Questions tagged [stephen-king]
Stephen King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction.
83
questions
5
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What does this sentence mean in Stephen King's IT?
What does "He had put away nearly three sixpacks during the baseball game, and he was shagged." mean at the end of the paragraph?
Tom was nearly asleep when the phone rang. He struggled ...
- 285
8
votes
0
answers
265
views
Connections to "The Dark Tower" in "Carrie", "Misery", "The Tommyknockers" and in "The Green Mile"
Both the English Wikipedia article and its Polish counter-part list following of Stephen King books as supposedly having a connection to The Dark Tower series:
Carrie
Misery
The Tommyknockers and
...
- 9,233
0
votes
0
answers
77
views
Who made the prophecy about the 'Promised Prince'?
In Stephen King's new book, Fairy Tale, the main character Charlie Reade travels to the land of Empis,
and he discovers that there is a prophecy about a 'Promised Prince'. He also discovers that the ...
- 45.2k
2
votes
1
answer
124
views
What about biochemistry in Stephen King's Autopsy Room Four? [closed]
I have just listened to (the Polish version, if that matters) of "Autopsy Room Four" by Stephen King. Either I am missing some part or something obvious or the whole story is simply ...
- 9,233
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Story about a man who transforms into a monster from a mouldy can of beer
A man is a heavy drinker, I recall the story says he drinks 12 or 20 beers a night and sends his son (nephew?) who is the story's narrator to buy then for him.
After drinking a beer which is 'bad' he ...
- 1,451
5
votes
1
answer
276
views
In 'Black House' who is "a young fellow in upstate New York who shows great promise"?
Towards the end of Black House, the foul Charles 'Burny' Burnside is killed by Tyler Marshall. When Mr Manshun, a servant of the Crimson King, finds the body of his former minion...
He looks back ...
- 1,451
4
votes
1
answer
237
views
Stephen King "fanfiction:" King himself attacked by his characters, meets arbitors of the universe
This was a story I read on Fanfiction.net around 13 years ago, though I believe the story had been around for a few years before that. The key part of this story is that the writing style was ...
- 960
1
vote
0
answers
313
views
In the novel "It", where exactly does Ben Hanscom live?
Maybe I haven't been giving enough attention, but I am really unaware of the location of Ben's house.
I'm in the last part of Chapter 4 of Stephen King's It and Ben is standing over the canal bridge ...
- 1,301
3
votes
3
answers
823
views
Stephen King and steam/diesel/cyber-punk
Has Stephen King written anything that either is or approaches the steampunk genre? Same question goes for diesel-punk and cyberpunk genres. I tried looking for something along those lines but didn't ...
- 43
7
votes
0
answers
344
views
Is the term "strawberry spring" something made up by Stephen King for the short story?
In the short story Strawberry Spring by Stephen King, which in my opinion has enough hints of the supernatural to qualify for this site, the "strawberry spring" of the title is a false spring, much ...
- 23.4k
8
votes
1
answer
328
views
How much influence does King's "The Dark Tower" have on Overwatch?
This reddit post implies that some Overwatch characters may have been created under The Dark Tower influence. Namely, McCree and Reaper might be based on Roland and The Man in Black respectively.
I ...
- 3,632
6
votes
1
answer
872
views
In the book Pet Semetary, why does Jud Crandall seem younger than his age?
I finished the book recently, and I keep thinking about how Jud was repeatedly described as seeming younger and more spry than his age (83) would imply. It's never explained, but it seems like it has ...
- 61
8
votes
1
answer
992
views
Are any of Stephen King's works not connected to The Dark Tower?
Its pretty well known in Stephen King fandom that most if not all of his works are connected through The Dark Tower series. But I'm curious if there are any of Stephen King's works which are ...
- 509
2
votes
0
answers
249
views
Rosy Real / Really Rosy / Rose Madder: One and the same?
In Stephen King's work Rose Madder, there were several suggestions at Rose Madder's identity, but it was never outright said.
Those suggestions were:
Rose Madder was said to have had the exact ...
- 1,147
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why were the Losers successful but infertile?
In It, by Stephen King, all the Losers parted after 1958, and grew up to have successful lives. However, they found out to all be unable to conceive children.
Why? Was that It's doing, or the Other's ...
- 1,364
3
votes
2
answers
405
views
What are It's powers?
In It, by Stephen King, we find that It is a female entity, just like the Turtle, created by some higher power, eternal, ruler of the universe, and member of the macroverse.
