For almost fifty years, Stephen King has been known as a master of literary and cinematic horror who writes some of the most chilling short stories in the genre. While nearly every short story and novella King crafts is close to terrifying perfection, some are undoubtedly better than others. Here are five of Stephen King’s best short stories and novellas.
Starting in 1982 with the late George A. Romero’s Creepshow based on “Weeds” and “The Crate,” adaptations of his short horror stories skyrocketed in the genre. King even directed a film adapted from his story, “Trucks”, in 1986, titled Maximum Overdrive. While his feature-length directorial debut did not garner much success, Stand By Me, adapted from “The Body”, released that same year, and is known as one of the best translations of King’s writing to film.
While the filmography of adaptations grows exponentially, King’s bibliography continues to expand with short stories that showcase his legendary status in the genre. On April 21, 2020, If It Bleeds released to the public with four never before seen short stories and novellas. Many of his collections include writing far beyond that number. Regardless, King has written and published over two-hundred short stories in his lifetime. Here are some of the best Stephen King short stories to date.
“The Mist”
Stephen King’s novella “The Mist” first appeared in a horror anthology titled Dark Forces in 1980. It was the longest story in the collection, and was featured alongside stories by Ray Bradbury and Joyce Carol Oates. King put the edited version of the original in his 1985 collection, Skeleton Crew. He originally titled the story “The Fog”, but changed it after John Carpenter released his iconic 1980 film of the same name. The story follows a large group of people who are trapped in a local supermarket shortly after a violent thunderstorm leaves a supernatural mist that engulfs their town of Bridgton, Maine.
Within the mist there are creatures of unknown origins that slowly pick off members of the group until some survivors leave and drive off into uncertain territory. It is a novella that fans of King's stories have revisited numerous times; it has also undergone two adaptations: Frank Darabont’s 2007 film, The Mist, and Christian Torpe’s 2017 television series of the same name. The only thing that could make this novella better is if it were longer. It is a haunting story that leaves the reader on an unforgettable cliffhanger. In true King fashion, the mundane becomes the terrifying when a natural occurrence, like fog or mist, turns into a supernatural nightmare.
“Graveyard Shift”
In October 1970, a 23-year-old Stephen King published the short story, “Graveyard Shift”, in a magazine. Eight years later, he put it with his collection titled Night Shift. Set in Maine, the story follows a young man named Hall who works at a textile mill and is asked to do a massive clean-up job with his fellow crew members. They uncover that the mill is overrun with a rat empire, including an ecosystem they have created in order to sustain themselves. It culminates with Hall being eaten alive by rats and the remaining workers above descending into the unknown.
A common theme in these short stories is the idea of the unknown. King’s artful ability in crafting a story that sticks with the reader even after its over is what makes him a master of the genre. “Graveyard Shift” is one of the best short stories King has ever written and was adapted to film in 1990 by Ralph S. Singleton. It disgusts, disturbs, and entertains even fifty years after its initial publication. “Graveyard Shift” proves that, even at such a young age, Stephen King was destined to become the legend he is today.
“The Boogeyman”
In 1973, Stephen King’s “The Boogeyman” was featured in the same magazine as “Graveyard Shift” and also appeared alongside it in the Night Shift collection. The story follows a psychiatrist named Dr. Harper whose patient, Lester Billings, confides in him about the mysterious deaths of his three children. Before they died, each child yelled out “Boogeyman!” It ends with Dr. Harper revealing himself as the boogeyman who took the lives of Billings’ children. This story in particular is one of King’s most underrated, as it takes a classic fear of the unknown boogeyman and transforms it into a figure who is meant to comfort those in distress.
Currently, the writers of A Quiet Place, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, are in the process of adapting “The Boogeyman” to film. As of May 2020, the two have not publicly stated when the new King film will release. Regardless, it is worth the wait, as the short story is one that will undoubtedly transfer well to film with all of its horrific elements.
“The Life Of Chuck”
One of King's most recently released short stories, “The Life Of Chuck” is less horrific than some of the others, but more thought-provoking. It was published in 2020’s If It Bleeds and follows the life of a man named Charles “Chuck” Krantz in reverse. The story starts with the deterioration of Chuck’s mental state due to a brain tumor and ultimately ends with his childhood when he discovers a dark family secret. It is unlike anything that King has written in the past, and deserves to be showcased due to this fact alone. “The Life Of Chuck” is a unique take on the tenderness of the human spirit and the suffering that surrounds the early death of a loved one. King went above and beyond for this story in particular as the horrors that are present are solely based in the reader’s self-reflection on the themes. It provokes the reader to think deeply on both life and the meaning of existence.
“The Body”
Published in 1982’s Different Seasons, “The Body” follows a group of young boys when they discover a dead body. Each of the boys come from families that are either abusive or dysfunctional. During their journey to find a missing boy named Ray Brower, they learn to overcome their hardships and accept the harsh realities of life. It is not until they find Ray’s lifeless body that they confront the meaning of life and death. After the short story was published, it was adapted into a coming of age film by director Rob Reiner in 1986, titled Stand By Me.
The story reveals the realities of youth and all of its turmoil. While children are perceived as inherently innocent and ignorant to the realities of life, King makes the reader confront the fact that they are much more concerned with these concepts than perceived. It is by far one of King’s greatest works as it showcases his ability to capture real-life with all of its moments of horror and distress.
While there are over two-hundred short stories and novellas to read, these five are undoubtedly King’s best as they reinvent the wheel of horror and meditates on what can be considered horrific. As he continues to write, Stephen King will continue to reign as a master of horror, and with an onslaught of adaptations coming to streaming services and beyond, audiences have not heard the last of him by a long shot.