Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Berkley (1986), Edition: Reissue, 576 pages
Description
Fiction. Horror. Short Stories. HTML: Who could imagine...? In this brilliant collection of twenty-two stories, Stephen King takes readers down paths that only he could imagine.... A supermarket becomes the place where humanity makes its last stand against unholy destruction...a trip to the attic turns into a journey to hell...a woman driver finds a very scary shortcut to paradise...an idyllic lake harbors a bottomless evil...and a desert island is the scene of the most terrifying struggle for survival ever waged. Features the novella "The Mist"�??Now a major motion picture
Subjects
Original publication date
1985-06-21
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User reviews
LibraryThing member madam_razz
I'll be the first to admit that I'm far more prone to picking up a full-length novel I can sink my teeth into until page 651 and then wish for more, while usually bypassing most short story collections entirely. However, King doesn't seem to be able to write a single dud and his short stories are
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just as fascinating and intriguing as his long novels. This book was no exception and I absolutely loved it. My favorites were probably The Mist, The Jaunt, The Raft (this one people who have seen Creepshow 2 will probably recognize because it showed up as one of the short stories in that movie, but I found it to be absolutely fascinating to read it via the POV of a single character and being able to use my imagination was even better than seeing it play out in color on TV, not to mention that the differences in the story compared to the Creepshow version were neat to pick out), and Milkman #1 and #2. All of them were great, so it was difficult to pick just these out and I don't think it'd be possible to pick out just one as my top fave out of this collection. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Stephen King, horror and the macabre. Show Less
LibraryThing member endersreads
An older version of King's now famous "The Mist" can be found here. It is the shining jewel of this collection. There are 21 other Shorts by King in this collection. Another story here that really stood-out in my mind, and that is King's little Sci Fi short, "The Jaunt". I laughed out loud hard and
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long at Carune's bag. It's a really great little story. Longer than you think.... heh heh. Now, the real "getter" here, the one that sticks with you, coils itself into your mind, is "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet". Insanity and Alcohol go hand in hand. Who knows? Together they may bear a Fornit. ^_^ Writers will fall in love with this story. Show Less
LibraryThing member srboone
Not all the short stories in thsi collection are winners, but collectively they are quite unnerving.
LibraryThing member bragan
This collection of stories (including one longish novella, "The Mist") was first published in 1986, although some of the individual stories are significantly older.
As with most story collections, the quality here is a little variable, but I think the least interesting or well-written ones are
Although I do have to say, while these tales in some respects don't feel particularly dated at all, in others they feel like dispatches from a strange and uncomfortable past world, a world in which things like drunk driving, domestic abuse, and casual racism were much more easily accepted, or at least tolerated and ignored. And so was the practice of writing female characters who are nothing more than ugly or annoying stereotypes cut from the flimsiest variety of cardboard. Alas.
And "The Mist," I'd say, has aged weirdly in an entirely different way as well. In King's notes, he describes that story as having a deliberate sort of cheesiness to it, and imagines the reader watching it in black-and-white at a drive-in theater. But I think reading it through two layers of nostalgic remove -- 50s B-movies filtered through 80s Stephen King as viewed from the perspective of 2020 -- makes it feel stranger, cheesier, and more off-kilter than it was probably meant to. That being said, though, it's still one of those stories that does a surprisingly good job with an old-fashioned trapped-by-monsters plot. It also gave me a mildly unpleasant dream a couple of days after I read it, and it's a very rare horror story, indeed, that I can say that about.
Rating: Despite its flaws, I'm going to give this a 4/5, if only in honor of the fact that it did kinda-sorta manage to give me a nightmare. I mean, that's got to deserve some kind of recognition.
