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Trucks
74 Minuten; gelesen von Joachim Kerzel.
* Trucks. Alle Fahrzeuge sind verrückt geworden und unterwerfen die Menschheit. Wird sie lange genug überleben, bis alle Maschinen von selbst verrosten?
* Der Rasenmähermann. Harold Parkette verkaufte seinen Rasenmäher nach einem tragischen Unfall. Nachdem jedoch der Rasen seines Gartens immer weiter wächst, entscheidet er sich, einen Profi mit der Sache zu beauftragen. "Pastoral Greenery and Outdoor Services" ist seine Wahl und schon bald trifft sein Rasenmähermann ein und macht sich ans Werk. Jedoch wird Harold schon bald feststellen, dass dieser Rasenmähermann nicht ganz normal ist ...
* Trucks. Alle Fahrzeuge sind verrückt geworden und unterwerfen die Menschheit. Wird sie lange genug überleben, bis alle Maschinen von selbst verrosten?
* Der Rasenmähermann. Harold Parkette verkaufte seinen Rasenmäher nach einem tragischen Unfall. Nachdem jedoch der Rasen seines Gartens immer weiter wächst, entscheidet er sich, einen Profi mit der Sache zu beauftragen. "Pastoral Greenery and Outdoor Services" ist seine Wahl und schon bald trifft sein Rasenmähermann ein und macht sich ans Werk. Jedoch wird Harold schon bald feststellen, dass dieser Rasenmähermann nicht ganz normal ist ...
Audiobook
First published January 1, 1987
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About the author
Stephen King
2,413 books887k 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 70 reviews
March 11, 2017
"Trucks", the basis for the 1986 cult classic film Maximum Overdrive, is a highly unsettling short piece that shows King's trademark technophobia taking center stage. This is the story "Uncle Otto's Truck" and Christine want to be but aren't.
A small group of people are trapped in a diner by big rig trucks and other automobiles that have come to life. They're circling the place and aren't afraid to run people down (this story features a number of satisfyingly gory deaths). Machines have taken over the world. What happened? What caused it? Much to the story's benefit, a reason is not given but a few — nuclear testing, electrical storms — are hinted at. This is early bizarro King at his very best: some Insane Shit is going down, and the end of days is at hand . . . and there isn't a clear reason why.
I just love this story to pieces. The setting of the diner is utilized perfectly, and the characterization is appropriate for a story of this length. The mounting terror is palpable, and the ending is one of King's very best (at least, to this reader it is). Certainly an early SK highlight.
King Connections
None.
Favorite Quote
"And if I close my eyes I can see the production lines in Detroit and Dearborn and Youngstown and Mackinac, new trucks being put together by blue-collars who no longer even punch a clock but only drop and are replaced.
The counterman is staggering a little now. He's an old bastard, too. I've got to wake the girl.
Two planes are leaving silver contrails etched across the darkening eastern horizon.
I wish I could believe there are people in them."
Up Next
"Sometimes They Come Back"
A small group of people are trapped in a diner by big rig trucks and other automobiles that have come to life. They're circling the place and aren't afraid to run people down (this story features a number of satisfyingly gory deaths). Machines have taken over the world. What happened? What caused it? Much to the story's benefit, a reason is not given but a few — nuclear testing, electrical storms — are hinted at. This is early bizarro King at his very best: some Insane Shit is going down, and the end of days is at hand . . . and there isn't a clear reason why.
I just love this story to pieces. The setting of the diner is utilized perfectly, and the characterization is appropriate for a story of this length. The mounting terror is palpable, and the ending is one of King's very best (at least, to this reader it is). Certainly an early SK highlight.
King Connections
None.
Favorite Quote
"And if I close my eyes I can see the production lines in Detroit and Dearborn and Youngstown and Mackinac, new trucks being put together by blue-collars who no longer even punch a clock but only drop and are replaced.
The counterman is staggering a little now. He's an old bastard, too. I've got to wake the girl.
Two planes are leaving silver contrails etched across the darkening eastern horizon.
I wish I could believe there are people in them."
Up Next
"Sometimes They Come Back"
February 20, 2021
Al principio no entendía que pasaba pero pronto se aclaro. Sin embargo, resulta tan absurdo que no me generó el miedo y angustia que viven los personajes en el relato. Incluso tenía la sensación de que resultaba gracioso.
