Stephen King, imo, is one of the best storytellers - a master. I much prefer a novel to short stories but if written by King I will read them all. A lot of people don’t like spooky stories but they are missing out on such good reading. ( )

I was very unsure on how I would rate this one, for I found the two poems to be pretty dull and really hated "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut". But how about the rest? Well, it's so good I can't restrain myself from giving 5 stars.
Writing an accurate review for each individual story would be a real headache. Still, I decided to spend a "few" words on a handful of them.

I've had already read "The Mist" a month a go and have to say this second round made me appreciate it even more.
The story begins with a violent thunderstorm that knocks out power in the town of Bridgton. The next morning, David Drayton heads to the grocery store with his young son to stock up on supplies.
A thick mist rolls in from the nearby lake, obscuring everything beyond a few feet. As more and more people seek refuge in the store, tensions rise. Some believe they should stay put and wait for rescue, while others want to venture out into the mist to find help or escape. As they debate their options, it becomes clear that something sinister is lurking outside.
King's writing is masterful in its ability to create tension and suspense. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the store as people huddle together for safety is palpable. The fear and paranoia that grip the characters are contagious, making it impossible not to feel on edge while reading.
What makes "The Mist" so effective is not just its monsters, but also its exploration of human nature under extreme circumstances. As resources dwindle and hope fades, some characters become desperate and turn on each other. Others cling to their faith or try to maintain their humanity even as they face unimaginable horrors.

"The Raft" is probably one of the best short story King has ever written.
Four college students decide to swim out to a raft on a remote lake. However, when they reach the raft, they discover that something deadly lurks beneath the water's surface. As night falls and temperatures drop, things take a turn for the worse.
One of King's greatest strengths as a writer is his ability to create vivid characters who feel like real people rather than just plot devices; in this story, he does an excellent job of establishing the personalities and relationships of the four friends, which makes their plight all the more harrowing.
Another aspect that stands out is its use of setting. The remote lake feels like a character in its own right, with its eerie stillness and sense of isolation adding to the overall sense of dread.
"The Raft" is a classic Stephen King story that showcases his ability to create tension and terror in even the most mundane settings.

"Survivor Type" is the most gruesome story of the lot.
King explores the limits of human endurance and the dark side of survival instinct. The story is written as the diary of Richard Pine, a former surgeon who is shipwrecked on a tiny island in the Pacific with no food, water, or hope of rescue.
He reveals in his diary entries that he was smuggling heroin on a cruise ship when it exploded and sank, and that he has a history of malpractice and corruption in his medical career. He blames everyone else for his misfortunes and vows to get revenge on those who wronged him. Pine's only companions on the island are his logbook, his surgical kit, and his stash of heroin. He tries to survive by eating whatever he can find: insects, seaweed, seagulls. But soon he runs out of options and faces starvation.
As the situation becomes more dire, he begins to lose touch with reality and becomes increasingly delusional.
How far would you go to survive?

"Gramma" is truly terrifying. It plays on our fears about family relationships. We're taught from a young age that we should love and respect our elders no matter what they do, but what happens when that love and respect is misplaced? George loves his grandmother, but he's also afraid of her. He knows that something is wrong, but he doesn't want to believe that his own flesh and blood could be capable of such evil.
This one scared me so much I had to turn the lights on.

"The Monkey" is one of my all time favorites.
It follows Hal, a man who has been haunted by a toy monkey since he was a child. He inherited the toy from his father, who was a merchant mariner and disappeared mysteriously. Hal suspects that the monkey had something to do with his father's fate. It seems to have a life of its own and begins to wreck havoc on Hal's family, as every time the toy claps its cymbals a tragedy occurs. He tried to get rid of the monkey several times, but it would always came back to him somehow.
The tension in the story builds steadily, with each new incident involving the monkey becoming more terrifying than the last.
A classic example of King's ability to create suspense and terror with simple objects and situations, the story explores themes such as childhood trauma, family bonds, guilt and fate. It also shows how something innocent and playful can turn into something sinister and deadly.