As with most story collections, the quality here is a little variable, but I think the least interesting or well-written ones are
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mostly also the shortest ones, so that works out well enough. And overall, it's a pretty solid collection. I'm not sure if any of the pieces quite rise to the extreme heights of creepiness or sensitive storytelling that King is capable of at his very best, but some of them might come close, and most of them are at the very least engaging and do basically what you want a Stephen King story to do for you. And I'm actually pretty impressed by the way in which he repeatedly takes basic ideas that were hardly fresh and new in 1986 -- people trapped somewhere isolated by monsters, a creepy doll that reappears when you try to get rid of it, a murderous companion who turns out to be all in the main character's head -- and somehow makes you forget for the course of the story just how cliche they might be.Although I do have to say, while these tales in some respects don't feel particularly dated at all, in others they feel like dispatches from a strange and uncomfortable past world, a world in which things like drunk driving, domestic abuse, and casual racism were much more easily accepted, or at least tolerated and ignored. And so was the practice of writing female characters who are nothing more than ugly or annoying stereotypes cut from the flimsiest variety of cardboard. Alas.
And "The Mist," I'd say, has aged weirdly in an entirely different way as well. In King's notes, he describes that story as having a deliberate sort of cheesiness to it, and imagines the reader watching it in black-and-white at a drive-in theater. But I think reading it through two layers of nostalgic remove -- 50s B-movies filtered through 80s Stephen King as viewed from the perspective of 2020 -- makes it feel stranger, cheesier, and more off-kilter than it was probably meant to. That being said, though, it's still one of those stories that does a surprisingly good job with an old-fashioned trapped-by-monsters plot. It also gave me a mildly unpleasant dream a couple of days after I read it, and it's a very rare horror story, indeed, that I can say that about.
Rating: Despite its flaws, I'm going to give this a 4/5, if only in honor of the fact that it did kinda-sorta manage to give me a nightmare. I mean, that's got to deserve some kind of recognition.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
I enjoy Stephen King's earlier short stories the most, and this is probably my favorite collection. It opens with "The Mist," an excellent end-of-the-world story in which Lovecraftian monsters cross over into our dimension. The psychological suspense is as ramped up as the horror; King focuses on a
The remainder of the stories run the gamut. Some are creepy, some read like an episode of the Twilight Zone, and some are just full-on gross-outs. This collection contains the infamous story "Survivor Type," as well as such gems as "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" and "The Raft." I particularly enjoyed the creepier, more haunting pieces like "Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1)" and "The Reach." One of the most memorable stories in the collection for me is "The Jaunt," a quasi-science fiction story about teleportation that I often find myself thinking about at odd moments.
It's good to get this collection down off the shelf and wander back through it, looking back on stories I may not have read for 25 years (imagine that). SKELETON CREW holds up very well.
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group of ordinary people trapped in a grocery store and the effects that the nightmarish situation has on them, turning some into religious fanatics, others into unlikely heroes. Despite the doorstopper nature of many of King's books (and I really do enjoy the big books), I think most of his best work is in the more contained novella format.The remainder of the stories run the gamut. Some are creepy, some read like an episode of the Twilight Zone, and some are just full-on gross-outs. This collection contains the infamous story "Survivor Type," as well as such gems as "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" and "The Raft." I particularly enjoyed the creepier, more haunting pieces like "Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1)" and "The Reach." One of the most memorable stories in the collection for me is "The Jaunt," a quasi-science fiction story about teleportation that I often find myself thinking about at odd moments.
It's good to get this collection down off the shelf and wander back through it, looking back on stories I may not have read for 25 years (imagine that). SKELETON CREW holds up very well.
