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In the Tall Grass
Mile 81 meets N. in this e-book collaboration between Stephen King and Joe Hill.
In the Tall Grass begins with a sister and brother who pull off to the side of the road after hearing a young boy crying for help from beyond the tall grass. Within minutes they are disoriented, in deeper than seems possible, and they’ve lost one another. The boy’s cries are more and more desperate. What follows is a terrifying, entertaining, and masterfully told tale, as only Stephen King and Joe Hill can deliver.
In the Tall Grass was originally published in two parts in the June/July and August 2012 issues of Esquire magazine. This is their second collaboration since the novella Throttle, published in 2009.
In the Tall Grass begins with a sister and brother who pull off to the side of the road after hearing a young boy crying for help from beyond the tall grass. Within minutes they are disoriented, in deeper than seems possible, and they’ve lost one another. The boy’s cries are more and more desperate. What follows is a terrifying, entertaining, and masterfully told tale, as only Stephen King and Joe Hill can deliver.
In the Tall Grass was originally published in two parts in the June/July and August 2012 issues of Esquire magazine. This is their second collaboration since the novella Throttle, published in 2009.
2 pages, Audio CD
First published October 9, 2012
1727 people are currently reading
25618 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,615 books886k 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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October 10, 2012
Well, well, well, what do we have here? A bona fide horror story my friends and Constant Readers, sprouted from the father/son imagination team of Stephen King and Joe Hill. This story is not without its problems (and won't be suited to everyone's tastes). It is ghoulish and a tad gory, and depending on your sensibilities you may be disgusted, even offended. But before it goes there it is a magnificent piece of storytelling steeped in dread and what I like to call, epic creep. One reviewer has likened it to Open Water meets The Ruins and that's not inaccurate. There is a Mile 81 vibe as promised, but I was reminded more of King's earlier classic short stories such as "Children of the Corn" and "The Raft" and if I had to pick a movie, The Blair Witch Project.
Getting lost in tall grass is one of my most primal fears. And I don't mean grass that comes up to your waist (icky enough), but grass that is over your head and obscures the view of what's in front of you. Stuff lives in grass. Entire ecosystems of crawly, stinging biting things. Then there's mud and dew and pollen and mice and snakes and well... you get my point. I don't want to be there. No way.
The first half of this 60 page short story is so very strong in the way it taps into our claustrophobic fear of becoming lost. As humans we are very good at -- not to mention very attached to -- knowing where we are at any given moment in space and time. Our evolutionary sense of well-being depends on it. Strip it away and we quickly lose our shit. Panic, fear, frustration, they all come bubbling to the surface as we projectile rage against the environment that has conspired against us in such an unforgivable betrayal. What is that tree doing there? That wasn't there before. I thought the river was to the east of us. I'm sure the car is just over the next hill there.
As much as we hate it, getting lost is pretty much a universal human experience. It's probably happened to all of us at one time or another, even if it was for a very short period of time in a new city or on a short hike in a national park. King and Hill take that germ of an idea and run with it like mad lunatics in an asylum. This is a supernatural horror story, so if you like realism and stories that "could really happen" this might not be your thing. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the explanation of what is really going on in the tall grass, but enjoyed the first half of the story so much I'm willing to overlook that here. Plus, the story is just so well-written. It's tightly coiled prose with some great phrasing and sentence structure. These guys know what they're doing, okay?
Imagine being a fly on the wall for the father/son conversation such a collaboration requires. There are a few things that happen in the story where I was like: "Okay, whose idea was that?! Fess up!" I guess part of the fun is in trying to guess, and perhaps never knowing. These guys work good together though, and I'm looking forward to many more collaborations (fingers crossed).
Note: If you buy this as an ebook for three bucks it also comes with sneak previews of Doctor Sleep (King's sequel to The Shining) and Hill's novel NOS4A2. Let me just say that these previews have got me so revved up to read the books next year. If I thought I couldn't wait before, now I'm positively slavering to get my hands on them. At least Hill's book is coming in April; King's Doctor Sleep has been pushed to September! Almost another whole year! And what if the Mayan calender is right and we all go boom in December? What then people? What then?
October 7, 2020
¡Socorro! ¡Ayuda, por favor! ¡Me he perdido!
Hasta el día de hoy no conocía sobre la familia de Stephen King. En este libro no se habla de ella, pero en la parte final donde aparece información sobre los autores sentí curiosidad por investigar sobre Joe Hill, uno de los autores, porque allí se menciona que él fue el creador de Locke & Key, serie que me encantó. Luego al buscar fotos en internet, me sorprendí por la similitud que tiene con King, incluso en su mirada. Intrigado por la curiosidad, investigué más y más hasta que descubrí que realmente Joe Hill es el hijo de King; asimismo, me enteré que tanto la esposa de King como su otro hijo también son escritores. Inicio esta reseña de forma tan peculiar para resaltar que, en el caso de Joe, ha aprovechado muy bien tener a un maestro como King a su lado para crear buenas historias. Sé que este libro lo hicieron juntos, pero el guión realizado en Locke & Key habla mucho de su trabajo.
