Selections from Skeleton Crew

by Stephen King, Dana Ivey (Reader), Matthew Broderick (Reader)

Four selections from the 1985 bestseller feature four of Stephen King's most gruesome and diabolical stories including "The Raft."

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Thriller, Audiobook, Halloween

4 pages, Audio CD

First published June 21, 1985

About the author

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Reviews

[Jack Nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth it for the story “Grandma” alone! Perfect King is perfect.

[Isaac Ferguson]

These selections were pretty good! King on audio continues to be one of my favorite go to’s for that format. It’s just a shame the guy can’t write a book under 500 pages to save his life. I’m running out of short-ish audiobooks of his 😂

The Raft - 4.5 ⭐️
Dope. Has a kill in it I’d heard of before but it goes above and beyond. More horrible and gruesome than anything I’ve read from King.

Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut - 2.5 ⭐️
It’s King, so it’s super readable (listenable) but also felt like a story he could have written in his sleep. Not super engaging but not bad by any means. Completely average.

The Monkey - 3.5 ⭐️
Read by Mathew Broderick which I loved! Good but not as scary as I wanted it to be. Could also be because I split it up into two 45 minute chunks, which couldn’t have helped. Decent, good idea, but I wanted more.

Grandma - 4.5 ⭐️
The quintessential King short. Childhood nostalgia, imagined fears, REAL fears, it’s got the goods.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read For Owen :)

[Karl]

the mist: already reviewed, i really like the cosmic horror!

tygers: ♡

the monkey: sweet and round

kain's aufbegehren: eh that was not necessary

omi: should have read in one sitting, i kinda lose track of whats happening in short stories when i read them piece by piece

mrs todd's abkürzung: idk vibes? not much to say, just vibey harmless horror

the jaunt: my fave so far! delivered so well on the idea... Rudy Foggia huh 👀

der hochzeitsempfang: yea we don't like fatphobia, hated that story

der floß: it's crazy to me how even tho stephen king's characters suck most of the time i am still hooked into his stories and feel v much involved. fun little story, nothing special, just fun.

der text conputer der götter: again sucky character but more intentional this time. eine abgerundete short story for a change

der mann der niemanden die hand geben wollte: expected a bit more, it's alright

11/22

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen King from the start has delivered great novels. Skeleton Crew is in the my top list of his masterpieces. This book contains many chilling short stories that I guarantee Stephen King fans and horror reading fans will love. Each story fluidly introduces characters and greatly takes you on a captivating adventure.

Stephen King puts a lot of detail in his story that puts you in the situation and I was surprised how he could have such talent even when writing the smallest stories. Skeleton Crew is an amazing book and I recommend to all young adult readers. If you are a fan of the horror genre, make this book part of your book collection.

[Josh Flint · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slog for me 🫠

Like most people have mentioned in their reviews some solid stories but some real bores in there too.

I have to admit that there were a few stories I ended up not finishing coz they were going nowhere. These are the ones that grabbed me and I enjoyed

- The Mist
- The Monkey (though King’s use of the N-word and describing the monkey as having nappy hair. Was this really necessary 🤢)
- Word Processor of the Gods
- Survivor Type
- Gramma

That’s enough Stephan King short stories for me for a while 😊

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a four story collection by the author. I really enjoyed this collection but I have to say that I really loved "The Raft"! That had to be the most spooky and creepy ever. I do not want to go into the stories more because they are short stories but picture yourself swimming out to a wooden raft and there is something in the water that will not leave until you are dead. I highly recommend this to everyone who loves horror.

[Emerson Toronto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya it’s got some bangers, the raft is mint!! The other stuff, meh

[Curtis Trueblood · Rating 4 out of 5]

some very fun stories and some that were just fine

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I admit it. I was a Stephen King junkie at an early age. How could I not be growing up in New Hampshire and traveling to Maine every damn year. The Skeleton Crew was one of my favorites because (1.) I actually quite like the short story format and (2.) one of the stories, The Mist, not only took place in Bridgton, ME but it references Long Lake (which is connected to Sebago Lake by Brandy Pond via the Songo River and one of the last hand operated locks in the country -- The Songo Locks). Oh yes, I have been going to Sebago Lake and the Bridgton area every year for the past 20+ years (yikes!)

Anyway, the story has all of the typical King hijinks. Still haven't seen the film and I seriously doubt it will put any fear of any kind into me. But the book. Whoa. Anyone who has been in that region and seen the fog roll in between rains or in then evening or morning or whenever knows how thick it is and how it just sorta settles and sits there for a while. And, no kidding, not lying about this one -- I read that particular story on the highway out of Maine, sitting in the backseat, car inching along because one of the thickest fogs I have ever seen decided to settle in just as I was getting into the story. It was eery to say the least and probably provided one of my most memorable experiences, reading or otherwise.

[Mark R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

****

Wonderful collection of early Stephen King stories. "Skeleton Crew" opens with the novella, "The Mist," a great "monster story" about people trapped in a grocery store encased in a mysterious fog, with an unknown enemy all around.

