From the Archives: Night Shift by Stephen King

-

Another post from my old "Read Stephen King in Order project":

 

Original review written December 18, 2014:

There is an old joke I've heard plenty of times - that Stephen King just picks a random object and then writes about it being scary. It's not a very funny one and I think it's supposed to imply that he's formulaic, but I never really understood it until now after just finishing Night Shift. I had not read any of these stories before and I can't say I was overly enthralled by most of them. A good number of the stories here fit "what if this normal thing was suddenly scary?" premise including items such as trucks, toy soldiers, a ledge, corn, and a lawnmower. The truck story and the one about the lawnmower are especially bizarre.

A nice feature of the book is three stories that tie into some of King's other works - the two that bookend 'Salem's Lot and another that offers a little taste of the world The Stand. I liked the follow up to 'Salem's Lot because the ending of the book was rather ambiguous and I am not a fan of ambiguous endings.

The stories I enjoyed the most were the three I mentioned and "I Know What you Need" - a story about an unsettling love affair. A young woman meets a man who is perfect for her in every way, but like most things that seem too good to be true, not everything is as it seems. With most of the stories, I struggled to get a hold on the characters before the story was over and in this one, I felt like I did get to know them.

The weakest were the more bizarre gross-out stories like Grey Matter where a man turns into grey slime and The Lawnmower Man, which is nothing like the movie at all.

Do I recommend this book? If you're already a King fan, yeah, sure, some of it is really good. If you're not a King fan already, then I don't know. If this was all I read about him I'm not sure I would be quite the fan I am.


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monthly Microfiction - December 2021 - Billy's Special Blanket

-
Billy's Special Blanket       Billy tightened the blanket his mother made him around his head. She promised no monsters could hurt him through his special blanket.    The closet door creaked open and all of the monster’s legs spilled out. It crawled across the floor and up onto the bed. A multitude of legs prodded Billy. The monster roared when it could not breach the blanket’s power.  In fury, the monster flailed about, destroying Billy’s room.   His parents charged down the hall and through the door. Then screamed in terror when the creature attacked.    Billy was safe under the blanket, but his parents were not.       Originally published in Beneath from Ghost Orchid Press on May 5, 2021  
Read more

Monthly Microfiction: Under the Ice

-
 Under the Ice  I came to the lake to rescue my sister. Ice covers its surface and I drop to my knees. Together, we bang against the icy barrier between us as I spout useless apologies. Her angry eyes gut me. I didn’t mean to condemn her to this when I brought her body here. Local legend claimed she would come back on the thirteenth day of winter. It did not mention the ice. With a loud crack, her hands break through. Joy fills me but quickly turns to terror when instead of escaping, she pulls me down under the ice with her.   Originally published in Beneath from Ghost Orchid Press on May 5, 2021
Read more

Review: It Calls from the Veil by Eerie River

-
Image
“Eighteen terrifying tales of what lurks behind the veil.” I’ve now read several collections from Eerie River and even with one theme, they always deliver a wide variety of stories, characters, and chills. In our daily lives, the veil separating us from death seems strong, but in this collection, the curtain is little more than thin gauze and dark creatures have no problems creeping through.   Typically when I review an anthology, I try to pick my favourite three stories to highlight, but there were five stories that really stood out for me.   Little Feet by RB Kelly   Alison, her husband, Ben, and their daughter, Mia visit an isolated cabin for Christmas. Setting this tale in the heart of winter, far from their home, added the element of isolation. When they arrive, little Mia finds a creepy doll and becomes obsessed with it. The doll terrifies Alison and begins to torment the family. Alison has to face her seemingly irrational fears to keep her family safe. I appreciated
Read more