There is no doubt that interest in the master of horror himself, Stephen King, has spiked in recent years

From the new Cinematic adaptations of IT, Pet Sematary, Gerald's Game, and Doctor Sleep rocketing through box office charts, and Television shows like Under The Dome, Castle Rock, Mr. Mercedes, and Creepshow Gaining critical and audience praise, it's no surprise that for now, King is here to stay.

Now I, like quite a few kids, was turned onto Stephen King through his books. I vividly remember showing up early to my piano teacher's house, snatching one of her ancient hardcovers of Skeleton Crew or IT, and settling into one of her giant, cushy armchairs to fly through a couple of chapters. One of my favorite types of books to read from him, however, was his short story compilations. These books compiled loads of short stories he wrote for magazines like Playboy in the seventies. Over the years, I've found myself returning to these stories much more than his full-length novels. The best of these compilations I've read definitely goes to the first one he ever published: Night Shift. This book has it all. From prototypes of novels like Children of the Corn and Salem's Lot (called Jerusalem's Lot in the book), To hidden-gem original stories like The Mangler (thank god for the laundromat), Grey Matter(you'll never want to drink beer again), and Battleground(you'll never look at little green army toys the same way again!). Beyond just having these extremely well written, very funny stories at your fingertips, This book also allows you to see how King wrote before he became a full-on the published author. From personal experience, seeing all the little ways King's writing has shifted over the years is very interesting to see. So if you're in the mood for some good old-fashioned, creepy, and pulpy fun from a now very popular author, Pick up a copy of Night Shift and see where it takes you. Sweet dreams!