Official Stephen King Publication Countdown - 84. "Graveyard Shift", 83. "The Ledge", 82. "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands" (2 Viewers)

[turnjose7]

As promised, this is my countdown of all the major publications by Stephen King that I have read. You can find the original announcement and initial discussion here. As a quick recap, I plan to rank novels, novellas, short stories, children’s books, poems that are published as individual entries in his collections, and full-length non-fiction books. I won’t be ranking screenplays (including “Sorry, Right Number,” which was published in Nightmares and Dreamscapes) or individual essays published in larger works (including King’s section of Mid-Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude). In total, there will be 136 items that I rank.

Post #2 will be a list of major King publications that I have not read (at least the most important of them; it might be impossible to make a complete list of everything he has ever published). People are welcome to comment on these and even say where they would have them ranked. In general, I try to read his stuff in the order it was published or close to it, since newer works reference and build on past works. For the most part, that means that I have read almost all his older stuff, but only some of his more recent publications.

Posts #3-4 will be the running countdown. I’ll start by posting the works ranked 136 – 101 as one big post with just a small amount of commentary on the group. Starting with #100, each work will get its own post.

The general format for individual entries will be: title, original publication year, type of work (and for short stories, the most well-known collection where it can be found), genre(s), a rating of how “horrifying” I find the work, major longitudinal connections that are a big part of the work (e.g. it’s a story that takes place in Castle Rock or it is a story that is closely tied with The Dark Tower), a 1-line summary of the premise, and then commentary. To start, especially since most of the lower ranked works are short stories, the commentaries will be relatively brief (just a sentence or two). But as the countdown progresses and we get to more novels and higher quality work, the commentaries will lengthen to multiple paragraphs, and some will even include favorite quotes.

For the “horror” rating, I use a 5-point scale (or 6 actually, since non-fiction works get 0/5). It is based on a combination of a how likely it is to keep one up at night/how much it makes you jump at the sounds in your house type fear, how uncomfortable it is to imagine being in the situation of the characters in the book, and how disturbing/shocking it is, with the first of these carrying more weight than the other two.

I hope to post 3-5 entries per day. I will try to avoid major spoilers in my summaries/commentaries as much as possible, but it is inevitable that I'll reveal some details about some of the stories. So just be careful if you want to avoid spoilers.

Lastly, I’ll just say that I made the ranking pretty much based on how much I enjoy the work and not based on a consensus of how good it is or what I think of its literary merits. In many cases these overlap but not in all. There will be at least some that go against consensus opinion. I’ll point out what I think are the biggest discrepancies.

 

[turnjose7]

Here is a list of the major King publications that I haven’t read and which won’t be included:

Novels
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (currently reading this)
Dreamcatcher
From a Buick 8
The Colorado Kid
Lisey’s Story
Blaze
Duma Key
Joyland
Mr. Mercedes
Revival
Finders Keepers
End of Watch
The Outsider
The Institute
Later
Billy Summers
Gwendy’s Final Task
Fairy Tale
Holly

Collections
Just After Sunset
Full Dark, No Stars
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
If It Bleeds
You Like It Darker

Non-fiction
Nightmares in the Sky: Gargoyles and Grotesques
Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing
Faithful


Of these, based on popular opinion and what I know about them, I expect Lisey’s Story and Duma Key will definitely get added to my top 100 once I read them, possibly even top 50. Joyland, Mr. Mercedes, Revival, The Outsider, and The Institute are somewhat highly regarded and might be possibilities to make a future countdown. From what I’ve read about them, the other novels are probably less likely to be highly ranked.

 

[turnjose7]

Starting off with entries 136-101:

136) “For Owen”
135) “The Lawnmower Man”
134) “The House on Maple Street”
133) “Uncle Otto’s Truck”
132) “Suffer the Little Children”
131) “Cain Rose Up”
130) “Dedication”
129) “I Know What You Need”
128) “Sometimes They Come Back”
127) “Chattery Teeth”
126) “Luckey Quarter”
125) “Survivor Type”
124) “Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2)”
123) “The Woman in the Room”
122) “The Man Who Loved Flowers”
121) “The Fifth Quarter”
120) “Beachworld”
119) Charlie the Choo-Choo: From the World of the Dark Tower
118) “The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet”
117) “Here There Be Tygers”
116) “In the Deathroom”
115) “Paranoid”
114) “My Pretty Pony”
113) “The Wedding Gig”
112) Gwendy’s Button Box
111) “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away”
110) Sleeping Beauties
109) “The Reaper’s Image”
108) “L.T.’s Theory of Pets”
107) Danse Macabre
106) “The Death of Jack Hamilton”
105) Elevation
104) “Lunch at the Gotham Café”
103) “Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1)”
102) “The Moving Finger”
101) “Battleground”

