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Top 10 Stephen King Short Stories

I don’t think anybody will argue that Stephen King is the master of modern day horror. While his novels are widely popular, he is also the author of over 400 short stories. It is very difficult to narrow it down (and probably debatable) but the following are definitely contenders for the top ten Stephen King short stories:

  1. Children of the Corn – This could be the poster story for why you shouldn’t have kids. When a couple arrives in a deserted town, they discover that the only residents are children. When the husband tries to escape through the cornfield, he meets the thing they were worshipping.
  2. You Know They Got A Hell of a Band – Every lover of rock n’ roll should read this story. When a couple enters a bar in a small town, they encounter the likes of Janis Joplin and Buddy Holly. The trick, though, is that they can never leave.
  3. The Night Flier – A cynical reporter is chasing a story about a gruesome serial killer that travels by airplane between airports. The attacks are similar to that of a vampire. When the reporter finds the Night Flier, he discovers the horrible truth.
  4. Survivor Type – You’ll never see this one the television show Survivor. When a man smuggling heroin gets stranded on an island, he sinks into insanity. His mental state reaches an all-time low when he starts eating parts of his own body to survive.
  5. Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption – Probably one of King’s best stories, it centers on a man imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. For several years, he plans his escape. When he disappears, he invites his friend to join him in Mexico.
  6. Word Processor of the Gods – Ever wanted to be able to alter reality? A writer dissatisfied with life gets a gift of a new word processor. When he discovers that the word processor can make words into reality, he rewrites the things in his life.
  7. The Body – Not so much horror as a coming of age story, The Body revolves around a group of boys who set out to find the body of a young boy hit by a train. What makes this story great is the narrator’s reflection on the dysfunctional qualities of each boy. The story was made into the movie Stand By Me.
  8. The Mist – A mysterious mist surrounds a town in Maine. Flesh-eating creatures live in the mist and attack anyone stepping into it. As if that is not enough, the survivors start fighting amongst themselves.
  9. Boogeyman – If you were not afraid of your closet, you will be after reading this. A boogeyman in the closet kills a man’s children. When he tells his psychiatrist this, he finds out the man is more than just a doctor.
  10. Jerusalem’s Lot – Sort of an homage to H.P. Lovecraft, the story is similar to “Rats in the Wall”. A man ventures to an abandoned town or Jerusalem’s Lot. He finds that his family lineage is tied to a horrific secret.

You might also be interested in some of the following:

This entry was posted on Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Best Horror Books, Best Horror Writers, Stephen King. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Top Ten Stephen King Short Stories”

  1. Top 10 Stephen King Novels says:
    September 19, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    [...] Stephen King Short Stories [...]

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