The Night Flier

Last updated
"The Night Flier"
Short story by Stephen King
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Horror
Publication
Published in Prime Evil: New Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror (1st release),
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Publication type Anthology
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Publication date 1988

"The Night Flier" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the 1988 anthology Prime Evil: New Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror , and then in King's own 1993 Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection.

Contents

Plot summary

Richard Dees is a deeply cynical reporter for a trashy supermarket tabloid called Inside View. Dees' current subject of investigation is the Night Flier, an apparent serial killer who travels between small airports in a Cessna Skymaster, gruesomely killing people in a way that leads Dees to think the man is a lunatic who believes himself to be a vampire.

After only a few days of interviewing witnesses and following the killer's trail in his own Beechcraft Bonanza, Dees overtakes the Night Flier during a violent thunderstorm at Wilmington International Airport, and quickly learns that he is badly mistaken about his would-be quarry: it is, indeed, a vampire that is doing the killings. After Dees watches the Night Flier casually empty the bloody contents of his bladder into an airport urinal (or as much of this act as he can see reflected in a mirror), the creature warns off his "would-be biographer", destroys his photographic evidence, and leaves the mortally shaken reporter amidst a scene of carnage to explain himself to police and watch as the Night Flier's plane takes off.

Publication

"The Night Flier" was first published in the 1988 anthology Prime Evil: New Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror . It was collected in King's 1993 book Nightmares & Dreamscapes .

Connections to other works

Dees previously made a brief appearance in King's novel The Dead Zone . [1] In the notes of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, King states that the Night Flier could also be the titular character of his short story "Popsy".

The character of the Night Flier is used by Kim Newman in his short story "You Are the Wind Beneath My Wings". In it, he is paired with the character Rainbird from Firestarter , with both working for the Shop. Newman gives the Night Flier the name of Andrews.

The Inside View is a sensationalist tabloid pushing blood, gore, and mystery stories about alien abductions and the like, and has also been mentioned in several of King's novels and novellas, such as Desperation, Insomnia, The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, Bag of Bones, Needful Things, Doctor Sleep, From a Buick 8, Elevation, and If It Bleeds.

Adaptations

The story was adapted into the 1997 film of the same name directed by Mark Pavia and starring Miguel Ferrer as Dees. The film adaptation follows the original plot fairly closely (and maintains Dees' deeply unsympathetic nature), except for adding a rival in the form of up-and-coming female reporter Katherine Blair, and changing Dees' ultimate fate.

Reception

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called the story "King's jeremiad against the tabloid press", though he states that there is a degree of hypocrisy to the satire, given that King himself makes a living selling sensationalistic stories. [2] George Beahm called it "prime King" that "eschew[s] Anne Rice-type vampires". [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Shining</i> (novel) 1977 novel by Stephen King

The Shining is a 1977 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It is King's third published novel and first hardcover bestseller; its success firmly established King as a preeminent author in the horror genre. The setting and characters are influenced by King's personal experiences, including both his visit to The Stanley Hotel in 1974 and his struggle with alcoholism. The novel was adapted into a 1980 film and a 1997 miniseries. The book was followed by a sequel, Doctor Sleep, published in 2013, which in turn was adapted into a film of the same name in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evil clown</span> Pop culture trope and horror staple

The evil clown, also known as the killer clown, is a subversion of the traditional comic clown character, in which the playful trope is instead depicted in a more disturbing nature through the use of horror elements and dark humor. The modern archetype of the evil clown was popularized by the DC Comics supervillain Joker starting in 1940, and again by Pennywise in Stephen King's It. The character can be seen as playing on the sense of unease felt by sufferers of coulrophobia, the fear of clowns.

<i>Umneys Last Case</i> Short story by Stephen King

Umney's Last Case is a short story by American author Stephen King, first published in King's collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993). In July 1995, it was published as a separate paperback as part of Penguin's 60th anniversary.

<i>Nightmares & Dreamscapes</i> Short story collection by Stephen King

Nightmares & Dreamscapes is a short story collection by American author Stephen King, published in 1993.

<i>Salems Lot</i> 1975 novel by Stephen King

'Salem's Lot is a 1975 horror novel by American author Stephen King. It was his second published novel. The story involves a writer named Ben Mears who returns to the town of Jerusalem's Lot in Maine, where he lived from the age of five through nine, only to discover that the residents are becoming vampires. The town is revisited in the short stories "Jerusalem's Lot" and "One for the Road", both from King's story collection Night Shift (1978). The novel was nominated for the World Fantasy Award in 1976 and the Locus Award for the All-Time Best Fantasy Novel in 1987.