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LibraryThing member thioviolight
A good collection from Stephen King, Skeleton Crew is a mixed bag of horror. While not everything was to my liking, several gave me chills. The novella "The Mist" is not normally my type of horror, but I enjoyed it for how it was told. I found "The Monkey," "The Reaper's Image," "Uncle Otto's
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Truck" and "Gramma" pretty creepy, while "Survivor Type" was totally gruesome. "Word Processor of the Gods" was one of my favorites, loved the idea of a word processor that can change things in the real world. "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet" was another standout for me (another story involving a writer), and "The Reach" was a lovely and poignant finish to the collection. Show Less
LibraryThing member Hoperin
Holy crap I like King's short stories. I think I've only read Cujo and The Shining of his, besides this, and while I liked the guy and definitely intended to read more, I was/am under the impression that most people don't really like his stuff as much as his novels? I feel like most people have
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told me something along those lines. Either way, I like these much better! I didn't like the two poems (but I've never really liked poetry...) nor Milkman #2, but the rest were thrilling in their brief way, like a kiss in the dark, as King said in the intro. If I were the type of person to read leisurely before bed (as apposed to one who feverishly must get through chapters and chapters before I turn out my light) I would keep this under my pillow or on my bedside table, and it would become a lovely, worn out old friend. Show Less
LibraryThing member wordsampersand
An above average collection of stories. The good stuff is superb, and the few low points are forgettable or forgivable. The capping story, "The Reach," reminds me of one of Wendell Berry's Port William stories with a hint of Gothic ghost story flair. It's really touching. The two that really stuck
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with me, though: "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet," the best King story-within-a-story, and one of his very early "The Reaper's Image," which reminds me of something from M.R. James. Show Less
LibraryThing member blockbuster1994
Skeleton Crew is another great collection of short stories by horror master Stephen King. Every original story is premised on ideas that would scare the pants off any child: from freaky death monkey toys to witch possessed grandmas to flesh-consuming oil spills. The overall atmosphere of unbridged
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terror is, of course, executed to perfection by King. Show Less
LibraryThing member StefanY
Skeleton Crew is still my overall favorite of Stephen King's short story collections. Several of the stories have been used in film and television (in forms that I actually enjoyed!) and I think that overall he does a good job of maintaining an aura of suspense throughout the collection instead of
Some of my favorites from the collection include: The Mist (most people hated the film, I didn't think that it was really THAT bad), The Monkey (one of King's creepiest short stories), The Raft, and Gramma (also my favorite episode from the attempted revival of The Twilight Zone.)
Overall, Skeleton Crew is a very solid collection of creepy tales and I thoroughly enjoyed it the second time around.
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from story to story. The collection actually starts off with a novella, The Mist, that I used an excerpt from during high school for a competitive forensics dramatic reading that I scored very well with throughout the season and received the highest marks available at the state tournament.Some of my favorites from the collection include: The Mist (most people hated the film, I didn't think that it was really THAT bad), The Monkey (one of King's creepiest short stories), The Raft, and Gramma (also my favorite episode from the attempted revival of The Twilight Zone.)
Overall, Skeleton Crew is a very solid collection of creepy tales and I thoroughly enjoyed it the second time around.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
Reading this so soon after his first anthology, Night Shift, I found Skeleton Crew a disappointment. With his first collection, I only found one story to be really weak and several outstanding. While I wouldn't exactly say this book was the reverse, I only felt about seven stories worth the read.
The first story is a short novel of 154 pages that takes up more than a quarter of the book. The Mist deals with a few dozen people trapped in a supermarket by monsters hidden by a mysterious mist. The narrator, David Drayton, himself calls the creatures from a "B-grade film" and that's how the story struck me overall, without the resonance and terror of King's best novels. About two-thirds through, I found myself skimming. There are two poems in the book, neither of which I found impressive--but then I'm no fan of modern poetry.
That leaves a 18 short stories and a novella, The Flexible Bullet. That novella alone is almost worth the price of the book. One of the best of King's works in my opinion at any length, written in a masterful omniscient point of view, it's a spooky little tale of the writer's muse, and its closeness to madness. A few of the shorts stand out number standout for how they irked me: "The Jaunt," a rather lame science-fiction effort, is only amusing for its bad stab at prognostication. It has us having almost run out of fossil fuel in 1987, with thousands of people having died in the United States for the lack of heating oil the year before. "The Wedding Gig" comes across as an overextended fat joke, with the wonderful line that, unlike race, one shouldn't feel sorry for those with a weight problem because, "Fat people can always stop eating." (Spoken like a man who never had much of a weight problem. King treated cigarette smoking with a lot more sympathy in the short "Quitters, Inc" in Night Shift.) The obese woman's coffin is described as a "meat locker." Three of the shorts were written when King was just a teen--and it shows--none of those are memorable. "The Monkey" "The Raft" and "Gramma" are vintage King, and delivered up a good dose of horror and suspense. "The Word Processor of the Gods," despite touches of horror, was unusual for leaving me with a smile--rather sunny for a King story. "Survivor Type" on the other hand, was gruesome even for a King story--but I can't say it wasn't memorable.
As a collection, I don't think this was as strong as Night Shift, but it certainly contained some unforgettable stories equal--or more--to the best in that book.
