Night Shift (book)
''Night Shift'' is Stephen King's first collection of short stories, first published in 1978. In 1980, ''Night Shift'' won the Balrog Award for Best Collection, and in 1979 it was nominated as best collection for the Locus Award and the World Fantasy Award. Contents Details The book was published on the heels of '' The Shining'' (1977 Doubleday) and is King's fifth published book (including '' Rage'', which was published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman). Nine of the twenty stories had first appeared in issues of '' Cavalier Magazine'' from 1970 to 1975; others were originally published in '' Penthouse'', ''Cosmopolitan'', ''Gallery'', ''Ubris'', and ''Maine Magazine''. The stories "Jerusalem's Lot", "Quitters, Inc.", "The Last Rung on the Ladder", and "The Woman in the Room" appeared for the first time in this collection. Foreword and introduction ''Night Shift'' is the first book for which King wrote a foreword. The introduction was written by one of King's favorite ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high standing in pop culture, his books have sold more than 350 million copies, and many have been adapted into films, television series, miniseries, and comic books. King has published 64 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and five non-fiction books. He has also written approximately 200 short stories, most of which have been published in book collections.Jackson, Dan (February 18, 2016)"A Beginner's Guide to Stephen King Books". Thrillist. Retrieved February 5, 2019. King has received Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards, and British Fantasy Society Awards. In 2003, the National Book Foundation awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He has also received awards for his cont ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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I Am The Doorway
"I Am the Doorway" is a science fiction short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the March 1971 issue of ''Cavalier'' magazine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot summary After being exposed to an alien mutagen on a space trip to Venus, a disabled former astronaut describes the frightening changes he goes through. The narrator, Arthur, begins the narrative with his hands bandaged and complains of horrible itching both before and after the expedition. The transformation manifests as a swarm of tiny eyeballs on his fingertips. These eyes serve as the titular "doorway" for an extraterrestrial civilization, allowing them to peer into our world, but from an alien perspective, humans are hideous monstrosities that they fear and despise, according to Arthur. Soon, the alien presence is able to not only peer through this portal, but also to take control of Arthur's shattered body and use him to perform heinous atrocities. Arthur d ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cosmopolitan (magazine)
''Cosmopolitan'' is an American monthly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in New York City in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and, since 1965, has become a women's magazine. ''Cosmopolitan'' is one of the best-selling magazines and is directed mainly towards a female audience. Jessica Pels is the magazine's current editor-in-chief. Formerly titled ''The Cosmopolitan'' and often referred to as ''Cosmo'', throughout the years, ''Cosmopolitan'' has adapted its style and content. Its current incarnation was originally marketed as a woman's fashion magazine with articles on home, family, and cooking. Eventually, editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown changed its attention to more of a women empowerment magazine. Nowadays, its content includes articles discussing relationships, sex, health, careers, self-improvement, celebrities, fashion, horoscopes, and beauty. ''Cosmopolitan'' is published by New York ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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I Know What You Need
"I Know What You Need" is a fantasy/ horror short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the September 1976 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'', and later collected in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot summary Told from the perspective of a popular, college-age girl named Elizabeth Rogan, the premise of this story concerns her sudden, unexpected attraction to a social outcast named Ed Hamner, Jr., whose paranormal ability to perceive what will make any person happy has not resulted in his own happiness. Elizabeth first meets Ed when she is cramming for a sociology final, offering to buy her a strawberry ice cream cone, which was on her mind. Ed offers her the answer key to the final, claiming he had already completed the class. She gets an A on the final, saving her scholarship, but breaks to Ed that she has a boyfriend named Tony. Trouble soon follows for her, in what she anticipated to be a great summer turns out to be worst, as tips at her job at a seaside ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Quitters, Inc
"Quitters, Inc."King, S. (1978). ''Quitters Inc.''. Doubleday. is a short story by Stephen King published as part of his 1978 short story collection ''Night Shift''. Unlike most other stories in this book, "Quitters, Inc." had been previously unpublished until February 1978 under Doubleday Publishing. It was featured in Edward D. Hoch's 1979 ‘Best detective stories of the year’ collection. The plot follows Dick Morrison’s discovery of the brutal enforcement methods used by Quitters, Inc., the firm which he enlists to aid him quit smoking.Beahm, G. (1999). ''Stephen King From A To Z'' book(p. 168). HarperCollins. Retrieved 7 September 2020, from https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Stephen_King_from_A_to_Z/2BcECkYB7uoC Like much of Stephen King’s work, this short story exhibits elements of horror fiction and satire.Magistrale, T. (1988). ''Landscape of fear: Stephen King's American Gothic'' book(p. 6). New York: Popular Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Lawnmower Man
"The Lawnmower Man" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the May 1975 issue of ''Cavalier'' and later included in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot summary Harold Parkette is in need of a new lawn mowing service. The summer before, a neighbor's cat was accidentally killed when another neighbor's dog chased it under the mower. Harold has been putting off hiring new help for the summer, but when he sees an ad for a mowing service, he calls. A van reading "Pastoral Greenery" soon pulls up to his home. The man working for the service, a hairy, pot-bellied fellow, is shown the overgrown back lawn and is hired. Harold is enjoying a rest as he reads the paper, wondering about the lawnmower man mentioning Circe, when he hears the lawnmower outside. Startled, he races to the back porch and sees the lawnmower running by itself and the naked lawnmower man following it on all fours and eating the grass. The lawnmower seemingly deliberately chases and kills a mole ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Penthouse (magazine)
