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Gray Matter and Other Stories from Night Shift Audio Book
D#3
Audio Cassette
Published January 1, 1993
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About the author
Stephen King
2,391 books889k followersStephen 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
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March 4, 2024I am not reading since I DNF This. I want to be clear, though that I refer only to the short story, the gray matter, and not the other stories, which I have not read yet.
I like Stephen King, though I am the first to admit I have not always liked every story that he’s written or every movie from him that I’ve seen. I mean, honestly words cannot describe how much I just tested Misery.
At the same time, I’m a big fan of the shining and Carrie and needful things and I count the book thinner among my favorite books ever so I go hunting, called with him, and I’ve read some of his short stories as well most of which I’ve liked.
I skimmed a few of his other short stories in this collection although I can’t say I read any of them, and I came to the conclusion that I don’t think they’re for me. I think I’m going to stick to the full length books that he writes. What’s that expression? If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
I like Stephen King, though I am the first to admit I have not always liked every story that he’s written or every movie from him that I’ve seen. I mean, honestly words cannot describe how much I just tested Misery.
At the same time, I’m a big fan of the shining and Carrie and needful things and I count the book thinner among my favorite books ever so I go hunting, called with him, and I’ve read some of his short stories as well most of which I’ve liked.
I skimmed a few of his other short stories in this collection although I can’t say I read any of them, and I came to the conclusion that I don’t think they’re for me. I think I’m going to stick to the full length books that he writes. What’s that expression? If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
May 2, 2016
First I will start by saying, if you are a King fan and have not read his earlier works, i recommend you read his stories and books in order of publication, because his writing develops over time.
These earlier stories may lack some of the finesse of King's later works but they are simply fun, and bounce from slightly comical to a little sad. In the "Woman in the Room" a son watches his mother waste away from cancer and contemplates euthanasia...."I Know What You Need" is a cautionary tale about Mr. Right..."The Boogeyman" is a fun take on the classic closet monster..."Strawberry Spring" is a quick read on the series of murders committed by Spring Healed Jack...and finally "Gray Matter" is a satire about the sin of Sloth.
All in all this is a fun read, it's quick to get through and it covers the spectrum of emotions and subject matter.
These earlier stories may lack some of the finesse of King's later works but they are simply fun, and bounce from slightly comical to a little sad. In the "Woman in the Room" a son watches his mother waste away from cancer and contemplates euthanasia...."I Know What You Need" is a cautionary tale about Mr. Right..."The Boogeyman" is a fun take on the classic closet monster..."Strawberry Spring" is a quick read on the series of murders committed by Spring Healed Jack...and finally "Gray Matter" is a satire about the sin of Sloth.
All in all this is a fun read, it's quick to get through and it covers the spectrum of emotions and subject matter.
September 30, 2023
Just not very enjoyable.
February 12, 2022
Una historia entretenida para un viaje.
May 23, 2018
Just finished reading the audible book “GRAY MATTER AND OTHER STORIES FROM NIGHT SHIFT” by STEPHEN KING. I read the short stories from the hardcover book “NIGHT SHIFT” while listening to the audible version narrated by JOHN GLOVER. This collection of unabridged short stories, included “THE BOOGEYMAN”, “I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED”, “STRAWBERRY SPRING”, “GRAY MATTER”, “THE WOMAN IN THE ROOM”, and “BATTLEGROUND”. Lying on the couch in Dr. Harper’s office, keeping a close watch on the closet door, Lester Billings relates the bizaare tale of “THE BOOGEYMAN” who has taken his children’s lives. In “I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED” a pretty college co-ed finds the perfect lover while on a campus in Maine. A young man thrills to the eerie mists of a murderous “STRAWBERRY SPRING”. A winter storm hits and a group of old codgers who regularly gather around the Reliable at Henry’s Nite-Owl discover the gruesome fate of an old crony in “GRAY MATTER”. A son, horrified by the grim indignity of death, struggles with his love for “THE WOMAN IN THE ROOM”, while a hitman, back from a successful assignment, finds himself besieged by a toy army that turns his New York penthouse into a deadly “BATTLEGROUND “.
April 27, 2017
Pretty cool story about bacteria taking over the world. Twilight Zone episode quality.
December 22, 2025
Not a good idea to read while eating.
