[short fiction] [essays] [chart of darkness] [interviews] [king lit crit] [news archive] [links] [about kev] [contact] {Last updated January 28, 2010}

"...when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book." - Stephen King, Hearts in Atlantis


Reviews
Novels
Carrie (1974)
'Salem's Lot (1975)
The Shining (1977)
Rage (1977)
The Stand (1978)
Night Shift (1978)
The Dead Zone (1979)
The Long Walk (1979)
Firestarter (1980)
Cujo (1981)
Roadwork (1981)
Danse Macabre (1981)
Creepshow (1982)
The Gunslinger (1982)
Different Seasons (1982)
The Running Man (1982)
Christine (1983)
Pet Sematary (1983)
Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)
The Talisman (1984)
Thinner (1984)
The Eyes of the Dragon (1984)
Skeleton Crew (1985)
Silver Bullet (1985)
The Bachman Books (1985/1996)
It (1986)
Misery (1987)
Drawing of the Three (1987)
The Tommyknockers (1987)
The Dark Half (1989)
The Stand (1990)
Four Past Midnight (1990)
Needful Things (1991)
Gerald's Game (1992)
Dolores Claiborne (1992)
The Wastelands (1991)
Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993)
Insomnia (1994)
Rose Madder (1995)
The Green Mile (1996)
Desperation (1996)
The Regulators (1996)
Wizard & Glass (1997)
Six Stories (1997)
Bag of Bones (1998)
Storm of the Century (1999)
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)
Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
The Plant (2000)
On Writing (2000)
Secret Windows (2000)
Dreamcatcher (2001)
Black House (2001)
From a Buick Eight (2002)
Everything's Eventual (2002)
Wolves of the Calla (2003)
Song of Susannah (2004)
The Dark Tower (2004)
Faithful (2004)
The Colorado Kid (2005)
Cell (2006)
Lisey's Story (2006)
Blaze (2007)
The Mist (2007)
Duma Key (2008)
Just After Sunset (2008)
Stephen King Goes to the Movies (2009)
Under the Dome (2009)
The Talisman III (20??)
Doctor Sleep (20??)
The Wind Through the Keyhole (20??)

News & Information


Upcoming & Current Releases

  • "Ur" (audiobook) (02-16-10)
  • Danse Macabre (trade paperback) (02-23-10)
  • Under the Dome (trade paperback) (August)
  • "Tommy," a new poem, in Playboy (March)
  • Just After Sunset (paperback) {out now}


    February 1, 2010
    Just for once, this is about me:

    It's here. Foggy At Night In the City: It's midnight, but the hunched, frightened clocks refuse to strike. Cold rain has blasted the hot asphalt where lovers scramble and madmen skulk. It's foggy tonight in the city, outside curtains where lust meets violence, where indulgence becomes addiction, and where dreamers explore the dark terrain of the heart.

    Foggy At Night In the City is the first collection of verse and poetry by novelist and critic (and webmaster) Kevin Quigley. Inside you will find stories of love and hate, of airships and footraces, of life and death. Alternately light and dark, sunshine and shadows, Foggy At Night In the City is an eclectic anthology that will pique your curiosity and challenge your perceptions.

    Folks, this new collection of poetry and verse represents nearly two decades of work. The poems might have come hard for me, and some of them take you to dark, dark places, but I think you'll like them.

    To reiterate: Foggy At Night In the City is an actual book, one that you hold in your hand and whose pages you physically flip through.

    Two Ways To Get It

  • CreateSpace, the publisher, is still selling it directly.
  • I'm really excited about this: Amazon.com is now carrying the book.

    Bonus Material: Six Poems

    The first 50 purchasers of Foggy At Night In the City will receive a bonus PDF from me - a small collection titled Six Poems, featuring six pieces I didn't feel fit in the main volume. "Fantasies Of A Maniac," "No Show," "There Must Be Something Good for Dinner Tonight," "A Place With Picnic Tables," and "Fissure" represent the best work from my earliest days of writing through my more inward-looking recent poetry. Three of these poems are flat-out horror stories, including the award-winning "Fantasies Of a Maniac." I've stayed away from horror verse in later years; it's a pleasure to share it now.

    If you have purchased Foggy At Night In the City, email me here, and I will send you Six Poems. Sorry, Six Poems does not come separately.

    The Foggy Future

    As we roll out publication on this book, there's still more to come. In the upcoming weeks and months, I will hopefully be publishing Foggy At Night In the City on several ebook platforms. The Kindle is the first, with the Sony Reader, the Nook, and of course the iPad - I am in negotiations now to get this book in the hands of electronic readers as soon as possible. Keep an eye out!