''Penthouse'' is a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione. It combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictures of women that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore pornographic pictures of women. Although Guccione was American, the magazine was founded in 1965 in the United Kingdom. Beginning in September 1969, it was sold in the United States as well. ''Penthouse'' has been owned by Penthouse Global Media Inc. since 2016. The assets of Penthouse Global Media were bought out by WGCZ Ltd. (the owners of XVideos) in June 2018 after winning a bankruptcy auction bid. The magazine's centerfold models are known as ''Penthouse'' Pets, and customarily wear a distinctive necklace in the form of a stylized key which incorporates both the Mars and Venus symbols in its design. Bob Guccione At the height of its success, Guccione, who died in 2010, was considered one of the richest men in the United States. In 1982 he was listed in the Forbes 400 ranking of wealthiest peopl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Ledge (short Story)
"The Ledge" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the July 1976 issue of '' Penthouse'', and later collected in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot summary King employs a first person narrator and opens with the protagonist, Stan Norris, in the clutches of Cressner, a wealthy, cruel criminal overlord. Cressner intends to get revenge on Norris, who has been having an affair with his wife. Instead of killing him outright, Cressner reveals his penchant for striking wagers, and offers a chilling ultimatum: if Norris is able to circumambulate the 5-inch ledge surrounding the multi-story building where Cressner lives in his penthouse, he can have his wife and $20,000. If Norris refuses, he will be framed for heroin possession and never see his lover again. Cressner also reveals that he has done this to six others, three professional athletes who crossed his path and three ordinary people who got into serious debt with Cressner. Not once has Cressner lost the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Strawberry Spring
"Strawberry Spring" is a horror short story by Stephen King. It was originally published in the Fall 1968 issue of ''Ubris'' magazine, and collected in King's '' Night Shift'' in 1978. Plot "Strawberry Spring" takes place at a fictional New England college, New Sharon College. The main setting for the story is March 1968, specifically starting on March 16, 1968. An unnamed narrator sees the words "Springheel Jack" in a newspaper. It rekindles memories of a time about eight years previously when he was at New Sharon College. His recollections are nostalgic, almost melancholy. It was March 16, 1968 when the strawberry spring, a "false" spring much like an Indian summer, arrived. It brought a thick fog that covered the campus at nighttime, providing perfect cover for a serial killer called "Springheel Jack". The body of a girl was found in a parking lot, the first murder in a series. Several more female students were murdered during the strawberry spring. The narrator describe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sometimes They Come Back
"Sometimes They Come Back" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the March 1974 issue of ''Cavalier'' and later collected in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot summary In 1957, nine-year-old Jim Norman and his twelve-year-old brother, Wayne, walk to the local library to return Jim's books. They are attacked by a gang of local greasers. Wayne is stabbed to death by two of the older boys, but Jim escapes. Through random times in his life, Jim is haunted by nightmares vividly reenacting the murder. In 1974, Jim is married and starts a new job as a high-school English teacher. All seems to go well until after the Christmas holiday. Jim learns that one of his students was killed in a hit and run accident. A new student is added to Jim's class. Jim recognizes the boy as Robert Lawson, one of the greasers who killed his brother. Lawson appears to be the same age as he was in 1957. Another student falls to her death a week later, and another of the greasers, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Trucks (short Story)
"Trucks" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the June 1973 issue of ''Cavalier'' magazine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot "Trucks" takes place in a truck stop in the United States. The truck stop is located off a freeway and it features a diner, a gas station, and a convenience store. The story's narrator and a handful of strangers find themselves trapped together in a freeway truck stop diner after semi-trailers and other large vehicles are suddenly brought to independent life by an unknown force and proceed to gruesomely kill every human in sight. Cars, which remain unaltered, are swiftly battered into wreckage and pedestrians are massacred by rampaging trucks and buses. The six survivors hiding in the diner include the narrator, as well as an elderly counterman, a trucker, a young man named Jerry, his girlfriend, and a salesman named Snodgrass. As the story begins, the counterman and the trucker attempt to radio any ot ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Battleground (short Story)
"Battleground" is a fantasy short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the September 1972 issue of ''Cavalier'' magazine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. Plot summary Renshaw is a professional hit-man, who returns from his assassination of a toy-maker to find a package delivered to his penthouse apartment. The package contains a G.I. Joe Vietnam Footlocker, sent to him by the mother of the toy-maker he had recently killed. When he opens the package, he finds that the toy soldiers are alive with working copies (albeit miniature) of weapons, jeeps, and helicopters. To Renshaw's surprise, the tiny soldiers begin to attack him. Despite his training and experience as a hitman, Renshaw finds himself outnumbered and outgunned, and he cedes control of the living room to the toy soldiers, taking cover in the bathroom. The soldiers pass a piece of paper under the door, demanding his surrender, but Renshaw writes "NUTS!" on the paper an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |