This is Stephen King's first short story collection published. It contains 20 stories. I had two that I did not like at all and five that I loved.

Jerusalem's Lot: 3.5 stars, kind of a prequel to 'Salem's Lot, written in letters, slow but creepy

Graveyard Shift: 1 stars, set in a factory, mutated rats are bloodthirsty, really did not enjoy this one at all

Night Surf: 4 stars, set up for The Stand

I Am the Doorway: 5 stars, a man is being controlled by some kind of creature and now has eyes on his hands

The Mangler: 4.5 stars, haunted machine in a factory

The Boogeyman: 4 stars, a man tells his therapist how his kids died

Gray Matter: 3 stars, an alcoholic becomes less human

Battleground: 2.5 stars, an assassin is attacked by toy soldiers

Trucks: 3 stars, trucks come to life to kill people, follows a few people hiding in a diner

Sometimes They Come Back: 5 stars, a teacher has experiences with ghosts from his past

Strawberry Spring: 5 stars, girls are being killed on campus

The Ledge: 3.5 stars, a man is challenged to walk around the ledge of a very tall skyscraper

The Lawnmower Man: 2 stars, a man hires a lawn service, one of the weirdest things I have read in my life

Quitters, Inc.: 4 stars, a man learns of a company that will allow him to quit smoking

I Know What You Need: 5 stars, a girl gets close to a guy with a strange past

Children of the Corn: 4 stars, evil kids in the middle of Nebraska need to appease the corn with sacrifices

The Last Rung of the Ladder: 4 stars, a man receives a letter from his sister and it prompts a memory from their childhood

The Man Who Loved Flowers: 5 stars, everyone assumes that the man walking down the street is in love

One for the Road: 4 stars, a short sequel to 'Salem's Lot

A Woman in the Room: 1 star, deals with a son trying to help his sick mother ( )

This is Stephen King's first short story collection published. It contains 20 stories. I had two that I did not like at all and five that I loved.

Jerusalem's Lot: 3.5 stars, kind of a prequel to 'Salem's Lot, written in letters, slow but creepy

Graveyard Shift: 1 stars, set in a factory, mutated rats are bloodthirsty, really did not enjoy this one at all

Night Surf: 4 stars, set up for The Stand

I Am the Doorway: 5 stars, a man is being controlled by some kind of creature and now has eyes on his hands

The Mangler: 4.5 stars, haunted machine in a factory

The Boogeyman: 4 stars, a man tells his therapist how his kids died

Gray Matter: 3 stars, an alcoholic becomes less human

Battleground: 2.5 stars, an assassin is attacked by toy soldiers

Trucks: 3 stars, trucks come to life to kill people, follows a few people hiding in a diner

Sometimes They Come Back: 5 stars, a teacher has experiences with ghosts from his past

Strawberry Spring: 5 stars, girls are being killed on campus

The Ledge: 3.5 stars, a man is challenged to walk around the ledge of a very tall skyscraper

The Lawnmower Man: 2 stars, a man hires a lawn service, one of the weirdest things I have read in my life

Quitters, Inc.: 4 stars, a man learns of a company that will allow him to quit smoking

I Know What You Need: 5 stars, a girl gets close to a guy with a strange past

Children of the Corn: 4 stars, evil kids in the middle of Nebraska need to appease the corn with sacrifices

The Last Rung of the Ladder: 4 stars, a man receives a letter from his sister and it prompts a memory from their childhood

The Man Who Loved Flowers: 5 stars, everyone assumes that the man walking down the street is in love

One for the Road: 4 stars, a short sequel to 'Salem's Lot

A Woman in the Room: 1 star, deals with a son trying to help his sick mother ( )

You know what? Stephen King can write pretty well. That shouldn't surprise me, but... damn. ( )

Well it seems that I don't have the shelves to properly cover my horror/gore reading habit. I need to create a whole new account to cover all the non-romance/urban fantasy/chick-lit/new adult/pnr/smut books that I tend to read.

I tend to yo-yo between horror fiction and romance genres. As far as horror goes, I cut my teeth on Stephen King as a kid and have been reading and re-reading his books ever since. I can always pick up one of his books that I have read multiple times.

This particular book is classic King when he was still kind of new. This anthology contains a little bit of everything.

Sci-fi- when the astronaut comes back with an "extra" passenger who is slowly taking him over. See the cover of this edition for a hint.

Gore- When a dad cracks open a cold one that tastes "off", he begins to drastically change not only his eating habits but his entire form.

Supernatural- what happens when modern day substitutes of an old world demon summoning spell accidentally finds their way onto (and into) a behemoth of a factory sheet presser.

Coming of Age- a college aged "Mr. Too-perfect" has a secret way of making sure his girlfriend gets whatever she needs exactly when she doesn't even know she needs it.

Horror- when the "Boogeyman" is real and Mom and Dad won't believe.

Contemporary - Quitters Inc. makes sure that those who join, never smoke again...no matter what.

Those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head. Seriously this is a great book for when you need a little something to keep you occupied for short bursts, but it is good enough to read in one sitting. Sure its "old" but the stories and themes are timeless!

I feel a reread coming on. ( )

Intro by John D. MacDonald! ( )