Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Night Shift
Time to read: 2 min read
Book Cover
The thing under my bed waiting to grab my ankle isn't real. I know that, and I also know that if I'm careful to keep my foot under the covers, it will never be able to grab my ankle.
Past Stephen King reviews:
- Four Past Midnight
- Different Seasons
- The Stand
- Under the Dome
- Bag of Bones
- The Dead Zone
- 11/22/63
- It
- Dreamcatcher
- Misery
- The Institute
Review
This is King’s first published collection of short stories and also one of my favourite King works. The stories range from classic King horrors to more obscure and unique premises.
What ceases to amaze me is how King can turn any random premise into a serious tale of horror. For instance, some examples of premises from this collection include trucks who have gone sentient, a man who drank contaminated beer, and a man trying to quit smoking. King also references many other works within his stories; Night Surf references the events of The Stand while Jerusalem’s Lot references the work of H. P. Lovecraft.
The telltale signs of King’s style, such as compelling characters and uncanny scenarios, are present in many of the stories. While there are many terrifying tales in this collections (The Boogeyman, Sometimes They Come Back, and Children of the Corn being some of them), perhaps the most memorable story for me is The Man Who Loved Flowers. The theme in that story is very predictable (in fact, the same theme is used in Strawberry Spring, another story in this collection) but King still executes it with so much art and poetry that the story still feels fresh.
Conclusion
Another masterclass on storytelling.