The Late Shift

by Dennis Etchison

Ever wonder what the dead might have to say when they are alone with one another? It turns out that the dead are neither comical nor menacing. They are just tired and lost and in search of peace. They are people like you and me who want to rest now that their work is done.

The problem is, the system wants to continue to exploit them even beyond death. It's a grim proposition but the logical extension of our society when a sinister company reanimates corpses in order to provide free labor for the late night shifts in stores and garages.

Hosted by Malcolm McDowell and commissioned by *Fangoria—*America's #1 source for horror—this original short story is fully dramatized to thrill and chill you!

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

1 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

aka Jack Martin.

Dennis William Etchison was an American writer and editor of fantasy and horror fiction. He is a multi-award winner, having won the British Fantasy Award three times for fiction, and the World Fantasy Award for anthologies he edited.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two chaps are driving home after watching 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. In an allnight supermarket they meet a creepy guy named Juano. He only speaks four words (please, please, sorry, thank you). The next day Whitey has an accident. What can Macklin find out about those strange going-ons? Why is Juano acting so strange? This story is best be read with Light My Fire (The Doors, the song is also mentioned in the text). To me the story was a bit confusing but had its share of eerie elements. It was okay!

[Alex at lost Haven Homestead · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Vulture Capitalism at Its Absolute Worst"
The Late Shift is a masterclass in urban paranoia. It presents a world that is so weird and unsettling, yet entirely believable because it taps into the one constant we all know: if a corporation could find a way to profit off our corpses, they’d have the paperwork ready before the heart stopped beating. In this story, greed doesn't just win over humanity—it consumes it, digests it, and puts it back to work for minimum wage.
The Plot: No Rest for the Weary
The concept is chillingly simple. Imagine a world where death isn't the end of your labor; it’s just a transition to the graveyard shift—literally.
The "Employees": The pale, mindless clerks working the 3:00 AM shifts at gas stations and convenience stores aren't just tired; they’re reanimated.
The System: Shadowy corporations intercept bodies during that brief window before burial, using "medical intervention" to create a workforce that never complains, never strikes, and never needs a break.
Why the Audiobook Format Excels
This is a short, punchy experience, and the full cast of Fangoria’s Dreadtime Stories makes it incredibly immersive. The sound design—the hum of fluorescent lights, the hollow, repetitive voices of the "late shifters," and the mounting dread in the protagonist’s realization—creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that a simple book might miss.
Final Thoughts: The Netflix Need
Again, I find myself wishing this series was a TV show. Each episode of Dreadtime Stories feels like a "lost" masterpiece that deserves the high-budget, cinematic treatment of a Netflix anthology. The visual of a neon-lit, 1980s convenience store staffed by the "working dead" would be iconic horror imagery.

[Emily Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool concept! I wish there was a sequel

[Ranjana · Rating 1 out of 5]

An average read

[R.S. Jinks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story with decent ideas. I didn't get goosebumps or a sense of dread while reading this. Maybe if the story was turned into a full length novel and given more action. Not awful, but just "there."

[Steve]

Dennis Etchison (1943-2019)

Blessed be.

https://locusmag.com/2019/05/dennis-e...