A few thoughts on this group. “Survivor Type,” “My Pretty Pony,” “The Woman in the Room,” and “L.T.’s Theory of Pets” are stories that I sometimes see high in rankings of King’s short stories that I guess I don’t like quite as much as everyone else. In this group we have two poems (“For Owen” and “Paranoid”) and a children’s book (purported at least) in Charlie the Choo-Choo. With that selection we already have a Dark Tower story and we also have a couple of Castle Rock stories here. One of these (Danse Macabre) is non-fiction. Of everything in this initial group so far, “Suffer the Little Children” is probably the one I find most disturbing.

I'll also note that just because they didn’t quite break into the group of stories that get individual entries, it doesn’t mean some of these aren’t really good. “The Moving Finger,” for instance, is a delightfully bizarre story and despite being absurd, actually is kind of scary.

 

[turnjose7]

100) Cycle of the Werewolf
99) "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band"
98) Apt Pupil
97) "It Grows on You"
96) "The Last Rung on the Ladder"
95) "The Doctor's Case"
94) "Trucks"
93) "Word Processor of the Gods"
92) "Gray Matter"
91) "One for the Road"
90) "Dolan's Cadillac"
89) "The Raft"
88) "Rainy Season"
87) "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French"
86) Roadwork: A Novel of the First Energy Crisis
85) The Talisman
84) "Graveyard Shift"
83) "The Ledge"
82) "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands"

 

[bigbottom]

Starting off with entries 136-101:

136) “For Owen”
135) “The Lawnmower Man”
134) “The House on Maple Street”
133) “Uncle Otto’s Truck”
132) “Suffer the Little Children”
131) “Cain Rose Up”
130) “Dedication”
129) “I Know What You Need”
128) “Sometimes They Come Back”
127) “Chattery Teeth”
126) “Luckey Quarter”
125) “Survivor Type”
124) “Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2)”
123) “The Woman in the Room”
122) “The Man Who Loved Flowers”
121) “The Fifth Quarter”
120) “Beachworld”
119) Charlie the Choo-Choo: From the World of the Dark Tower
118) “The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet”
117) “Here There Be Tygers”
116) “In the Deathroom”
115) “Paranoid”
114) “My Pretty Pony”
113) “The Wedding Gig”
112) Gwendy’s Button Box
111) “All That You Love Will Be Carried Away”
110) Sleeping Beauties
109) “The Reaper’s Image”
108) “L.T.’s Theory of Pets”
107) Danse Macabre
106) “The Death of Jack Hamilton”
105) Elevation
104) “Lunch at the Gotham Café”
103) “Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1)”
102) “The Moving Finger”
101) “Battleground”

A few thoughts on this group. “Survivor Type,” “My Pretty Pony,” “The Woman in the Room,” and “L.T.’s Theory of Pets” are stories that I sometimes see high in rankings of King’s short stories that I guess I don’t like quite as much as everyone else. In this group we have two poems (“For Owen” and “Paranoid”) and a children’s book (purported at least) in Charlie the Choo-Choo. With that selection we already have a Dark Tower story and we also have a couple of Castle Rock stories here. One of these (Danse Macabre) is non-fiction. Of everything in this initial group so far, “Suffer the Little Children” is probably the one I find most disturbing.

I'll also note that just because they didn’t quite break into the group of stories that get individual entries, it doesn’t mean some of these aren’t really good. “The Moving Finger,” for instance, is a delightfully bizarre story and despite being absurd, actually is kind of scary.

The Moving Finger is seared into my psyche from when I read it as a kid. Definitely one of his simple short stories that has stayed with me.

The Lawnmower Man was pretty dumb I thought. Would likely occupy somewhere close to last place for me as well.

