Stephen King - Author
About the Author
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 40 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.
Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.
Stephen King received the National Medal of Arts from US President Barack Obama on 10th September 2015. This is the highest award for artists given by the US government. Ahead of the ceremony Stephen King said, “I’m amazed and grateful.” Previous recipients of the National Medal of Arts include Ray Bradbury, John Updike, Philip Roth, Maurice Sendak, Harper Lee and Maya Angelou.
Stephen King photo © Shane Leonard
Featured books by Stephen King
Billy Summers
From legendary storyteller and No. 1 bestseller Stephen King, whose 'restless imagination is a power that cannot be contained' (The New York Times Book Review), comes a thrilling new novel about a good guy in a bad job. Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He's a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he'll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out. But first there is one last hit. Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done. So what could possibly go wrong? How about everything. This spectacular can't-put-it-down novel is part war story, part love letter to small town America and the people who live there, and it features one of the most compelling and surprising duos in King fiction, who set out to avenge the crimes of an extraordinarily evil man. It's about love, luck, fate, and a complex hero with one last shot at redemption. You won't put this story down, and you won't forget Billy.
If It Bleeds
A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestseller THE OUTSIDER. News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin. Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realises there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds', a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestselling THE OUTSIDER featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case - and also the riveting title story in Stephen King's brilliant new collection. Dancing alongside are three more wonderful long stories from this 'formidably versatile author' (The Sunday Times) - 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', 'The Life of Chuck' and 'Rat'. All four display the richness of King's storytelling with grace, humour, horror and breathtaking suspense. A fascinating Author's Note gives us a wonderful insight into the origin of each story and the writer's unparalleled imagination.
Later
SOMETIMES GROWING UP MEANS FACING YOUR DEMONS The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine - as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave. LATER is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King's classic novel It, LATER is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears.
The Institute
It is time to celebrate a new and truly fabulous Stephen King novel. Children with special gifts such as telepathy and telekinesis are being abducted from across the USA, then they are tested, exploited, and kept prisoner. Is there any hope left for the kids incarcerated in the Institute? I opened the first page, settled in, and just read… isn’t it wonderful when you can do that? When you so implicitly trust the author, trust that they are going to take you on amazing journey? Stephen King has written the most readable and electrifying tale here, I didn’t doubt for one second that any of this wasn’t true, wasn’t possible, wasn’t happening right now. I just inhaled the words, fully immersed myself in the story, and squirmed on the edge of my seat as the ending hurtled towards me. The Institute knocked my socks off, it is a thrilling, chilling ride, and sits not only as a Liz Robinson pick of the month, but one of our LoveReading Star Books too.
The Outsider
When an eleven-year-old boy is found murdered in a town park, reliable eyewitnesses undeniably point to the town's popular Little League coach, Terry Maitland, as the culprit. DNA evidence and fingerprints confirm the crime was committed by this well-loved family man. Horrified by the brutal killing, Detective Ralph Anderson, whose own son was once coached by Maitland, orders the suspect to be arrested in a public spectacle. But Maitland has an alibi. And further research confirms he was indeed out of town that day. As Anderson and the District Attorney trace the clues, the investigation expands from Ohio to Texas. And as horrifying answers begin to emerge, so King's propulsive story of almost unbearable suspense kicks into high gear. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy but there is one rock-hard fact, as unassailable as gravity: a man cannot be in two places at the same time. Can he?
End of Watch
A wonderfully sinister and mind-bending end to the ‘Hodges trilogy’. Yes, ‘End of Watch’ can easily be read as a standalone novel, however I really do recommend starting with ‘Mr Mercedes’, followed by ‘Finders Keepers’. Although each book is connected, each feels very different, and each is a brilliant, totally absorbing read. The team at the ‘Finders Keepers’ detective agency find themselves investigating a number of deaths and suicides that appear to connect to the diabolical Brady Hartsfield, however Hartsfield has been lying in hospital room for the last few years in an unresponsive state. With one time frame in the here and now, and one moving from the past towards the present, Stephen King takes this series to a whole new supernatural level as events take a decidedly menacing yet believable turn. I found the elements of mind control deliciously creepy, until I remembered what Hartsfield had done, and what he was capable of, and delicious became nightmarish! ‘End of Watch’ is a beautifully balanced combination of genres, and a fitting finale to what has been a simply fabulous trilogy. Click here to find out more about this title and Stephen King's other books.