Aunque fue interesante porque es como una atisbo temático de la novela La niebla del mismo autor. Sería enriquecedor saber cual de las dos historias escribió primero.
La última parte logró que conectara un poco más, quizás si fuera más largo y se diera una explicación o teoría de los personajes de por qué los camiones cobran vida, creo que podría gustarme.
Aunque fue interesante porque es como una atisbo temático de la novela La niebla del mismo autor. Sería enriquecedor saber cual de las dos historias escribió primero.
La última parte logró que conectara un poco más, quizás si fuera más largo y se diera una explicación o teoría de los personajes de por qué los camiones cobran vida, creo que podría gustarme.
November 27, 2019
As someone reading "Trucks" in the first time in 2019, I found it laughable that humanity would be meet its match in the form of sentient semis. Like the government wouldn't shut that down in 2 hours. But technology was different back when King wrote this, so it probably makes more sense back then than now.
Suspending my disbelief and putting myself in the mindset of the era, "Trucks" has a creepy concept. I know semis scare the crap out me whenever I'm driving my little Camry on the interstate, so the idea of one of those things trying to kill me is scary enough. The kills in here were gory (always a plus) and that moment when
All in all, I liked "Trucks." It was good, but it isn't my favorite.
Suspending my disbelief and putting myself in the mindset of the era, "Trucks" has a creepy concept. I know semis scare the crap out me whenever I'm driving my little Camry on the interstate, so the idea of one of those things trying to kill me is scary enough. The kills in here were gory (always a plus) and that moment when
All in all, I liked "Trucks." It was good, but it isn't my favorite.
September 14, 2017
Interesting premise.
Playlist
Born on the Bayou - CCR
Playlist
Born on the Bayou - CCR
January 28, 2024
'Trucks' by Stephen King.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Review:
'Trucks' is the ninth short story included in Stephen King's 1978 short story collection 'Night Shift'. It is, as I have been informed by fellow movie enthusiasts, the basis for the 1986 cult classic movie 'Maximum Overdrive'.
A small group of people are stuck in a diner by big rig trucks and other similar automobiles that have somehow come to life. These trucks are circling the dinner and have no qualms about running down all those who attempt to escape. Although this short story was published first, reading it reminded me of Neil Gaiman's Sandman issue: Sandman: 24 Hour Diner. Perhaps Neil Gaiman might have been inspired by this short story and then went on to incorporate a similar grotesque sequence in his Sandman universe.
This highly unsettling short story shows Stephen King's technophobia from the late 70s taking center stage – humans being slaves to machines and all that. It was a great story with King shining again with his atmosphere building. There was a palpable sense of isolation compounded by the fact that the characters were unsure about what was happening elsewhere and were speculating on the outcomes. There was plenty of action and gore, and the story, although quite short, had me at the edge of my seat. The ending was bleak and depressing but suited the tone of the story.
Overall, 'Trucks' was a well-written, action-packed, terrifying short story that keeps you hooked from the first line to the last. It is, perhaps, a preview of some of King's later writings, which feature possessed automobiles in some capacity.
I was starting to doze, and instead of counting sheep I counted trucks. How many in the state, how many in America? Trailer trucks, pickup trucks, flatbeds, day-haulers, three-quarter-tons, army convoy trucks by the tens of thousands, and buses. Nightmare vision of a city-bus, two wheels in the gutter and two wheels on the pavement, roaring along and ploughing through screaming pedestrians like ninepins.
I shook it off and fell into a light, troubled sleep.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Review:
'Trucks' is the ninth short story included in Stephen King's 1978 short story collection 'Night Shift'. It is, as I have been informed by fellow movie enthusiasts, the basis for the 1986 cult classic movie 'Maximum Overdrive'.
A small group of people are stuck in a diner by big rig trucks and other similar automobiles that have somehow come to life. These trucks are circling the dinner and have no qualms about running down all those who attempt to escape. Although this short story was published first, reading it reminded me of Neil Gaiman's Sandman issue: Sandman: 24 Hour Diner. Perhaps Neil Gaiman might have been inspired by this short story and then went on to incorporate a similar grotesque sequence in his Sandman universe.
