Not a book to take on an airplane. Actually, maybe not a book most readers might take anywhere. In spite of the pedigree of its editors, this collection of tales of terrors in the sky is as uneven as United's on-time record. While there are not too many clunkers, there are too few that soar. Which, of course, makes Richard Matheson's classic -- later turned into one of Twilight Zone's most memorable episodes -- stand out like a 350-pound passenger in a middle seat. So best advice is to cherry pick the stories -- think of it as seat selection.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley!!

I mean, every word is writes is amazing. so how could one even think this may not be as well?

Don't read this if you are getting ready to fly! This is a group of gripping horror and thriller stories involving airplanes in some manner. There are stories from familiar authors like Ray Bradbury, Arthur Conan Doyle, Roald Dahl, Stephen King, Joe Hill and authors I wasn't familiar with but will want to read more of like Richard Matheson, Peter Tremayne, and Tom Bissell plus more. I liked the way the stories were a mix of earlier times and contemporary - it gave a sense of how flight has changed from the early days to current times.

My favorites of the 17 stories are as follows:

The Turbulence Expert by Stephen King
You Are Released by Joe Hill
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson
Murder in the Air by Peter Tremayne

All are good reading. I'll probably remember some of these stories every time I fly - unfortunately.

Thanks to Scribner through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Like any compilation of short stories there are always going to be some hits and misses. Personally I did not enjoy the older stories as much. Which brings me to the point that all of these stories are not original to this book. Most of these (if not all) have been presented before in other publications. All of these were new to me however. Also every story comes with a paragraph or 2 about the author and the story which was a nice touch. Overall pretty enjoyable..

I started to skip around with the stories. Some of them.. are really.. well, not scary or even enough to make me continue reading them. Not really enjoying reading this one. Some of the stories are old.. written back in 1913. I probably will not leave a review for this one on Amazon.. Not up to King's standards.. UGH.

Flight or Fright is a re-release of "mostly previously published stories". Apparently the idea for the book was Stephen King's (who has writings inside) and accumulated by Bev Vincent. I am not a huge fan of short stories, but there are several good ones in this book. I was given an early copy of the June 4th release for a review.

Scribner and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Flight or Fright. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

This anthology of short stories takes readers on one horror filled flight after another with seasoned author Stephen King and his co-author Bev Vincent. Always entertaining, Stephen King starts the book off with an interesting forward, while Bev Vincent provides a well written ending. There are only three original stories: The Turbulence Expert by Stephen King, You Are Released by Joe Hill, and Zombies on a Plane by Bev Vincent. All three are well done and do their jobs by anchoring the book to the present.

As almost always is the case with short story collections, Flight or Fright is a mixed bag. Readers will be either delighted or disappointed to discover that most of the works in this book have been published far and wide over the years. Personally, I had previously read many of this stories, so I fall more on the disappointed side of the fence. That being said, there are some powerhouse authors included, with offerings from such literary stars as Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, and Roald Dahl. Readers who are new to the short stories served up in Flight or Fright may find the book to their liking, but I was hoping for more original works.

I was immediately drawn to this title due to the presence of Steven King and liked most of the stories in this series. I like the way they all involved airplanes and the fear of flight. There was a story about snatchers in this book that was one of the best short stories I have ever read.

Editor's note: This review will publish online and in print in Mountain Times (Boone, NC) on June 4, 2019:

Hede: On a wing and a scare: 'Flight or Fright' edited by Stephen King and Bev Vincent

An author with the stature of Stephen King has more options — and demands — than most when it comes to publishing his work, which can sometimes make finding a copy of a new release … interesting.

When King first published “Flight or Fright” in September 2018 the hardcover was made available by his friend and colleague Richard Chizmar at Cemetery Dance Publications. That book in trade hardcover is still available at CDP and at online sellers.

Currently, a paperback version is listed online as available through the British publishing house Hodder & Stoughton (now an imprint of Hachette) with a fairly hefty shipping charge and limited availability.

Now, the most current version of the book, the copy reviewed here, is scheduled for release June 4 as a Scribner reprint edition. This copy will be less expensive than the UK edition with no or much-reduced shipping depending upon your favorite online retailer. Although, a caveat, unless you’re of a mind to collect all of SK in paperback — and you know who you are — the trade hardcover shows availability now and, at a currently reduced price, for just a couple of dollars more than what you’ll pay for the trade paperback in June.

But, as with most of King’s fiction, it’s not as important which version you obtain (except, perhaps, to the purists intent on completing a personal catalogue of first editions) or if that version is ink print, e-print or audio. What’s important is that you obtain it because, if nothing else, King always promises an interesting itinerary.

And so it is with “Flight or Fright: 17 Turbulent Tales,” an anthology of stories new and old centered on the terrors of flight edited by King and Bev Vincent.

That King is no fan of commercial flying he makes apparent in his trademark “let’s have a quick chat, reader, you and I” introduction, which by itself is almost worth the price of the ticket. (Vincent, herself, provides a nice and homey afterword). That King goes on to introduce each story is an upgrade to first class and should help deflect some of the few one- or two-star reviews that grumble about the inclusion of some older (and Project Gutenberg-available) tales from the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle and Richard Matheson.

For the record, yes, Matheson’s “Nightmare at 20,000 feet” was made into an excellent Twilight Zone episode starring William Shatner — but the story did come before the screenplay, not the other way around, and it’s fitting to include the original here.

And, as for Doyle, “The Horror of the Heights” is a fine addition and introduction for those who know no more of the author than what he produced via Sherlock Holmes.

The older tales also provide a nice backdrop from the earliest days of flight and segue admirably into newer stories written and/or republished by the likes of Joe Hill, Vincent and King himself.

With the inclusion of those writers and others such as Roald Dahl, Ray Bradbury and Dan Simmons, “Flight or Fright” excellently props up classic, foundational tales of flight — while the newer stories provide a fresh and worthwhile takeoff for the fiction of today.

Good selection of short stories. For every King fan, anxious flier, and scary story lover. Looking forward to Kings upcoming book this fall.

Solid collection of stories not for the feint-hearted. OF course, in a collection were some stories are written more than 100 years apart (the oldest story here is by Ambrose Bierce and was first published in 1899), some stories are harder to relate to, then the others. Only two stories - by King himself and by Joe Hill are original, others are reprinted.
Still, you should better not take it on the plane, but read it safely on the ground, after you landed.

I have read everything that Stephen King has ever wrote. Some of his books I've read multiple times. I've read everything ever written about him but never in my wildest dreams did I think k he was afraid of flying!!
Thus is a collection of short stories about flying in a pkane aimed to frighten the h*ll out of you. And boy o boy do done if these stories do this to you.

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a collection of short stories dealing with the horrors of flying. Some are very realistic dangers, while others are pure fantasy. There is a good mixture of both included in this collection.

This collection is mostly old stories, but as Bev Vincent points out it is likely you will find many included that you will not have read previously. I discovered many works I had not previously read and I enjoyed them for the most part. Oddly, the highlight of this book, for me, was the foreword by Stephen King and the prologue by Bev Vincent. I loved reading how this collection came together.

This collection had some shining stars, such as Cargo, by E. Michael Lewis and Murder in the Air by Peter Tremayne. The mystery of those stories drew me in and kept my attention. I also quite enjoyed Stephen King's The Turbulence Expert. It was an original idea and though it was brief it was typical King quality work.

This collection also had some of which I was not impressed. The one that really bothered me was the new one from Joe Hill. I typically really enjoy his work, but this time around I felt like the characters were too stereotyped. I felt like I was reading about caricatures of people. I can appreciate that Hill was trying to make a political statement about the current climate, but it could have been accomplished in a more organic way.

Overall, this is a solid anthology and worth the read. You may pick up something new to you and be surprised by some works you were unaware of from some old favorite authors.

Well, I thought it would do me good to read this short story selection of flights from different author's who I love and some I don't know very well. But all of the stories were worth a try but to be honest it won't stop me from flying again! Nor can I pick a favorite so I guess my review isn't worth the ink but I was happy to share. Thanks

3 stars

This is not a bad book. I don't usually care for short stories as I feel that they don't carry enough character development. That being said, some of my favorite authors are in this book, so I thought I'd give it a try.

There are some good stories, and some bad ones. I didn't find it scary at all. Maybe I've read too much Stephen King, Joe Hill and Dan Simmons that I am somewhat impervious to the less scary.

I liked some of the stories, but not others. Not sure what else I can say.

I want to thank NetGalley and Scribner for forwarding to me a copy of this anthology for me to read, enjoy and review.

I’m not usually a fan of short stories, but when I hear the authors represented include Stephen King, Joe Hill, Richard Matheson and Dan Simmons among others, I make an exception. These aren’t your typical horror stories, they are stories of all the terrible things that can happen to you when you are flying blind 35,000 feet above the earth. Most of us don’t really consider all the things that have to go right when we’re flying, these authors are here to remind you of all the myriad ways things can go disastrously wrong when you’re flying the friendly skies. Maybe not the book to read on your next flight