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Aug 01, 2008

Karen rated it:

There are two short stories that I read over and over. The Mist has always been a favorite, and I can't believe how many people haven't read Survivor Type! It's awesome!

I've lost three copies of this from lending it out. Don't ask--you can't borrow it! ;o)

3 comments like (10 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Tracey rated it:

"A short story is a different thing all together - a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger." -- from the Introduction to Skeleton Crew

It had been a while since I revisited King's short story collections, and for the most part, I wasn't disappointed.

"The Mist" is more a novella than a short story, at about 125 pages. Since I grew up living at a cottage on Lake Michigan in the summers, I could relate to the small-town feel and the blind More...

1 comment like (5 people liked it)

Jul 17, 2008

Charles rated it:

A collection of short stories. I actually think some of King's best work is done in the short form.

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jun 08, 2008

Mindy rated it:

As I've said in other S.K. reviews, I adore his short story and/or novella collections. This is an older one so I have read it more than the others, and many of the stories are etched in my consciousness. "The Mist" was so disturbing every time I read it, and I dreaded seeing what a mess they would make of it with the film, but it turned out to be quite good (very true to the story). S.K.'s very good at cultivating apocalyptic malaise, and the image of the hero's house (with his soon-t More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 05, 2008

Susan rated it:

Some of his best short stories appear in this collection! As well as one of his best novellas.

"The Mist" was one of those stories that stays with you -- probably as much because nothing is really explained and the ending is so open (which they screwed up in the movie -- Frank Darabont's first major SK screwup). Oh, well. I still like the novella.

"Gramma" is probably his creepiest story ever, IMHO. "Here There Be Tygers" is my absolute al More...

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Oct 30, 2007

Mary rated it:

Another wonderful collection from King.

I'm a huge fan of his, but this collection of short stories is probably my favorite. The Mist alone is worth the price of the book; I have never been so creeped out and upset by a story in my life as I was when I finished that story. It's more of a novella, really, but it's so good that it doesn't feel long at all.

There are also a few stories that illustrate King's ability to write a story that isn't horror. Oddly enough, I almost e More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jun 28, 2007

Kimmah rated it:

Stephen King truly shines as a short story teller. He can weave entire worlds in just a few pages. I first read these stories when I was very young. I started reading the stories in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep (as usual). It happened to be storming that night when I first started reading, "The Mist." Needless to say for those of you that have read the story, it made quite an impression on me. I was scared breathless when the power went out in my house at the same More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 21, 2008

Bob rated it:

Does King really need a review from the likes of me? No, but I'll throw in my two cents. The centerpiece of this collection is "The Mist", which I revisited after seeing Frank Darabont's excellent film adaptation. The story, which I hadn't read since I was in junior high (or was it my first year in H.S.?) holds up very well. It's solid King at his best. Durable, built to last. The rest of the collection is mostly hit (with a few forgivable misses written in his late teens).

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Aug 09, 2007

Cassa rated it:

Forgive my faint dishonesty; I read the hardcover of this book, but this is the cover art it had.

"The Mist" was a little longer than it needed to be, but it was a good story nonetheless. I liked that it was humorous as well; even though it was frightening, I could laugh at the fact that there was an old lady with a can of Raid killing the mutant prehistoric bugs.

"Here There be Tygers" surprised me; turns out I've read it years ago in a literature or cr More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 07, 2012

Dan rated it:

The 9th tale in this story, "The Raft," is one of my all-time favorite short stories. I read it randomly in 6th grade, though I can't recall where I got the book from. The film "CREEPSHOW 2" does a decent job (on zero budget) adapting it but the way King wrote it makes it (surprise!) a tough project since a lot of the best parts are just Randy's interpretations of the oil slick and its overwhelming malevolence.

This story is trippy, and its ending leaves you with More...

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Jul 25, 2011

Asra rated it:

I reverted back to writing the traditional way, thanks to this book. Stepehen King stirred the old writer in me. So inspiring is his work. One just has to read it and savour it. For instance this particular quote of his from, 'Mrs Todd's Shortcut'

There is zero and there is eternity, and there is mortality, but there is no ultimate.

has captivated me. I just cannot get over it. Simplicity and thoughtfulness all in a sentence. Flawless and effortless.

Skeleton Crew is a collection of 22 More...

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Dec 21, 2010

Juushika rated it:

I approached Skeleton Crew in the hope that I might like King's work better in short form, where his intriguing stories wouldn't be deadened by the weight of a doorstop novel. And there are intriguing stories to be had, here. Unlike most single-author collections, Skeleton Crew doesn't suffer from repetition. King's imagination is vast and in plot, theme, and occasionally style his stories are varied, keeping this collection fresh to the end. "The Mist"'s shrouded monsters, the world's More...

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Sep 03, 2010

Concord Newfree rated it:

Not every one of these was knocked out of the park, but they were almost all good solid stories with that wonderful working-class insight that you wish he could bottle and sell to every wannabe writer out there.

Backhanded compliment time.

From what I understand, about half of these stories were written when King was broke, and half when he was a millionaire. Half were written in a sweaty trailer with nothing more than a manual typewriter and his spouse acting as editor More...

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Mar 23, 2010

Rachel rated it:

Skeleton Crew is a selection of short stories, most of which are from the eighties or so. These stories shine, for me, in their depiction of characters. I find it so easy to get invested in these characters because of King's cunning use of interior dialogue, believable dialogue between characters, and focus on the details that really matter.

My favorite story in this collection is called "The Jaunt." It's a sci-fi short story which takes place as a family waits to be ane More...

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Nov 06, 2009

Kmcleod added it

There are many great short stories in the book Skeleton Crew but my favorite is the first story, The Mist. The story begins in a small town in Maine, where a violent storm is tearing its way through the town. A man, his wife, and his son are out looking at the damage when they come to the lake behind their house and notice a mysterious fog on the other side. Thinking nothing of it, the man and his son go to the store to get a few things. While they are in the store, the fog makes its way to the More...

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Mar 27, 2011

Robyn rated it:

This is probably my favorite book of short stories from the author.There is a whole plethora of different kinds of scares in this book, pretty much something for every flavor of horror fan. Some stories have stronger Science fiction elements (such as the Jaunt, my favorite story in this book) others are more mystical, (Mrs. Todd's Shortcut is surreal, enigmatic and ethereal) or contain that chilling Stephen King realism (like the stark narrative of Cain rose Up.), where sometimes people just go More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 05, 2007

Caroline rated it:

I only read this book so that I can read The Mist. I have read some of the other short stories, but none are as enjoyable as The Mist. I've read this over & over.

There was another short story, The Raft, that I believe is in this book. I have lent out the book so I can't go back and check. I have read this one a few times too. I constantly think about what I would do. Personally, I would have shoved the girl in, and swam like hell while the "black spot" consumed her.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 24, 2011

Lucy rated it:

I’ve always said Stephen King is the master of the short story, and really, with the exception of some of his longer works, short stories are where he truly shines, if for no other reason than he doesn’t really have the time and space to drift off into literary ramblings (and I say that as a huge Stephen King fan). In my opinion, Everything’s Eventual and Just After Sunset are his best collections of short stories. This one, Skeleton Crew falls to the bottom of the list for me.

Th More...

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Sep 11, 2011

Mark rated it:

It's a shame, as collections go, that this had to follow the terrific "Night Shift", but this gives it a run for it's money. Starting with the exemplary "The Mist", this has some terrific short fiction in it, of which I'd suggest "Here There Be Tygers", The Raft", Nona" and "Survivor Type" are worth the price of purchase alone.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 24, 2010

Laura Karina rated it:

The Spanish Edition by Sudamericana of "Skeleton Crew" was actually split in (at least) three books... so I will review them individually, even tho I switched to the 'full' edition.

One was "Historias Fantasticas", of about 200ish pages, which I hated (originally rated it just one star); I can't say I liked ANY of the stories there.

The second one, "La Expedicion", which also has about 200 pages. The first story and another one inside were ok. More...

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Mar 28, 2011

Jason rated it:

Hadn't read this in about 20 years (high school was that long ago?) and picked it up again in anticipation of the movie version of "The Mist" and am happy to say that the stories, for the most part, held up extremely well, particularly "The Mist" which has remained one of my favorite King stories through the years.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 13, 2011

Sam rated it:

Another spine chilling collection of short stories from the horror master himself, although some of the stories are more supernatural thrillers than all out horrors but King writes both genres brilliantly. If you going to read this read the Mist first, all I'm saying is it will haunt you...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 25, 2008

Daviyd rated it:

Skeleton Crew for fans of Stephen King like myself is like a kid in a candy store knowing that the candy you eat - might eat you...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 03, 2008

Heather rated it:

good short stories

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 09, 2010

Sara rated it:

The Mist: I checked this book out from the library because I really wanted to read this story. I remember seeing movie trailers in the theater for the movie, and I thought that it might be a just okay movie. So instead of wasting my money at the theater, I borrowed the book and I'm glad I did. It was a story that kept me reading and entertained until the end. Be warned, this is one of those endings where it leaves you with your imagination and you have to create the ending you want; its very amb More...

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Apr 20, 2009

Tim rated it:

Got this for $1 at a garage sale a couple years ago; started it sometime last August. And as you know, I use books of short stories to "clear my palate" between novels. As usual, the stories are somewhat uneven, but generally quite good and always entertaining. This has "The Mist," which is quite close to the movie save for a sadder ending in the movie (and, to my mind, a more satisfying one). He also dabbles in Science Fiction in "Jaunt," and carries it off quite w More...

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Jan 02, 2011

John rated it:

Short story compilations are almost always hit-and-miss, but this well-written and enjoyable collection from Stephen King who, credit where it’s due, has mastered the short story along with the full-length novel, offers readers 22 tales to tantalize the imagination. Two of my favorites are included in this book: The Mist, which is long enough to be classed as a stand-alone novella, and The Raft, a gore-fest in which two young couples become prey to a hungry creature in a secluded lake that at fi More...

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Nov 25, 2008

Holly rated it:

There were a few stories in this book that I didn't really get into, but there were more that I really liked so that's why it gets 5 stars. I love his short stories. I can't wait to get Just After Sunset!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 23, 2011

SmarterLilac rated it:

How can any lover of horror not adore Skeleton Crew? This collection is so excellent. I'm not sure which part I love best, though King's highly underrated poetry is probably right up there.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 13, 2011

Austin rated it:

Published in 1985, Skeleton Crew is Stephen King's second collection of short stories. With 19 short stories, a novella, and two poems, it's a pretty diverse selection too.

My favorite story in the collection (and also the longest) was "The Mist." It's an apocalyptic tale of survival that takes place in the most common of places, a supermarket. Other stories that stood out to me were "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" and "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet."

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