En la hierba alta, es una historia de horror (creí que era de terror, pero efectivamente es de horror), que produce desde angustia en el inicio, hasta una repulsión tremenda por el desenlace de la misma. Desde el inicio, como lector sabes que los personajes no tienen que meterse en la hierba porque pasará algo horrible, por lo que sentirás esa angustia por evitar descubrir la verdad. Sin embargo, a medida que avanzan las páginas y se va aclarando la situación, ese sentimiento será reemplazado por la intriga de conocer si se van a morir los personajes o si por el contrario saldrán vivos de su percance. Lo mejor sin ninguna duda es el final, del cual obviamente no diré nada al respecto; lo único que mencionaré es que es impactante debido a la crueldad presentada.
La prosa naturalmente fue muy buena como nos tiene acostumbrados King, aunque hubo algunas frases que no aportaron nada a la historia ni al contexto; fueras pocas, pero hubieron. Omitiendo ese detalle, en estas pocas páginas, Stephen y Joe nos presentan violencia, horror, incertidumbre, ansiedad, desesperación y un desconcierto total por los misterios que ocurren en la hierba. No le doy las cinco estrellas porque la relación entre los dos hermanos me pareció molesta y hasta anormal: Son tan unidos que llegan hasta incomodar, o por lo menos a mí sí me ocurrió. Pero los personajes no están nada mal porque tienen un buen desarrollo y los sentiremos reales como todos los personajes que crea King.
La lección que me queda de esta lectura es que no debemos ayudar a los demás, cuando están en peligro, si tenemos que arriesgar nuestra propia vida; y más, cuando se trata de buscar a alguien perdido en la hierba, en un lugar el cual desconocemos. ¡No lo hagan nunca! Libro recomendado para quienes gustan del género y para quienes suelen leer en octubre historias de horror.
Hasta el día de hoy no conocía sobre la familia de Stephen King. En este libro no se habla de ella, pero en la parte final donde aparece información sobre los autores sentí curiosidad por investigar sobre Joe Hill, uno de los autores, porque allí se menciona que él fue el creador de Locke & Key, serie que me encantó. Luego al buscar fotos en internet, me sorprendí por la similitud que tiene con King, incluso en su mirada. Intrigado por la curiosidad, investigué más y más hasta que descubrí que realmente Joe Hill es el hijo de King; asimismo, me enteré que tanto la esposa de King como su otro hijo también son escritores. Inicio esta reseña de forma tan peculiar para resaltar que, en el caso de Joe, ha aprovechado muy bien tener a un maestro como King a su lado para crear buenas historias. Sé que este libro lo hicieron juntos, pero el guión realizado en Locke & Key habla mucho de su trabajo.
En la hierba alta, es una historia de horror (creí que era de terror, pero efectivamente es de horror), que produce desde angustia en el inicio, hasta una repulsión tremenda por el desenlace de la misma. Desde el inicio, como lector sabes que los personajes no tienen que meterse en la hierba porque pasará algo horrible, por lo que sentirás esa angustia por evitar descubrir la verdad. Sin embargo, a medida que avanzan las páginas y se va aclarando la situación, ese sentimiento será reemplazado por la intriga de conocer si se van a morir los personajes o si por el contrario saldrán vivos de su percance. Lo mejor sin ninguna duda es el final, del cual obviamente no diré nada al respecto; lo único que mencionaré es que es impactante debido a la crueldad presentada.
La prosa naturalmente fue muy buena como nos tiene acostumbrados King, aunque hubo algunas frases que no aportaron nada a la historia ni al contexto; fueras pocas, pero hubieron. Omitiendo ese detalle, en estas pocas páginas, Stephen y Joe nos presentan violencia, horror, incertidumbre, ansiedad, desesperación y un desconcierto total por los misterios que ocurren en la hierba. No le doy las cinco estrellas porque la relación entre los dos hermanos me pareció molesta y hasta anormal: Son tan unidos que llegan hasta incomodar, o por lo menos a mí sí me ocurrió. Pero los personajes no están nada mal porque tienen un buen desarrollo y los sentiremos reales como todos los personajes que crea King.
La lección que me queda de esta lectura es que no debemos ayudar a los demás, cuando están en peligro, si tenemos que arriesgar nuestra propia vida; y más, cuando se trata de buscar a alguien perdido en la hierba, en un lugar el cual desconocemos. ¡No lo hagan nunca! Libro recomendado para quienes gustan del género y para quienes suelen leer en octubre historias de horror.
December 8, 2021
That was a rather quick adventure. A bit of a warning - some moments proably not for the fainthearted readers/listeners ... From now on, I'm not going to stop while driving along a field of tall grass ...
April 7, 2024
The gruesomely imagined world King and Hill created with In the Tall Grass definitely succeeded in sending shivers down my spine. A fast and furious short story with a powerful punch.
November 27, 2017
This short story asks the question "What would you do if you heard a child calling for help?" Would you stop and help? Would you stop and call for help? What if a child is calling for help but his Mother is warning you against helping?