 

[bigbottom]

Here is a list of the major King publications that I haven’t read and which won’t be included:

Novels
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (currently reading this)
Dreamcatcher
From a Buick 8
The Colorado Kid
Lisey’s Story
Blaze
Duma Key
Joyland
Mr. Mercedes
Revival
Finders Keepers
End of Watch
The Outsider
The Institute
Later
Billy Summers
Gwendy’s Final Task
Fairy Tale
Holly

Collections
Just After Sunset
Full Dark, No Stars
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
If It Bleeds
You Like It Darker

Non-fiction
Nightmares in the Sky: Gargoyles and Grotesques
Secret Windows: Essays and Fiction on the Craft of Writing
Faithful


Of these, based on popular opinion and what I know about them, I expect Lisey’s Story and Duma Key will definitely get added to my top 100 once I read them, possibly even top 50. Joyland, Mr. Mercedes, Revival, The Outsider, and The Institute are somewhat highly regarded and might be possibilities to make a future countdown. From what I’ve read about them, the other novels are probably less likely to be highly ranked.

I’ve read a number of these. Some are decent. Obviously there are people who really like the Mr. Mercedes novel and sequels, though they don’t feel like trademark King. But the standout on the list for me is The Institute. I really liked that one. It’s a familiar formula (group of kids face off against evil) done competently. Not his best in that mold but feels like a comfortable pair of old shoes and is worth a read.

 

[shuke]

Here is a list of the major King publications that I haven’t read and which won’t be included:

Novels
Dreamcatcher
From a Buick 8
Duma Key
Joyland
The Outsider
The Institute

You can skip all these except the The Institute. Maybe Duma Key.

 

[shuke]

How in the world do you remember all of those short stories? I'm sure I've read most of them, but only one I can recall by name is Sometimes They Come Back, which I though was pretty damn creepy.

 

[turnjose7]

How in the world do you remember all of those short stories? I'm sure I've read most of them, but only one I can recall by name is Sometimes They Come Back, which I though was pretty damn creepy.

I've read Night Shift and Nightmares and Dreamscapes multiple times. I've read Skeleton Crew and Everything's Eventual fairly recently, within the last 5 years or so.

 

[turnjose7]

100. Cycle of the Werewolf
1983
Novella
Horror
2/5

Wheelchair-bound Marty Coslaw believes he may have discovered the secret of a werewolf menacing Tarker’s Mills, Maine, but will he be able to stop the reign of terror?

Cycle of the Werewolf is basically a series of interlinked short stories. There are 12 chapters, each representing a month in which a specific incident occurs. It was originally conceived as a calendar with illustrations and short vignettes, but as the stories became too long it turned into a limited-edition novella. There are some nice scenes in it, but overall, this book is a little forgettable.

 

[turnjose7]

99. “You Know They Got a Hell of a Band”
1992
Short story from Nightmare and Dreamscapes
Horror, fantasy
2/5

"Rock and roll will never die!"

A couple becomes trapped in a small Oregon town inhabited by dead rock and roll musicians.

This probably isn’t really one of King’s best stories. I think there are lower ranked entries that are higher quality. But this one is just plain fun and as someone obsessed with music, and in particular rock and roll history (see my other countdowns), I had to this include this. Of course, I love that Duane Allman gets a mention. The title of this story comes from the song “Rock and Roll Heaven.”

 

[turnjose7]

One thing I should have said from the outset but forgot. I will try to avoid major spoilers in my summaries/commentaries as much as possible, but it is inevitable that I'll reveal some details about some of the stories. So just be careful if you want to avoid spoilers.

I'll add that to the initial post as well.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

125) “Survivor Type”

This one freaked me right the hell out.

 

[timschochet]

99. “You Know They Got a Hell of a Band”
1992
Short story from Nightmare and Dreamscapes
Horror, fantasy
2/5

"Rock and roll will never die!"

A couple becomes trapped in a small Oregon town inhabited by dead rock and roll musicians.

This probably isn’t really one of King’s best stories. I think there are lower ranked entries that are higher quality. But this one is just plain fun and as someone obsessed with music, and in particular rock and roll history (see my other countdowns), I had to this include this. Of course, I love that Duane Allman gets a mention. The title of this story comes from the song “Rock and Roll Heaven.”

I always figured this story was created out of the scene from It when Richie sees the “all-dead” band listed on the Marquee- I think King was fascinated by the idea of forming the best rock band possible made out of dead artists…

 

[turnjose7]

125) “Survivor Type”

This one freaked me right the hell out.

Yeah it's disturbing. Probably the reason I don't have it ranked higher is that the protagonist is hard to care about.

