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tayloranne's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Good read but a little boring. Glad it wasn't too long.
tiffanymae2022's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
allyson_meghan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
wildgurl's review against another edition
5.0
The Jaunt
by Stephen King
Prime
4.5 /5.0
What an unsettling feeling this short story gave me. A sci-fi horror about the science of teleportation and the importance of truth.
The story begins with man, his wife and 2 children getting ready to teleport, or jaunt. The man has done it before, but his wife and kids have not. He tells them the history of teleportation to prepare them. They are all put to sleep before the jaunt, and feel confident about it. Except he did not tell them one important fact. Probably the most relevant. Every test mouse put through teleportation, has come back bear death. Or dead.
One of Kings best short stories. This was fantastic!
by Stephen King
Prime
4.5 /5.0
What an unsettling feeling this short story gave me. A sci-fi horror about the science of teleportation and the importance of truth.
The story begins with man, his wife and 2 children getting ready to teleport, or jaunt. The man has done it before, but his wife and kids have not. He tells them the history of teleportation to prepare them. They are all put to sleep before the jaunt, and feel confident about it. Except he did not tell them one important fact. Probably the most relevant. Every test mouse put through teleportation, has come back bear death. Or dead.
One of Kings best short stories. This was fantastic!
cate_stern52292's review against another edition
4.0
A creepy, sci-fi story that keeps you in suspense until the final few lines.
shelflife's review against another edition
5.0
Just a snapshot of a story that gives a reader a sampling of how great a horror author Stephen King truly is. There are times when is stuff can fall flat on its face and other times when no one other than the Master can creep you out and have a story stick to your forever. Revival is one of this and THIS little slice is one of those times as well. Well done!
villyidol's review against another edition
4.0
Classic SF with a horror twist.
In the 24th century teleportation, called Jaunting, has become commonplace. Mark Oates and his family are about to jaunt from the Port Authority Terminal in New York City to the colony on Mars where he will be working for the next two years. While they are waiting for the stewardesses to put them under, he entertains his kids by telling them about the creation of the Jaunt and its inventor, the eccentric scientist Victor Carune.
Carune had been unsuccessfully working on teleportation and was strapped for cash when one day, working on the project in his barn, he made a breakthrough. He accidentally teleported two of his fingers across the room.
From that point on we and Mark’s kids hear how Carune tries to figure out how his invention works, which gets a little tricky when he starts teleporting living things, before at the end of the story we witness the Oates’ own jaunt to Mars.
From a technology standpoint this story feels very dated. Frankly, it probably did so already at the time of publication. It reads more like 50s SF than something that had been written in 1981. Which actually makes me think that King has done this on purpose. Perhaps as a homage to stories he loved as a kid. Personally, I enjoyed the old school vibe the story gives off. But if you are here for the science, this is not the story for you.
The general idea of how the Jaunt works is still interesting, though, and King also gives some thought to ecological and economic issues. What makes this story great, however, is how the suspense builds up during Carune’s experiments, and the twist-ending. It still sends shivers down my spine. It’s not so much what’s on the page, but rather its implications. He really managed to get into my head there.
Freaked me out.
4 – 4.5 stars
In the 24th century teleportation, called Jaunting, has become commonplace. Mark Oates and his family are about to jaunt from the Port Authority Terminal in New York City to the colony on Mars where he will be working for the next two years. While they are waiting for the stewardesses to put them under, he entertains his kids by telling them about the creation of the Jaunt and its inventor, the eccentric scientist Victor Carune.
Carune had been unsuccessfully working on teleportation and was strapped for cash when one day, working on the project in his barn, he made a breakthrough. He accidentally teleported two of his fingers across the room.
From that point on we and Mark’s kids hear how Carune tries to figure out how his invention works, which gets a little tricky when he starts teleporting living things, before at the end of the story we witness the Oates’ own jaunt to Mars.
From a technology standpoint this story feels very dated. Frankly, it probably did so already at the time of publication. It reads more like 50s SF than something that had been written in 1981. Which actually makes me think that King has done this on purpose. Perhaps as a homage to stories he loved as a kid. Personally, I enjoyed the old school vibe the story gives off. But if you are here for the science, this is not the story for you.
The general idea of how the Jaunt works is still interesting, though, and King also gives some thought to ecological and economic issues. What makes this story great, however, is how the suspense builds up during Carune’s experiments, and the twist-ending. It still sends shivers down my spine. It’s not so much what’s on the page, but rather its implications. He really managed to get into my head there.
Freaked me out.
4 – 4.5 stars