10 Stephen King Stories That Wouldn't Work As Movies
8. Survivor Type
One of King's most unnerving short stories, Survivor Type is one that King himself said "goes a little too far, even for me." Survivor Type is presented as the diary of disgraced surgeon Richard Pine. While attempting to smuggle a large batch of heroin onto a cruise ship, Richard finds himself stranded on a desert island with little supplies and no food.
As Richard deteriorates, hunger takes over and he breaks his ankle in attempt to hunt a bird. He numbs the foot with heroin, then amputates. Realizing how dire his situation is, he eats the foot.
He continues to amputate his own limbs for food, taking the heroin for anesthesia each time. His last few diary entries, barely comprehensible, indicate he has cut off and eaten everything below his waist, as well as his ears, and drools uncontrollably as he ponders which body part to consume next.
This story has actually been adapted into shorts by independent filmmakers. It bears inclusion on this list, however, because it's odds of a major release are not bloody likely (pun intended). A good short story can make a good short film, but audiences aren't likely to slog through an hour of drug-addled self-surgery.