This highly unsettling short story shows Stephen King's technophobia from the late 70s taking center stage – humans being slaves to machines and all that. It was a great story with King shining again with his atmosphere building. There was a palpable sense of isolation compounded by the fact that the characters were unsure about what was happening elsewhere and were speculating on the outcomes. There was plenty of action and gore, and the story, although quite short, had me at the edge of my seat. The ending was bleak and depressing but suited the tone of the story.
Overall, 'Trucks' was a well-written, action-packed, terrifying short story that keeps you hooked from the first line to the last. It is, perhaps, a preview of some of King's later writings, which feature possessed automobiles in some capacity.
July 28, 2021
Short story nine in King's Night Shift.
An absurd premise well executed can still be a decent story. Why that works here when it didn't for the last two stories? Not sure.
An absurd premise well executed can still be a decent story. Why that works here when it didn't for the last two stories? Not sure.
December 7, 2018
"Trucks" habe ich vor Jahren gelesen und war nicht so sehr angetan von der Geschichte. Zwar war sie, wie gewohnt, exzellent erzählt und gestrickt, bis auf einen Logikfehler, der mir wie ein Riesenklops im Leseweg gelegen hat: zwar übernehmen die Fahrzeuge (es sind ja nicht nur LKWs) die Kontrolle und mähen alle lästigen Menschen um, die es wagen, sich ihnen in den Weg zu stellen. Doch auf der anderen Seite ist es mit dieser Macht vorbei, wenn der Benzintank leer ist. Also: warum nicht einfach warten, bis dies der Fall ist? Ich kann mich erinnern, dass die Geiseln des Diners / der Tankstelle am Schluss der Geschichte die Fahrzeuge betanken. Sie werden zwar irgendwie von den Fahrzeugen "gezwungen", aber wäre es nicht möglich, die Betankung so lange zu verweigern, bis kein Fahrzeug es mehr schafft, auf Menschenjagd zu gehen?
"Der Rasenmähermann" höre ich gerade (wieder) als Hörbuch, und hier ist die Geschichte ebenfalls - zumindest zum Schluss - ein bisschen zu viel des Guten. Aber gerade der Sprecher Kerzel schafft es jedesmal wieder, mich zum Zuhören zu verführen. Er verkörpert den etwas spießig-verhuschten Haus- und Gartenbesitzer, der den Rasen gemäht haben möchte und auf eine verhängnisvolle Anzeige in der Zeitung antwortet, auf so grandiose Weise, dass ich während der Lesung oft lachen musste. Eine der Stärken von Stephen King ist es nicht nur grandiosen Horror zu schreiben, sondern auch Personen darauf reagieren zu lassen. Dieser Grad, wenn einem etwas Schreckliches / Unglaubliches / absolut Absurdes / Grässliches passiert, der zwischen Unglauben und schockierender Erkenntnis liegt, so zu beschreiben - das schafft nur King. Absolut hörenswert!
"Der Rasenmähermann" höre ich gerade (wieder) als Hörbuch, und hier ist die Geschichte ebenfalls - zumindest zum Schluss - ein bisschen zu viel des Guten. Aber gerade der Sprecher Kerzel schafft es jedesmal wieder, mich zum Zuhören zu verführen. Er verkörpert den etwas spießig-verhuschten Haus- und Gartenbesitzer, der den Rasen gemäht haben möchte und auf eine verhängnisvolle Anzeige in der Zeitung antwortet, auf so grandiose Weise, dass ich während der Lesung oft lachen musste. Eine der Stärken von Stephen King ist es nicht nur grandiosen Horror zu schreiben, sondern auch Personen darauf reagieren zu lassen. Dieser Grad, wenn einem etwas Schreckliches / Unglaubliches / absolut Absurdes / Grässliches passiert, der zwischen Unglauben und schockierender Erkenntnis liegt, so zu beschreiben - das schafft nur King. Absolut hörenswert!
March 23, 2021
4.5/5
Man, I love this one! A few people are stuck inside of a diner after big eighteen-wheeler trucks hold them hostage, killing them one by one when they step outdoors. The image of those trucks driving circles around the diner, veering off the road to crush cars, and being generally menacing is so absurd and hilarious. The story is a little bit gruesome here and there, but it is absolutely terrifying to think of myself in the position of the people in the diner.