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
The ominously significant title of ‘The Bazaar of Bad Dreams’ slashes through the delicate vibrancy of the cover, summing up the contents beautifully. 18 short stories and two poems, steaming with life, death, passion, regret and the occasional gnashing of twisted, gnarly fangs. I absolutely loved Stephen King’s short introductions to each tale, almost as much as the stories themselves. The story behind the story reveals snippets of information, of reasoning, the why and how. This is a wonderfully diverse collection from full on fantasy, to possibilities and practicalities, and yet there are links to be discovered. Some tales made me shiver, others raise a smirking eyebrow, they all though, set my mind pondering and questing, and personal favourites were Afterlife and The Little Green God of Agony. These are knowing, crafty, sharp stories, ready to catch you unaware and to give your imagination a hammering - in other words, they are fabulous. ~ Liz Robinson
The Long Walk
Against the wishes of his mother, sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as The Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour without ever stopping...with the winner being awarded "The Prize"--anything he wants for the rest of his life. But, as part of this national tournament that sweeps through a dystopian America year after year, there are some harsh rules that Garraty and ninety-nine others must adhere to in order to beat out the rest. There is no finish line--the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you're given a warning. Three warnings and you're out of the game--permanently....
Finders Keepers
Longlisted for the CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger 2016. Finders Keepers is an intelligent, powerful and enthralling read from one of the masters of storytelling. While there are obvious ties to Mr Mercedes and several of the characters return, this could be read without knowledge of the previous novel. Part one introduces Morris and Pete who have developed a love for the written word by a particular author. Morris sets this tale in motion on one particularly violent day in 1978, while Pete starts to forge his link to the chain of events in 2009. Even with the merciless brutality on display, this is subtle, understated and clever writing by the author. Stephen King allows the story to flow and establishes the connection between the two main characters with an astute understanding of humanity. Foreboding circles within circles start to couple together, the tension creeps and lurks and the Finders Keepers detective agency join the action in 2014. Highlighting the elemental power of words and how obsessions can have devastating consequences, this is a penetrating and wonderfully captivating read. ~ Liz Robinson
Revival
A spectacularly dark and electrifying novel about addiction, religion, music and what might exist on the other side of life. In a small New England town, in the early 60s, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister, Charles Jacobs. Soon they forge a deep bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity. Decades later, Jamie is living a nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll. Now an addict, he sees Jacobs again - a showman on stage, creating dazzling 'portraits in lightning' - and their meeting has profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings. This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe.
Mr Mercedes
Stephen King is one of the greatest writers alive today. He always has a well-structured plot and a delightful turn of phrase. He is best known for his horror but I think his greatest achievement is the way he shows American life and culture in microcosm, engaging us in the lives of his characters. What people do to each other is far scarier than any monster. This is an excellent read if you want something firmly grounded in reality without the supernatural. Not horror but still in places horrifying. Circumstances, coincidences, bad detection all combine with grotesque inevitability. Two points of view, retired cop and crazed killer, and I felt for both these lovely characters and many of those around them. An excellent start to a trilogy, an excellent piece of writing, an excellent read. Books in The Bill Hodges Trilogy: 1. Mr Mercedes 2. Finders Keepers 3. End of Watch Serial Reader? Check out our 'Fall in Love With a Book Series' collection to find amazing book series to dive in to.