In this short story, brother and sister, Cal and Becky, are driving when they hear a boy in the tall grass asking for help. He is lost and can't find his way out. Of course they want to help him, wouldn't you? But wait! The boy's Mother is warning you against helping. She is warning her son to be quiet or "he" will hear you. Who is this "he" she is referring to.
Wanting to help, the brother sister duo both enter the tall grass......
This short story can easily be read in one sitting and evokes a feeling of dread. Will they find the boy? Will they find each other as they were instantly separated? More and more I am enjoying books that evoke that feeling of dread; ones that get your heart beating because you don't know what is going to happen next. You know something is going to happen....but what? Ahhhh, that anticipatory anxiety. I think Hill and King were successful in this. But then once the "reveal" if you can call it that occurred, I felt a little let down. This is where the short story lost a little of it's magic for me. Sometimes I think it is better to never see the source of terror is. That is what makes it terrorizing. We use our own minds to create the "evil" that would scare us the most. Yes, that is my fan fiction take on this.
In the Tall grass is still enjoyable. Definitely worth reading.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
In this short story, brother and sister, Cal and Becky, are driving when they hear a boy in the tall grass asking for help. He is lost and can't find his way out. Of course they want to help him, wouldn't you? But wait! The boy's Mother is warning you against helping. She is warning her son to be quiet or "he" will hear you. Who is this "he" she is referring to.
Wanting to help, the brother sister duo both enter the tall grass......
This short story can easily be read in one sitting and evokes a feeling of dread. Will they find the boy? Will they find each other as they were instantly separated? More and more I am enjoying books that evoke that feeling of dread; ones that get your heart beating because you don't know what is going to happen next. You know something is going to happen....but what? Ahhhh, that anticipatory anxiety. I think Hill and King were successful in this. But then once the "reveal" if you can call it that occurred, I felt a little let down. This is where the short story lost a little of it's magic for me. Sometimes I think it is better to never see the source of terror is. That is what makes it terrorizing. We use our own minds to create the "evil" that would scare us the most. Yes, that is my fan fiction take on this.
In the Tall grass is still enjoyable. Definitely worth reading.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
June 30, 2019
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
This short story, written by the King of horror (sorry, couldn't resist) and his son, was scrumptious. *evil grin*
America has places so far "out there" that you don't even get cell phone reception. I know, right! ;)
Places where ancient evils can lurk and even something as seemingly mundane as grass may turn out to be about as healthy as calling an armed redneck a dumbass.
The Kings (or the king and the prince, I should say) are very good at making even supernatural elements seem realistic and plausible. And they are the reason I'll be very careful about where I'll stop and whom I'll help should I ever go on a roadtrip in the US. *lol*
I can not only wholeheartedly recommend this little horror tale, I also need to point out strongly that everyone needs to read this in the audio version because "Papa Dragon" turned out to be a chameleon with voices and one of the best narrators I've ever been listening to!
This short story, written by the King of horror (sorry, couldn't resist) and his son, was scrumptious. *evil grin*
America has places so far "out there" that you don't even get cell phone reception. I know, right! ;)
Places where ancient evils can lurk and even something as seemingly mundane as grass may turn out to be about as healthy as calling an armed redneck a dumbass.
The Kings (or the king and the prince, I should say) are very good at making even supernatural elements seem realistic and plausible. And they are the reason I'll be very careful about where I'll stop and whom I'll help should I ever go on a roadtrip in the US. *lol*
I can not only wholeheartedly recommend this little horror tale, I also need to point out strongly that everyone needs to read this in the audio version because "Papa Dragon" turned out to be a chameleon with voices and one of the best narrators I've ever been listening to!
November 26, 2024
“In the Tall Grass” by Stephen King and Joe Hill is a quick novella, barely 62 pages. This is perfect for reading a short story in a day or even an hour or two before bed. As usual, seeing King and his son Hill co-write a book together means you’re in for one hell of a ride, and this novella didn’t disappoint.
Before I begin my review, here are the trigger warnings I found while reading…
- Miscarriage
- Violence against pregnant women
- Violence against babies
- Cannibalism
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, I loved the metal references while reading, with Metallica and Rush being mentioned. Being a huge metalhead, it always makes my metal heart smile when I see some of my favorite bands mentioned. Once I got into the story, this went from 0 to 100 quickly.
I’ve never read such weird, freaky horror involving tall grass. It was all very unique to the point where it was mind-blowing. I love original horror like this as I loved all the insane, gory, and bloody events that transpired. It was so damn good and creepy! I made many weird faces while reading the gruesome parts because you could see, smell, and even taste the madness.
Don’t worry, I’d never spoil anything for anyone, but the main antagonist, Ross Humbolt, was beyond psychotic. It’s tough to accomplish a terrifying short story, but the father-and-son combo of King and Hill delivered here and then some. Even the ending was crazy and written in a way that made me smile.