This is the story that inspired the Maximum Overdrive movie (I think) and it just makes me want to watch that movie again. When I was young, I thought the movie was absolutely bonkers. Now that I've read the story that inspired it, I'm sure I'll feel the same way when I watch it again.
This one is fantastic. Stephen King is so good at making ordinary everyday objects into dangerous, possessed killers.
The only reason I did not give it five stars is because of the way it ended (abruptly!). Included as part of the Night Shift collection.
Man, I love this one! A few people are stuck inside of a diner after big eighteen-wheeler trucks hold them hostage, killing them one by one when they step outdoors. The image of those trucks driving circles around the diner, veering off the road to crush cars, and being generally menacing is so absurd and hilarious. The story is a little bit gruesome here and there, but it is absolutely terrifying to think of myself in the position of the people in the diner.
This is the story that inspired the Maximum Overdrive movie (I think) and it just makes me want to watch that movie again. When I was young, I thought the movie was absolutely bonkers. Now that I've read the story that inspired it, I'm sure I'll feel the same way when I watch it again.
This one is fantastic. Stephen King is so good at making ordinary everyday objects into dangerous, possessed killers.
The only reason I did not give it five stars is because of the way it ended (abruptly!). Included as part of the Night Shift collection.
February 25, 2024
Really great story with an albeit ridiculous premise. Basically, it's the whole man becoming slaves to its creation trope done in an incredibly bleak way. Only Stephen King could make something this silly into something somewhat horrifying and graphic...?? Surprised me with how much it gripped me while reading, 4.5 rounded down to 4.
May 7, 2023
To be clear, this gets five stars because the Goodreads fifth star indicates that "it was amazing." The complete piece of shit movie Maximum Overdrive (which I confess is a guilty pleasure of mine) is based on this story, and the story was actually good. That is "amazing", hence the five star rating. I didn't think such a thing was possible, though I don't know why, for Stephen King's works are famous for disastrous movie/television adaptations. Without the movie comparison, I think I'd give this just three stars, but I'm sticking with my decision.
I wondered what happened between the story and the movie to make it end up the way it did, and it turns out to be Stephen King. He took his ass out from behind his writing desk and plopped it in the director's chair. King himself has called it a "moron movie," and said he would never direct anything else. Also, he has since admitted that he was coked out of his mind during the entire production...
Say it ain't so.
If the film didn't also give us AC/DC's "Hell's Bells," "Who Made Who," and "You Shook Me All Night Long," it would probably behoove King to apologize for the whole debacle. If you've neither seen the movie nor read this story, please see the movie first; the reading experience will only be enhanced by it because the stupid has been removed. In the movie, the kid Deke is the only one who has a lick of sense, but he's not in the story. He isn't needed as a voice of reason in the story since there are a few others who fit the bill. As for Holter Graham, the kid who played Deke, this was his film debut.
Pictured here: the face of a boy who sees his career going down the tubes before it's even started.
Luckily he survived to act in other movies for a while (which is cool because he turned out to be quite a hottie), and due to his great reading voice he is now a proficient audiobook narrator (which is something else Stephen King should leave to others, say sorry). I can't explain Emilio Estevez's continued success, though.
As for the story, it's only about 15 pages, worth a read, and the ending is left open unlike in the movie. Sometimes cliffhanger endings work, and other times not. This is a case where it works very well, and the movie should've stuck with that. There's also no explanation for why the trucks are running around by themselves (in the movie it had something to do with Earth passing through the tail of Haley's Comet, or Hale-Bopp, or a black hole sun, or something like that). The mystery behind it helps the story. The phenomenon is also limited to trucks and other automobiles that aren't common cars (buses, bulldozers, etc). Electric carving knives and murderous soda machines ain't in it, hallelujah! There is also no defiance of the laws of physics. (When one is struck head on by a truck on the y axis, the impact does not throw one perpendicularly along the x axis. Like I said, most of the stupid is missing).
This is a nice complement to Night Shift.
I wondered what happened between the story and the movie to make it end up the way it did, and it turns out to be Stephen King. He took his ass out from behind his writing desk and plopped it in the director's chair. King himself has called it a "moron movie," and said he would never direct anything else. Also, he has since admitted that he was coked out of his mind during the entire production...