"The End of the Whole Mess" is a short science fiction story by American writer Stephen King, first published in Omni Magazine in 1986. It was collected in King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes in 1993 and in Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse in 2008. The story is written in the form of a personal journal, and tells the story of the narrator Howard Fornoy's genius younger brother's attempt to cure humanity's aggressive tendencies.

"The Ten O'Clock People" is a short story by American author Stephen King, published in the Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection. Unlike many of King's stories which take place in fictional places like Castle Rock, Maine, "The Ten O'Clock People" takes place in Boston, Massachusetts. A film adaptation has been announced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainy Season (short story)</span> Short story by Stephen King

Rainy Season is a short horror story by Stephen King, first published in the Spring 1989 issue of Midnight Graffiti magazine, and later included in King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection. It ended a bout of writer's block from which King had been suffering.

"Crouch End" is a horror story by Stephen King, set in the real-life North London district of Crouch End, originally published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1980), and republished in a slightly different version in King's Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection (1993). It contains distinct references to the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.

"Quitters, Inc." is a short story by Stephen King published as part of his 1978 short story collection Night Shift. Unlike most other stories in this book, "Quitters, Inc." had been previously unpublished until February 1978 under Doubleday Publishing. It was featured in Edward D. Hoch's 1979 ‘Best detective stories of the year’ collection. The plot follows Dick Morrison's discovery of the brutal enforcement methods used by Quitters, Inc., the firm which he enlists to aid him quit smoking. Like much of Stephen King's work, this short story exhibits elements of horror fiction and satire. The tale was adapted in the 1985 American anthology horror film Cat’s Eye.

"Battleground" is a fantasy short story by American writer Stephen King, first published in the September 1972 issue of Cavalier magazine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.

Richard Christian Matheson is an American writer of horror fiction and screenplays, the son of fiction writer and screenwriter Richard Matheson. He is the author of over 100 short stories of psychological horror and magic realism which are gathered in over 150 major anthologies and in his critically hailed hardcover short story collections Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks, Amazon #1 bestseller Dystopia and Zoopraxis. He is the author of the suspense novel Created By and Hollywood novella of magic realism The Ritual of Illusion, and was the editor of the commemorative book Stephen King's Battleground. Matheson also adapted the short story which was made into an iconic episode of the TNT series Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King and won two Emmys.

"The Road Virus Heads North" is a short story by Stephen King. The story first appeared in 999, an anthology published in 1999 and edited by Al Sarrantonio. In 2002, it was collected in King's Everything's Eventual.

"Popsy" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King, included in his short story compilation Nightmares & Dreamscapes, published in 1993.

"Home Delivery" is a short story by American writer Stephen King. It was first published in the zombie anthology Book of the Dead (1989) and later included in King's short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993).

"The House on Maple Street" is a science fiction short story by American writer Stephen King, published in his collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes. The first volume of the anthology's audiobook includes the story, read by the author's wife, Tabitha King.

"The Fifth Quarter" is a short story by American author Stephen King, originally published in the April 1972 issue of Cavalier and later collected in King's 1993 collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes. It was filmed as an episode of the TNT miniseries Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.

<i>The Night Flier</i> (film) 1997 American horror film

The Night Flier is a 1997 American horror film based on the 1988 short story of the same name by Stephen King. Directed and co-written by Mark Pavia, the film stars Miguel Ferrer as Richard Dees, a tabloid reporter who, while investigating a series of murders committed in airfields, begins to suspect that the killer may be a vampire.

"Chattery Teeth" is a short story by American writer Stephen King. It was originally published in Cemetery Dance and was later collected in Nightmares & Dreamscapes.

References

  1. Wiater, Stanley; Golden, Christopher; Wagner, Hank (2006). The Complete Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King. Macmillan. p. 259. ISBN   9780312324902.
  2. Thomas, Kevin (1998-02-06). "'Night Flier': Stephen King's Story Is a Fine Fit for Ferrer". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  3. Beahm, George (1998). Stephen King from A to Z: An Encyclopedia of His Life and Work . Andrews McMeel Publishing. p.  148. ISBN   9780836269147.

See also