I give “In the Tall Grass” by Stephen King and Joe Hill a 5/5 for being an incredible horror story that is short, sweet, and straight to the point. This was awesome and fun to read, especially the disgusting and gruesome parts these two have conjured in their creative minds. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a quick read that will haunt you whenever you see tall grass. I will never look at it the same ever again.
Before I begin my review, here are the trigger warnings I found while reading…
- Miscarriage
- Violence against pregnant women
- Violence against babies
- Cannibalism
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this book. Moving along, I loved the metal references while reading, with Metallica and Rush being mentioned. Being a huge metalhead, it always makes my metal heart smile when I see some of my favorite bands mentioned. Once I got into the story, this went from 0 to 100 quickly.
I’ve never read such weird, freaky horror involving tall grass. It was all very unique to the point where it was mind-blowing. I love original horror like this as I loved all the insane, gory, and bloody events that transpired. It was so damn good and creepy! I made many weird faces while reading the gruesome parts because you could see, smell, and even taste the madness.
Don’t worry, I’d never spoil anything for anyone, but the main antagonist, Ross Humbolt, was beyond psychotic. It’s tough to accomplish a terrifying short story, but the father-and-son combo of King and Hill delivered here and then some. Even the ending was crazy and written in a way that made me smile.
I give “In the Tall Grass” by Stephen King and Joe Hill a 5/5 for being an incredible horror story that is short, sweet, and straight to the point. This was awesome and fun to read, especially the disgusting and gruesome parts these two have conjured in their creative minds. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a quick read that will haunt you whenever you see tall grass. I will never look at it the same ever again.
August 11, 2018
Can these two PLEASE write a book together?! Great short story... disturbing and gory.
April 10, 2023
"Blood is really warm,
it's like drinking hot chocolate
but with more screaming."
--Ryan Mecum,( Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your...Brains)
In the few that I've read of Stephen King, I have become his fan, though each of his stories have a few elements(at least)that I could have done without. Take for instance The Ritual of Chüd in It. Still, disturbing as it is, it can be neglected in terms of the brilliance (and also the length) of the rest of the tale. But I finished this one last night. And I'm still nauseated. Seriously.
Let's get to the story. It's about Cal and his sister Becky who on a cross-country drive pause by the 6 feet tall grass of rural Kansas, only to find a kid crying from amidst the grass for help. They go in there, unsuspecting to discover pretty soon all is not what it seems to be, and they could've done better staying back. Meanwhile, I came to know of it from the Netflix adaptation, I thought it would be good to read the novella before the movie with such an underwhelming response.
The story-telling is just as good as any other horror tale, for, obviously it's King writing this. Undeniably unique, too; it was Vincenzo Natali who said: "Who would think that grass could be frightening? Trust Stephen King and Joe Hill to find a way. They have transformed an otherwise innocuous Kansas field into a stage for some of the most disturbing horror fiction I have ever read." However, you can't deny it's entirely flawless, not justified character development, to speak of one. Also, to speak of the truth, it's really way too gory, at particularly one instance for my taste. I don't mind anything that's spine-chilling or demands to stay awake a few nights( good frightening tales make me sleep better actually) but this one is what can be called "redundant gore".
In the Netflix adaptation, however, these flaws are rectified to a certain extent. And the experimental non-chronological way of storytelling was, to say the truth way better than the novella, or even the cool audiobook narrated by Stephen Lang. And besides, the movie had the amazing performance of Patrick Wilson and ended on a poignant-yet-optimistic note that suited me well. Less of the graphicness, but that's one of the reasons most enjoy horror slashers. That, and the reason it's done masterfully is the reason for this rating, though I will tell you to watch the movie rather if you choose one.
"Becky thought she had walked twenty steps into the grass. Maybe thirty at most. The road should’ve been close enough to hit with a Frisbee. It was, instead, as if she had walked the length of a football field and then some. A battered red Datsun, zipping along the highway, looked no bigger than a Matchbox car. A hundred and forty yards of grass—a softly flowing ocean of watered green silk—stood between her and that slender blacktop thread."
it's like drinking hot chocolate
but with more screaming."
--Ryan Mecum,( Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry for Your...Brains)
In the few that I've read of Stephen King, I have become his fan, though each of his stories have a few elements(at least)that I could have done without. Take for instance The Ritual of Chüd in It. Still, disturbing as it is, it can be neglected in terms of the brilliance (and also the length) of the rest of the tale. But I finished this one last night. And I'm still nauseated. Seriously.
Let's get to the story. It's about Cal and his sister Becky who on a cross-country drive pause by the 6 feet tall grass of rural Kansas, only to find a kid crying from amidst the grass for help. They go in there, unsuspecting to discover pretty soon all is not what it seems to be, and they could've done better staying back. Meanwhile, I came to know of it from the Netflix adaptation, I thought it would be good to read the novella before the movie with such an underwhelming response.