Say it ain't so.
If the film didn't also give us AC/DC's "Hell's Bells," "Who Made Who," and "You Shook Me All Night Long," it would probably behoove King to apologize for the whole debacle. If you've neither seen the movie nor read this story, please see the movie first; the reading experience will only be enhanced by it because the stupid has been removed. In the movie, the kid Deke is the only one who has a lick of sense, but he's not in the story. He isn't needed as a voice of reason in the story since there are a few others who fit the bill. As for Holter Graham, the kid who played Deke, this was his film debut.
Pictured here: the face of a boy who sees his career going down the tubes before it's even started.
Luckily he survived to act in other movies for a while (which is cool because he turned out to be quite a hottie), and due to his great reading voice he is now a proficient audiobook narrator (which is something else Stephen King should leave to others, say sorry). I can't explain Emilio Estevez's continued success, though.
As for the story, it's only about 15 pages, worth a read, and the ending is left open unlike in the movie. Sometimes cliffhanger endings work, and other times not. This is a case where it works very well, and the movie should've stuck with that. There's also no explanation for why the trucks are running around by themselves (in the movie it had something to do with Earth passing through the tail of Haley's Comet, or Hale-Bopp, or a black hole sun, or something like that). The mystery behind it helps the story. The phenomenon is also limited to trucks and other automobiles that aren't common cars (buses, bulldozers, etc). Electric carving knives and murderous soda machines ain't in it, hallelujah! There is also no defiance of the laws of physics. (When one is struck head on by a truck on the y axis, the impact does not throw one perpendicularly along the x axis. Like I said, most of the stupid is missing).
This is a nice complement to Night Shift.
October 29, 2021
Another solid short story by King! This story tells the tale of a small group of people that are being help hostage by a group of demonic big rig trucks and construction equipment. Think demonic transformers or the sci-fi movie where the robots and machinery take over humanity. Like I just mentioned, a lot of people have written novels or made movies around this topic, but I believe that King does this one well.
I enjoyed the conversations between the hostages, discussing ways to rebel or submit to the trucks. I also enjoyed the description of the desperation while pumping the gas, and gathering the water both scenes were well executed.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the "Night Shift," short story collection. Next up to read is; "Sometimes They Come Back."
I enjoyed the conversations between the hostages, discussing ways to rebel or submit to the trucks. I also enjoyed the description of the desperation while pumping the gas, and gathering the water both scenes were well executed.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the "Night Shift," short story collection. Next up to read is; "Sometimes They Come Back."
July 23, 2018
A very poor Futuristic horror style book. Think of it like Terminator but................ With a Truck. Trucks somehow over power mankind by morse code and tooting there horns to make man do what they want them to do. Does that sound riveting for a novel? Nope, thought not, was even worse reading it.
It did have one interesting paragraph towards the end, which has become a popular theme in movies and sadly in real life of, are we creating our own destruction of creating machines to think for themselves to then enslave mankind?
For the time period and looking back, this is a perfect story for a really bad B Rated Horror Movie.
It did have one interesting paragraph towards the end, which has become a popular theme in movies and sadly in real life of, are we creating our own destruction of creating machines to think for themselves to then enslave mankind?
For the time period and looking back, this is a perfect story for a really bad B Rated Horror Movie.
July 8, 2017
What and ending! Definitely different than the movie which was made as a result. Not to say the movie was great, because I know it gets a lot of hate, but I did love "Maximum Overdrive" as a child.
This short story follows the small time frame of people who are at a truck stop, when the vehicles become intelligent and start attacking their owners. It does get a little cheesy, when you find out that the vehicles start communicating in Morse Code.
It was a fun story and I am glad I got to finally read it.
This short story follows the small time frame of people who are at a truck stop, when the vehicles become intelligent and start attacking their owners. It does get a little cheesy, when you find out that the vehicles start communicating in Morse Code.
It was a fun story and I am glad I got to finally read it.
