Night Surf

by Stephen King

Published in 'Night Shift'.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, American

Unknown Binding

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

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

An audiobook in Portuguese. A very interesting short story. WIKIPEDIA: "'Night Surf' is a post-apocalyptic short story by Stephen King, first published in the spring 1969 issue of Ubris magazine, and later collected in a heavily revised version in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.

Loosely related to the author's highly regarded novel 'The Stand', the story occurs on an August night on Anson Beach, New Hampshire, with a group of former college students who survived a catastrophic plague caused by a virus called A6. They believe the virus spread out of Southeast Asia and wiped out most of humanity."

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

How the hell is this story's average rating so low? In my (so humble) opinion, it is one of King's finest — one of the finest from Night Shift, anyway.

First off, I just want to fanboy about that opener: "After the guy was dead and the smell of his burning flesh was off the air, we all went back down to the beach." Holy moly, that line. It's such a strong grabber it'd make Donald Trump jealous. As a writer (and lover of short fiction), I always strive to create strong opening lines. Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't. I've yet to come close to that excellence, though. The sheer genuineness of the sentence, though, is not the words themselves but this: after King makes sure he has the reader's full attention, he shifts focus completely, leaving in the air the mystery; "Who is the guy these people burned? Why did they burn him? What's going on here?" It is only after a page and a half that we are clued in on who the burned man was, and why his death was necessary.

This is certainly one of King's most atmospheric tales; he is a master at writing the end of the world. Seriously. It's a topic he has covered five or six times now, and it is always original, always cutting edge, always fresh. The setting of this one — a desolate, deserted beach at nighttime — is particularly haunting. One can sense the brooding loneliness of the abandoned planet Earth just seeping off the pages . . .

Yeah, this is an all-time Stephen King great. The fact that it fits so well into the universe of The Stand doesn't hurt; however, this story would still stand up if that great novel had never been written. As is often the case in his short fiction, King hits every mark with flawless aim.

King Connections

This so belongs in The Stand's universe that it could've been folded into that book.

Favorite Quote

"We came over the ridge and I paused. I always have to pause. Before A6, this had been a public beach. Tourists, picnickers, runny-noses kids and fat baggy grandmothers with sunburned elbows. Candy wrappers and popsicle sticks in the sand, all the beautiful people necking on their beach blankets, intermingled stench of exhaust from the parking lot, seaweed, and Coppertone oil.

But now all the dirt and all the crap was gone. The ocean had eaten it, all of it, as casually as you might eat a handful of Cracker Jacks. There were no people to come back and dirty it again. Just us, and we weren't enough to make much mess."

Up Next

"I Am The Doorway"

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story 3 stars**
Audio 4.25 stars**
Narrator John Glover

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story by Big Steve is still very modern in tone. What will we do when the mutant flu comes?

[skylar lokota · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise behind "Night Surf" has great potential. It opens on a group of twentysomethings setting a man on fire before revealing that a super flu has wiped out most of humanity. That alone made me want to keep reading, which leads to this piece's biggest failing: it feels uncompleted. I feel like I just read half a prologue to a much larger story. Some people say that this correlates with King's novel The Stand, which is up next after my read of Night Shift.

Another big thing (and the main reason behind my star deductions) is how misogynistic and fat-shaming the main character was. All he talked about was how flabby his love interest was. All we know about his previous love interest was that she was "a big girl" and that he loved her a whole lot more. The MC threatens to hit the love interest. A big NOPE on that aspect.

[Marc-Antoine · Rating 4 out of 5]

JUST THE FLU.

Playlist

Perry Como
Johnny Ray
Bringing In the Sheaves
Angie - The Rolling Stones
Leadbelly

[Jimena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historia corta sobre jóvenes a la deriva en un mundo postapocalíptico. Su virtud fundamental es lo atmosférica que resulta.

[Jason Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captain Trips! This is just 10 measly paperback pages, yet The Stand grew out of it 10 years later. A couple of minor details about the disease were changed in the novel, but otherwise this could be a small side adventure we didn't get to see in the larger work.

And what a coincidence that I should stumble upon this during our Ebola "crisis," or "epidemic." As of this writing, various governments (including, or perhaps especially our own [US]), the Center for Disease Confusion and the World Health Organization seem to be taking their cues from The Stand on how they should handle it. Stephen King might be the master of fear, but the WHO and CDC are the undisputed masters of fear mongering. SARS; swine flu; bird flu; hand, foot and mouth disease...



The world is still here, as are the vast majority of its inhabitants. Get a grip, people! What's going to happen when a real Captain Trips shows up? We'll be so used to everyone crying wolf when they actually saw a Yorkie that we won't do a thing, and then we'll all be just as dead as if we had done something, and been denied a warranted Chicken Little panic in the bargain.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

So short! I could have read this full length feature book, but it’s just missing the meat. I’ll also add I don’t appreciate the narrator’s meanness towards heavier women.

[Zoe Ito · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story begins with a group of teens lighting a man on fire at the beach. Contrary to what people may expect, this is done as an act of mercy. The world has gone haywire and living is more nightmarish than dying.

I honestly didn't like this one at all. The characters are extremely unlikable with no interesting or redeemable qualities to any of them. They just sit around on the beach the whole time waiting to die by a plague that wiped out most of humanity. That's all that happens.

Stephen King is awesome at writing dark apocalyptic stories like The Stand and Dark Tower, but this short story has no substance to it at all.

My rating: 1.3/5

[Asheley T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super duper short story, something like 12 or 13 pages in my book. I have seen it mentioned that this could be set in the world of The Stand, but I can't really comment on that yet because The Stand is up next on my Stephen King to-read stack. What I CAN say is that even though it is short, there is definitely a vibe here. A little dark, a little sad, a lot like the end of the world is near.