The story-telling is just as good as any other horror tale, for, obviously it's King writing this. Undeniably unique, too; it was Vincenzo Natali who said: "Who would think that grass could be frightening? Trust Stephen King and Joe Hill to find a way. They have transformed an otherwise innocuous Kansas field into a stage for some of the most disturbing horror fiction I have ever read." However, you can't deny it's entirely flawless, not justified character development, to speak of one. Also, to speak of the truth, it's really way too gory, at particularly one instance for my taste. I don't mind anything that's spine-chilling or demands to stay awake a few nights( good frightening tales make me sleep better actually) but this one is what can be called "redundant gore".
In the Netflix adaptation, however, these flaws are rectified to a certain extent. And the experimental non-chronological way of storytelling was, to say the truth way better than the novella, or even the cool audiobook narrated by Stephen Lang. And besides, the movie had the amazing performance of Patrick Wilson and ended on a poignant-yet-optimistic note that suited me well. Less of the graphicness, but that's one of the reasons most enjoy horror slashers. That, and the reason it's done masterfully is the reason for this rating, though I will tell you to watch the movie rather if you choose one.
"Becky thought she had walked twenty steps into the grass. Maybe thirty at most. The road should’ve been close enough to hit with a Frisbee. It was, instead, as if she had walked the length of a football field and then some. A battered red Datsun, zipping along the highway, looked no bigger than a Matchbox car. A hundred and forty yards of grass—a softly flowing ocean of watered green silk—stood between her and that slender blacktop thread."
October 28, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“He wanted quiet for a while instead of the radio, so you could say what happened was his fault. She wanted fresh air instead of the AC for a while, so you could say it was hers.”
What can I say? I can say “boy oh boy this was a humdinger of a little thrillride.”
Cal and Becky pull off of the highway to stretch their legs, but could never imagine what would happen next. On their side of the highway is the Black Rock of the Redeemer Church, on the other? A little boy screaming for help from beyond the tall Kansas grass. The two know right away they have to help the boy, but when they enter the grass they discover finding their way out is impossible . . . unless they do one thing.
I don’t know if it’s embedded in my psyche after reading so many Stephen King books over the years or if this one was really as good as I think it was, but I was freaking out almost immediately upon starting this story. The first sentence grabbed me and by the time they heard the voice of little lost Tobin crying for help I was on the edge of my seat – where I firmly remained until the last page.
I’m going to go out on a limb and give credit where I think credit is due and say the magic of the unwasted page/paragraph/sentence in this short story is all owed to Joe Hill. I’m generally not a fan of even the novella, so an actual 50-some page short like this is really not my cuppa. That being said, just as King knows the art of painting the horror story with a nice broad brush, Joe Hill knows how to get right to the point and not spend a second on unnecessary details.
Obviously I can’t tell you what lies beyond the “tall grass,” but I can tell you that it’s easily the most disturbing short I’ve ever (or probably will ever read) and it’s not for the timid . . . or the weak-stomached. It made Michael’s little “experience” with the worms and maggots in one of my faves look like child’s play . . .
If you’re looking for something that will horrify you this Halloween week – In The Tall Grass is a winner.
“He wanted quiet for a while instead of the radio, so you could say what happened was his fault. She wanted fresh air instead of the AC for a while, so you could say it was hers.”
What can I say? I can say “boy oh boy this was a humdinger of a little thrillride.”
Cal and Becky pull off of the highway to stretch their legs, but could never imagine what would happen next. On their side of the highway is the Black Rock of the Redeemer Church, on the other? A little boy screaming for help from beyond the tall Kansas grass. The two know right away they have to help the boy, but when they enter the grass they discover finding their way out is impossible . . . unless they do one thing.
I don’t know if it’s embedded in my psyche after reading so many Stephen King books over the years or if this one was really as good as I think it was, but I was freaking out almost immediately upon starting this story. The first sentence grabbed me and by the time they heard the voice of little lost Tobin crying for help I was on the edge of my seat – where I firmly remained until the last page.
I’m going to go out on a limb and give credit where I think credit is due and say the magic of the unwasted page/paragraph/sentence in this short story is all owed to Joe Hill. I’m generally not a fan of even the novella, so an actual 50-some page short like this is really not my cuppa. That being said, just as King knows the art of painting the horror story with a nice broad brush, Joe Hill knows how to get right to the point and not spend a second on unnecessary details.
Obviously I can’t tell you what lies beyond the “tall grass,” but I can tell you that it’s easily the most disturbing short I’ve ever (or probably will ever read) and it’s not for the timid . . . or the weak-stomached. It made Michael’s little “experience” with the worms and maggots in one of my faves look like child’s play . . .
If you’re looking for something that will horrify you this Halloween week – In The Tall Grass is a winner.