January 13, 2021
Long before Pixar’s Cars answered the question “What if cars were alive?”, Stephen King provided readers a much more dystopian version in Trucks. The story's narrator and a handful of strangers find themselves trapped in a truck stop when all the trucks and large vehicle come to life and go on a murderous rampage. The trucks have a moment of clarity when they run out of fuel and enlist the humans in refueling them. And that’s the story.
October 31, 2018
I feel like there was potential here for something that was a tad more ominous than what we are given....obviously King has a thing about Semi’s lol aka he doesn’t like them.
September 2, 2024
I did not listen to the audiobook I don't know why on GR it is only the audiobook that this story by itself is on here and in German but the short story was something, I thought it started off pretty weird with a girl getting run over by a truck, but than it became a survival in one place sort of story I did not hate it completely but I did not like this short story. I could take it or leave it. But I will leave it, why was the protagonist, not introduced at all? I get it it is a short story but other characters got a name but not him, why? 1.5 stars out of 5.
May 6, 2025
it was slow at first, and it’s a good concept!
February 9, 2021
Trucks is an interesting story. It is about living trucks, and was made into a movie at some point which is, I have on some authority, bad. Below I discuss the themes I picked out of the story to which you might, if curious, draw your attention to.
There is only one female character in the story. Stephen King of the '70 was, unfortunately, a pretty sexist man; he, alongside many contemporaries, displayed male chauvinistic tendencies in his writings, and the general ideological framework that portrays women as more emotional, weaker, and, in some cases, far less driven than men. King's sexism is apparent here. For example, the protagonist's narration has this girl participate in the democratic process of figuring out what to do as a silent voter, taking her cues, seemingly, from her boyfriend. (She makes a stand later, however.) King also describes her helping the team build fortifications as if it is surprising, and when her boyfriend does die, he describes her faces as that of a "warhag", coining a term whilst explicitly referencing her gender. Her main character trait is to scream, and emotion cause her, throughout the story, to act in ways that might appear non-rational. Another example of this besides her abrupt anger is that of her inability to see that her boyfriend might go save Snodgrass, thus making it necessary to keep his late-night screaming quiet (something our protagonist figures out immediately, but which she must be told). This femme presentation of the character is, in my opinion, used in more than just this sexist way, however. If we accepted my above premise, she could be seen as the commonly stereotyped High School girl, along with her good-hearted, equally stereotyped, jock boyfriend; it is the dual-sexism of using creative laziness. Instead of being like this, King uses the character as an emotional through-line. The counterman, early in the story, makes clear that he does not want to be slave to the trucks. What is clear to most of the people who do not go insane throughout the story to is a dreadful pragmatism -- they all want to be alive, right? By the end, our protagonist accepts that he wants to live, but he also thinks about the counterman's words, and our previously-mentioned young lady must be woken up to feed the trucks. As we see, King is being ambiguous, but it also lets us as readers know through narrative device that our protagonist (and the girl) could potentially succumb to their very human wish to not be enchained -- to be Free and to have Revenge. I do not think the story goes go over the wall of sexism to become a clever portrait of some stereotyped characters breaking from their molds and dealing with hard questions (the mold for the girl being her more docile femininity, and the goal for the protagonist being his drive toward survival), but it comes close to this. The clear delineation between the more pragmatic, seemingly rational route of continued survival, and the more potent, but less pragmatic, and, it seems, less rational wish to defend one's honor or vent rage over an unjust murder, does paint a picture of common human emotion even if we might say that King characterizes women in a sexist manner. (And, it should be remembered, Carrie -- King's first novel -- was about Women's Rights. He seems, in that work, to be wholly in favor of them, sympathizing with Carrie's righteous fury whilst also understanding that what she does might go a bit too far. As an author, thus, he was no unaware of gender roles and how they change.) As you can see, by focusing on just the protagonist and this girl -- two of the three surviving by story-end -- we recognize many of the themes of the work. That humans have different emotions than trucks, that humans might wish more for their emotions than brute survival, that people can act in ways completely different from their more societally normal ones, etc., all packaged into a story about living trucks killing a bunch of people with a rather tenuous grasp on logically-following plot points (or actions). It was a great read, but 3 stars just felt right with me.
I like to review individual short stories, and this is the only one I could find for this particular story; that is why I am a man, incapable of speaking German, reviewing a German translation!
