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Night Shift

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'Night Shift' by Stephen King is a collection of early short stories that showcase King's skill as a storyteller. Readers are taken on a journey through a variety of tales ranging from paranormal encounters to psychological thrillers, all written in King's signature style. The book includes stories that have been adapted into popular movies and TV series, demonstrating the lasting impact of King's work. The narratives cover a range of themes, from horror to human nature, providing a diverse reading experience for fans of the genre.

Characters:

The characters range from ordinary individuals to supernatural entities, often exploring their psychological depth, flaws, and the emotional impact of their experiences.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is accessible and captivating, using a mix of humor and darkness while maintaining vivid descriptions and various narrative styles, which contribute to the immersive reading experience.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features a collection of unique stories that cover a range of horror themes and feelings, with several connected to Stephen King's larger works, showcasing his ability to blend everyday situations with the supernatural.

Setting:

The settings are primarily small towns and isolated areas that create an eerie atmosphere, enhancing the horror and psychological elements of the stories.

Pacing:

The pacing varies significantly from story to story, with some providing immediate thrills while others build gradually to create suspense and tension.
How good it was to step into the cold, draughty hall here at Chapelwaite, every bone in an ache from that abominable coach, in need of instant relief from my distended bladder—and to see a letter addr...

Notes:

Night Shift is a collection of twenty short stories by Stephen King, published in 1978.
Many stories in Night Shift were adapted into films and TV shows.
The collection includes a sequel and a prequel to King's novel Salem's Lot, titled One for the Road and Jerusalem's Lot, respectively.
The story Jerusalem's Lot is told through letters, mimicking an epistolary style that adds a unique depth to the narrative.
Graveyard Shift features terrifying rats and explores themes of revenge and horror in a factory setting.
The Mangler tells the story of a possessed laundry machine, showcasing King's knack for turning ordinary objects into sources of horror.
The Ledge involves a suspenseful wager, highlighting King's ability to create tension even without supernatural elements.
Children of the Corn introduced readers to a creepy cult of children, becoming one of King's most recognizable stories.
The Last Rung on the Ladder is noted for its emotional depth rather than horror, touching on themes of family and loss.
Quitters Inc is a darkly humorous take on addiction and offers a unique perspective on the lengths one might go to quit smoking.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of violence, death, mental illness, addiction, and grief, as well as disturbing imagery that may not be suitable for all readers.

From The Publisher:

A collection of tales to invade and paralyse the mind as the safe light of day is infiltrated by the shadows of the night.

As you read, the clutching fingers of terror brush lightly across the nape of the neck, reach round from behind to clutch and lock themselves, white-knuckled, around the throat.

This is the horror of ordinary people and everyday objects that become strangely altered; a world where nothing is ever quite what it seems, where the familiar and the friendly lure and deceive. A world where madness and blind panic become the only reality.

Ratings (92)

Incredible (15)
Loved It (41)
Liked It (26)
It Was OK (9)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (153):

Read It (95)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (35)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (21)

1 comment(s)

Loved It
1 week

This is a collection of twenty short stories written by Stephen King in the seventies. Out of the twenty stories, there were three which I particularly enjoyed due to the probability of the situations occurring.

My first favorite story was “Night Surf” which tells the story of a group of people surviving after the world has been wiped out by A6. I won’t ruin the story for you but I’ll just say make sure you get a flu shot.

My second favorite story was “Trucks” which is a story of people trapped inside a restaurant and being held hostage by sentient trucks.

My third favorite story was “Quitters Inc.” which presents a creative yet painful and effective way to stop smoking and lose weight.

The three stories I mentioned above were, to me, the best of the bunch and I felt most of the other stories tended to focus more on scaring the reader with tales of possessed inanimate objects, monsters, and exploring the darkness of the human soul. Overall, this was a great collection of horror short stories.

 

About the Author:

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are Full Dark, No Stars; Under the Dome; Just After Sunset; Duma Key; Lisey's Story; Cell; and the concluding novels in the Dark Tower saga: Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower. His acclaimed nonfiction book On Writing is also a bestseller. In 2003, he was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2007 he received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives in Maine with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

 
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