There aren't any bad stories in this collection. A few that are decent, maybe a couple that could be a few pages shorter--but for the most part, this is a solid book, with a number of quite excellent stories, including "The Monkey" and "The Raft," some of the weirdest, and occasionally creepiest, stuff King has written.

Re-read May 2021:

The best stories in "Skeleton Crew":

The Mist
The Monkey
Mrs. Todd's Shortcut
The Wedding Gig
The Raft
Word Processor of the Gods
Nona
Survivor Type
Uncle Otto's Truck
Gramma
The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this way back in high school, and it's one of the first books I read on my own choosing, ie not required by school. I highly recommend the short story, The Mist, one of his first I believe, far better than the movie-version. There's another excellent short story that made it's way into the Creepshow movies, about a monster on the lake.

[Guillermo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories I liked, some I didn't. I understand this isn't the full audiobook - something that Libby didn't tell me about when I checked it out from the library. It consists of only 4 of the 22 stories from Skeleton Crew - something that should have been obvious when I checked out the audiobook as it was only about 5hrs long.

What gets me though, is King's use of a certain n-word. Since I normally don't read books by him, I never realized how freely he used - or still uses (like I said, he isn't an author I read often) - the word. Hearing Matthew Broderick reading it somehow made it worse for me. I guess someone could tell me that the stories were a product of their time, but most of them are about as old as I am. Doesn't make it right, does it?

"The Raft" is a personal favorite of mine, strictly because of its adaptation featured in one of the Creepshow movies, I believe the second one. It never occurred to me, though it should have, that it was written by Stephen King. This is my first "read" of the short story, and it will probably be something I revisit in the near future as I own a copy of the collection.

"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" is another story I want to revisit because the narrator's voice sort of made me want to snooze. Just wasn't feeling it, but the concept of the story seems interesting.

"The Monkey" is another favorite of mine, because I remember seeing the cover as a child and being both frightened and intrigued by the book. Funnily enough, that seemed to be its purpose. Matthew Broderick gave a wonderful presentation of the story - racist language aside, obviously - but I've been in love with the man since I can remember so I might be a little bias.

I put the next review as a spoiler because, I don't know. It might be considered one by most people.

"Gramma" gave me the chills. I related to George a little - his reluctance at giving his grandmother a hug that is; although my grandmother was sweet and loving and not at all a witch. But the idea of her passing while I was alone with her always had crossed my mind. That in itself is a terrifying concept for a child, but watching her come back? Blood chilling.

[Evan Bolick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Stephen King as a kid. No doubt he was a huge influence on my love of the horror genre and my own writing style. And I still list The Stand as one of my favorite books of all time. But as an adult, I've wondered if my enjoyment of King was due more to my maturity level when I read him than the work itself. I've read some of his newer works and lesser known older works sporadically over the years and found them to be just mediocre (or even not good). That said, I'd already read his "best stuff" (the aforementioned Stand, The Shining, Salem's Lot, Cujo, Carrie, etc.) when I was a teen. So maybe the issue was I just wasn't reading his best stuff?

After Skeleton Crew, I'm glad to report that the truth is probably the latter. I've read most of his short story stuff and while there's always a good handful of stories, much of it is easily forgotten. But Skeleton Crew is really strong throughout and I greatly enjoyed this. There are some really popular ones that have been adapted (i.e., The Mist, The Monkey, and The Raft) that were really solid (and in the Raft's case, better than the adaptation). But plenty of the other works were really good. My favorite (and perhaps the longest) was The Flexible Bullet, which was a really well developed story about shared psychosis and did a great job balancing the question of whether there was something supernatural at play. Mrs. Todd's Shortcut sets a great tone and shows King can thrive outside of pure horror (though For Owen suggests he should stay away from poetry). Survivor Type and Morning Deliveries reminded me how deliciously grim King could be. I could totally see Gramma having inspired Hereditary (one of my favorite recent horror films). And The Reach and The Jaunt were more along the lines of something like the Green Mile - the supernatural is there but the compelling parts are the character drama.

There are some weak stories, but they are heavily outweighed by what works. It's been ages since this Constant Reader has truly enjoyed a King story, so it was great to be entertained again (and connect with my young self's enjoyment in the process).

[Vladimir · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong short story collection by Stephen King.

My absolute favorites are The Mist, The Raft, Nona, Survivor Type, and Gramma. After the second read I'm also adding Mrs. Todd's Shortcut to those.

In The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands it was really cool to be back to the club from The Breathing Method. I'd love to have a chance for another visit some day.

While Here There Be Tygers and Cain Rose Up are a nice chance to look into King's earlier writing, I liked only The Reaper's Image among these three from that period.

I also enjoyed The Jaunt, The Wedding Gig, Word Processor of the Gods, Uncle Otto's Truck, and The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet. In the Milkman pair Big Wheels is pretty good too, while Morning Deliveries felt like an unnecessary prequel.

The Monkey was okay, I didn't really like Beachworld, and I have mixed feeling about The Reach.

Paranoid: A Chant and For Owen are the two poetry pieces. That's not for me.

9.0/10

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought the audiobook I downloaded was the the entire collection of short stories but instead was only a selection.

