The Science of Stephen King

Copyright © 2020 by Meg Hafdahl & Kelly Florence

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Daniel Brount

Cover photograph by gettyimages

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5774-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5775-2

Printed in the United States of America

We dedicate this book to all the constant readers

who dare to journey into the darkness.

Contents

Introduction

Section One: The 1970s

Chapter One: Carrie

Chapter Two: The Shining

Chapter Three: Salem’s Lot

Chapter Four: Rage

Chapter Five: The Stand

Chapter Six: Nightshift

Section Two: The 1980s

Chapter Seven: Cujo

Chapter Eight: Pet Sematary

Chapter Nine: Thinner

Chapter Ten: It

Chapter Eleven: The Drawing of the Three

Chapter Twelve: Misery

Chapter Thirteen: The Tommyknockers

Chapter Fourteen: The Dark Half

Section Three: The 1990s

Chapter Fifteen: Needful Things

Chapter Sixteen: Insomnia

Chapter Seventeen: The Green Mile

Chapter Eighteen: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Chapter Nineteen: Gwendy’s Button Box

Section Four: The 2000s

Chapter Twenty: Dreamcatcher

Chapter Twenty-One: From a Buick 8

Chapter Twenty-Two: Cell

Chapter Twenty-Three: Lisey’s Story

Chapter Twenty-Four: Duma Key

Chapter Twenty-Five: Under the Dome

Section Five: The 2010s

Chapter Twenty-Six: 11/22/63

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Doctor Sleep

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Mr. Mercedes

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Outsider

Chapter Thirty: The Institute

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Endnotes

Index

Introduction

Every “constant reader” remembers the first time they delved into the delicious horror of Stephen King. For me (Meg), it was finding a paperback of Carrie in my parents’ stack of books. I asked my mom if she thought I should give it a try. She thought it would be the perfect introduction for me to Mr. King. And, as usual, my mom was right. I was on the cusp of adulthood at age fourteen and, like Carrie, I had a million worries. Unlike Carrie, I couldn’t move objects with my mind, or take murderous revenge on my classmates. After reading about the telekinetic teen girl, I was a lifelong constant reader, joining Stephen King on adventures of both unbelievable horror and surprisingly tender heartache. For Kelly, it was watching The Shining with her dad in first grade. Having been introduced to horror movies the year before, Stephen King became her new favorite fascination and she sought out his books as she got older.

When we began research for this book, it became clear that we were going to learn about science, folklore, and literary influences. Yet, we ended up coming to understand the author himself more than anything. Join us, fellow constant readers, on a journey into the creative, dynamic world of Stephen King. Leave behind reality for the modest towns of Derry, Castle Rock, and Salem’s Lot. Traverse the magical landscape of Mid-World. Because, as you well know, there are other worlds than these.

SECTION ONE

The 1970s

When you think of horror writers, it’s impossible not to think of Stephen King. He has scared us, thrilled us, grossed us out, and made us feel terror for nearly fifty years, but his writing breaks the boundaries that are sometimes placed on the genre. As film critic Aja Romano said, “the key to his popularity as a horror novelist, and as a novelist in general, resides not in the darkest moments of his writing, but in his basic belief in humanity’s innate goodness.”1 The plots within his works are sometimes otherworldly and sometimes rooted in truth. In this book, we will explore the scientific explanations behind his narratives and the fascinating and sometimes unbelievable horror that exists in our world.

CHAPTER ONE

Carrie