Doctor Sleep
An epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon. King says he wanted to know what happened to Danny Torrance, the boy at the heart of The Shining, after his terrible experience in the Overlook Hotel. The instantly riveting Doctor Sleep picks up the story of the now middle-aged Dan, working at a hospice in rural New Hampshire, and the very special twelve-year old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals. On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the 'steam' that children with the 'shining' produce when they are slowly tortured to death. Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him and a job at a nursing home where his remnant 'shining' power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes 'Doctor Sleep.' Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival ...
Carrie
An exciting reissue of Stephen King's debut novel about an outcast teenager with a frightening power which put him on the map and set him on his journey as a household name. Carrie White is no ordinary girl. Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis. To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie - the first step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues. But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her ...
Joyland
One of Maxim Jakubowski's Books of the Year 2013. A rare incursion of the master of horror into the crime genre, albeit with a understated ghost story, this is also a wonderful melancholy tale about growing up, fun fairs, the bond between mother and son and first love. Don't be put off by Stephen King's reputation if you are a mystery lover; he respects the genre and treats it with love and care and this short novel is all the more satisfying.
Joyland
One of Maxim Jakubowski's Books of the Year 2013. Maxim Jakubowski's September 2013 Highly Recommended. A rare incursion of the master of horror into the crime genre, albeit with a understated ghost story, this is also a wonderful melancholy tale about growing up, fun fairs, the bond between mother and son and first love. Don't be put off by Stephen King's reputation if you are a mystery lover; he respects the genre and treats it with love and care and this short novel is all the more satisfying.
Joyland
One of Maxim Jakubowski's Books of the Year 2013. A rare incursion of the master of horror into the crime genre, albeit with a understated ghost story, this is also a wonderful melancholy tale about growing up, fun fairs, the bond between mother and son and first love. Don't be put off by Stephen King's reputation if you are a mystery lover; he respects the genre and treats it with love and care and this short novel is all the more satisfying.
Joyland
One of Maxim Jakubowski's Books of the Year 2013. Maxim Jakubowski's September 2013 Highly Recommended. A rare incursion of the master of horror into the crime genre, albeit with a understated ghost story, this is also a wonderful melancholy tale about growing up, fun fairs, the bond between mother and son and first love. Don't be put off by Stephen King's reputation if you are a mystery lover; he respects the genre and treats it with love and care and this short novel is all the more satisfying.
The Dark Tower
THE DARK TOWER is the seventh volume in Stephen King's epic Dark Tower series. The Dark Tower is soon to be a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba, due in cinemas August 18, 2017. The final book in King's epic The Dark Tower series, sees gunslinger Roland on a roller-coaster ride of exhilarating triumph and aching loss in his unrelenting quest to reach the dark tower.Roland Deschain and his ka-tet have journeyed together and apart, scattered far and wide across multilayered worlds of wheres and whens. The destinies of Roland, Susannah, Jake, Father Callahan, Oy, and Eddie are bound in the Dark Tower itself, which now pulls them ever closer to their own endings and beginnings and into a maelstrom of emotion, violence, and discovery.And as he closes in on the Tower, Roland's every step is shadowed by a terrible and sinister creation. Finally, he realises, he may have to walk the last dark strait alone...JOIN THE QUEST FOR THE DARK TOWER...T HE DARK TOWER SERIES:THE DARK TOWER I: THE GUNSLINGER THE DARK TOWER II: THE DRAWING OF THE THREE THE DARK TOWER III: THE WASTE LANDS THE DARK TOWER IV: WIZARD AND GLASS THE DARK TOWER V: WOLVES OF THE CALLA THE DARK TOWER VI: SONG OF SUSANNAH THE DARK TOWER VII: THE DARK TOWER THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE: A DARK TOWER NOVEL
Pet Sematary
'SOMETIMES...DEAD IS BETTER' The house looked right, felt right to Dr Louis Creed. Rambling, old, unsmart and comfortable. A place where the family could settle; the children grow and play and explore. The rolling hills and meadows of Maine seemed a world away from the fume-choked dangers of Chicago. Only the occasional big truck out on the two-lane highway, grinding up through the gears, hammering down the long gradients, growled out an intrusive threat. But behind the house and far away from the road: that was safe. Just a carefully cleared path up into the woods where generations of local children have processed with the solemn innocence of the young, taking with them their dear departed pets for burial. A sad place maybe, but safe. Surely a safe place. Not a place to seep into your dreams, to wake you, sweating with fear and foreboding.
