Night Shift is Stephen King's first published collection of short stories. Included among the staggering 20 entries are Jerusalem's Lot, Graveyard Shift, Night Surf, I Am The Doorway, The Mangler, The Boogeyman, Gray Matter, Battleground, Trucks, Sometimes They Come Back, Strawberry Spring, The Ledge, The Lawnmower Man, Quitters Inc, I Know What You Need, Children Of The Corn, The Last Rung On The Ladder, The Man Who Loved Flowers, One For The Road, and The Woman In The Room.

The goal of a short story is to leave a lasting impression in a short amount of time, and that is where Night Shift comes up just short. On paper, the opposite would appear to be true; four of the stories contained in this book have been turned into major motion pictures. In fact, famously, Night Shift was the book that originated King's Dollar Deal, a policy in which student directors could obtain the rights to adapt King's works for just $1. This is not to say that the stories contained within Night Shift are bad; there are some gems to be found here. However, most of the stories lack the "pizzazz" to become memorable entries into King's works; it feels like the priority was given to quantity rather than quality. 

If you have read any other of Stephen King's works, you will know what to expect here. Other than Jerusalem's Lot, King maintains his usual tone throughout. This is not a bad thing; it shows King's ownership over his works. Tone wise, Night Shift has many differing moments; be prepared to laugh, be prepared to cringe, be prepared to be grossed out, uncomfortable, and to roll your eyes. I have always thought that King works the best when the horror element is stripped away (see: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) and this can be seen in The Woman In The Room. Honorable mention to Gray Matter, The Ledge, and Sometimes They Come Back.

Check your content warnings, of course. Stephen King can be gross at the best of times.