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The Mist

Name: The Mist
Price: 14.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781982103521

✍️ Stephen King

Reader Score

4.7

(4 reviews)

$14.00 ~~$16.00~~ Save $2.00 (12%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A trapped group faces supernatural horrors and internal fanaticism in a grocery store mist.

The novella examines the breakdown of social order when ordinary people face an incomprehensible threat. David Drayton leads a desperate escape from the store, challenging the authority of Mrs. Carmody who interprets the mist as punishment. The narrative focuses on the psychological toll of uncertainty and the violence that emerges when fear replaces reason. King uses the confined setting to amplify the tension between those who want to fight and those who seek submission to a higher power.

Key Themes

religious fanaticism supernatural horror group psychology

Literary Context

Published by Scribner Book Company in 2018, this edition collects the story previously found in Skeleton Crew. It stands as a piece of American literature that utilizes the horror genre to critique societal fears and religious extremism during times of crisis.

Stephen King

📚 all books by this author (530) →

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · H.P. Lovecraft · John Carpenter's The Thing

🎃

Young Adult Horror

🏛 Scribner Book Company 📅 2018 📖 176 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781982103521

📚 This Book in Collections

👹 Monsters & Creature Features

📝 Description: The Mist

A tense survival narrative follows characters trapped in a grocery store by a mist hiding lurking creatures. The story follows David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbor Brent Norton as they seek supplies after a storm. They become trapped in a local grocery store by a strange mist that hides lurking creatures. This atmospheric horror draws on gothic traditions of isolation and supernatural dread. Inside the store, fear fractures the group. A religious zealot named Mrs. Carmody convinces some citizens that the mist is divine vengeance. She demands a sacrifice to appease this perceived wrath. The narrative explores how desperation breeds fanaticism and violence among trapped strangers. Other characters, including store employee Ollie Weeks and Amanda Dumfries, resist her influence. A small group attempts to escape the building, only to discover that the horrors outside may be worse than those within. This novella suits readers who enjoy psychological tension and supernatural terror. It appeals to fans of King’s ability to blend everyday settings with impossible threats. The story does not offer easy answers or safe havens. Those seeking lighthearted entertainment or clear moral resolutions may find the bleak atmosphere unsettling. The text remains contained within a single location for much of its duration, heightening the claustrophobic dread.

💎 Our verdict on The Mist

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

The text delivers a masterclass in atmospheric horror, using a single location to heighten claustrophobic dread and internal conflict. King effectively portrays how desperation breeds fanaticism, particularly through the character of Mrs. Carmody. However, this work does NOT suit readers seeking lighthearted entertainment or clear moral resolutions. The bleak atmosphere and lack of safe havens may unsettle those expecting traditional heroics or easy answers. It is a challenging read for anyone uncomfortable with psychological tolls and violence emerging from fear rather than reason. The confined setting amplifies tension but limits narrative scope, requiring patience for those preferring dynamic plot movements over static psychological exploration.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This book suits readers who enjoy intense psychological tension and supernatural terror without relying on complex plot mechanics. It appeals to fans of Stephen King’s skill in transforming ordinary settings into sites of profound dread. Those interested in the breakdown of social order under pressure will find value in observing how fear replaces reason among trapped strangers. The narrative offers a stark examination of fanaticism and violence, making it ideal for audiences who appreciate bleak atmospheres over lighthearted entertainment. It provides a claustrophobic experience that highlights the fragility of human sanity when facing the unknown.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Readers craving claustrophobic dread and psychological unraveling under extreme pressure will find this irresistible. If you prefer lighthearted escapism or expect clear moral resolutions in your fiction, look elsewhere; this tale offers no comfort or easy answers.

Reader rating

4.7

Based on 4 reviews

Emily C.

June 9, 2026

Chilling

Finally got around to ordering this. It is the kind of horror that rewards reading with the lights on. There's real craft in how much is left unsaid. One of my better finds this year.

Katie C.

February 15, 2026

Exactly as described

Bought this for my brother and ended up reading it first. It pairs well with the classics it is clearly in conversation with. The prose is clean and the scares land because the characters feel real. Great value for what you get.

Tom L.

January 29, 2026

A new favorite

Grabbed it for a long flight. The audiobook crowd will want the paper copy for the margins. The atmosphere builds slowly and then does not let go. Already eyeing my next order.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Absolutely not. The true terror lies within the group itself as paranoia and religious zealotry fracture their trust. While external creatures provide the backdrop, the narrative focuses intensely on human nature’s capacity for cruelty when cornered.

King is famous for refusing safe havens or easy answers. Prepare for an ending that is stark, ambiguous, and emotionally devastating rather than comforting or triumphant.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Stephen King’s novella anchors itself firmly within the gothic tradition of isolation and supernatural dread, updating classic tropes for a modern, mundane setting. By trapping ordinary citizens in a grocery store against an encroaching, unseen evil, King channels the atmospheric terror of earlier horror literature while exploring how desperation breeds fanaticism. It stands as a seminal work that bridges folk horror with contemporary psychological thriller elements, influencing countless subsequent narratives about societal collapse under existential threat.