Under the Dome
King is so famous for horror, people often forget his wonderful human stories like The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me. Although this one has a sci-fi element, it is primarily a tale of human struggle and the descent into chaos and lawlessness of a community cut off from outside society. Lots of characters, action, lots of twists, violence, kindness, heroism, selfishness, really the whole spectrum of human emotion focused through the lens of excellent, unputdownable writing. At nearly 900 pages, it may last the holiday and is certainly enough to make the flight pass pleasurably.
Lisey's Story
*Soon to be an Apple TV+ limited series starring Julianne Moore and Clive Owen* Every marriage has two hearts, one light and one dark. Lisey knew it when she first fell for Scott. And now he's dead, she knows it for sure. Lisey was the light to Scott Landon's dark for twenty-five years. As his wife, only she saw the truth behind the public face of the famous author - that he was a haunted man whose bestselling novels were based on a terrifying reality. Now Scott has gone, Lisey wants to lock herself away with her memories. But the fans have other ideas. And when the sinister threats begin, Lisey realises that, just as Scott depended on her strength - her light - to live, so she will have to draw on his darkness to survive.
11.22.63
Dallas, 1963. november 22.Harom loves dordul. John F. Kennedy, az Egyesult Allamok elnoke halott.Porog egy tizcentes, es totagast all a vilag. Ki tudhatja, mikor mulik egy pillanaton az elet, es miert?"e;Jake Epping kisvarosi angoltanar, jokepu, muvelt, harmincas fiatalember. Amikor a gimnazium felnott angol kurzusan A nap, amelyen megvaltozott az eletem"e; cimmel iratott dolgozatokat javitja, ele kerul a pedellus fogalmazasa: Harry Dunning otven evvel azelott valahogyan tulelte, ahogy az apja lemeszarolta a tulajdon csaladjat. Jake teljesen odavan... am kisvartatva meg nagyobb titok birtokaba jut, amikor oreg baratja, Al, az egyik helyi bisztro tulajdonosa azzal a bizarr keressel all elo, hogy elozze meg azt az esemenyt, amelytol o Amerika es a vilag romlasat datalja: akadalyozza meg Lee Harvey Oswaldot Kennedy elnok meggyilkolasaban. Hogy hogyan? Egyszeru. Lepjen at a bisztro spajzaban nyilo idokapun, es terjen vissza a nagy amerikai kocsik, Elvis Presley es az altalanos dohanyzas koraba. Jake az ido elorehaladtaval nem tudja eldonteni, aldja-e vagy atkozza Alt, amiert erre a kuldetesre ravette, azt azonban egyre biztosabban tudja, hogy a multban vagy a jovoben szeretne-e elni.Stephen King regenye nem pusztan zsenialis idoutazas es paratlanul izgalmas, varatlan fordulatokban gazdag tortenet, hanem a veletlenrol, a valasztasainktol es a sorsrol szolo tunodes is. Letehetetlen.
Misery
The #1 national bestseller about a famous novelist held hostage by his number one fan and suffering a frightening case of writers blockthat could prove fatal. One of Stephen Kings bestgenuinely scary (USA TODAY).Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid readershe is Pauls nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house. Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to lifejust for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they dont work, she can get really nasty. Terrifying (San Francisco Chronicle), dazzlingly well-written (The Indianapolis Star), and truly gripping (Publishers Weekly), Misery is classic Stephen King...full of twists and turns and mounting suspense (The Boston Globe).
The Shining
Danny is only five years old, but in the words of old Mr Hallorann he is a 'shiner', aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Danny's visions grow out of control. As winter closes in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217 and who are the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why do the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive? Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel - and that, too, is beginning to shine ...
