I really liked the first story, Jerusalem’s Lot. It was an “historical” account told through letters and journal entries, which was a departure from King’s normal style. Although it was a bit slow, it was still creepy and set the tone for the rest of the book.

However, after that, the stories seemed to taper off for me until I got to Battleground. That story really piqued my interest and the book continued at a high level through The Ledge and on to the end, with a few exceptions here and there.

Graveyard Shift was mildly amusing, but not the best. Night Surf was a post-apocalyptic preview of The Stand and maintained my interest because of that connection. I Am the Doorway was a bit of a slog for me and didn’t hold my attention.

The Mangler was engaging and kept the tension going, while The Boogeyman was a pretty good story until the end, which I thought really sucked. Gray Matter had some decent suspense and moved along well.

Battleground was excellent, with great build-up and a great ending. Trucks was also good, although I wasn’t too pleased with the ending. Sometimes They Come Back was well written and had a spooky premise.

Strawberry Spring was the best story in the book so far, in my opinion. It flowed well and had a great ending. The Ledge was another solid offering, with good tension throughout. The Lawnmower Man was pretty weak after a string of excellent stories and just didn’t seem to fit in.

Quitters, Inc. was another excellent story, very entertaining and fast-paced. I Know What You Need was a dull stinker that didn’t go anywhere. Children of the Corn was one of the longer stories and was excellent and really creepy.

The Last Rung on the Ladder was a touching and sad story, while The Man Who Loved Flowers was enjoyable but not as good as some of the others. One for the Road was a fun one for King fans, with a spooky premise.

Finally, The Woman in the Room was a well written but very depressing story to end the book on. It really made me think about life and death and the choices we have to make. Overall, I would rate this book a 4 out of 5.

He had spent the whole night awake, with the letter in his hand. He thought that he could have written the same thing on a postcard. After all, there was only one sentence. But a sentence can say everything. It can do everything. Her voice was filled with a sadness that made him feel uncomfortable because he didn't understand it. He understood it better after receiving the letter.

A letter from a younger sister to her older brother, a trigger of memories and events. Phrases and facts that make sense with time and circumstances, and close a cycle in a tragic way.

A simple story that contains what, in my opinion, are several of King's strengths, apart from terror, which are drama, and stories about childhood and complicity. It shows how a single sentence can hold so much meaning and emotion, and how memories can be awakened by the simplest of things. It also explores the complex relationship between siblings and the power of words to heal or hurt.

Night Shift, Stephen King

Night Shift is the first short story collection by Stephen King, initially published in 1978. In 1980, it received the Balrog Award for Best Collection. In 1979, it was nominated for the Locus Award and the World Fantasy Award for best collection. This collection includes many of King's most renowned short stories.

Contents:
Jerusalem's Lot,
Graveyard Shift,
Night Surf,\\t
I Am the Doorway,
The Mangler,
The Boogeyman,
Gray Matte,\\t
Battleground,
Trucks,\\t
Sometimes They Come Back,
Strawberry Spring,\\t
The Ledge,
The Lawnmower Man,
Quitters, Inc.,
I Know What You Need,
Children of the Corn,
The Last Rung on the Ladder,
The Man Who Loved Flowers,
One for the Road,
The Woman in the Room.

The first reading date was March 1, 2021 AD.

Title: Night Shift and Other Stories; Author: Stephen (Steven) King; Subject: Scary short stories by 20th-century American authors.

Title: Sometimes They Come Back: A Story; Author: Stephen King; Translator: Samira Jafari-Nezhad; Editor: Rooya Rouhi; Tehran, Avaaz, 2019; 52 pages; ISBN 9786008698500.

The story "Sometimes They Come Back" tells the story of "Jim," a 36-year-old teacher who has been a victim of an incident that happened years ago to him and his brother and has changed their lives. "Jim" was small and, along with his brother, was going to the library to return their books when several people attacked them.... "Jim" escaped, but all his attempts to have a normal life were in vain. The past not only haunted him but also could even destroy the present people. So "Jim" decided to take revenge on the past by sacrificing his future.

Quoting from the text of the story "Sometimes They Come Back": (He put aside the complex relationship between himself, his mother, and his brother Mike (poor Mike who had been killed) and continued: "I did what my mother wanted; in my second week of teaching, my student had an accident; the driver hit him and fled; the driver was a kid with a hunting car; the police could never catch him.");

Simons made a weak sound and encouraged him to continue.

- I went to him; I had no other choice; he was in a lot of pain; one of his legs was badly broken, and four of his teeth had been knocked out, but it was for the better; I really didn't know what kind of pressure I was under.