November 24, 2025
If Stephen King has a special talent (other than turning mundane objects into nightmare fuel), it’s this: he understands that horror isn’t about the monster—it’s about the moment you realise the monster has been living next door the whole time.
Gray Matter and Other Stories from Night Shift is basically King in his early, hungry era, when he wrote like the rent was due and the demons in the walls were getting impatient.
“Gray Matter” itself is the star, a tiny masterpiece of dread built on something hilariously ordinary: a man refusing to leave his apartment because his beer turned him into… well, something better left to the fungus scientists. King’s genius is that he makes this grotesque metamorphosis feel small-town inevitable. You almost nod along like, “Yeah, that tracks.
Paul from down the lane would totally mutate before anyone else.” There’s a grimy comedy to the whole thing, but the last few paragraphs? They snap like a mousetrap.
The other stories in this cluster hold up beautifully. King was experimenting during this era—with voice, with structure, with how fast he could drag you into a nightmare before you realize you’ve crossed the threshold.
These aren’t polished gothic pieces; they’re raw, punchy, American nightmares dripping with blue-collar anxiety and the creeping sense that reality itself can go off the rails any minute.
What makes these stories timeless is their ability to terrify without scale. No cosmic gods. No 100-page lore dump. Just the uncanny oozing into the everyday: a basement that whispers, a truck that won’t stop idling, an illness that shouldn’t exist but does because fate has a sick sense of humour. King’s prose is leaner here than in his later novels—almost boyish—but that youth gives it a weird electricity.
And honestly? These stories remind you why King became a phenomenon. Because beneath the blood and goo and unholy transformations, his characters breathe.
You know these people. You’ve had coffee with them. You’ve complained about the weather with them. Which makes their doom feel like your doom.
If you want a crash-course in early King—unfiltered, grimy, inventive—this collection is a banger. Just don’t read “Gray Matter” while drinking anything that comes in a can.
Gray Matter and Other Stories from Night Shift is basically King in his early, hungry era, when he wrote like the rent was due and the demons in the walls were getting impatient.
“Gray Matter” itself is the star, a tiny masterpiece of dread built on something hilariously ordinary: a man refusing to leave his apartment because his beer turned him into… well, something better left to the fungus scientists. King’s genius is that he makes this grotesque metamorphosis feel small-town inevitable. You almost nod along like, “Yeah, that tracks.
Paul from down the lane would totally mutate before anyone else.” There’s a grimy comedy to the whole thing, but the last few paragraphs? They snap like a mousetrap.
The other stories in this cluster hold up beautifully. King was experimenting during this era—with voice, with structure, with how fast he could drag you into a nightmare before you realize you’ve crossed the threshold.
These aren’t polished gothic pieces; they’re raw, punchy, American nightmares dripping with blue-collar anxiety and the creeping sense that reality itself can go off the rails any minute.
What makes these stories timeless is their ability to terrify without scale. No cosmic gods. No 100-page lore dump. Just the uncanny oozing into the everyday: a basement that whispers, a truck that won’t stop idling, an illness that shouldn’t exist but does because fate has a sick sense of humour. King’s prose is leaner here than in his later novels—almost boyish—but that youth gives it a weird electricity.
And honestly? These stories remind you why King became a phenomenon. Because beneath the blood and goo and unholy transformations, his characters breathe.
You know these people. You’ve had coffee with them. You’ve complained about the weather with them. Which makes their doom feel like your doom.
If you want a crash-course in early King—unfiltered, grimy, inventive—this collection is a banger. Just don’t read “Gray Matter” while drinking anything that comes in a can.
January 18, 2026
A cheap can of beer becomes a catalyst for biological horror in Gray Matter. Richie Grenadine drinks a bad brew and slowly transforms into a grey, slime-covered fungus. You follow his terrified son to a local bar where he begs for help. The suspense builds as the neighbors decide to investigate the apartment. They discover a man who has lost his humanity and become a sentient mass of decay.
I give this story three stars because it excels at creating a sense of physical revulsion. You feel the damp, rot-filled atmosphere of the apartment as the characters climb the stairs. I quite liked how the story takes a common, low-stakes situation and turns it into a grotesque survival scenario. The ending is haunting because it suggests a threat that could eventually consume the entire town.