Other books by Stephen King
Billy Summers
'A dazzlingly shapeshifting novel . . . equally good at action scenes and in-depth psychology' The Sunday Times 'A thriller with a surprisingly heartfelt and redemptive ending, Billy Summers is a compelling and engrossing read' Sunday Express From legendary storyteller and No. 1 bestseller Stephen King, whose 'restless imagination is a power that cannot be contained' (The New York Times Book Review), comes a thrilling new novel about a good guy in a bad job. Billy Summers is a man in a room with a gun. He's a killer for hire and the best in the business. But he'll do the job only if the target is a truly bad guy. And now Billy wants out. But first there is one last hit. Billy is among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, a Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done. So what could possibly go wrong? How about everything. This spectacular can't-put-it-down novel is part war story, part love letter to small town America and the people who live there, and it features one of the most compelling and surprising duos in King fiction, who set out to avenge the crimes of an extraordinarily evil man. It's about love, luck, fate, and a complex hero with one last shot at redemption. You won't put this story down, and you won't forget Billy.
From a Buick 8
Come close, children, and see the living crocodile. A vintage '54 Buick Roadmaster. At least, that's what it looks like . . . There is a secret hidden in Shed B in the state police barracks in Statler, Pennsylvania. A secret that has drawn troopers for twenty years - terrified yet irresistibly tempted to look at its chrome fenders, silver grille and exotic exhaust system. Young Ned Wilcox has started coming by the barracks: mowing the lawn, washing the windows, shovelling snow; it's a boy's way of holding on to his father - recently killed in a strange road accident by another Buick. And one day Ned peers through the windows of Shed B and discovers the family secret. Like his father, Ned wants answers. He deserves answers. And the secret begins to stir . . .
The Mist
The No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's terrifying novella about a town engulfed in a dense, mysterious mist - originally published in the acclaimed short story collection Skeleton Crew and made into a feature film by Frank Darabont - is now available as a stand-alone publication. A man staggered into the market . . . 'Something in the fog!' he screamed Following a freak summer storm, David Drayton, his son Billy, and their neighbour Brent Norton join dozens of others and head to the local grocery store to replenish supplies. Once there, they become trapped by a strange mist that has enveloped the town. Violent forces concealed in the mist are starting to emerge. And there is another shocking threat from within - one group of survivors, led by a religious zealot, is calling for a sacrifice. Now David and his son must try to escape. But what's outside may be even more dangerous. This exhilarating novella explores the horror in both the enemy you know - and the one you can only imagine.
Dolores Claiborne
King's Number One bestselling suspense novel, 'a compelling masterpiece' (Sunday Telegraph) about a housekeeper with a long-hidden secret from her past, now with a stunning new cover look. The sheets . . . had to be hung perfectly. She'd go to that window, year in and year out and yell at me: 'Six pins, now, Dolores! You mind me, now . . . I'm counting, and my eyes are just as good now as they ever were! When Vera Donovan is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, the police want to question her housekeeper Dolores Claiborne. And Dolores does have a confession to make. But it's not what the police are expecting to hear as they listen to her life story - a story which hearkens back to her abusive marriage and the suspicious death of her husband in the small Maine community of Little Tall Island. Dolores Claiborne has a story to tell. And you'd better pay attention or else.
Gerald's Game
A game. A husband and wife game. Gerald's Game. But this time Jesse doesn't want to play. Lying there, spread-eagled and handcuffed to the bedstead while he looms and drools over her, she feels angry and humiliated. So she kicks out hard. Aims to hit him where it hurts. He isn't meant to die, leaving Jesse alone and helpless in a lakeside holiday cabin. Miles from anywhere. No-one to hear her screams. Alone. Except for the stray dog that smells her blood, the voices in her head which begin to chatter, and the board which creaks stealthily at nightfall, signalling that something or someone else is close by.