 

[turnjose7]

98. Apt Pupil
1982
Novella from Different Seasons
Psychological thriller
2/5

A teenager blackmails an elderly man he suspects of being a Nazi war criminal and develops a grotesque fascination with the Holocaust.

Subtitled “Summer of Corruption,” Apt Pupil is one of four novellas collected in Different Seasons, a book with more realistic elements and less supernatural horror than King’s previous work. A lot of people really like Apt Pupil and consider it a highlight of the collection (and even one of King's best stories). It is very well written, which is why it makes the top 100, but I still have a hard time reading it. The characters are so overwhelmingly terrible with no redeeming qualities whatsoever that it makes this one a bit of a slog for me, despite some great writing.

 

[turnjose7]

97. “It Grows on You”
1973
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror, fantasy
2/5
- Castle Rock story

A house in Castle Rock, Maine, seems to take on a life of its own, growing and evolving in a way that mirrors the tragic events that unfold within its walls.

While it was written earlier than the novel, King has said this short story serves as an epilogue to Needful Things. Some consider it one of his better short stories, and it is pretty disturbing in its own way. But it has never been one of my favorites. I first read Nightmares and Dreamscapes before I had read any other stories set in Castle Rock, so I don’t think I appreciated it as much at first. Rereading it later after learning about the town’s history helped, but I’ve never really moved past my initial lukewarm impression.

 

[turnjose7]

Since we've already had music come up with "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," for those who aren't that familiar with King, one of the cool things about him is how passionate he is about great music. In fact, he actually played in a band of made up of authors with an interest in music called The Rock Bottom Remainders (see the opening paragraph of the first post, which references a book documenting their work). No idea if they were any good or not.

What I do know, though, is that King has an impressive knowledge of music, and in particular rock music history, enough to make @Pip's Invitation jealous. He often weaves music into his stories, sometimes in a way that feels forced, but often in a way that adds to the story. The cool part is that he can get into some really obscure stuff. I like to think that I know a lot about music, especially roots music, but it isn't uncommon for me to discover something completely new from a reference in a Stephen King story.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Since we've already had music come up with "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," for those who aren't that familiar with King, one of the cool things about him is how passionate he is about great music. In fact, he actually played in a band of made up of authors with an interest in music called The Rock Bottom Remainders (see the opening paragraph of the first post, which references a book documenting their work). No idea if they were any good or not.

What I do know, though, is that King has an impressive knowledge of music, and in particular rock music history, enough to make @Pip's Invitation jealous. He often weaves music into his stories, sometimes in a way that feels forced, but often in a way that adds to the story. The cool part is that he can get into some really obscure stuff. I like to think that I know a lot about music, especially roots music, but it isn't uncommon for me to discover something completely new from a reference in a Stephen King story.

I’ve been told I look like Stephen King.

I am not actually Stephen King.

 

[bigbottom]

125) “Survivor Type”

This one freaked me right the hell out.

Yeah it's disturbing. Probably the reason I don't have it ranked higher is that the protagonist is hard to care about.

Disturbing indeed. I think it would be the height of horror to spend two minutes in King’s brain with all the craziness rattling around in there.

 

[bigbottom]

98. Apt Pupil
1982
Novella from Different Seasons
Psychological thriller
2/5

A teenager blackmails an elderly man he suspects of being a Nazi war criminal and develops a grotesque fascination with the Holocaust.

Subtitled “Summer of Corruption,” Apt Pupil is one of four novellas collected in Different Seasons, a book with more realistic elements and less supernatural horror than King’s previous work. A lot of people really like Apt Pupil and consider it a highlight of the collection (and even one of King's best stories). It is very well written, which is why it makes the top 100, but I still have a hard time reading it. The characters are so overwhelmingly terrible with no redeeming qualities whatsoever that it makes this one a bit of a slog for me, despite some great writing.

You nailed this one. Extremely well written and completely unenjoyable.

 

[turnjose7]

Since we've already had music come up with "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," for those who aren't that familiar with King, one of the cool things about him is how passionate he is about great music. In fact, he actually played in a band of made up of authors with an interest in music called The Rock Bottom Remainders (see the opening paragraph of the first post, which references a book documenting their work). No idea if they were any good or not.

What I do know, though, is that King has an impressive knowledge of music, and in particular rock music history, enough to make @Pip's Invitation jealous. He often weaves music into his stories, sometimes in a way that feels forced, but often in a way that adds to the story. The cool part is that he can get into some really obscure stuff. I like to think that I know a lot about music, especially roots music, but it isn't uncommon for me to discover something completely new from a reference in a Stephen King story.