    The Final Word

    Foggy At Night In the City is available from both the publisher and Amazon for the amazing price of $7.95. It is a large-sized paperback, also known as "trade" or "quality" paperback, and features thirty-five pieces of poetry and verse, along with an introduction. And that's not to mention the bonus PDF, bringing the total number of pieces up to forty-one works. Even if you generally aren't a poetry reader, I urge you to give Foggy a try - quite a few of these pieces read more like prose. I have tried to make this volume as accessible as possible, without sacrificing the work.

    Thank you for your time and consideration, and thank you for taking a chance on pioneering authorship.

    January 28, 2010
    A couple weeks ago, we reported that a new trade paperback reprint of Danse Macabre was coming in February, and speculated as to whether new material will be included. As reported on the Kingdom Search Twitter, it appears that King's recent Fangoria column, "What's Scary," will be included! So if you missed Fango, fear not! (Or, um, actually, do fear. This is an article on horror movies, after all.)

    January 27, 2010
    I just got finished reading Stephen King: The Non-Fiction by Rocky Wood and Justin Brooks. Kids, I was blown away by this book. If you're reading this site, this book is an absolute MUST HAVE. I wrote a whole review here: Stephen King: The Non-Fiction, not because I was paid to, but because I NEEDED to. Yes, it's that good. Like the stuff covered in the book, The Non-Fiction deserves to have a giant readership. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy! After reading my review, of course.

    In AudioBook News: "Ur," the ebook previously only available for the Kindle and iPhone, will soon be available on audiobook! Read by Holter Graham, this story is due out on February 16th on both CD and digital download. Visit the official website here or read my review of the story here.

    But that's not all! A source I can't disclose (Borders.com) has revealed that a whole passel of new audiobooks is on its way - and some of the choices are amazing. Different Seasons (as four separate works), Roadwork, Firestarter, Cujo, The Running Man, and The Long Walk are scheduled for release in April, while The Dark Half, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Tommyknockers, and It - yes, It! - are coming in May. To which I say WHEE! No news as to whether the Different Seasons stuff is going to be the original Frank Muller recordings, but I hope so. Because those were boss.

    And finally! Today, King's message board reported that Stephen King has already finished two new books. Yes, TWO. Based on King's prior statements that neither The Wind Through the Keyhole nor Doctor Sleep have even begun - and that the third Talisman book is still a ways off - these are likely two books we have never heard of before. And that, Constant Readers, excites me to my core.

    More as it comes, kids. More as it comes.

    January 14, 2010
    Welcome to the 14th year of CHARNEL HOUSE: Your source for Stephen King news and reviews since 1996.

    One exciting bit of news for those of you with bad backs and weak wrists: Under the Dome will be released in trade paperback (aka "quality" or "large" paperback) this August! No news on a mass-market release as yet, but we here at the House are researching like ferrets. Ferrets who research. August! August! August!

    And speaking of trade paperbacks: it seems as if Scribner now has the rights to Danse Macabre. It's coming back in trade form on February 23rd, with a cover reminiscent of that of On Writing. No news on new content, but one can hope! Check it out!

    December 19, 2009
    According to Kingdom Search on Twitter, King will be publishing yet another poem in Playboy, this one titled "Tommy". It will arrive with the March issue! I don't know what it is with King and poetry lately, but I'm digging it!

    December 5, 2009
    My (mostly spoiler-free) review of Under the Dome is now up! In addition to the review, the page also features limited edition information, as well as a new background color I'm trying out to make the pages easier on the eyes. Let me know what you think of the page and the review! Thanks, everyone!

    December 1, 2009
    Interesting news from King's official site! Instead of summarizing, I'm going to let King explain it in his words:

    Hey, you guys--I saw a lot of you Constant Readers while I was touring for Under the Dome, and I must say you're looking good. Thanks for turning out in such numbers, and thanks for all the nice things you've said about Under the Dome. There'll be another book next year. It's a good one, I think, but that's not why I'm writing. I mentioned two potential projects while I was on the road, one a new Mid-World book (not directly about Roland Deschain, but yes, he and his friend Cuthbert are in it, hunting a skin-man, which are what werewolves are called in that lost kingdom) and a sequel to The Shining called Doctor Sleep. Are you interested in reading either of these? If so, which one turns your dials more? Ms. Mod will be counting your votes (and of course it all means nothing if the muse doesn't speak). Meanwhile, thanks again for 2009.

    So what say you? Head to King's main site and cast your votes (the poll is near the bottom under the heading Visitor's Poll). I'm not suggesting you choose one book over the other, but I am saying that we last had a Dark Tower book in the 2000s, and The Shining came out so long ago. I mean, aren't you just a LITTLE curious as to what's happened to Danny? Just a smidge!?