There is only one female character in the story. Stephen King of the '70 was, unfortunately, a pretty sexist man; he, alongside many contemporaries, displayed male chauvinistic tendencies in his writings, and the general ideological framework that portrays women as more emotional, weaker, and, in some cases, far less driven than men. King's sexism is apparent here. For example, the protagonist's narration has this girl participate in the democratic process of figuring out what to do as a silent voter, taking her cues, seemingly, from her boyfriend. (She makes a stand later, however.) King also describes her helping the team build fortifications as if it is surprising, and when her boyfriend does die, he describes her faces as that of a "warhag", coining a term whilst explicitly referencing her gender. Her main character trait is to scream, and emotion cause her, throughout the story, to act in ways that might appear non-rational. Another example of this besides her abrupt anger is that of her inability to see that her boyfriend might go save Snodgrass, thus making it necessary to keep his late-night screaming quiet (something our protagonist figures out immediately, but which she must be told). This femme presentation of the character is, in my opinion, used in more than just this sexist way, however. If we accepted my above premise, she could be seen as the commonly stereotyped High School girl, along with her good-hearted, equally stereotyped, jock boyfriend; it is the dual-sexism of using creative laziness. Instead of being like this, King uses the character as an emotional through-line. The counterman, early in the story, makes clear that he does not want to be slave to the trucks. What is clear to most of the people who do not go insane throughout the story to is a dreadful pragmatism -- they all want to be alive, right? By the end, our protagonist accepts that he wants to live, but he also thinks about the counterman's words, and our previously-mentioned young lady must be woken up to feed the trucks. As we see, King is being ambiguous, but it also lets us as readers know through narrative device that our protagonist (and the girl) could potentially succumb to their very human wish to not be enchained -- to be Free and to have Revenge. I do not think the story goes go over the wall of sexism to become a clever portrait of some stereotyped characters breaking from their molds and dealing with hard questions (the mold for the girl being her more docile femininity, and the goal for the protagonist being his drive toward survival), but it comes close to this. The clear delineation between the more pragmatic, seemingly rational route of continued survival, and the more potent, but less pragmatic, and, it seems, less rational wish to defend one's honor or vent rage over an unjust murder, does paint a picture of common human emotion even if we might say that King characterizes women in a sexist manner. (And, it should be remembered, Carrie -- King's first novel -- was about Women's Rights. He seems, in that work, to be wholly in favor of them, sympathizing with Carrie's righteous fury whilst also understanding that what she does might go a bit too far. As an author, thus, he was no unaware of gender roles and how they change.) As you can see, by focusing on just the protagonist and this girl -- two of the three surviving by story-end -- we recognize many of the themes of the work. That humans have different emotions than trucks, that humans might wish more for their emotions than brute survival, that people can act in ways completely different from their more societally normal ones, etc., all packaged into a story about living trucks killing a bunch of people with a rather tenuous grasp on logically-following plot points (or actions). It was a great read, but 3 stars just felt right with me.
I like to review individual short stories, and this is the only one I could find for this particular story; that is why I am a man, incapable of speaking German, reviewing a German translation!
October 9, 2023
The ridiculous nature of the plot kind of makes the story… simply not fun lol. Of course prose is good but that’s the only thing this story has going for it really.
February 2, 2021
I absolutely loved this!!! Most definitely one of my favourites 🙂
I have a vague recollection of a movie, but which one it was I have no idea because it was ages ago, but this short!!!
I absolutely love the narrator, his view on what's happening is fascinating and how he interacts with the other 'customers' is really interesting- you can tell he's scared but he also has that leadership/survivor vibe.
Again, I loved the idea of trucks coming to life and oh, I don't know! I just thought it was fabulous! I was on the edge of my seat through the action, grimacing at the gory parts and just totally with them when it seems all hope is lost. That last line really got to me. Slaves to the machines in a very real sense. A nice, tightly packed, well written (of course) greatly paced little preview into something that could be absolutely horrific! What could have made it better? I think it's great as it is - the right balance of everything. Just brilliant!
5 of 5
I have a vague recollection of a movie, but which one it was I have no idea because it was ages ago, but this short!!!
I absolutely love the narrator, his view on what's happening is fascinating and how he interacts with the other 'customers' is really interesting- you can tell he's scared but he also has that leadership/survivor vibe.