I’ve been told I look like Stephen King.

I am not actually Stephen King.

Are you Roland Deschain?

 

[turnjose7]

96. “The Last Rung on the Ladder”
1978
Short story from Night Shift
Tragedy
1/5

Upon learning of his sister’s suicide, a man reflects on a time when he saved her as a child and how he failed to save her as an adult.

One of the few stories from Night Shift without supernatural elements, this one is nevertheless heart-wrenching. Just a very well-written story. There are a few connections to other works here as the towns of Gatlin and Hemingford Home are mentioned.

 

[turnjose7]

95. “The Doctor’s Case”
1987
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Detective mystery, Sherlock Holmes
1/5

Dr. Watson narrates the investigation into the death of Lord Hull in this Sherlock Holmes pastiche with a twist.

While mystery isn’t the genre we normally associate with King, he is good at it. This foray into Sherlockiana isn’t scary at all, but it is really fun. King captures Doyle’s style better than most modern authors who have tried, and there’s some nice humor here as well.

 

[turnjose7]

94. “Trucks”
1978
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
2/5

Patrons find themselves trapped in a diner when the vehicles parked at a truck stop suddenly become autonomous and begin to run down anyone who tries to leave.

“Trucks” is definitely one of the weirder stories in Night Shift, but it is also a lot of fun. The same cannot be said for the ill-conceived film that is based on it, Maximum Overdrive.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

94. “Trucks”
1978
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
2/5

Patrons find themselves trapped in a diner when the vehicles parked at a truck stop suddenly become autonomous and begin to run down anyone who tries to leave.

“Trucks” is definitely one of the weirder stories in Night Shift, but it is also a lot of fun. The same cannot be said for the ill-conceived film that is based on it, Maximum Overdrive.

I wonder how much cocaine was done during the making of that film. It's really bad

 

[Uruk-Hai]

95. “The Doctor’s Case”
1987
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Detective mystery, Sherlock Holmes
1/5

Dr. Watson narrates the investigation into the death of Lord Hull in this Sherlock Holmes pastiche with a twist.

While mystery isn’t the genre we normally associate with King, he is good at it. This foray into Sherlockiana isn’t scary at all, but it is really fun. King captures Doyle’s style better than most modern authors who have tried, and there’s some nice humor here as well.

I really enjoyed this one.

 

[turnjose7]

93. “Word Processor of the Gods”
1983
Short story from Skeleton Crew
Fantasy
1/5

A man comes into possession of a word processor that has the power to alter reality just by writing about it.

A modern take on the story of a wish-granting genie, the tension here is waiting to see if and how this newfound power will backfire and make this into a “Monkey’s Paw” type story (a concept King has obviously explored in other works).

 

[turnjose7]

92. “Gray Matter”
1973
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
3/5

A young boy watches as his father transforms into a hideous, beer-guzzling monster.

“Gray Matter” is pretty typical of some of King’s earliest short stories. It has a relatively simple plot but makes great use of a number of horror writing techniques to create a story that is engrossing and incredibly creepy.

 

[turnjose7]

91. “One for the Road”
1977
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
3/5
- Jerusalem’s Lot story

A family gets stranded in their car by a blizzard just outside the remains of the town of Jerusalem’s Lot, where vampires still prowl.

A solid if not particularly remarkable sequel to ‘Salem’s Lot. It’s nice to get another look at the first of the famous Maine small towns that King created, but this is far from the most interesting story in Night Shift.

 

[turnjose7]

90. “Dolan’s Cadillac”
1985
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Thriller
2/5

A widower devises an elaborate plot for revenge after a crime boss murders his wife.

This is kind of a modern retelling of Poe’s "The Cask of Amontillado” and it’s really well done. King can be inconsistent (and often lazy) in the amount of background research he puts into his stories, but here he goes to great lengths make sure he has the engineering details for the plan worked out. The commentary in Nightmares and Dreamscapes about writing this story is almost as fascinating as the story itself.

 

[turnjose7]

89. “The Raft”
1982
Short story from Skeleton Crew
Horror
3/5

A lake trip by four college friends turns horrifying when they encounter a strange, oily mass that dissolves anyone who touches it.

