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Skeleton Crew

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 48,469 ratings · 616 reviews

In this brilliant collection of stories, Stephen King takes readers down paths that only he could imagine...A supermarket becomes the place where humanity makes its last stand against destruction...a trip to the attic becomes a journey to hell...a woman driver finds a scary shortcut to paradise...an idyllic lake harbors a bottomless evil...and a desert island is the scene

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Paperback, 573 pages

Published June 3rd 1986 by Signet (first published June 21st 1985)

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Mar 15, 2012 Stefan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

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 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 wit...more

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Aug 01, 2008 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king

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)

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Sep 14, 2007 Tracey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of the short story, whether you're new to Stephen King's works or not

"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 fury of the storm. Some people think this s...more

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Jul 17, 2008 Charles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

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

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Jun 08, 2008 Meen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it, fiction, dark-scary-or-mysterious-shit, essays-short-stories-collections

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-to-be decea...more

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Dec 05, 2008 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hardback

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 all-time SK fav short story. "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" is an awe...more

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Oct 30, 2007 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: horror, short-story

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 enjoy those stories more...more

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Jun 28, 2007 Kimmah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: horror fans

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 time as a very...more

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Sep 29, 2012 ~Geektastic~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-suspense, story-collections, 2012

I never finished reading this collection (I lost my copy during a move a couple of years back and only found it again recently). I do recall that it contains one of my all-time favorite King short stories, The Jaunt. Part speculative fiction, part interstellar adventure, it blew my mind and scared the hell out of me. I dreamed about it for a good week after I read it. If that isn't good horror writing, what is?
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(9/29/2012: finished. Actual review...more

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May 21, 2008 Bob Fingerman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: stephen-king, in-private-library

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 creative writing textbook, I can't recall whic...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Elon G added it · review of another edition

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Mar 14, 2013 Abbie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: with-questionable-content, up-all-night-reads, horror

My goodness. I found an old copy of this book at the bookshop and decided to read it because I can never seem to finish a full Stephen King novel without getting bored or confused. So there are 22 short stories in this book. Some of these left me wanting for more, some left me frustrated, some were mildly terrifying, and some satiated my appetite for horrorific paranormal events.

The Monkey was one of my favorites. It was about a cymbal-banging monkey toy that brought death to an unsuspecting fa...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the introduction to Skeleton Crew (1985), his second collection of stories, King pokes fun at his penchant for "literary elephantiasis," makes scatological jokes about his muse, confesses how much money he makes (gross and net), and tells a story about getting arrested one time when he was "suffused with the sort of towering, righteous rage that only drunk undergraduates can feel." He winds up with an invitation to a scary voyage: "Grab onto my arm now. Hold tight. We are going into a number

...more

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Jan 12, 2013 H rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed some of the short stories in this book (I haven't read the "Bullet," which according to other reviews, I should, one or any of the 'poems' but I can't stand reading poetry).

"The Raft" - This was a lot of fun to read. It's almost like watching a movie - you get so into it, you forget you are reading. It reminded me of watching a cheesy horror film where all the teens are doomed to a grisly fate, but I never thought that the "thing" that gets them could possibly be so frightening...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Nick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-challenge, read-but-unowned

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:[return][return]The Mist - More of a novella than a short story and I believe this is the longest 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).[return]...more 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:[return][return]The Mist - More of a novella than a short story and I believe this is the longest 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).[return][return]Here There Be Tygers - Terrible. A young boy needs to use the bathroom and there is a tiger in waiting. (1 star).[return][return]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).[return][return]Cain Rose Up - A disturbing tale. A young college boy unleashes his wrath on campus. Short but powerful. (3.5 stars).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]The Wedding Gig - A Dixieland group is hired to play at a mobster wedding. Gunfire ensues. Average story. (2.5 stars).[return][return]Paranoid: A chant - Read the first stanza and stopped. Not my cup of tea (1.5 stars).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]Beachworld - I could not get into this one. I read the first few pages and skipped ahead to the next story. (1.5 stars).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]For Owen - A poem that I lost interest in before I started. (1 star).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).[return][return]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).(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Marvin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

King's second short fiction collection. These are fully formed, mature fiction unlike the excellent but uneven stories that appeared in his first collection, Night Shift. Some of my favorite King tales are here including "The Raft", "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut", "The Monkey", and "The Reach". But the hightlight is the novella (novelette?), "The Mist", one of King's most creepy and successful voyages into science-fiction horror.

