A review by dr_sleep
Night Shift by Stephen King

4.0

This collection of short stories by Sai King constitutes my third encounter with his work in this format. Given my familiarity with his writing style in short narratives and the fact that this is his inaugural-published compilation, my expectations were tinged with apprehension. To some extent, my worries were justified, yet I also discovered my assumptions were not entirely accurate.

Basically, King was experimenting with various horror concepts during this time to see which ones would be successful. Examples of this include The Mangler, Trucks, The Lawnmower Man, and partially Battleground, which all had outlandish concepts. However, I personally couldn't fully immerse myself in them, even though I did entertain the notion.

Contrarily, I must concede my error. King possesses a remarkable gift for enthralling, bone-chilling, and emotionally charged stories that few writers are able to match. Across multiple genres (although they all contain elements of horror) he displays his exceptional storytelling capabilities. When a narrative spans only 20 pages, lacking a definitive ending, character development, or comprehensive answers, and yet manages to evoke genuine concern within you, it is undeniably a work of extraordinary significance.

Standout stories were: Night Surf, The Boogeyman, Sometimes They Come Back, Children Of The Corn, The Man Who Loved Flowers, The Woman In The Room.

Jerusalem's Lot - 3.5 ⭐️
Graveyard Shift - 4⭐️
Night Surf - 4⭐️
I am the Doorway - 3.25⭐️
The Mangler - 1,5⭐️
The Boogeyman - 5⭐️
Grey Matter - 2.5⭐️
Battleground - 3.5⭐️
Trucks - 2.5⭐️
Sometimes They Come Back - 4.5⭐️
Strawberry Spring - 3⭐️
The Ledge - 4.5⭐️
The Lawnmower Man - 2.5⭐️
Quitters, Inc - 4⭐️
I Know What You Need - 3.75⭐️
Children of the Corn - 5⭐️
The Last Rung on the Ladder - 3.25⭐️
The Man Who Loved Flowers - 4.25⭐️
One For the Road - 4⭐️
The Woman in the Room - 5⭐️