"Beachworld" is an eerie tale taking place on an uncharted planet made of sand, where two astronauts crash-land with no hope of rescue. As they struggle to survive in this hostile environment, they begin to realize that something is not quite right about their surroundings.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that there is something sinister at work, as the sand seems to be a sentient entity that wants nothing more than to consume everything in its path.
This story shows how a seemingly harmless environment can become a deadly trap for those who succumb to its allure. ( )

Twenty-two stories from the "wildly imaginative".
A supermarket becomes the place where humanity takes its last stand against unholy destruction.
A trip to the attic turns into 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 of the most terrifying struggle for survival ever waged.

I have been reading this book on and off for a really long time by now, but I am slowly getting attached to King's short stories, and to be honest, on average, his stories grab me more intensely in this collection than they did in [b:Night Shift|10628|Night Shift|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1342215309s/10628.jpg|2454497]. That doesn't mean that Night Shift didn't have some intense, scary and horrifying stories (just read Quitters, Inc., The Ledge or Sometimes They Come Back), but in Skeleton Crew, there are fewer missteps and more stories which just grab you by the throat and won't let go of your body until even after you have put down the book.

Beyond the spoiler tags, a few thoughts on each story I have read so far are hidden. Proceed at your own risk.

1) The Mist

2) Here There Be Tygers (2/5 stars)
Rather badly written and poorly plotted, this story did not have the least appeal to me, though the image of being confronted with a predator at the school toilet is indeed a frightening one. No wonder it was first published a few years before King began his professional career - he was still in the writer's sandpit, just playing around with words.

3) The Monkey (2/5 stars)
In which a toy monkey starts haunting an entire family. King has written worse stories, but this one just didn't do much for me.

4) Cain Rose Up (2.5/5 stars)
This story felt a lot like it could have benefited from a little further investigation into the motives of the characters, so it ultimately didn't engage me that much.

5) Mrs. Todd's Shortcut

6) The Jaunt

7) The Wedding Gig

8) Paranoid: A Chant
I stand firmly by my opinion that King is a terrible poet, and this poem is no exception, which is why I won't attach any rating to it. It's too short to let its existence influence my perception of the collection negatively.

9) The Raft (4.5/5 stars)
A chilling and truly frightening story which further establishes this as King's finest collection of short stories.

10) Word Processor of the Gods

11) The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands

12) Beachworld

13) The Reaper's Image (3/5 stars)
A rather forgettable, albeit readable little tale which thankfully wasn't stretched out too much.

14) Nona (4/5 stars)
Brilliantly written and engaging from beginning to end, this horror story details the life of a doomed man who is accompanied to his own downfall by a mysterious woman he has fallen in love with. With vivid imagery, insightful details and nice connections to other books, King managed to create a suspenseful and frightening story.

15) For Owen

16) Survivor Type

17) Uncle Otto's Truck (4/5 stars)
Very much a typical King story in that it tells an interesting tale about several generations of a family and infuses their history with elements of horror. Generally engaging and well-written, this is another standout from this collection.

18) Morning Deliveries & 19) Big Wheels: A Tale of The Laundry Game (Milkman #1 & #2) (2/5 stars)
This story had a few interesting moments now and then, but generally conveyed nothing but a feeling of boredom and stiffness. The narrative didn't flow as easily as with King's other stories and the characters were bland stereotypes, causing this to be one of his weaker efforts.

20) Gramma (4/5 stars)
A spine-tingling horror story and one of King's best short works. It still sends a shiver across my body just to think of *that* ending.

21) The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet

22) The Reach

The Mist: 4 stars
Here There Be Tygers: 3 stars
The Monkey: 3 stars
Cain Rose Up: 2.5 stars
Mrs Todd's Shortcut: 3 stars
The Jaunt: 3.2 stars
The Wedding Gig: 2 stars
Paranoid: A Chant: 3.5 stars
The Raft: 4 stars
Word Processor of the Gods: 3 stars
The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands: 3 stars
Beachworld: 3 stars
The Reaper's Image: 3 stars
Nona: 3 stars
For Owen: 2.5 stars
Survivor Type: 3.5 stars
Uncle Otto's Truck: 3 stars
Morning Deliveries (Milkman #1): 1.5 stars
Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman #2): 1 star
Gramma: 3.5 stars
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet: 4 stars
The Reach: 4 stars ( )