I have to be honest, L.T.'s Theory of Pets was not good. I'm not sure I recall the exact details of the story, but I remember thinking that if King wanted to explore the cat-vs.-dog-person debate, he could have ended it -- again, I don't recall much, but -- by having either the dog or the cat cause the misfortune for the character in question at the end. To me, unless I misunderstood it, the ending was irrelevant to the rest of the tale (and the theory). I tell you, if you have the word "theory" in a title, especially for a story by someone like King, I expect some supernatural/sci-fi-type of thing to occur.
Favorite King Short Story?
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Yes - where to start? I do love SK's short stories.
The ones that come to mind as my favorites are:
The Body (aka Stand By me)
Secret Window, Secret Garden
Dolan's Cadillac
The Sun Dog
The ones that come to mind as my favorites are:
The Body (aka Stand By me)
Secret Window, Secret Garden
Dolan's Cadillac
The Sun Dog
I'm on record as saying I like King's short stories better than his novels, although that's only a relative claim, I like them all.
There are dozens I like, but one that has stuck with me was an early one I read when I was a teenager, simply because of the creepiness and shock of it.
The Lawnmower Man from Night Shift.
There are dozens I like, but one that has stuck with me was an early one I read when I was a teenager, simply because of the creepiness and shock of it.
The Lawnmower Man from Night Shift.
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
I liked Big Driver and Apt Pupil
Chattery Teeth was another I enjoyed a lot.
Oh yes - Gingerbread Girl - another excellent story!
Chattery Teeth was another I enjoyed a lot.
Oh yes - Gingerbread Girl - another excellent story!
I happen to love "The Wedding Gig" it did not have a lot of horror, but it was violent. I also like "Quitters Inc.", "The Last Rung on the Ladder", "You Know They Have a Hell Of a Band", "The Jaunt" and "Gramma"
It's not my favorite, but, I am in the middle of reading Big Driver. I was worried none of the FD/NS stories would be as good as 1922 - but I am equally impressed and "involved" in Big Driver. I'm not done yet, but, am anxious to see how it turns out, though, I have a suspicion.....
Some of my favorites are all in the same collection:
Here There Be Tygers
The Reapers Image
The Reach
and my favorite of all time:
The Breathing Method
Here There Be Tygers
The Reapers Image
The Reach
and my favorite of all time:
The Breathing Method
The Last Rung on The Ladder and Strawberry Spring (that last line!) are tied as my favorite King short story.
The Nameless
M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
I feel like I just turned over 2 pages at once here, I haven't read either of those 2 stories, but Spring-heeled Jack is a demonic figure from Engish folklore, last seen in my neck of the woods. Has Stephen wrote about this or have I got my wires crossed?
Spring-heeled Jack - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It's not Springheel'ed' Jack but rather Springheel Jack who is a fictional serial killer that appears in the short story "Strawberry Spring" from the book "NightShift". The story takes place somewhere at a college in New England in the late 60's.... and is titled after the weird warm weather and fake spring with fog that the town was experiencing when the murders began.
The Nameless
M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Ah, thankee sai lily. I really should read more short stories, I got off on the wrong foot with them (here there be tigers and Crouch End were the 1st ones I read and didn't really like them) but started getting into them by reading some from everything's eventual.
Does anyone else pick through short stories or do you tend to read the whole book?
The Night Flier
One For The Road
The Mist
The Bogeyman
Battleground
One For The Road
The Mist
The Bogeyman
Battleground
Oh, that's a toughie. Lemme ponder...ugh...so many.
Tell ya, I'm gonna go with Survivor Type. Dear lord in heaven, that's gotta be the horror story to end all horror stories. Kids today, they hear Steve King, they think, "oh, that goofy old cat who writes those prison movies?"
No. This is the King I cut my teeth on. Short, sweet, and mean...not to mention a 10 on the gross-out scale. Top that, snowflake.
Tell ya, I'm gonna go with Survivor Type. Dear lord in heaven, that's gotta be the horror story to end all horror stories. Kids today, they hear Steve King, they think, "oh, that goofy old cat who writes those prison movies?"
No. This is the King I cut my teeth on. Short, sweet, and mean...not to mention a 10 on the gross-out scale. Top that, snowflake.
Probably a tie between Survivor Type and Children of the Corn. I have a big soft spot for The Mist, too.
Anyone else like "The Things They Left Behind"?
One of King's most emotional and moving.
One of King's most emotional and moving.
I am guessing "The Long Walk" does not fall under short story? Because I cant believe it was not mentioned here after six pages of comments.
I've always considered it a novel-- it was released as a novel in '79.