I give this story three stars because it excels at creating a sense of physical revulsion. You feel the damp, rot-filled atmosphere of the apartment as the characters climb the stairs. I quite liked how the story takes a common, low-stakes situation and turns it into a grotesque survival scenario. The ending is haunting because it suggests a threat that could eventually consume the entire town.
November 13, 2025
Great Writing, Horrible Audio Quality
The narrator is excellent and it's a good collection from Night Shift. However, the audio quality is horrendous. It does not come close to meeting even the lowest standards for audiobook mixing and mastering. There are also frequent dropouts of the audio in the second half. There's no way it sounded this bad when it was approved for release; rather, I would bet it's a failure of preservation. If this was the best version of the recording that has survived then there should be a warning in the description before purchasing. This sound issue does not apply to the other releases from the Night Shift series on Audible.
The narrator is excellent and it's a good collection from Night Shift. However, the audio quality is horrendous. It does not come close to meeting even the lowest standards for audiobook mixing and mastering. There are also frequent dropouts of the audio in the second half. There's no way it sounded this bad when it was approved for release; rather, I would bet it's a failure of preservation. If this was the best version of the recording that has survived then there should be a warning in the description before purchasing. This sound issue does not apply to the other releases from the Night Shift series on Audible.
January 22, 2024
Worth reading if you just want to check out early King stuff. But if you're not a die hard fan, there's almost nothing here that's worth the time. While it probably wasn't derivative at the time, it feels very dated at times, largely due to how many other stories have borrowed the same elements in the years since.
April 20, 2023
Battleground is one of the most creative things I've ever read. I feel like I have to wade through a lot of King's dreg to finally pull a ruby like this out of the murk. Just so unexpected, yet straightforwardly fun.
May 25, 2023
The short stories "The Boogeyman" & "Battleground" are super enjoyable and 100% worthy (in my opinion) of being expanded into full novel editions, so hopefully the new movie adaptation of The Boogeyman will not be a disappointment!
June 19, 2023
Old short stories, first read long ago, now enjoyed via audiobook narrated by John Glover. Well done, especially The Boogeyman, which is the reason I did a quick listen. Not a spoiler, I don't think, but the premise of the new movie bears almost no resemblance to SK's short story.
April 28, 2025
I, again, enjoyed John Glover's narration of Stephen King's short stories. The last of the group of stories in Night Shift. Again more body horror, stalking, and dark horror. I'm happy to have listened to them.
November 5, 2025
A nice collection of spooky short stories. I enjoyed my time listening to them.
Highlights for me would be Strawberry Spring and The Boogeyman.
Battleground got a few chuckles out of me and The Woman in the Room was particularly sad.
Highlights for me would be Strawberry Spring and The Boogeyman.
Battleground got a few chuckles out of me and The Woman in the Room was particularly sad.
July 14, 2018
Especially loved revisiting The Boogeyman, Gray Matter, and Battlegrounds the story about the toy soldiers with the SURRENDER note being passed under the door and him passing back NUTS.
January 5, 2019
Gross, a story about bacteria and mutation. Very Tales from the Crypt.
February 11, 2020
Not bad really... but not my favourite collection of short stories from him.
November 14, 2020
A couple of the stories were really good, like "Strawberry Spring." Others were....eh.
December 17, 2020
Not a fan of this short story.
July 3, 2023
Love this book of short stories
July 22, 2023
3 1/2 stars
November 26, 2024
Meh
Did Stephen King inspire the movie Small Soldiers? Kinda send that way
Did Stephen King inspire the movie Small Soldiers? Kinda send that way
October 25, 2025
the stories were good, but I was hoping for a little more spooky.
December 31, 2025
I am not a horror genre fan, but these short stories by Stephen King really hit the spot of the Halloween season. Creepy, creepy stories.
August 12, 2015
'Gray Matter' is vintage King, which also means it's straight out of your Tales from the Crypt-esque nightmares. Local oldies discussing small town disappearances in a convenience store during a snow storm, it doesn't get more classic than this.
October 29, 2014
Gray Matter is a revoltingly great short horror story. Probably not the best story to accompany my lunch with, but still a great read.
December 10, 2015
I liked the idea of a collection of short horror stories.. I loved the Boogeyman and Strawberry Spring. Others were okay! In all an average book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews