The Monkey

Article summary

"The Monkey" is a 1980 horror short story by Stephen King featuring a cursed cymbal-banging monkey toy. The story was first published as a booklet included in Gallery magazine in 1980. It was significantly revised and published in King's collection Skeleton Crew in 1985. "The Monkey" was nominated for a British Fantasy Award for best short story in 1982 and best horror at that time.

Key claims

1. publication date: 1980 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. publication date: 1985 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. release date: 2025-02-21 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the publication date is "1980". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the publication date is "1985". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the release date is "2025-02-21". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1362572909