He said to himself: "Now be careful, any moment your head may burst and you may fall.";

Jim said: "I entered Central Street Vocational High School.";

Fenton said: "I know that place; it's like a wild garden. Full of reliable garbage and motorcycle parts; in the kids' locker, you can even find a homemade pistol; to protect your lunch money, you have to fight with a baseball bat, and everyone selling stuff is for two other people.";

Jim said: "The teaching was named 'Zimmererman'; he was a sensitive kid who even played the guitar; in the drafting class, I was his friend; one morning when I entered the class, I saw two people holding him and hitting his Yamaha guitar against the radiator; 'Zimmererman' was screaming; I hit them on the head and said to stop and give me the guitar; I was going towards them when someone hit me with a wrench.";

Jim shrugged and continued: "It was always like this, I resigned; there was no news of strange organs or disappearing in a corner; I just couldn't go back anymore; when I got close to the school, my chest felt tight; I couldn't breathe. I was sweating cold.";

Fenton said kindly: "This has happened to me too.";

Jim continued: "I went for behavioral analysis; there was a treatment group; I couldn't afford the psychiatrist's expenses; the sessions had good results; I married 'Sally'; she limps a little, and the scar is still there, but aside from that, she seems to be reborn.");

End of quote

Publication date: 11/12/1399 Hijri Shamsi, 26/01/1401 Hijri Shamsi; A. Sharbiani

This is truly a remarkable collection of 20 short stories. It was a reread for me, having first encountered it over 30 years ago. The stories within this collection are diverse and engaging.

There are a couple of truly great stories that have connections to 'Salem's Lot, adding an extra layer of depth and intrigue. We also have tales of inanimate objects coming to life, which are both fascinating and a little bit creepy. The element of cosmic horror is present as well, sending shivers down the spine.

In addition to these more fantastical elements, there are also a few stories that simply focus on the human condition. They explore the various emotions, desires, and struggles that we all experience. It is this combination of different themes and styles that makes this one of King's strongest collections.

Overall, this collection is a must-read for any fan of Stephen King or short stories in general. It offers a wide range of experiences and will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

The story received a rating of 3.25 stars**, which indicates that it has its merits but may also have some areas for improvement. It likely contains engaging elements that managed to capture the readers' interest to a certain extent.

The audio, on the other hand, was rated 4 stars**, suggesting that it was of high quality. The sound production, perhaps, was excellent, enhancing the overall listening experience. It might have had clear audio, appropriate pacing, and maybe even some added音效 or music to make it more immersive.

The narrator, John Glover, is an important aspect of the audio. His voice and delivery can greatly influence how the story is received. With his talent and skills, he might have brought the characters and the story to life, adding depth and emotion to the narration. His performance could have been a significant factor in the audio's relatively high rating.

This collection of short stories, which was first published in 1978 by Stephen King, was truly remarkable!

I'm extremely glad to have finally delved into Night Shift! It's fascinating to observe that several of the stories within this collection have been adapted into movies or other forms of entertainment.

King has been producing outstanding works right from the start!

My absolute favorites!!:

Jerusalem's Lot – 4.5 stars. This story had an eerie charm that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Graveyard Shift – 4 stars. The setting and the atmosphere were expertly crafted.

I Am the Doorway – 4 stars. It had a unique and captivating premise.

The Mangler – 5 stars. A truly terrifying tale that left a lasting impression.

The Boogeyman – 4 stars. The idea of a childhood fear coming to life was brilliantly executed.

Battleground – 5 stars. The action and the tension were palpable throughout.

Trucks – 5 stars. A thrilling and unexpected story that kept me guessing until the end.

Sometimes They Come Back – 5 stars. The emotional depth and the supernatural elements combined perfectly.

The Ledge – 5 stars. A masterful story with a great twist.

Quitters, Inc. – 4 stars. It was an interesting exploration of addiction and consequences.

One for the Road – 4.5 stars. The ending was both satisfying and a little bit chilling.

Average:

(The story felt too short for me or I wanted a bit more.)

Strawberry Spring – 3.5 stars. It had its moments but could have been developed further.

Gray Matter – 3.5 stars. The concept was good, but the execution could have been stronger.

Children of the Corn – 3.5 stars. It was a classic, but I felt it could have been more impactful.

Below Average:

(The writing was fine, but the plot needed something "more" in my opinion.)

Night Surf – 2.5 stars. It didn't quite grab my attention as much as the others.

The Lawnmower Man – 3 stars. The story had its flaws but was still somewhat entertaining.