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The first story is a short novel of 154 pages that takes up more than a quarter of the book. The Mist deals with a few dozen people trapped in a supermarket by monsters hidden by a mysterious mist. The narrator, David Drayton, himself calls the creatures from a "B-grade film" and that's how the story struck me overall, without the resonance and terror of King's best novels. About two-thirds through, I found myself skimming. There are two poems in the book, neither of which I found impressive--but then I'm no fan of modern poetry.
That leaves a 18 short stories and a novella, The Flexible Bullet. That novella alone is almost worth the price of the book. One of the best of King's works in my opinion at any length, written in a masterful omniscient point of view, it's a spooky little tale of the writer's muse, and its closeness to madness. A few of the shorts stand out number standout for how they irked me: "The Jaunt," a rather lame science-fiction effort, is only amusing for its bad stab at prognostication. It has us having almost run out of fossil fuel in 1987, with thousands of people having died in the United States for the lack of heating oil the year before. "The Wedding Gig" comes across as an overextended fat joke, with the wonderful line that, unlike race, one shouldn't feel sorry for those with a weight problem because, "Fat people can always stop eating." (Spoken like a man who never had much of a weight problem. King treated cigarette smoking with a lot more sympathy in the short "Quitters, Inc" in Night Shift.) The obese woman's coffin is described as a "meat locker." Three of the shorts were written when King was just a teen--and it shows--none of those are memorable. "The Monkey" "The Raft" and "Gramma" are vintage King, and delivered up a good dose of horror and suspense. "The Word Processor of the Gods," despite touches of horror, was unusual for leaving me with a smile--rather sunny for a King story. "Survivor Type" on the other hand, was gruesome even for a King story--but I can't say it wasn't memorable.
As a collection, I don't think this was as strong as Night Shift, but it certainly contained some unforgettable stories equal--or more--to the best in that book.
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LibraryThing member briannad84
One of my favorite King books. My favorite two stories were "The Mist," and "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut." The movie version of "The Mist" actually looked alot like I pictured the story in my head. And the story that freaked me out the most was "Survivor Type." I don't think I'd quite go to those lengths
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to survive! Very chilling and very original. Show Less
LibraryThing member yarriofultramar
A decent collection of Stephen King's short stories with fantastic "The Mist" - I love this short story and a recent movie inspired by this novella. Other stories worth mentioning are "The Jaunt" - a thrilling little science fiction, "The raft" - King has definitely a gift of making a mundane into
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dangerous. "The survivor" is definitely memorable and Gramma made me chuckle. In summary - a worthy read. Show Less
LibraryThing member pingobarg
a great and varied compendium of kingisms. a fun read.
LibraryThing member Anagarika-Sean
A great collection of stories. Mr. King has many classics, and this is no exception. He doesn't get much better with his short stories.
LibraryThing member lexi1022
I honestly Love Stephen Kings short stories. The man really knows how to scare you. This book is a collection of some pretty twisted short stories of his. You'll be suprised but just what stories are inside this cover. I had no idea some of his most famous movies were based off of some short
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stories of his. This was an absolutly great read. Show Less
LibraryThing member JechtShot
Skeleton Crew is a collection of short stories by Stephen King. It is a challenge to review the book as an atomic entity so my review will consist of my thoughts on each story. The overall rating will be the average:
The Mist - More of a novella than a short story and I believe this is the longest
Here There Be Tygers - Terrible. A young boy needs to use the bathroom and there is a tiger in waiting. (1 star).
The Monkey - Who among us is not terrified of those crazy-eyed, demonic-grinning, cymbal-toting monkeys? When you hear the cymbals crash together death is inevitable. (3 stars).
Cain Rose Up - A disturbing tale. A young college boy unleashes his wrath on campus. Short but powerful. (3.5 stars).
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut - An old man shares the tale of a young woman on a constant quest for the shortest route from point A to point B. You may think the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but what happens if you fold the map? (3 stars).
The Jaunt - More sci-fi than horror. It is the future and teleportation is the way to travel. A bit of a stretch from Mr. King's usual work, but I found it quite enjoyable (3.5 stars).