A comment about the story "Survivor Type". I find the story behind this tal...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Marcelis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My opinion is that Stephen King's best works are his short stories. Given enough rope, Stephen is the kind of author that can come up with a real egg of an ending. I find that the short format doesn't give him an opportunity to go astray. If he does go astray, you haven't invested too much energy in the story so you can just move on to the next one.

There is a feeling of bread-and-butter, "this is my job" in the collection found within 'Skeleton Crew'. You get to read King's work produced when h...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 a shiver. Clearly, due to the co...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Asra Ghouse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who like horror!

Shelves: thrillers

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 short stori...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Juushika rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: status-owned

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 hidden co...more 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 hidden corners in "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" (which reminds me of Caitlín R. Kiernan's work), the brutal violence of "The Raft," and the particularly gruesome premise of "Survivor Type" make each story stand out as unique and compelling.

But while I did enjoy those selections, and while I find I prefer King in short form, King is almost never short and it does his work few favors. King mentions in the notes (568), "this disease I haveliterary elephantiasis," and it pervades his work. Sometimes it destroys the story's realism, as in "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet" where in an oral story drags on for unrealistic hours; more often, it just weakens the storytelling itself. Sometimes King uses his excess length to build exceptional tension, as in "Gramma," but his penchant for shock and violence tends to shatter that carefully created atmosphere. Frequently, the excess length leads to repetition. "Nona" begins by contrasting intense violence against raw humanity, an effective combinationbut thirty pages later, King has told his protagonist's entire backstory and hammered his themes into the ground and "Nona" has lost all of its magic.

I've often taken issue with King's fictionsometimes for these reasons, sometimes for others, but often it boils down to his excessive length. I love long novels, but I rarely find that King uses his wordcount well. Skeleton Crew was an above-average personal foray into King's oeuvre: there are stories here that I authentically enjoy, and I think that a short form does benefit his work. Perhaps I should stick with King's short fiction in the futurebut perhaps I should finally learn to avoid him altogether. This is, after all, a reoccurring problem: I want to enjoy King's work, but rarely do. Still, I enjoyed this collection more than usual and give it a moderate recommendationand readers who appreciate King's style may enjoy it even more.(less)

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Sep 03, 2010 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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. Half were written with t...more

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Mar 23, 2010 Rachel McCready rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 anesthetized before teleport...more

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Nov 06, 2009 Kmcleod added it

Shelves: 2009-q2

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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Apr 30, 2012 Andres rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Honestly I'm only just finishing up the last couple of stories in this book, a couple of years now after I had started the book. Only one was good enough for me to want to reread, and the rest were quick enough to finish up easy enough. Since this is essentially an anthology, I'll do my thing and point out the stories that I think are worth pointing out!

The Mist
I remember reading this in preparation of watching the movie (I have the need to read the book before watching the movie whenever possib...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Robyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, old-faves

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

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Oct 05, 2007 Caroline Rietz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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.

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Nov 24, 2011 Lucy Furr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: constant-reader, short-story-collections

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.

The good stories...more

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May 05, 2012 Donald Kendall (The Goremet) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king-goremet-selections

This collection is bookended by tales where weather is an extreme factor: The Mist and The Reach. In each story death rides in the mist or the snowstorm and the characters face it whether they want to or not. I fell in love with this collection that reads as neat and as powerful as any novel when I hit that last tale. Like Insomnia old age is the theme and I found myself saddened and glorified by King's ending to this great book. My wife was in the hospital with pregnancy problems and The Reach...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Tonina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: short-stories, contemporary-fantasy, did-not-fulfill-my-expectations, marvelous-world-building, spooks-and-specters-and-ghosts-oh

I have always loved Stephen King's short stories and novellas. His novels are often bloated (with some terrific notable exceptions, like the early books in the Dark Tower series), but he has a true gift for shorter works. One of my favorite books of all time is one of his other early SS collections, Night Shift. He swiftly brings his SS settings and characters to real, palpable life and sends you spiraling down into whatever enjoyably bizarre plot he's conjured up without even the slightest paus...more

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About Stephen King

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of the elderly couple. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He and Tabitha Spruce married in January of 1971. He met Tabitha in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono, where they both worked as students. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many of these were later gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.(less)

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Quotes from Skeleton Crew

“A short story is a different thing all together - a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger.” — 1,234 people liked it

“There are things of such darkness and horror—just, I suppose, as there are things of such great beauty—that they will not fit through the puny human doors of perception.” — 19 people liked it

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