I Know What You Need – 3 stars. It was an okay read, but nothing特别出众.

The Last Rung on the Ladder – 2.5 stars. It felt a bit平淡 and didn't leave a lasting impression.

The Man Who Loved Flowers – 3 stars. The idea was interesting, but the story didn't fully deliver.

The Woman in the Room – 2.5 stars. It was a short and simple story that didn't have much depth.

I truly enjoyed every story in this collection, even the weaker ones. If you're a Stephen King fan, you should definitely check out Night Shift! It's a must-read for any horror enthusiast.

This collection of short stories truly made a significant impact at my school. It first emerged when I was approximately 14 years old.

A well-worn, dog-eared copy was circulated among my friends. It served as a gateway, introducing us to the captivating world of SK.

The stories within this collection were wonderfully strange and unique. Many of them have been adapted into TV shows and movies, achieving different levels of success.

In my opinion, this is probably his best collection, excluding the novellas. Each story has its own charm and ability to draw readers in, leaving them with a sense of wonder and anticipation.

The vivid descriptions and engaging plots make it a must-read for any fan of the genre. It's no wonder that this collection has endured over the years and continues to be a favorite among many.

The Analysis of Horror

The first collection of stories shows that King, nonchalantly labeled as the infamous and terrifying "King of Thrills", is actually capable of using the daily context to dissect with conscious clarity the evil in all its nuances.
Learning from Shirley Jackson, Ira Levin, and Richard Matheson, all three authors united by the narration of real contexts that hide hidden abysses where our psyche unleashes the worst of itself, King drills into the human soul with admirable precision and returns a sense of strong ambiguity that, at times, severely tests the spirit of the reader.
And stories like The Woman in the Room or The Last Rung - the latter able to anticipate the poetics of It - leave a mark even years later: the truth hurts and we don't always want to read it.
Sometimes we need to lie to ourselves to live with a lighter conscience.

Jerusalem's Lot: 3★
Second Shift of the Night: 4★ (material for a trash film to be recovered)
Nocturnal Undertow: 3★ (embryonic idea of "The Shadow of the Scorpion")
I Am the Doorway 5★ (perfect Lovecraftian homage)
The Compressor: 3.5★
The Babau 5★
Gray Matter: 4.5★ (another great incursion into the sharp b-movie)
Battlefield: 3.5★
Trucks: 4★
Sometimes They Come Back: 4★
Strawberry Spring: 2★
The Ledge: 4★ (excellent exercise in tension)
The Lawnmower Man: 3★
Quitters, Inc.: 4★
I Know What You Need: 3★
Children of the Corn: 4.5★
The Last Rung 5★
The Man Who Loved Flowers: 3★
The Glass Floor: 3★
The Woman in the Room 5★

These are the early stories that honed King’s craft. They were the ones that built his confidence with each acceptance letter from Cavalier or Penthouse. Many were first published in these and other skin mags. They provided the extra income to support his young family in the lean years before fame and fortune. And most of them are really good. Some are even better than good.

First collected and published together in 1978, the stories in Night Shift are part of Stephen King’s remarkable first decade of work. Novels like Carrie, Pet Sematary, The Shining, and Salem’s Lot (and the movies made from them) made King America’s Horror King. Night Shift, the first collection of his short stories, stands among these other books at the top of his extensive bibliography.

Jerusalem’s Lot: An epistolary story where King shows he can do Lovecraftian as well as or better than Lovecraft. A prequel to ’Salem’s Lot, set in 1850.

4 ⭐️

Graveyard Shift: Nasty cleanup work in an old factory’s basement, with an abusive foreman and rats, lots of rats! (This is what happens without a union.)

4 ⭐️

Night Surf: A short, early apocalyptic story, a precursor to The Stand. Young people wander a beach and town depopulated by a lethal flu virus. “Just the flu” and “Captain Trips” first appear here.

3 ⭐️

I Am The Doorway: An injured astronaut is infected by an alien presence that shows as eyes in his hand and takes control of his body.

3 1/2 ⭐️

The Mangler: A horrific death by an industrial machine leads to a chain of accidents, making police detective John Hutton and his friend suspect something darker. Amuck technology meets the occult. Scary.

4 ⭐️

The Boogeyman: An unlikable man tells a therapist an outrageous story about the boogeyman killing his kids. He gets what he deserves in the end.

3 ⭐️

Gray Matter: Who knew bad beer and gray jello could be scary? Full of King’s Maine atmosphere.

3 ⭐️

Battleground: The toy maker’s revenge: One assassin vs a box of animated toy soldiers.