1) The Raft: My least favorite of the four, the horror element was there and the ending was extremely satisfying but the teenage narrator and his companions were incredibly annoying.
2) Mrs Todd’s Shortcut: Not traditionally scary, but the most creative. Keeps you guessing where the story is going to go but maintains an over all ominous feeling. The reveal was not what I was expecting and is going to be one of those stories that pops into my head on random days for no reason at all.
3) The Monkey: Creepy toy, suspicious deaths, child’s perspective - all the makings of a good spooky story.
4) Grandma: Absolutely terrifying. I could feel my heart pounding in suspense before I really even had a reason to be scared. Why was this story so scary, I don’t understand! 😂

Disclaimer: In sad but true Stephen King fashion, as these stories are originally from ‘85 there are some offensive and problematic descriptions of POC.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

In pursuit of one of my reading goals for 2023, I decided to give this collection of short stories a reread. However, I didn't realize that this was just 4 of the stories, not the complete collection. I will have to get a copy of the whole book in order to finish reading this one.

The four stories in this "selection" were The Raft, Mrs. Todd's Shortcut, The Monkey and Gramma. The Raft was a true creature feature and it was creepy, tension filled and horrific. I enjoyed Mrs. Todd and this story had more of a fantasy vibe with an unexpected and enjoyable ending.

I remember The Monkey from my first reading and I found it to be creepy and memorable. I never want to see a stuff monkey with clacking cymbals IRL. And, Gramma was probably the most horrific of the four stories. Full of tension, great build-up and ending, it is the perfect short story to make you cringe.

The audiobook featured a different for each of the stories and they all did a great job (even SK himself!). They were perfect and built the tension/horror at just the right pacing.

[Laura..devouring books like crumpets · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Raft" 4 stars

This Was really creepy it made me think of Arums in skin of evil Off star trek!!!! (the one that kill Natasha Yar)

"Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” 3 stars

I didn't quiet get this one.... were the roads changing shape and length???? was a bit confused.

“The Monkey” 3.5

those creep me out anyway even the ones in toy story i watch with my kids.... It was ok.

"Gramma" 4

This was real creepy, and why would a mama leave her child alone???? Let alone Live with her mother..... with that past

[SLADE · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was thinking this was the entire collection, but it turns out it is just four selections. (On the app I use it did not call it "Selections" as the title indicates.

I thought two of the four were good. The Raft and The Monkey were pretty awesome for me.

The other two, Grandmother and the shortcut one were not stellar.

As it goes though, who am I to criticize Stephen King right? Ha.

I will have to get around to getting the full book eventually.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Skeleton Crew in the past. This was just four of the stories, but some of the best from the book. The Raft, Mrs. Todd's Shortcut (the female narrator on this short story was great! Her telling os the story through and old man's eyes was wonderful), The Monkey and Gramma. Great little taste of one of Stephen King's best books in my opinion. I'll need to read or listen to the rest of the storys soon.

[Alyssa M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite stories in this collection were: The Mist, The Jaunt, Survivor Type, The Raft, and The Reach. I also liked The Monkey and Mrs. Todd's Shortcut. The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet was the worst one and way too long. Overall I quite enjoyed King's short stories as much as his full-length novels.

[David H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard that Stephen King's short stories are considered to be some of his best work. Since "Skeleton Crew" is first short story collection of his that I have read, I can't claim to be an authority of that subject. My favorite stories were "The Mist", "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" and "Nona". I am awarding this book 4.5 stars.

[Ginger Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend this collection simply because it has The Mist, which was an excellent short story. The audio book was excellent... it was like a radio play complete with sound effects. The Raft was edge of your seat kind of thrill, and the Milkman was just twisted, but of course fun. Can't go wrong the King's dark humor, if you are into that sort of thing. Which I am.

[David]

I read this in anticipation of King's new book Fairy Tale. I've heard that a good book is one that keeps you thinking even after you've read it. The short story "Word Processor Of The Gods" is still tumbling around in the back of my brain. Comprised of all short stories, this one is great airplane reading. It can be devoured in little sips or all in one sitting.

[Toni FGMAMTC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that I was getting the full book instead of selections when I picked this up. I was looking to read The Mist which isn't actually on this one. I did like the selections, but I'll be going back for the full book soon. I would say these shorts are creepy mind-fucks.

[Jessica Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook and didn’t realize it wasn’t the full collection of stories. 🤦🏻‍♀️I really enjoyed the ones that were included hear. My two favorites were The Raft and Grandma. I’ll have to read the rest another day.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

i borrowed this from Hoopla thinking it was gonna be the whole book, but it's only 4 of the short stories? disappointed. stories were pretty good though. i was looking forward to reading The Mist, but that's not in this one :^)

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One must rate the book as a whole, and not rate the individual stories. However, if that were not true, then there are two five star stories in the collection: "The Reach" and "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet".

[Trent · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heard on audiobook… I had to give up in the third story, about the toy monkey. The stories were not as engaging as I hoped, & a let down for me. The Raft was ok, & I think read by King himself. I had to give up because I didn’t care anymore.

[anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent audio book for a road trip - so much suspense. Matthew Broderick is a fantastic reader. The Raft was one of the first things I read by King (decades ago). It has stuck with me and was good to revisit