This story has about as simple of a concept as possible. But it is executed masterfully with some really gruesome scenes and great interactions between the characters.

 

[turnjose7]

88. “Rainy Season”
1989
Short story from Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Horror
2/5

A couple visiting a small but prosperous Maine town are horrified when giant carnivorous frogs begin to fall from the sky.

Such a weird and also gruesome story, this was apparently inspired by “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, a favorite writer of King’s. It is definitely one of the more bizarre stories in this collection, but also one of the most fun.

 

[bigbottom]

89. “The Raft”
1982
Short story from Skeleton Crew
Horror
3/5

A lake trip by four college friends turns horrifying when they encounter a strange, oily mass that dissolves anyone who touches it.

This story has about as simple of a concept as possible. But it is executed masterfully with some really gruesome scenes and great interactions between the characters.

Really liked this one. Terrifying.

 

[turnjose7]

87. “That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French”
1998
Short story from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5

A woman finds herself trapped in a horrific, repeating loop of events.

Not to spoil too much, but the feeling the title refers to is déjà vu. This is a pretty cool concept with I think average execution. Some of the details of the experience loop could have been a little more interesting, but I do like the idea this portrays of King’s concept of hell.

 

[turnjose7]

A little bit of a longer commentary here...


86. Roadwork: A Novel of the First Energy Crisis
1981
Novel
Psychological Thriller
2/5
- Richard Bachman book

A man grieving his dead son and facing the impending demolition of his home for a highway extension begins to spiral into madness.

Roadwork is the first of the Bachman books to get a commentary. Most probably know this, but Richard Bachman was a pseudonym used by King early in his career. Popular belief at the time was the market would only allow one novel per year from an author, but King’s output was exceeding that, so he began to publish additional material under the name in 1977. The identity became publicly known in 1985. Since then, King has claimed Bachman died of “cancer of the pseudonym,” though he occasionally still publishes “found” works under that name.

The Bachman books are typically, though not always, a little grittier, bleaker, and less focused on supernatural elements than mainstream King. This one is a great example of that. It is one of several Bachman stories to depict the deteriorating lives of everyday Americans in the wake of economic calamity. It was also one of King’s first attempts to write a more serious novel. It is quite compelling at times, though it is a bit uneven. King has since expressed some disappointment in the work, but it is definitely still good enough to be worth a read.

 

[Joe Schmo]

1

94. “Trucks”
1978
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
2/5

Patrons find themselves trapped in a diner when the vehicles parked at a truck stop suddenly become autonomous and begin to run down anyone who tries to leave.

“Trucks” is definitely one of the weirder stories in Night Shift, but it is also a lot of fun. The same cannot be said for the ill-conceived film that is based on it, Maximum Overdrive.

I wonder how much cocaine was done during the making of that film. It's really bad

As an aside, I watched the movie for the first time in years this past Halloween season and while it is still pretty stupid in execution it was a nice surprise to notice Yeardley Smith in the cast. Recognized Lisa Simpson's voice right away.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

A little bit of a longer commentary here...


86. Roadwork: A Novel of the First Energy Crisis
1981
Novel
Psychological Thriller
2/5
- Richard Bachman book

A man grieving his dead son and facing the impending demolition of his home for a highway extension begins to spiral into madness.

Roadwork is the first of the Bachman books to get a commentary. Most probably know this, but Richard Bachman was a pseudonym used by King early in his career. Popular belief at the time was the market would only allow one novel per year from an author, but King’s output was exceeding that, so he began to publish additional material under the name in 1977. The identity became publicly known in 1985. Since then, King has claimed Bachman died of “cancer of the pseudonym,” though he occasionally still publishes “found” works under that name.

The Bachman books are typically, though not always, a little grittier, bleaker, and less focused on supernatural elements than mainstream King. This one is a great example of that. It is one of several Bachman stories to depict the deteriorating lives of everyday Americans in the wake of economic calamity. It was also one of King’s first attempts to write a more serious novel. It is quite compelling at times, though it is a bit uneven. King has since expressed some disappointment in the work, but it is definitely still good enough to be worth a read.

This is not a read for sunshine and rainbows.

A lot of King's works have gone into the duality that writers (and all artists - hell, all humans) feel. I know a bunch of selections coming up directly address this, so I'll not go into details. But the way he chose to express this is pretty unique.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

1

94. “Trucks”
1978
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
2/5

Patrons find themselves trapped in a diner when the vehicles parked at a truck stop suddenly become autonomous and begin to run down anyone who tries to leave.