    In other news, Under the Dome dropped to #2 in its second week on the New York Times bestseller chart, just below "James Patterson's" I, Alex Cross. The only consolation is that King actually writes the books that get him to #1. Oh, snap.

    November 25, 2009
    Displacing Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, this weekend, King's Under the Dome hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller chart. After hitting his 30th #1 with Duma Key, King released the short story collection Just After Sunset, which stalled at #2. Under the Dome, King's 31st #1 bestseller, continues a trend starting with The Dead Zone in 1979, and sets a new record for number of #1 bestsellers; to date, no one has even come close to King's achievement.

    And more on King's possible upcoming sequel to The Shining, a tentative book whose tentative title is Doctor Sleep. books.torontoist.com reports:

    Last night at Toronto’s packed Canon Theatre, fans of Stephen King were treated to a 15-minute reading from the author’s new novel, Under the Dome, and nearly an hour’s worth of typically funny anecdotes and keen observations during an on-stage interview with director David Cronenberg. Then King dropped a fan bombshell on the crowd by casually describing a novel idea he began working on last summer. Seems King was wondering whatever happened to Danny Torrance of The Shining, who when readers last saw him was recovering from his ordeal at the Overlook Hotel at a resort in Maine with fellow survivors Wendy Torrance and chef Dick Halloran (who dies in the Kubrick film version). King remarked that though he ended his 1977 novel on a positive note, the Overlook was bound to have left young Danny with a lifetime’s worth of emotional scars. What Danny made of those traumatic experiences, and with the psychic powers that saved him from his father at the Overlook, is a question that King believes might make a damn fine sequel.

    So what would a sequel to one of King’s most beloved novels look like? In King’s still tentative plan for the novel, Danny is now 40 years old and living in upstate New York, where he works as the equivalent of an orderly at a hospice for the terminally ill. Danny’s real job is to visit with patients who are just about to pass on to the other side, and to help them make that journey with the aid of his mysterious powers. Danny also has a sideline in betting on the horses, a trick he learned from his buddy Dick Hallorann.

    The title for King’s proposed sequel? Doctor Sleep.

    Perhaps sensing that he’d let the cat out of the plot bag a little early, King then told Cronenberg and the audience that he wasn’t completely committed to the new novel, going so far as to say, “Maybe if I keep talking about it I won’t have to write it.”

    Let’s hope King doesn’t have too many interviews booked in the next six months.

    It's interesting that all the books we've heard rumblings on are all sequels, prequels, or midquels: with talk of The Talisman III resurging, the news of The Wind Through the Keyhole (a Dark Tower book set in between the events of Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla) and now Doctor Sleep, it's looking to be a pretty interesting near future for King and his fans. Also interesting: the official reports are that none of these projects have yet begun ... yet King has continued writing steadily since completing Under the Dome. Just what he's been writing remains a mystery.

    November 22, 2009
    My review of Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired By Stephen King is now up. I've included some photographs to illustrate just how terrific this book is. If my review does not convince you, then let me underline this: if you are reading Charnel House, you need this book. Enjoy!

    November 12, 2009
    King recently did a book signing in Dundalk, Maryland, during which he revealed several tantalizing bits of information! Namely:

  • He has written a feature-film script for Cell (changing the ending from the one in the book, which received many complaints)
  • Under the Dome is to become an HBO miniseries.
  • And a NEW Dark Tower novel, titled The Wind Through the Keyhole, is in the planning stages!

    This last is huge news for Tower freaks. The mod on King's message board shed some clarity, stating that

    "Stephen has given me permission to pass along that he has an idea for a new Dark Tower book, the working title of which will be THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE. He has not yet started this book and anticipates that it will be a minimum of eight months before he is able to begin writing it."

    According to Zach Dionne at GQ, the book is a "mid-quel," focusing on minor characters and events that take place between Wizard & Glass and Wolves of the Calla. Which I, for one, am all for. Updates as I get them! Until them, watch the book signing!

    November 10, 2009
    DOME DAY IS HERE!!!

    Under the Dome is released TODAY! Stephen King's newest novel - his third longest - hits stores and online retailers today. Watch this space for a review SOON. In the meantime, check out this terrific short interview with King from Borders.com.

    DOME DAY IS HERE!!! Run! Buy! Read! Hooray!

    November 9, 2009
    In preparation for Dome Day (TOMORROW!!!), we have this fun retrospective by Time.com, in which King discusses his ten longest novels. It's a quirky way to look at King, and it's a fun article. DOME DAY TOMORROW!!!