October 26, 2014
The product description for this book wasn't honest, and that kind of ticks me off. The way it's listed on Amazon, it looks like you're going to get a novella-length story written by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill. There is no mention of the fact that the last 25% of the eBook's length is taken up by teaser chapters from King and Hill's forthcoming novels (at the time), Doctor Sleep and NOS4A2, respectively. When the advertisements stuffed into the back amount for 25% of the page count, it just seems to me like you're paying to be pitched to. Also, not knowing from the get-go that the last 25% of the book is ad space, you get a false sense of how long the story is going to be. It really kind of fucks with the story's rhythm and flow. Yes, you can open up the Look Inside sample and see the teasers listed in the TOC for this book, but who does that when purchasing something written by Stephen King? I'd say about 1% of the potential buyers. Also, when you've downloaded (side-loaded, or whatever) the book to your Kindle and open that puppy up, you are taken to the beginning of the book to start reading. It takes a special effort to look at the table of contents. And why exactly would you look at the table of contents before you start reading what you think is a novella?
Oh, wait, what about the story, the (at most) novelette, In the Tall Grass? It was pretty good. It started out genuinely scary and got rather disturbing and disgusting as it went along. All very good for a horror story. BUT the ending was so goofy and filled with dopey, unrealistic characters, and, worst of all, it was redundant. We already knew what kind of story this was pretty early on. We didn't need a giant, tacky neon sign at the end to spell it all out for us.
Get it from your local library's digital collection or wait for a price break.
Oh, wait, what about the story, the (at most) novelette, In the Tall Grass? It was pretty good. It started out genuinely scary and got rather disturbing and disgusting as it went along. All very good for a horror story. BUT the ending was so goofy and filled with dopey, unrealistic characters, and, worst of all, it was redundant. We already knew what kind of story this was pretty early on. We didn't need a giant, tacky neon sign at the end to spell it all out for us.
Get it from your local library's digital collection or wait for a price break.
October 8, 2019
Can a field of grass be scary? Sinister even?
Cal and Becky DeMuth, a brother and sister are driving across the United States to arrange the adoption of Becky’s unborn child. On their way, they hear a child calling from the field of long grass nearby. The child sounds in trouble and the DeMuths believe they can help the child out. Events only get more sinister from that point on.
This short story was written by the dynamic father-son duo of horror, Joe Hill and Stephen King. Seriously though, this is a tale you can sink your teeth into. I couldn't put it down. Fast-paced, eerie, disturbing and gory, it had all the elements of an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Something else delightfully unexpected was the united voice by the co-writers. For a story only sixty-two pages long there were a ton of plot twists that didn't just grab my attention, it demanded it.
The only thing I didn't like about In the Tall Grass was that it is a short story. It ended too quick and few parts felt rushed. I think this has the potential to at least be a novella and now I'm left wanting MORE.
Cal and Becky DeMuth, a brother and sister are driving across the United States to arrange the adoption of Becky’s unborn child. On their way, they hear a child calling from the field of long grass nearby. The child sounds in trouble and the DeMuths believe they can help the child out. Events only get more sinister from that point on.
This short story was written by the dynamic father-son duo of horror, Joe Hill and Stephen King. Seriously though, this is a tale you can sink your teeth into. I couldn't put it down. Fast-paced, eerie, disturbing and gory, it had all the elements of an edge-of-the-seat thriller. Something else delightfully unexpected was the united voice by the co-writers. For a story only sixty-two pages long there were a ton of plot twists that didn't just grab my attention, it demanded it.
The only thing I didn't like about In the Tall Grass was that it is a short story. It ended too quick and few parts felt rushed. I think this has the potential to at least be a novella and now I'm left wanting MORE.
January 26, 2022
Grass. Corn.
Even King had an occasional brain fart.
Even King had an occasional brain fart.
October 9, 2019
Enjoyable short read that only takes a couple hours. It’s disturbing and horrifying, especially since a majority of us would stop and try to find a little boy calling for help from tall grass. Now I can watch the movie adaption that recently came out on Netflix. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 23, 2020
"Cuando tocas la roca (o la abrazas, da igual), puedes ver. Sabes un montón de cosas más. Pero también te da más hambre.
La roca te enseña a escuchar a la hierba, y la hierba alta lo sabe todo"
"Aquí dentro es más fácil encontrar las cosas cuando están muertas. El prado no mueve por ahí las cosas muertas. —Sus ojos brillaron en la oscuridad y miró el cuervo destrozado que sostenía Cal—. Creo que la mayoría de los pájaros se mantienen alejados de la hierba. Creo que lo saben y se lo cuentan entre ellos. Pero algunos no hacen caso. Los cuervos son los que menos caso hacen, supongo, porque aquí dentro hay bastantes de ellos muertos"
Una historia bastante trepidante, en el que no te gustaría estar en los zapatos de los protagonistas.
Creo que se distingue un poco mas la pluma del hijo por sobre la del padre.
No pude evitar pensar en Jeepers Creepers durante las primeras paginas. Por el hecho de ser dos hermanos en la carretera, por la locación, la iglesia. Y tras eso es inevitable no pensar en "los chicos del maíz", entre algunas otras historias de S.K. Y sospecho que hay detalles y referencias que solo pueden apreciar los que hayan leído toda la saga de la Torre Oscura
Ahora bien: tres cuartos del relato son atrapantes, con un gran poderío descriptivo, con situaciones y acontecimientos que te apabullan y mucha crudeza.
