Battleground

by Stephen King

Renshaw is a professional hit-man, who returns from his assassination of a toy-maker to find a package delivered to his penthouse apartment. The package contains a G.I. Joe Vietnam Footlocker, sent to him by the mother of the toy-maker he had recently killed. When he opens the package, he finds that the toy soldiers are alive with working copies (albeit miniature) of weapons, jeeps, and helicopters. To Renshaw's surprise, the tiny soldiers begin to attack him

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Thriller, American

10 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1972

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

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Дуже коротко, але цікаво.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story3 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator John Glover

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short story eight in King's Night Shift.

I can only imagine the chemical inspiration that brought our author to this story, but what really surprises me is that some editor read this and thought, "yes, this story belongs in Stephen King's first published anthology."

[Shreyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Battleground' by Stephen King.

I'm losing!

He ran a shaking hand through his hair. The front door was cut off. So was the phone and the kitchen extension. They had a god-damn rocket launcher and a direct hit would tear his head off.

Damn it, that wasn't even listed on the box!

Rating: 3.75/5.




Review:
'Battleground' is the eighth short story included in Stephen King's 1978 short story collection 'Night Shift'. It's fairly short, about 12 pages long, and hence, there's not much plot and character development in here. And yet, I ended up liking this silly little short story.

I do realize that this short story was written way earlier, but the entire time I was reading this book, I was thinking: "Dayum, this is like Toy Story, but R-rated." I loved how Stephen King could envision a plot so silly as this, and yet, make it seem completely convincing to the reader.

It was a dark tale, but it was a lot of fun to read. You go into the story knowing that the main character, Renshaw, isn't a good person, and yet, by the end of the story he has been put through so much, that you still wish for him to overcome his current crisis. I guffawed at the part when he thought, 'Those weapons weren't even listed on the box!' I also found it highly amusing that the toy soldiers were one of his victim's mother's plans to avenge their death. What goes around comes around, and angry momma made sure of it!

It was all fun and shit as the story progressed until the end when he got literally blown to bits. That ending was perfectly suited for the kind of story this turned out to be. Ridiculous and comical – it wasn't the story I was expecting to come out of Stephen King's mind, but it did, and what a wild ride it was!

[Anja Henriksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this little gem.
I love how Stephen King can make a story with a plot so silly still completely convincing while reading it. This is one of his very funny stories, and yet dark.

Stephen King has the ability to write genius stories, which just sounds completely foolish when trying to give a resume of it, but when reading it, it becomes alive so realistic with his well written characterisation and lively description of both scenery, but also the thoughts from the characters upon their far fetched experiences. In this one the main character multiple times express how utterly ridiculous the situation is, and yet has to deal with the very seriousness of it.

[Asheley T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really a lot of fun in a dark way. In this super-short story, little army-man toys attack a man in his apartment. They have little tiny toy weapons, helicopters, and jeeps. In my head, it was like I was watching Toy Story, except there was blood and violence and the little army toys were genuinely attacking the man. Not much of a plot because the story is only about 9 or 10 pages, but super fun.

Included in the Night Shift collection.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found myself really enjoying this one, a fun way to have Karma come back at you. A real justice in a way, you still find yourself hoping the protagonist makes it, even though there is no real chance of it.

[Katrina Zarowny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short, fantasy story by Stephen King is absolutely wonderful. His attention to detail and descriptive language puts the reader in the story. It is a timeless and gory tale of toys coming to life, and had me entranced from beginning to end.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this short story quite a bit. It was like the movie Toy Soldiers from when I was a kid. Just a fun and completely ridiculous concept.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a hit man gets a call for a toy company head to be assassinated, he gets a package. Toy soldiers then form a army against him ending with a surprise sale on a special package. Throughout the story SK really pays close attention to detail making the pages come to life in such a fictious story.

[Allison Faught · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humorous yet grotesque short story about mini soldiers attacking an assassin. It was a fun enough read, but not the spine tingling scary I was itching for.

[Kimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da heck was that? 😅

[Frackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. Just a short novel. Honestly the whole time I was reading it I kept thinking of Toy Story. I listened yo the audiobook. Used as a square for booknoply.

[Joshua Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hitman receives a package of GI toys from the mother of toymaker he recently killed. Upon opening the package, the little toy soldiers are alive and are seeking revenge for their late maker. Renshaw then starts to have a miniature war with the toys. His gun versus the small bazookas, helicopters and M16s.

This story was alright, not my favorite of the "Night Shift," collection. It was almost a demonic version of the "Toy Story," films. But at the same time it is Karma Renshaw did murder their master.
Next up, "Trucks."

[Es the Book Hoarder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've not seen the TV segment (to be fair, I am really behind in terms of Stephen King film and TV - it's terrible) but I'm not sure I'd understand this one anymore if I had seen it to be fair.

This one totally lost me. I didn't get it at all. I mean, at least we know where the idea for the movie Small Soldiers came from I guess, but this was just a very bizarre story!

I gave it 2 of 5 because I just didn't get it.

[Myk Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not uncommon for King to put out a book heavy enough to double as a doorstop. What’s great about his short stories is he’s able to reel us in and still entertain us with just 10 pages.

This is a good example of why I like Stephen King’s short stories.

[Josh Olds · Rating 2 out of 5]

A hitman for hire finds a mysterious package mailed to him by the mother of the toymaker he just killed. Inside is a package of toy soldiers…that are alive!!! It’s like the movie Small Soldiers, but bad. There’s a battle. Assassin loses to a thermonuclear device. That’s it.

[Kenneth DSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun short story,
so short that the description kinda tells you exactly what happens, but the attention to detail on what happens if you're attacked by toy soldiers seeking revenge is pretty nice to read.

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

This has to be where all of those movies involving toys coming to life and trying to take over humanity come from. Not great but not terrible. And an interesting idea all around.

[skylar lokota · Rating 1 out of 5]

*1.75 stars

An interesting idea, but I had to reread the beginning to figure what the hell had happened lol. Guess I kind of missed the central part. Really not that impressed.

[Russell Howcroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

The eighth story in Night Shift was only 10 pages long but very tense. The battle was awesome even though ridiculous.

[Colby Fitzsimmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short story from nightshift was OK.

[Murlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story

[Jesse Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan at all of this short story.

[Andrew kutz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just honestly really dumb it was interesting, but there were things that i was thinking why didn’t he do this, or that. And not in a good way.

[Randy Outlaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short, fun read that was very different.

[Miguel Campos]

this was quite entertaining to read

[TheCultureVulture]

Maybe the weakest Night Shift story thus far. It felt like it was such an homage that it wasn't worth fully fleshing out.

[Nick Katenkamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weird one. Here, a hitman who just killed a toy manufacturer is attacked by toy army men that have come to life. It's a little silly, but good fun.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha this was goofy but a fun read.