    November 6, 2009
    Here at Charnel House, our very favorite Stephen King site on the web is Lilja's Library. It is constantly updated, features fantastic interviews and reviews, and has a site design that Charnel House envies to the point of insomnia. But that's beside the point.

    Hans-Ake Lilja has written a terrific new book on Stephen King, titled Lilja's Library: The World of Stephen King. Charnel House is proud to present one of its first reviews, written by Stephen King expert George Beahm (author of The Stephen King Companion). Please check out this glowing guest review of Lilja's Library, and then pre-order your own copy!

    When you're done there, check out Lilja's Library, the website, which now features a review of Lilja's book by King expert Stephen Spignesi. We're jam-packed with experts today!

    November 2, 2009
    My review of "Premium Harmony" is now up! While you're at it, have a look at my recently-updated Stephen King Short Fiction page, with new listings for "Morality," "Mostly Old Men," "Ur," and "Premium Harmony," as well as a newer publication of King's seminal poem, "The Dark Man" (featured in Bev Vincent's terrific The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, a book everyone into King NEEDS). Enjoy!

    "Premium Harmony," King's new short story appearing in The New Yorker is ready to read online NOW. Hooray!

    October 29, 2009
    WOW! Exclusive trailer for Under the Dome on Entertainment Weekly. TODAY ONLY! And don't forget to pick up EW tomorrow for a 4,000-word excerpt of Under the Dome. DOME DAY APPROACHES!

    October 28, 2009
    Out of left field, King will be releasing a new Castle Rock story in an upcoming issue of The New Yorker. Titled "Premium Harmony," this story will be featured in the November 9th edition ... something to whet your appetite for the main course of Under the Dome, coming just a day later! Exciting news!

    Thanks to KingdomSearch on Twitter for the info - if you are not following him, you should: @KingdomSearch!

    October 21, 2009
    Amazon.com is now offering pre-sales of Under the Dome for nine dollars. Quite a change from the hefty $35 price tag! Check it out!

    We've also stumbled across a map of the town actually under the dome:

    Click on the picture to bring up a much bigger and clearer image!

    Also! Today at 3:00, there will be new interactive content over at the Under the Dome widget area. Full details to come!

    And lastly: we here at Charnel House mainly focus on King's major arcana - novels, short stories, poetry, produced screenplays, and nonfiction. A movie review section is planned for 2010, but that's still off in the future. We're basically concerned here with the stuff that flows out of King's own pen. But! If you are not reading the comic-book adaptation of The Stand, you really, really should start. The essential information:

  • The Official Marvel Comics site.
  • Volume 1: Captain Trips, containing the first story arc.
  • Volume 2: American Nightmares
  • Soul Survivors, Issue One - Out today, the start of a brand-new story arc in this fantastic adaptation. Head to your local comic-book shop or bookselling emporium and pick this up today!

    October 16, 2009
    King's new narrative poem, "The Bone Church," is now available now, in this month's November 2009 issue of Playboy. It is also available online, with the Phil Hale illustrations intact!

    October 15, 2009
    As excited and thrilled as we are about the release of Under the Dome, we're almost as tickled by the release of three premiere books about King coming this year. Following his terrific Road to the Dark Tower companion, Bev Vincen't The Stephen King Illustrated Companion, will look at King's entire career, focusing on King's "most iconic works." Released through Barnes & Noble, this book is

    An interactive approach to King's greatest works, The Stephen King Illustrated Companion features a wealth of unseen memorabilia from the author's desk and insightful text that reads between the lines to uncover King's own compelling biography. Supplemented with rare and previously unpublished ephemera from King's archives, such as hand-edited manuscript drafts, revealing letters between King and his editor, and personal mementos from his career, this unique companion volume tangibly illuminates the writer's works and life in a way never done before.

    The Stephen King Illustrated Companion is out NOW!

    And let's not forget our friend Lilja's Lilja's Library book, which is essentially his masterful website (my favorite King site) in book form. That will be coming later this year (and I will be supplying a review!). Pre-Order your copy here!

    And last but CERTAINLY not least: Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired By Stephen King. Folks, I can't overstate how important this book is to King enthusiasts. And art enthusiasts. And horror enthusiasts. Pretty much anyone who would read this site NEEDS this book. It fills a niche in the realm of books about King, and fills it so comprehensively that it is impossible to imagine any book doing it better. It's gigantic, stuffed with illustration both old and new, and features amazing interviews with the artists who have been inspired by Stephen King. This book is worth every penny. Check it out and place your order here.

    You may have noticed a new section at the top of the page, under the listing for new King books. I've decided to focus on important upcoming books about King, as well, featuring links to places to find out more or purchase. I hope you like!