Again, I loved the idea of trucks coming to life and oh, I don't know! I just thought it was fabulous! I was on the edge of my seat through the action, grimacing at the gory parts and just totally with them when it seems all hope is lost. That last line really got to me. Slaves to the machines in a very real sense. A nice, tightly packed, well written (of course) greatly paced little preview into something that could be absolutely horrific! What could have made it better? I think it's great as it is - the right balance of everything. Just brilliant!
5 of 5
April 26, 2014
Even though this is Stephen King, I had a hard time suspending disbelief with this story. Weird, right?
-Synopsis-
Trucks become sentient and corner a small group of survivors in a truck-stop. Will these survivors choose to fight back or will they succumb to their new, petroleum powered overlords? Meh.
At just 16 pages, I found the pacing to be slow. Our cast of characters are generic avatars. The story is written in the first person and despite this, we don't get to know anything about the narrator. The action sequences lacked the proper setup. The ending is a bit lame.
This short story avoids a one star rating from me because I finished it.
-Synopsis-
Trucks become sentient and corner a small group of survivors in a truck-stop. Will these survivors choose to fight back or will they succumb to their new, petroleum powered overlords? Meh.
At just 16 pages, I found the pacing to be slow. Our cast of characters are generic avatars. The story is written in the first person and despite this, we don't get to know anything about the narrator. The action sequences lacked the proper setup. The ending is a bit lame.
This short story avoids a one star rating from me because I finished it.
July 29, 2014
"And if I close my eyes I can see the production lines in Detroit and Dearborn and Youngstown and
Mackinac, new trucks being put together by blue-collars who no longer even punch a clock but only
drop and are replaced."
I read King’s novel for the first time though I had watched a lot of movies based on his books. I think “Trunks ” isn’t the best novel to start with, but I still like it. After a couple of lines , the reader felt insipidity of the surrounding, and the desperate desire of a small group of people to survive…Deadlock situation
Mackinac, new trucks being put together by blue-collars who no longer even punch a clock but only
drop and are replaced."
I read King’s novel for the first time though I had watched a lot of movies based on his books. I think “Trunks ” isn’t the best novel to start with, but I still like it. After a couple of lines , the reader felt insipidity of the surrounding, and the desperate desire of a small group of people to survive…Deadlock situation
April 28, 2017
Machines take over the world...only instead of this being some futuristic, cautionary tale about artificial intelligence and what it means to have a human soul, this one happens in the the most Stephen King way imaginable: the semi-trucks come to life and enslave humanity.
Sounds ridiculous, but god damn it, King pulls it off.
Sounds ridiculous, but god damn it, King pulls it off.
November 4, 2019
Description may be in another language, however the story wrote as an addition in the anthology of "Night Shift" was plain American English.
I really found myself engrossed with this story, and noticed how King toys with unexplained phenomenon and still gets away with making it seem real and possible and equally scary.
I really found myself engrossed with this story, and noticed how King toys with unexplained phenomenon and still gets away with making it seem real and possible and equally scary.
March 24, 2016
2.4 из 5
Критическая ситуация есть, но людей в ней нет. только персонажи.
Характеры кажутся маловероятными.
в рассказе есть один хороший эпизод: "я ничего не слышу".
возможно по меркам этого сборника это успех. но это даже не 3.
Критическая ситуация есть, но людей в ней нет. только персонажи.
Характеры кажутся маловероятными.
в рассказе есть один хороший эпизод: "я ничего не слышу".
возможно по меркам этого сборника это успех. но это даже не 3.
August 13, 2020
I remember seeing this movie on tv when I was a child and it scared me half to death! I got really excited when I found Night Shift at the bookstore and it contained Trucks. Pretty good story. Almost humorous at times. Looking forward to re-watching the movie after 20 years!
March 16, 2022
Trucks of all kinds team together to take over a truck stop. Before the bulldozer came the people were intent on letting them run out of gas. It seems the trucks have enslaved man. Although a corny story, it is great that SK doesn’t mind letting you think his brain went a little far that day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2025
Trucks is just okay. The idea of trucks coming to life and taking over the world isn't bad and the execution is similarly fine. I just felt like the story was lacking much excitement and the ending isn't exciting.
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