The Wedding Gig - A Dixieland group is hired to play at a mobster wedding. Gunfire ensues. Average story. (2.5 stars).
Paranoid: A chant - Read the first stanza and stopped. Not my cup of tea (1.5 stars).
The Raft - This short story is also represented in one of the Creepshow movies. It could be the memories of watching the movie as a kid, but I really like this story. Two college couples head out to the lake for one last hurrah and meet with something unexpected. (3.5 stars).
Word Processor of the Gods - A fun story. Imagine if you had a computer that let you delete or insert something in your real life with just a keystroke. Would you change your life with riches or with something a little more personal? (3.5 stars).
The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands - If you are curious about this one, there is a not so subtle hint in the title of the story. That's right, he would not shake hands. (2.5 stars).
Beachworld - I could not get into this one. I read the first few pages and skipped ahead to the next story. (1.5 stars).
The Reaper's Image - A mirror, a mystery and a man. A very short story about an old mirror that shows some people an unexplainable view of 'The Reaper'. Another average story in this tome. (2.5 stars).
Nona - A prisoner recalls his crimes. He would like you to believe that a ghost led him on his murder spree. Was it a ghost or insanity? (3 stars).
For Owen - A poem that I lost interest in before I started. (1 star).
Survivor Type - Now, this is Stephen King! A man is stranded on a deserted Island with a ton of heroin and no food or drink. Eventually, our 'protagonist' has to choose between starvation and self-cannibalization. (4 stars).
Uncle Otto's Truck - Uncle Otto thought the truck was trying to kill him. Was it the truck or a guilty conscience that finally gets him in the end? (2.5 stars).
Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1) - Weird stuff. A milkman is doing his rounds and while delivering dairy products he also delivers murder. The main character is very candid, almost likeable... until you figure out he is a psychopath. (3 stars).
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2) - Two drunks set off on a mission for vehicle registration. They drink, drink again and then drive home. However, on the way home they run into the Milkman (see above). Tragedy is soon to follow. (2 stars).
Gramma - There is more to "Gramma" than meets the eye. Is she dead? Is she alive? I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity and fear that King captured of a boy alone in a house with his dying grandmother. This story felt very real to me. (3 stars).
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet - Another fun story describing an editor’s trip to crazytown. Magical elves are living in your typewriter and they are very sensitive to electricity. (3.5 stars).
The Reach - Another tale I could not get into. I read the first five pages and the only thing I was looking forward to was the end of the book. (1.5 stars).
The Mist - More of a novella than a short story and I believe this is the longest
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tale in the Skeleton Crew combo pack. A mysterious mist engulfs a small Maine town. An interesting play on characters, as all types are trapped in a market together. (3.5 stars).Here There Be Tygers - Terrible. A young boy needs to use the bathroom and there is a tiger in waiting. (1 star).
The Monkey - Who among us is not terrified of those crazy-eyed, demonic-grinning, cymbal-toting monkeys? When you hear the cymbals crash together death is inevitable. (3 stars).
Cain Rose Up - A disturbing tale. A young college boy unleashes his wrath on campus. Short but powerful. (3.5 stars).
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut - An old man shares the tale of a young woman on a constant quest for the shortest route from point A to point B. You may think the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but what happens if you fold the map? (3 stars).
The Jaunt - More sci-fi than horror. It is the future and teleportation is the way to travel. A bit of a stretch from Mr. King's usual work, but I found it quite enjoyable (3.5 stars).
The Wedding Gig - A Dixieland group is hired to play at a mobster wedding. Gunfire ensues. Average story. (2.5 stars).
Paranoid: A chant - Read the first stanza and stopped. Not my cup of tea (1.5 stars).
The Raft - This short story is also represented in one of the Creepshow movies. It could be the memories of watching the movie as a kid, but I really like this story. Two college couples head out to the lake for one last hurrah and meet with something unexpected. (3.5 stars).
Word Processor of the Gods - A fun story. Imagine if you had a computer that let you delete or insert something in your real life with just a keystroke. Would you change your life with riches or with something a little more personal? (3.5 stars).
The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands - If you are curious about this one, there is a not so subtle hint in the title of the story. That's right, he would not shake hands. (2.5 stars).
