TEOTWAWKI is here!

(This blogger post is dedicated to my high school buddy, Jeff C. Jeff had been a huge SK fan and Constant Reader. Sadly, he passed away before graduating. But I'd like to think he'd be mightily pleased one of his high school friends became a diehard SK fan and Constant Reader, as well as a published horror author. Thinking of you, pal) 

The last time I'd reread The Stand was over five years ago, which ironically, was right before Covid-19 became something that would change our lives dramatically for a while. And in some cases, for some folks, tragically forever. 

If you've never read The Stand, in a nutshell, it's a post apocalyptic horror novel about good versus evil. Survivors of the deadly superflu (accidentally let loose from a secret government lab) come together and fall into either of two camps: the good are called to the enigmatic Mother Abagail, who's a symbol for all things good and right. The other is pure bad, evil, and his name is Randall Flagg aka The Walkin Dude. And he ain't human. Eventually both sides will clash and not everyone survives...but good does triumph. And sometimes, evil doesn't completely die. 

The first cover featured above is from the original paperback edition, which had been severely cut from its original length due to the publisher's concerns that a book that big wouldn't sell. And printing costs. 

Roughly a decade later, around 1990-91, King had the book reissued as the complete and uncut edition with a new cover and his ever growing legions of Constant Readers (including this one) rejoiced. In fact, I hadn't read the original edition. And damned glad I hadn't. 

So, Chris, why are you rambling on about SK's iconic post apocalyptic horror novel, you may ask? 

Because unless you've been a castaway on a desert island, there's a brand new anthology due out this month called The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand, edited by bestselling authors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene, featuring an introduction by Stephen King. With truly an impressive and incredible roster of well-known authors, the stories all take place during or after events in the original book. And unlike the original book, we have stories set in other countries and even on a space station orbiting the planet. 

It would be an understatement to say that I'm really looking forward to diving back into this world. As a lifelong Constant Reader, that's a given. Rumor has it that there may be another Stephen King book themed anthology in the future, but I'll say no more. Let's just open this brand new dark chest of wonders, shall we?