¿y el desenlace? UUUUUUffffffffffff ¡AGUA ! ...Se convierte en un mal viaje alucinógeno y psicodélico. No me convenció la forma en la que esta planteado.
La roca te enseña a escuchar a la hierba, y la hierba alta lo sabe todo"
"Aquí dentro es más fácil encontrar las cosas cuando están muertas. El prado no mueve por ahí las cosas muertas. —Sus ojos brillaron en la oscuridad y miró el cuervo destrozado que sostenía Cal—. Creo que la mayoría de los pájaros se mantienen alejados de la hierba. Creo que lo saben y se lo cuentan entre ellos. Pero algunos no hacen caso. Los cuervos son los que menos caso hacen, supongo, porque aquí dentro hay bastantes de ellos muertos"
Una historia bastante trepidante, en el que no te gustaría estar en los zapatos de los protagonistas.
Creo que se distingue un poco mas la pluma del hijo por sobre la del padre.
No pude evitar pensar en Jeepers Creepers durante las primeras paginas. Por el hecho de ser dos hermanos en la carretera, por la locación, la iglesia. Y tras eso es inevitable no pensar en "los chicos del maíz", entre algunas otras historias de S.K. Y sospecho que hay detalles y referencias que solo pueden apreciar los que hayan leído toda la saga de la Torre Oscura
Ahora bien: tres cuartos del relato son atrapantes, con un gran poderío descriptivo, con situaciones y acontecimientos que te apabullan y mucha crudeza.
¿y el desenlace? UUUUUUffffffffffff ¡AGUA ! ...Se convierte en un mal viaje alucinógeno y psicodélico. No me convenció la forma en la que esta planteado.
April 28, 2025
Most of Stephen King's books are too long, and yet still satisfying. This one was the shortest of his works that I've read. It was mostly good, but it was also very confusing, and I hated the way it ended. Won't spoil it, but suffice it to say that there's no happy ending (for a book like this, I kind of need one).
For such a short story, there's plenty of gore. Not my favorite King. Just too sad.
For such a short story, there's plenty of gore. Not my favorite King. Just too sad.
May 18, 2020
Inquietante y perturbador. Te tiene en constante tensión. No te deja indiferente.
September 23, 2019
Relato oscuro, escalofriante y sobre todo muy agobiante.
October 12, 2019
I found out this story existed because of a not yet released Netflix movie and was excited. I immediately decided I wanted to read it first.
I found out this story existed in a electronic book format and was devastated. I hate that method and do everything I can to avoid it.
I found out this story existed online where I could easily access it and was excited again. I read the story, loved the story mostly (the bit of weird flashback lost me) and was satisfied.
I found out this story existed as a released Netflix movie I could now watch and was back to excited again. It was last Saturday night and I watched it and absolutely loved it. There were differences between the two but nothing that took from the original.
I found out this story existed in an upcoming book that I was having shipped to me and felt sheepish. Why didn’t I do my research better before going on a mad crazy search?
Five stars to a short story that was worth all of the shenanigans.
I found out this story existed in a electronic book format and was devastated. I hate that method and do everything I can to avoid it.
I found out this story existed online where I could easily access it and was excited again. I read the story, loved the story mostly (the bit of weird flashback lost me) and was satisfied.
I found out this story existed as a released Netflix movie I could now watch and was back to excited again. It was last Saturday night and I watched it and absolutely loved it. There were differences between the two but nothing that took from the original.
I found out this story existed in an upcoming book that I was having shipped to me and felt sheepish. Why didn’t I do my research better before going on a mad crazy search?
Five stars to a short story that was worth all of the shenanigans.
November 3, 2025
Great short story that was adapted into a horror film. Pretty amazing what a good author can do in 60 pages. I enjoyed them both!
July 9, 2015
Un trabajo de padre e hijo, algo que creo que muchos queríamos ver. No había tenido oportunidad de leerlo anteriormente, y ahora que pude hacerlo me pareció muy entretenido y sobre todo extraño, aunque no me terminó de cerrar el estilo en el que esta narrada la historia. Sacando eso, yo creo que fue un buen relato, me gustó mucho que fuera tan visceral y morboso, la idea se me hizo pesadillesca.
February 7, 2017
Stephen King has a knack of writing horror stories set at the most unlikeliest of places and around the most unlikeliest of things/events. This one is easily one of his most disturbing short stories you will read. The story was tense and creepy but it has more about gore than horror. Not for everyone.
December 14, 2019
Well, I decided to read this novella before watching the Netflix adaptation.
This is not a new short story.
It was originally published in two parts in the June/July and August 2012 issues of Esquire magazine.
I have never heard of it before Netflix.
This short horror story is very, very vivid, intense and gory.
And extremely well written (and this is not a surprise, after all this is uncle Stevie at his best and showing off his talented son).
I was engaged from the beginning.
I heard bad reviews of the adaptation, but after reading this I do have to watch it.
This is not a new short story.
It was originally published in two parts in the June/July and August 2012 issues of Esquire magazine.
