Night Surf
Encyclopedia
"Night Surf" is a post-apocalyptic short story by Stephen King
, first published in the spring 1969 issue of Ubris
magazine, and later collected in a heavily revised version in King's 1978
collection Night Shift
.
, the brief story follows one evening on a place called Anson Beach, New Hampshire, with a group of teens, survivors of a catastrophic virus
called A6, or "Captain Trips", that has wiped out virtually the entire population. The virus was said to have spread out of Southeast Asia (possibly an allegorical reference to the Vietnam War). The teenagers are shown to have a rather sinister nature in that they abduct a man and burn him on a pyre
, believing such a human sacrifice to their gods would grant them protection against A6. The main character of the story, named Bernie, reflects upon this new world and frequently daydreams about "the time before" when he went to Anson Beach in his younger years before the A6 outbreak. A reference is made to a previous virus called A2, which the teens had all survived, leading them to think they were immune
to A6's lethal effect. Toward the end of the story, one of them begins to show symptoms of A6, and they realize that perhaps their exposure to A2 did not in fact grant them immunity to this deadlier virus. While Bernie's companion Susie accepts his explanation that maybe some teenagers lied about having A2 in order to join their group, Bernie realizes A2 is no guarantee against A6, and starts to accept his eventual death.
. The film continues to play at numerous festivals and has been well-received by King fans and general audiences alike. Optioned from King for a dollar, the film is part of the Dollar Baby
collection of similar short films.
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, first published in the spring 1969 issue of Ubris
Ubris
Ubris was a literary journal published by the University of Maine. It is most notable for having published a number of Stephen King's stories and poems when he was a university student at the university.-References:...
magazine, and later collected in a heavily revised version in King's 1978
1978 in literature
The year 1978 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award given annually to books with unusual titles is created. The first winner was Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude...
collection Night Shift
Night Shift (book)
Night Shift is the first collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published in 1978. Many of King's most famous short stories were included in this collection.-Stories collected:-Details:...
.
Plot summary
Loosely related to the author's highly regarded novel The StandThe Stand
The Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It demonstrates the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
, the brief story follows one evening on a place called Anson Beach, New Hampshire, with a group of teens, survivors of a catastrophic virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
called A6, or "Captain Trips", that has wiped out virtually the entire population. The virus was said to have spread out of Southeast Asia (possibly an allegorical reference to the Vietnam War). The teenagers are shown to have a rather sinister nature in that they abduct a man and burn him on a pyre
Pyre
A pyre , also known as a funeral pyre, is a structure, usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite...
, believing such a human sacrifice to their gods would grant them protection against A6. The main character of the story, named Bernie, reflects upon this new world and frequently daydreams about "the time before" when he went to Anson Beach in his younger years before the A6 outbreak. A reference is made to a previous virus called A2, which the teens had all survived, leading them to think they were immune
Immunization
Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an agent ....
to A6's lethal effect. Toward the end of the story, one of them begins to show symptoms of A6, and they realize that perhaps their exposure to A2 did not in fact grant them immunity to this deadlier virus. While Bernie's companion Susie accepts his explanation that maybe some teenagers lied about having A2 in order to join their group, Bernie realizes A2 is no guarantee against A6, and starts to accept his eventual death.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
"Night Surf" was adapted into a short film in 2001 by writer-director Peter SullivanPeter Sullivan (screenwriter)
Peter Sullivan is an American screenwriter and film producer.Peter Sullivan was born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts and graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Film and Television....
. The film continues to play at numerous festivals and has been well-received by King fans and general audiences alike. Optioned from King for a dollar, the film is part of the Dollar Baby
Dollar Baby
The Dollar Baby is a term coined by best-selling author Stephen King in reference to a select group of students and aspiring filmmakers or theatre producers whom he has granted permission to adapt one of his short stories for $1...
collection of similar short films.