Once again, Stephen King's attention to little details is my favorite part of this story. It's JUST THE FLU!

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m again in the minority with this one…

I thought it was one of King’s best (that I’ve read) from the intro about burning a truck driver alive to the mundane, day in day out lives in a forgotten world on the brink of oblivion.

Why is this day important? Because, it seems, it is the day that these infinite children, the last on the face of the earth, are reminded of their own mortality, when A6 reaches them and they realize they are not immune.

The clash of life against the indifferent ocean is unsettling. This is a quiet story about the end of the world and a very good one.

[Lance Lasalle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short story that reads like it was the inspiration for King's epic The Stand. The narrating character is a nasty piece of work but it's well written, sharing much in town iwth the Stand. Seems unfinished. Probably because he decided to write the Stand instead.

[Mrs Reddy Katzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I FEEL LIKE THERE'S ONLY HALF A STORY HERE - WHERE'S THE REST OF IT GONE ??

[Markeisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible! Half a story...booooo!! Thumbs down!

[Ricardo Matta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to see a Captain Trips story, even if it is a little different in this story.

[Zephyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Not King’s best but still good

[Shreyas · Rating 1 out of 5]

'Night Surf' by Stephen King.

So here we were, with the whole human race wiped out, not by atomic weapons or bio-warfare or pollution or anything grand like that. Just the flu. I'd like to put down a huge plaque somewhere, in the Bonneville Salt Flats, maybe. Bronze Square. Three miles on a side. And in big raised letters it would say, for the benefit of any landing aliens: JUST THE FLU.

Rating: 1.0/5.




Review:

Meh. Simply meh.

'Night Surf' is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the spring 1969 issue of the Ubris magazine, and then later collected in a heavily revised version in Stephen King's 1978 short story collection – 'Night Shift'.

I have been informed that this short story acts as a prelude to Stephen King's magnum opus 'The Stand', but when read as a separate tale, it falls flat. The premise behind this short story had great potential. It opens with a group of survivors setting a man on fire before revealing that a deadly virus has wiped out most of the global population. The deadly A6 pandemic was starkly reminiscent of the recent COVID-19 pandemic that unfortunately claimed a lot of lives in its wake. It was a harsh reminder of those times and added to the depressive atmosphere of the story. It is extremely frightening that Stephen King, with his vivid imagination, was able to conjure a scenario that almost came to be a few decades later.

The book has a fantastic opening line: After the guy was dead and the smell of his burning flesh was off the air, we all went back down to the beach. It sets the tone for the rest of the story and grabs the reader's full attention. This air of intrigue and mystery was enough to make me want to keep reading, but it led to the book's biggest failing: it leads to nowhere and feels unfinished. The main character was abhorrent and extremely unlikeable, perhaps being a product of the stressful times and dire circumstances, and the rest of the characters weren't developed enough to be invested in their fates.

The entire story is just the survivors sitting around on the beach the whole time waiting to die from the plague that wiped out most of mankind. That's it. Nothing else happens in the story, and once the story ends abruptly, you are left scratching your head wondering whether there's more and your copy is missing a few pages of the story. Unfortunately, 'Night Surf' was a disappointing read for me, but its premise did make me want to pick up 'The Stand' soon.

[Lizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t write reviews.

This was a nice little post-apocalyptic story from King. When he hones in on characters and ideas, he can be a very good writer. I think most of his work suffers from sprawl or SHBASSS (Should Have Been A Short Story Syndrome), which is why I find his short work much more enjoyable.

[Andrew kutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

the hole thing was very sad. there isn't any time for humor, but it is very short, so it works, and even if it had humor all it would do is rip away the feel of what the story is going for. the main character was just flat out mean, he was my biggest problem with the story but there was a sad losing all hope feel that made it feel ok, because I think most of us were in the same situation you would feel same bitterness because life is coming short, and its hard for someone as young as the character to be ready for that, and not knowing when his time will come. if you like Stephen king you will like this story its worth the read.

[Robert Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It raises more questions than it answers. I understand there is some flu out there that is killing people, billions of.
Who controls this plague? How did it all start? How does it affect our body and what makes it collapse? How did those people make it if the mankind is on the verge of being extinct?
Per se, the novel has been a waste of time. For me, at least. I was hoping for an insite into the world of The Stand but I guees I was asking for too much.

[Doggoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chilling book especially considering the current times. More so for the fact that it was written in 1969. A short story that shows Stephen's ability to show the results of apocalyptic circumstances on his characters. I read this story back in 1982 as part of Night Shift and it has stayed with me since then. Well nigh prophetic.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Cavalier, Aug 1974 collected in Night Shift and later in Graveyard Shift and Other Stories From Night Shift, The Stephen King Value Collection: Stories from Night Shift.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this short story by flipping to a random page in Night Shift. What are the chances of me reading this short story while being sick AND in progress reading The Stand simultaneously? I was definitely uneasy before going to sleep last night. Thanks again Stephen King.

[Zachariah Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting short story on the Captain Tripps flu (A6), but through the eyes of a few surviving young adults. Wonder if it was a part of the original novel, The Stand, that King had edited out of his first draft.

[Nick Katenkamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Night Surf is a pretty pointless story and maybe the weakest of Night Shift. The only interesting aspect of the story is how it must have served as the inspiration for The Stand. Aside from that connection the story is pretty dull and doesn't have much of a plot.

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Con: Unlikable characters. Weak plot.

Pro: Decent end twist. Great job painting picture of the setting.

Ultimately, I don't recommend this short story

[Elton Lesnussa · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

[Dmitry Butsenets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Рассказ того типа, за который я люблю С.К. Целая необъятная материя мира, когда хочется жить.