Stephen King Hard Case Crime Box Set
Collecting Stephen King's three homages to the classic crime pulp paperbacks, published by Hard Case Crime. This includes The Colorado Kid (2005), Joyland (2013) and Later (2021). It will also feature three exclusive art cards with alternate cover artwork for the three novels. Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work in a fairground and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. A rookie newspaperwoman learns the true meaning of mystery when she investigates a 25-year-old unsolved and very strange case involving a dead man found on an island off the coast of Maine. The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability, Jamie can see things no one else can. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine - as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave.
The Body
The No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's timeless coming-of-age novella, The Body - set in Castle Rock and originally published in his 1982 short story collection Different Seasons, and adapted into the film classic Stand by Me - is now available as a stand-alone publication. We'd all listened to the Ray Brower story . . . he was a kid our age The small town of Castle Rock is tuning in to the news of a young boy who has gone missing from a nearby town. Gordie Lachance and his three friends set off along the railway tracks on a quest, determined to become famous by officially finding the boy's body. But their journey becomes a rite of passage, and as they cross the railway trestle and the tracks begin to hum, the boys encounter an intimation of their own mortality. Adapted into the 1986 classic film Stand By Me, The Body is an iconic exploration of friendship, loneliness and adventure, an unforgettable coming-of-age story by master chronicler of small-town adolescence and universal experience, Stephen King.
1922
The chilling novella featured in Stephen King's bestselling collection Full Dark, No Stars, 1922 - about a man who succumbs to the violence within - is now available as a stand-alone publication. I believe there is a man inside every man, a stranger So writes Wilfred James in his confession. It's 1922. Wilfred owns eighty acres of farmland in Nebraska that have been in the family for generations. His wife, Arlette, owns an adjoining one hundred acres. But if Arlette carries out her threat to sell her land to a pig butcher, Wilfred will be forced to sell too. Worse, he'll have to move to the city. But he has a daring plan. It may work if he can persuade his son. A powerful tale of betrayal, murder, madness and rats, 1922 is a breathtaking exploration into the dark side of human nature from the great American storyteller Stephen King. It was adapted into a film from Netflix.
Apt Pupil
The No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's memorable story Apt Pupil - published in his 1982 story collection Different Seasons and made into a movie starring Ian McKellan and Brad Renfro - is now available as a standalone publication. You must know that your fate and my own are inextricably intertwined Todd Bowden is an apt pupil. Good grades, good family, a paper route. But he is about to meet a different kind of teacher, Mr. Dussander, and to learn all about Dussander's dark and deadly past . . . a decades-old manhunt Dussander has escaped to this day. Yet Todd doesn't want to turn his teacher in. Todd wants to know more. Much more. He is about to face his fears and learn the real meaning of power - and the seductive lure of evil. A classic story from Stephen King Apt Pupil reveals layers upon layers of deception and horror as the boy and old man hold each other in a mutual deathgrip. Each knows something the other wants kept secret.
The Langoliers
No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's unforgettable novella - first included in his 1990, award-winning collection Four Past Midnight and made into a highly acclaimed miniseries - about a terrifying plane ride into a most unfriendly sky is now available as a stand-alone publication. The flight attendants were gone; almost all the passengers were gone; Brian Engle was willing to bet the 767's two-man cockpit crew was also gone. He believed Flight 29 was heading east on automatic pilot. On a red-eye flight from L. A. to Boston, ten passengers wake up to discover everyone else has disappeared. Brian Engle, a trained pilot, remembers something about a strange aurora borealis and turbulence reports over the desert. Now he has to try to land the plane. But the safe haven of Bangor airport is not what it seems. It's eerily empty. The clocks have stopped. The food and drink is tasteless. The fuel doesn't burn. And the sound, like 'radio static', is getting closer. Craig Toomy, an investment banker, believes he knows what's coming. The Langoliers. Which means time is, quite literally, running out . . . A spine-tingling, propulsive novella, The Langoliers is a brilliant read from the masterful Stephen King.