    A short but revealing interview with King about Under the Dome has been published by the Science Fiction Book Club. Have fun!

    October 10, 2009
    The first review of Under the Dome has been reviewed, and it is GOOD! This wildly favorable review states, "[Under the Dome is] easily the best novel King has produced to date," and while that remains to be seen, the excitement is getting palpable!

    October 05, 2009
    Seriously, just look at this cover:

    And you can click on it, to see it major huge! MAJOR HUGE!

    I am severely impressed by this cover. Oh man, why can't November be here now!??!

    You (and I) asked for it; here it is: An additional 60 pages of The Cannibals. Download and read for free! It's AWESOME!

    October 04, 2009
    I've gotten more of a look at the upcoming Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired By Stephen King. More confirmation that this book is going to be absolutely beautiful:

    See what I mean? This sucker weighs THIRTEEN POUNDS! It's awesome and you need it. Here's how you get it!

    September 21
    The publicity push for Under the Dome has begun in full force! Let's review, shall we?

  • The Under the Dome Widget. Here, you can download UTD wallpapers, avatars, and a limited character list for the novel (to be updated on September 28).

  • An interactive viral campaign, with websites for the town of Chester's Mill (chestersmill.com/ and a blog by one of the book's teenage protagonists, Scarecrow Joe scarecrowjoe.com/).

  • Maybe most exciting? The first part of the big dust jacket image reveal. It starts here, then continues in four days, on September 25th. Hooray!

    This is all terrifically exciting stuff. If I weren't already super thrilled for this book, I am now. Check back on the 25th for more information. Dome Day draws near!

    Happy birthday, Stephen King!!! King turns a sprightly 62 today, and we here at Charnel House wish him the very best day and year to follow!

    Don't forget also: the first aspect of the cover art for Under the Dome will be released today. Further information as it comes in!

    September 16, 2009
    The news just keeps coming! King will be following up his recent Tin House poem ("Mostly Old Men") with a new poem in this November's Playboy. Playboy.com states that in "The Bone Church," King, "in the tradition of Coleridge & Kipling, the horror master of Maine offers up a narrative poem filled with madness & mayhem." A narrative poem, huh? I am ALL FOR THAT!

    I don't know what King's recent resurgence in the art of poetry is coming from, but I'm in. It seems that in recent years, he's been taking on old forms and playing interestingly with them, and I applaud him for it. Bring it on!

    September 15, 2009
    Continuing the trend set by the publication of Blaze, King has just released an excerpt from his unfinished and unpublished manuscript, The Cannibals - the story that inspired King's upcoming novel, Under the Dome. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!! Not only are you going to be able to read the story, but you'll also see the actual manuscript: The Cannibals is presented in a .pdf format reproducing King's actual typed pages, with cross-outs and corrections, giving readers a rare glimpse into King's creative process - one that will culminate in the publication of Under the Dome. This is one of the coolest and most exciting treats King has ever offered us. Kids, you're in for some awesome fun here. Click here to read your excerpt from The Cannibals.

    September 07, 2009 We here at Charnel House were fortunate enough to get our hands on the new Centipede Press publication, Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired By Stephen King. A big part of me wants to say that I have no words, because it's so hard to describe something like this.

    There has been a gap so big in the world of Stephen King criticism and appreciation that one scarcely knew it existed. Books almost without number have been written about King's novels and short stories, and the film and television adaptations they've spawned. But no book has ever taken an in-depth look at the art inspired by King, and I am here to tell you that the wait has been worth it.

    There will be a much more in-depth review to come, but my first impressions are overwhelmingly positive. This book is packed with pictures - illustrations from King's hardcovers and paperbacks, limited and foreign editions. There are illuminating interviews with King mainstays such as Berni Wrightson, who delves into depths about his art and the stories behind when it spins from King's text. There are extended looks at lauded artists such as Michael Whelan and Ned Dameron (whose beautiful illustrations for The Waste Lands are reprinted here in full color), but it also focuses on far more unsung heroes such as Bob Giusti (whose cover art for It and Misery remain striking and memorable) and Rob Wood (who did the covers for Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne, two covers I personally love.) And all the art is here. All of it.

    Folks, a book like this is rare and special. It's terrific for collectors who buy limited editions for the art within, but it's also made for folks who simply like the books they buy at the store. The paperback images that invited me in when I was a teenager and just getting into King are all here, present and accounted for, and flipping through this book is like looking at a timeline of my own past. This book is an unqualified success, one of the very best ever written about the phenomenon of Stephen King. Take a look at the website and learn more ... but I urge you to pre-order if you haven't already. I can guarantee you, it's worth it.