“Trucks” is definitely one of the weirder stories in Night Shift, but it is also a lot of fun. The same cannot be said for the ill-conceived film that is based on it, Maximum Overdrive.

I wonder how much cocaine was done during the making of that film. It's really bad

As an aside, I watched the movie for the first time in years this past Halloween season and while it is still pretty stupid in execution it was a nice surprise to notice Yeardley Smith in the cast. Recognized Lisa Simpson's voice right away.

Really? I haven't watched it since before The Simpsons was created, so I wouldn't have known who she was at the time.

 

[Joe Schmo]

Yeah the movie is pre-simpsons but you cant miss the mousy voice from jump. One of those "aha!" moments.

PS- don't watch the movie just for her, it still sucks.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

The same cannot be said for the ill-conceived film that is based on it, Maximum Overdrive.

The concept was just too ridiculous for a movie - even if it was executed well (and it wasn't).

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Yeah the movie is pre-simpsons but you cant miss the mousy voice from jump. One of those "aha!" moments.

PS- don't watch the movie just for her, it still sucks.

She was a cast member on Herman's Head which predated The Simpsons.

 

[Joe Schmo]

Good lord is that a blast from the past, I remember that show but have no recollection of her in it.

 

[turnjose7]

87. “That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French”
1998
Short story from Everything’s Eventual
Horror
3/5

A woman finds herself trapped in a horrific, repeating loop of events.

Not to spoil too much, but the feeling the title refers to is déjà vu. This is a pretty cool concept with I think average execution. Some of the details of the experience loop could have been a little more interesting, but I do like the idea this portrays of King’s concept of hell.

Forgot to add, this is a theme that, of course, becomes important in other King works.

 

[shuke]

I think there are like 3 people on this board who like Maximum Overdrive, and I'm one of them.

 

[turnjose7]

85. The Talisman
1984
Novel
Fantasy, Dark Fantasy
2/5
- Pseudo–Dark Tower book

A young boy journeys through a fantastical parallel world in an attempt to save his dying mother.

This might be a somewhat controversial ranking as I often see The Talisman ranked fairly high in other rankings of King’s works. I love the idea behind the novel, but think the execution is nowhere near King’s best.

King has great love for The Lord of the Rings, and I think this was an attempt to write a similar epic hero’s journey. For this one, he teamed up with horror writer Peter Straub (author of Ghost House). The two authors do a nice job of blending their styles, so it isn’t easily apparent who wrote which parts. And again, the story is a really fun idea. But I think it tries to do too much and gets a little lost at times. Also, while King is great at writing child characters, his portrayal of Jack Sawyer here is not his best effort in that regard.

I labeled this as a pseudo-Dark Tower novel because it can almost be seen as a trial in preparation for that series. The concept of parallel worlds, the blending of real and fantastical elements, and the overall tone would later be used (much more effectively) in the books of the Dark Tower. And in future King works we ultimately get confirmation that the setting of The Talisman is a parallel world in the Dark Tower. However, there aren’t many direct connections here.

 

[Frostillicus]

I think there are like 3 people on this board who like Maximum Overdrive, and I'm one of them.

Count me in.

 

[turnjose7]

84. “Graveyard Shift”
1970
Short story from Night Shift
Horror
3/5

A man recruited to work the night shift cleaning a run-down textile mill encounters an infestation of giant mutated rats.

This story is pure horror. Especially early in his career King seemed to love populating his stories with rats; the ghastly descriptions here take things to the next level. It is bound to leave anyone feeling creeped out.

 

[turnjose7]

83. “The Ledge”
1976
Short story from Night Shift
Psychological Thriller
2/5

A crime boss forces a man who has been having an affair with his wife to circumnavigate his penthouse apartment by walking along a narrow ledge high above the ground.

There’s a lot of great suspense here. This story was inspired by “Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket” by Jack Finney. Again, a very simple concept, but incredibly well executed.

 

[turnjose7]

82. “The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands”
1982
Short story from Skeleton Crew
Horror
2/5

A new player who is welcomed into a card game at a private NYC club recoils when anyone tries to touch him.

The atmosphere King creates in this story is great. It isn’t the scariest or most exciting story, but there is a nice charm to it that makes it feel like a classic ghost story. The club in question is also the setting for The Breathing Method from Different Seasons, which was written around the same time.