The Sun Dog
The No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's novella The Sun Dog, published in his award-winning 1990 story collection Four Past Midnight, is now available as a standalone publication. It's mine - that was what he had thought when his finger had pushed the shutter-button for the first time. Now he found himself wondering if maybe he hadn't gotten that backward. Kevin Delevan wants only one thing for his fifteenth birthday: a Polaroid Sun 660. There's something wrong with his gift, though. No matter where Kevin aims the camera, it produces a photograph of an enormous, vicious dog. In each successive picture, the menacing creature draws nearer to the flat surface of the Polaroid film as if it intends to break through. When old Pop Merrill, Castle Rock's sharpest trader, gets wind of this phenomenon, he devises a way to profit from it. But the Sun Dog, a beast that shouldn't exist at all, turns out to be a very dangerous investment.
If It Bleeds
The eagerly awaited paperback edition of the No. 1 bestselling hardcover featuring a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider, and three additional irresistible novellas. News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin. Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realises something is not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds', a stand-alone sequel to the No. 1 bestselling THE OUTSIDER featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case - and also the riveting title story in Stephen King's brilliant new collection. Dancing alongside are three more wonderful long stories from this 'formidably versatile author' (The Sunday Times) - 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', 'The Life of Chuck' and 'Rat'. All four display the richness of King's storytelling with grace, humour, horror and breathtaking suspense. A fascinating Author's Note gives us a wonderful insight into the origin of each story and the writer's unparalleled imagination.
The Stand
The tie-in edition of the nine-part series starring Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgard, and James Marsden, coming in the UK from Starzplay, premiering on 3 January, 2021. FIRST CAME THE VIRUS. AND THEN THE DREAMS... A man escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out over 99 percent of the world's population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge - Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the 'dark man', the apostate of death, the warlord of the charnel house and Prince of Evil. Now the survivors must choose between them - and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity. Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil is a classic for our times. 'A masterpiece' - Guardian 'His work plumbs with unnerving accuracy, the hopes and fears of an entire nation' - Observer
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
The No. 1 bestselling author Stephen King's beloved novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award-nominee The Shawshank Redemption - about an unjustly imprisoned convict who seeks a strangely satisfying revenge, is now available as a standalone book. There's a guy like me in every state and federal prison in America, I guess - I'm the guy who can get it for you. And new convict Andy Dufresne wants two things from fellow prisoner Red: a small rock-hammer for carving stones and a giant poster of Rita Hayworth. So begins this mesmerising tale of unjust imprisonment, deep friendship and offbeat escape. Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is one of King's most celebrated stories, and it helped make Castle Rock a place readers would return to over and over again. Suspenseful, heart-wrenching and hopeful, this iconic King novella is populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, especially the fiercely compelling convict named Andy Dufresne who is seeking his ultimate revenge. Originally published in the collection Different Seasons, it was made into the film The Shawshank Redemption. Starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, this modern classic was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, is one of the most beloved films of all time and is IMDb's top-rated movie of all time.
The Institute
Deep in the woods of Maine, there is a dark state facility where kids, abducted from across the United States, are incarcerated. In the Institute they are subjected to a series of tests and procedures meant to combine their exceptional gifts - telepathy, telekinesis - for concentrated effect. Luke Ellis is the latest recruit. He's just a regular 12-year-old, except he's not just smart, he's super-smart. And he has another gift which the Institute wants to use... Far away in a small town in South Carolina, former cop Tim Jamieson has taken a job working for the local sheriff. He's basically just walking the beat. But he's about to take on the biggest case of his career. Back in the Institute's downtrodden playground and corridors where posters advertise 'just another day in paradise', Luke, his friend Kalisha and the other kids are in no doubt that they are prisoners, not guests. And there is no hope of escape. But great events can turn on small hinges and Luke is about to team up with a new, even younger recruit, Avery Dixon, whose ability to read minds is off the scale. While the Institute may want to harness their powers for covert ends, the combined intelligence of Luke and Avery is beyond anything that even those who run the experiments - even the infamous Mrs Sigsby - suspect. Thrilling, suspenseful, heartbreaking, THE INSTITUTE is a stunning novel of childhood betrayed and hope regained.