4 ⭐️

Trucks: Another technology-gone-amok apocalyptic tale. Strangers are stuck at a truck stop as trucks take over the world outside.

3 ⭐️

Sometimes They Come Back: A young teacher is terrorized by phantoms from his past. The thugs who killed his brother 16 years ago show up in his classroom. King builds tension and terror slowly.

4 ⭐️

Strawberry Spring: An atmospheric campus serial murder tale during a foggy false spring. You might anticipate the twist.

4 ⭐️

The Ledge: A noir tale of infidelity, a mob boss, a wager, and a penthouse confrontation. No supernatural, but riveting. Great stuff!

5 ⭐️

The Lawnmower Man: Whacky and grotesquely humorous.

3 ⭐️

Quitters, Inc.: Another gangster tale without supernatural elements, a gem. A non-conventional treatment for quitting smoking and the power of love. Chilling.

5 ⭐️

I Know What You Need: A magical love affair or psychic stalking? A King take on Beauty and the Beast.

4 ⭐️

Children of the Corn: The creepiest in the collection. King uses a murderous cult of midwestern children like Lovecraft used inbred fishing village folk.

4 ⭐️

The Last Rung of the Ladder: No horror beyond real life tragedy and regret. A brother tells of his sister, a childhood incident, and their adult estrangement. Poignant and sad.

3 1/2 ⭐️

The Man Who Loved Flowers: Springtime in the city is for young love and murder.

3 ⭐️

One For the Road: Another ’Salem’s Lot story, a sequel. A New Jersey family gets stuck in a Maine blizzard on the way to Jerusalem’s Lot. Local duffers try to help, but…

4 ⭐️

The Woman in the Room: Another natural horror, watching a parent die of cancer. A real downer.

2 ⭐️

King generally doesn't excite me. I can't stand his verbosity. While the themes he deals with are interesting and relevant to me, and I admire the fact that the fear he creates in the reader often has a very logical basis, this verbosity tires me.

With this book, however, I liked it. Short stories, to the point, each dealing with a different type of fear. Some touched me (with the icy hands of fear) very much, some not at all. Since they were short, they didn't tire. Some were really terrifying and some were dull or uninteresting. The cherry on the cake was the last one, which said a great truth: that among vampires, demons,疯子, machines, animals, etc., the most terrifying of all is man! And this is terrifyingly true.

Finally, the first story is called Jerusalem's Lot.
Level of creepiness: 4/5 (These "noises inside the walls, laughter, crying, etc." like Poe's really scare me badly.)

The second story is: The Bareness of the Graveyard.
Level of creepiness: 2/5 (Mutated farmers... blah. Not that terrifying. Like I'm reading Goosebumps.)

The third story is: The Night Tide.
Level of creepiness: 0/5 (Yeah... okay.)

The fourth story is: I Am the Door.
Level of creepiness: 3/5 (A mission in space that went very wrong.)

The fifth story is: The Machine.
Level of creepiness: 3/5 (Machines coming alive

Stephen King is an author who has puzzled me. I've been convinced that he is good, as the overall acclaim he enjoys (reader comments, reviews, interviews) shows an author who must have many virtues that I seek in fiction. However, my acquaintance with him, which has been formed through some of his well-known works, disappoints me.

I'm sure there are like-minded people, as I've seen from time to time comments: his verbosity and the slow-burning development of the central theme of his stories are the characteristics that drive away readers like me. In this collection, forget everything you know as King - the short form reveals a person with an excellent economy of words and showcases charismatic aspects that are dormant in his beastly tales: excellent dialogues, a focus on character development, and a wide range of settings in which King places his heroes.

King writes about what he knows - a trick that perhaps younger authors may consider a weakness, as the majority of King's central heroes are people of middle to upper education, but never people of the hard sciences. There are other autobiographical touches as well, beyond the writerly/typographical nature of the protagonists, such as how many struggle with alcohol and act in the US, with an emphasis on Maine, where King himself is from. These similarities, however, are not blatant, and King knows how to compose and deploy his strategies with fantasy, catching the unprepared defenses of the most skeptical reader. Tactics that for the average writer are weaknesses, in the hands of the talented become obsessions that give character and coherence to an already characteristic writing style.

The stories in this collection are of horror. There is nothing that King cannot write if he thinks about it. And, believe me, he thinks about a lot. I once read in an interview with him that he is flooded with ideas. He cannot rest if he does not submit to their will and give them breath on paper. After this book, I can believe him.

Do yourself a favor and read this volume. Don't be scared by the term "horror literature". There is nothing cliched and overused here. It is literature in every sense.