It assumed a physical ...
- 1,364
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why did It kill Henry Bower's underlings, Victor and Belch?
In It, by Stephen King, Henry Bowers and his two friends, Victor and Belch, follow the Losers into the sewers in 1958. Somewhere along the way, both Victor and Belch, which were in a trance, and were, ...
- 1,364
4
votes
1
answer
854
views
How did Henry Bowers leave the sewers?
In It, by Stephen King, Henry Bowers follows the Losers into the sewers in 1958. They defeat It, and escape the sewage after a strange out-of-context orgy.
They never meet Henry again. How does he ...
- 1,364
3
votes
0
answers
1k
views
What was Hubie Marsten and why did he kill his wife?
I just finished reading "Salem's Lot" and I was sort of confused by this.
It seems that Hubie Marsten was a human allied with Barlow, much in the same way as Straker. But two things aren't clear to ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What are the differences between the abridged and unabridged versions of The Stand?
There are two versions of Stephen King's The Stand ᠆ the original release (1978) and the "Complete and Uncut Edition" (1990).
I tried Googling for the differences between them but only found bits and ...
- 6,157
12
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Why did the men have to go to Las Vegas in Stephen King's The Stand?
In her death bed, Mother Abagail tells the Free Zone Committee that the only way to defeat Randall Flagg is for Stuart, Glen, Ralph and Larry to walk all the way to Las Vegas.
Once they (three of ...
- 6,157
9
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Has real Robert Gray actually existed?
At least in two occasions, the It creature introduces itself as a "Robert Gray, better known as Pennywise the dancing clown". First Mrs Kersh tells about him:
"My father [...] His name was Robert ...
- 29.1k
2
votes
1
answer
491
views
How accurate is the film adaptation Desperation by Stephen King, compared to the actual novel?
I've read dozens of works by Stephen King and recently encountered a movie (oldie) based on his book Desperation. Even though I have never read the book version, I do think it was interesting and I am ...
user89399
2
votes
1
answer
305
views
Crimson King's role in Roland's Ka
The Crimson King is clearly written as Roland's enemy throughout the series. However, the man in black has shown to help Roland.
Either it was Ka and the Crimson King had no say-so in the matter, ...
- 1,147
-6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is there a backstory behind Pet Sematary? [closed]
As you may know, Stephen King has its own shared universe, bookwise, this sometimes leads to hilarious implications, such as Pennywise's greatest enemy being the Space-turtle-Jesus. Given that, I ...
10
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Why does King specifically reference Kubrick's "The Shining" in light of his own opinion of it?
I seem to remember that Stephen King was never a big fan of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining, stating that Kubrick missed the point of the story and shifted its emphasis from the inherent ...
- 3,151
1
vote
4
answers
3k
views
Did Ellie and Rachel have the shine?
In Stephen King's plethora of novels, many of his characters have some sort of mental ability, be it pyrokinesis, telekinesis, or others. This ability is called "the Shine."
In the book Pet Sematary,...
- 19.5k
1
vote
4
answers
2k
views
How does Maximum Overdrive connect to the wider King-verse?
It seems to me that all of Stephen King's books/films are connected, usually through small details. However, I do not know how the "classic" film Maximum Overdrive and the short story it was based on ...
- 19.5k
15
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Reading order/reading plan for the wider Dark Tower universe?
As well as the now 8 books in the main dark tower series, many of Stephen King's stories have links with this universe.
Some such as Salem's Lot tie in quite directly, others are more subtle or ...
- 1,451
4
votes
1
answer
493
views
What is the name of this horror story about apocalypse? (Could it be from Stephen King?)
I remember a story about a guy that had a little brother. This brother was a genius and somehow he managed to find a "formula" that managed to put bees in a non-aggressive state.
The older brother ...
- 151
4
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Dark Tower references in other works of Stephen King or vice versa
I recently started re-reading the Dark Tower saga (just finished part IV: Wizard and Glass, probably my favorite part in the series) and noticed some links with other work of Stephen King. For ...
- 1,683
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
When is the first mention of the Horn of Eld?
In the Dark Tower series, when is the Horn of Eld first mentioned? I'm trying to understand how far into writing the series Stephen King planned things.
- 141
4
votes
1
answer
740
views
Where do we hear about the Crimson King's sigul being destroyed?
The two authoritative analyses of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series claim that the Crimson King was "tower-pent" - that is, trapped on a balcony outside the Tower itself - because he had removed a ...
