Official Stephen King Publication Countdown - 96. "The Last Rung on the Ladder", 95. "The Doctor's Case", 94. "Trucks" (4 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"

 

[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.