I have never heard of it before Netflix.
This short horror story is very, very vivid, intense and gory.
And extremely well written (and this is not a surprise, after all this is uncle Stevie at his best and showing off his talented son).
I was engaged from the beginning.
I heard bad reviews of the adaptation, but after reading this I do have to watch it.
September 29, 2019
Impeccable short story! Still waiting for a full length book from King and Hill! That would be phenomenal!
November 24, 2025
I’ve always loved Stephen King’s shorter stories, and this collaboration with Joe Hill makes me crave reading more from both authors. It seriously gives off serious “you’re in for a hell of a ride” vibes.
In the Tall Grass gives off serious “you’re in for a hell of a ride” vibes. It’s a unique, mind-blowing story—freaky, unsettling, and deeply immersive. The authors make you taste, smell, and see the madness of the grass, creating an experience that lingers long after you finish.
Short and straight to the point, the story has layers beyond its surface-level horror. At its core, it’s about being trapped by past decisions and the consequences that follow, with terror coming not just from the literal maze but also the psychological labyrinth within.
In the Tall Grass gives off serious “you’re in for a hell of a ride” vibes. It’s a unique, mind-blowing story—freaky, unsettling, and deeply immersive. The authors make you taste, smell, and see the madness of the grass, creating an experience that lingers long after you finish.
Short and straight to the point, the story has layers beyond its surface-level horror. At its core, it’s about being trapped by past decisions and the consequences that follow, with terror coming not just from the literal maze but also the psychological labyrinth within.
November 2, 2019
It’s a short story so I shouldn’t be disappointed that it wasn’t well developed because it didn’t have time to do that. And I shouldn’t feel cheated that it wasn’t as good as the movie but I am, and the most disappointing thing is that it isn’t a mind-fuck like the movie.
January 31, 2020
***4.5 gruesome stars***
September 2, 2014
A brother and sister driving across Kansas with the windows rolled down hear a young boy calling for help in the middle of a field of Tall Grass. Stopping to investigate, they enter the Tall Grass, become separated, and get lost in the Tall Grass. They can’t get out of the Tall Grass because the Tall Grass is weird and you can never leave the Tall Grass once you enter the Tall Grass. Huh. Tall Grass, eh?
The premise is interesting: a field of Tall Grass that is somehow an evil living thing where no matter how close you can hear the people caught within it, you will never find them and so the characters are eternally ensnared within this bizarre field of Tall Grass. But then the story continues and gets progressively more of a chore to read, which is pretty damning for a short story that’s only about 50-odd pages long.
It seems Stephen King and his son Joe Hill wrote this because they wanted to write some cannibalistic scenes together and not much else. It seems horror these days means descriptions of people who’ve gone nuts and resorted to eating one another. Except it’s not scary or interesting to read, and by the end I was just wanting it all to be over and done with.
How can a tense and exciting scenario have the vitality sucked from it? Too much description, repetitiveness, and stupid limericks. The excessive goriness in this story is the literary equivalent of the torture porn in those crappy Saw movies and feels like King is trying too hard to shock his readers.
In the Tall Grass is a weak attempt at horror that serves to underline how fresh King’s stories were in Night Shift when it came out in the late 1970s and how tired his work reads these days in comparison.
The premise is interesting: a field of Tall Grass that is somehow an evil living thing where no matter how close you can hear the people caught within it, you will never find them and so the characters are eternally ensnared within this bizarre field of Tall Grass. But then the story continues and gets progressively more of a chore to read, which is pretty damning for a short story that’s only about 50-odd pages long.
It seems Stephen King and his son Joe Hill wrote this because they wanted to write some cannibalistic scenes together and not much else. It seems horror these days means descriptions of people who’ve gone nuts and resorted to eating one another. Except it’s not scary or interesting to read, and by the end I was just wanting it all to be over and done with.
How can a tense and exciting scenario have the vitality sucked from it? Too much description, repetitiveness, and stupid limericks. The excessive goriness in this story is the literary equivalent of the torture porn in those crappy Saw movies and feels like King is trying too hard to shock his readers.
In the Tall Grass is a weak attempt at horror that serves to underline how fresh King’s stories were in Night Shift when it came out in the late 1970s and how tired his work reads these days in comparison.
October 9, 2016
4.5
Great collaboration between father and son. The King and his heir work well together.
This was like The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon meets The Children of the Corn. I felt claustrophobic while reading this and if I ever hear a kid calling for help from a field like this one, they're screwed.
June 30, 2019
Great short story.
Ahhh, memories. The good old days of early King, a reminiscence, and a better rendition of what I thought Children of the Corn would be. :)
Good ole Horror.
"Help me!"
Muahahahaha LOVED the limericks. Creepy, gory, and it pushes all the right buttons.
Ahhh, memories. The good old days of early King, a reminiscence, and a better rendition of what I thought Children of the Corn would be. :)
Good ole Horror.
"Help me!"
Muahahahaha LOVED the limericks. Creepy, gory, and it pushes all the right buttons.
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