- 68.6k
14
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is this a real quote from the Dark Tower series?
I found this line (attributed to Jake Chambers, and referring to the rest of his Ka-tet) in Bev Vincent's analysis The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King's Magnum Opus:
“I love them, but ...
- 68.6k
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Besides Stephen King himself, what actor has appeared in the most Stephen King supernatural film/TV adaptions and/or audio works?
I was watching The Green Mile the other day and noticed an actor that seemed familiar from another Stephen King movie, Jeffrey DeMunn. I had also remembered DeMunn from a Stephen King audio book ...
- 24.5k
2
votes
0
answers
232
views
The Dark Tower: Unwritten Version?
Based on clues throughout the original edition of The Gunslinger, can we reconstruct the "lost" version of the story that was foreshadowed there? Have Stephen King, Robin Furth, or Bev Vincent ...
- 29
13
votes
2
answers
5k
views
What are all the differences between all the editions of the first book of the Dark Tower series?
Wad Cheber had said (in chat) that there are differences between each version of the first book (I understand there is a large gap between books 1 & 2 being written):
Like, there are two (or ...
- 81.4k
4
votes
0
answers
144
views
Intentional parallels between Little Sisters of Eluria and Wolves of the Calla?
In the Dark Tower short story The Little Sisters of Eluria, Roland encounters a stray dog with an injured leg and a patch of fur on his chest that is shaped like a cross. The dog eventually attacks a ...
- 68.6k
2
votes
1
answer
409
views
What was the age difference between Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain?
Roland's childhood friends and fellow gunslingers were named Alain and Cuthbert. What was the age difference between the three?
- 68.6k
20
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Are we the Great Old Ones?
In Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, Roland lives in a sad, post apocalyptic world that has been poisoned by an ancient race of people called "the Great Old Ones". These people had remade the ...
- 68.6k
7
votes
1
answer
11k
views
Where did the name "Captain Trips" come from?
Characters in The Stand start unanimously referring to Project Blue as "Captain Trips" about midway through the book. Problem is, I have no clue why they all came to that name. The only Captain Trips ...
- 6,376
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Stephen King's Cell Novel: Tom sexual orientation
In the Stephen King's novel Cell, the main character Clay sometimes teases Tom McCourt with some allusions of his sexual orientation.
In the wiki page of the novel Tom is presented as a "gay man", ...
- 321
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Are Roland's revolvers single-action or double-action?
In Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, the main protagonist, Roland, carries a pair of ancient revolvers. Perhaps because King admittedly knows nothing about guns, the descriptions of the guns' ...
- 68.6k
7
votes
1
answer
292
views
In 11-22-63, why Jake didn't bring high tech devices?
In the 11-22-63 (TV series), Jack goes back in time to...
...to change the course of time.
But since he has such an easy way to go back in time, why doesn't he bring high-tech devices to spy on ...
- 7,934
7
votes
1
answer
955
views
What happened to the guns, holsters, belts, and ammo Roland stole from the cops?
In The Dark Tower: Book II: Drawing of the Three, Roland enters our world, buys some ammo, and robs two cops before going back to his own world. He takes the cops' guns, belts, holsters, and spare ...
- 68.6k
9
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Why are there cover art variations in the Plume trade paperback edition of The Waste Lands?
Someone posted two pictures of two versions of the Plume trade paperback edition of The Dark Tower Book III: The Waste Lands on a Facebook group for fans of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series.
...
- 68.6k
2
votes
0
answers
320
views
What happened to Robeson?
In book I of The Dark Tower, titled The Gunslinger, Roland and Cuthbert overhear Hax the cook and a guard named Robeson conspiring to poison the residents of Taunton. Later, Hax is hanged for capital ...
- 68.6k
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How does Jake travel back to the present in 11.22.63?
In the pilot episode of 11.22.63, Jake is shown that he can travel back to 1960 by walking in the closet in the diner. Before he takes on the task of preventing JFK's assassination, he comes and goes ...
- 27.3k
17
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Why did the main antagonist truck in “Maximum Overdrive” (1986) have a Green Goblin mask on its front grille?
Stephen King’s 1986 film Maximum Overdrive—which was an adaptation of his 1978 short story, Trucks—featured a killer truck that had a Green Goblin mask on its front grille; see screenshot below.
...
- 15.9k
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Was JK Rowling inspired by IT (Stephen King)?
In the novel Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Remus Lupin teaches how to fight the boggarts, which are "amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear."
...
- 321