Beachworld - I could not get into this one. I read the first few pages and skipped ahead to the next story. (1.5 stars).
The Reaper's Image - A mirror, a mystery and a man. A very short story about an old mirror that shows some people an unexplainable view of 'The Reaper'. Another average story in this tome. (2.5 stars).
Nona - A prisoner recalls his crimes. He would like you to believe that a ghost led him on his murder spree. Was it a ghost or insanity? (3 stars).
For Owen - A poem that I lost interest in before I started. (1 star).
Survivor Type - Now, this is Stephen King! A man is stranded on a deserted Island with a ton of heroin and no food or drink. Eventually, our 'protagonist' has to choose between starvation and self-cannibalization. (4 stars).
Uncle Otto's Truck - Uncle Otto thought the truck was trying to kill him. Was it the truck or a guilty conscience that finally gets him in the end? (2.5 stars).
Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1) - Weird stuff. A milkman is doing his rounds and while delivering dairy products he also delivers murder. The main character is very candid, almost likeable... until you figure out he is a psychopath. (3 stars).
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2) - Two drunks set off on a mission for vehicle registration. They drink, drink again and then drive home. However, on the way home they run into the Milkman (see above). Tragedy is soon to follow. (2 stars).
Gramma - There is more to "Gramma" than meets the eye. Is she dead? Is she alive? I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity and fear that King captured of a boy alone in a house with his dying grandmother. This story felt very real to me. (3 stars).
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet - Another fun story describing an editor’s trip to crazytown. Magical elves are living in your typewriter and they are very sensitive to electricity. (3.5 stars).
The Reach - Another tale I could not get into. I read the first five pages and the only thing I was looking forward to was the end of the book. (1.5 stars).
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LibraryThing member Aelianna
Just reading The Mist for now.
LibraryThing member santhony
A collection of short stories, some of which are outstanding and some of which are less so.
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
The best collection from King as far as short stories go. Love it. Haven't read it in ages, but I don't recall a single clunker. The most memorable for me is Survivor Type.
LibraryThing member mimiwi
It doesn't get much better than Stephen King short stories. I read these the first time in high school and was completely freaked out. Who else can make us afraid of such normal, everyday objects? Steven King is truly the master of written horror.
LibraryThing member bdgamer
Most of the stories in this collection were great. 'The Mist' is the obvious standout, but other stories of equal measure include 'The jaunt', 'The Raft', and 'The Raft', among others.
Highly recommended if you're looking for a good dose of horror, science fiction, and just regular human drama.
Highly recommended if you're looking for a good dose of horror, science fiction, and just regular human drama.
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Four novellas in one, each a little different and creepy. Ably narrated, each...stories range from visceral and gruesome to slow and ponderous. The short stories are a bit difficult to follow if you only listen occasionally--probably better if you do each one all at once. The author crams a lot of
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detail into each story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lukerik
A mixed bag, both in genre and quality.
There are two shockingly bad, but mercifully brief, poems. Tellingly, they hadn't been published previously.
Two embarrassingly bad science fiction stories. The central idea of The Jaunt is good but the execution is poor. Beachworld is amateurish in conception
Some, like the Milkman stories are just BORING.
But there are some good ones. The Reach is very nicely written. The sort of thing you'd half wish weren't technically horror, if the ghost story genre weren't so respectable. Word Processor of the Gods is fun, as is The Raft. The best is The Mist I think. More of a short novel than a short story (I love both but King generally excels at the former than the latter), and very dark. Here even religion leads to madness and death
There are two shockingly bad, but mercifully brief, poems. Tellingly, they hadn't been published previously.
Two embarrassingly bad science fiction stories. The central idea of The Jaunt is good but the execution is poor. Beachworld is amateurish in conception
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and execution.Some, like the Milkman stories are just BORING.
But there are some good ones. The Reach is very nicely written. The sort of thing you'd half wish weren't technically horror, if the ghost story genre weren't so respectable. Word Processor of the Gods is fun, as is The Raft. The best is The Mist I think. More of a short novel than a short story (I love both but King generally excels at the former than the latter), and very dark. Here even religion leads to madness and death
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LibraryThing member srboone
Not all the short stories in thsi collection are winners, but collectively they are quite unnerving.