Random King-related news

[herbertwest]

I didnt know where to put this. Felt like it didnt fit anywhere... so why not creating a thread related to random King news?

A Maine chainsaw artist is carving a sculpture at Stephen and Tabitha King’s house
>>> https://bangordailynews.com/2020/03/21/news/bangor/a-maine-chainsaw-artist-is-carving-a-sculpture-at-stephen-and-tabitha-kings-house/

[herbertwest]

A documentary about King's adaptations is in the works... with interviews of 25 actors / directors, including Frank Darabont!

Among the interviews should be :
– Frank Darabont
– Scott Hicks
– John Harrison
– Taylor Hackford
– Tom Holland
– Vincenzo Natali
– Mick Garris
– Mikael Hafstrom
– Zak Hilditch
– Jeff Beesley
– J.P. Scott
– André Øvredal
– Mikael Salomon
– Craig R. Baxley
– Peter Askin

More details on my (french) website >>> https://club-stephenking.fr/documentaire-kingonscreen

[Ari_Racing]

Nice!

[herbertwest]

Back in 2017, Vincent Rush, a freelance artist, created a 20 pages comic version of "IT", with the Georgie Scene!

It's available for free on his website
Check this out >>> https://www.vincerushart.com/#/it-fan-comic/

https://i.redd.it/oykkbkmexzr41.jpg
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59935ac46a4963a33bd35328/1504507030700-GDDEFNXMGC5FLIWZZT1D/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kHW84nQLtXXViE7bOG0Chf17gQa3H7 8H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLf rh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0hReLB75oIvKxcDxwlnLXaa-dTTNkghWpzJEQ89DR4ATJRrrXn57TSIoD1H0S0xwdA/IT_Pg13.jpg?format=2500w

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EVOmwoHU4AAVcIa.jpg

[Merlin1958]

If you like the old TV Mini-series of The Shining, IT and Salem's Lot Amazon has a deal for all 3 in 1 DVD for $14.99 here:





https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008QE9Z8A/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_bia_widget_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1/

[herbertwest]

Does anyone here have the "STEPHEN KING AT THE MOVIES" by Ian Nothan book that was released back in october (https://amzn.to/2Wj6kWu)?

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51f1bP%2B6kVL._SX385_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


The reason I am asking is that, I've had the french version from around the same time, and although he looks like a nice book, I never had the time to actually look into it.
BUT... the very first sentence is already bugging me : It says that "Born on september 21st in Portland, Oregon" (in french)

I would like to check if that was a translation mistake or if it was in the original book...

[herbertwest]

Well... another remake / new version of "Children of the corn" is being shot !

Just what we needed. More children and more corn...
> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8183023/Ford-v-Ferrari-producer-Lucas-Foster-spotted-flouting-social-distancing-rules-set-Sydney.html
>> https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/shooting-pandemic-producers-worldwide-find-ways-work-1292591

[herbertwest]

To be released next week (2nd of june) :

"On Writing" is being re-released in a 20 year anniversary edition, with "contributions" by Joe Hill and Owen King
- I believe that Owen's contribution is a reprint of this : https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/recording-audiobooks-for-my-dad-stephen-king
- Joe Hill's is a transcript of his interview with his dad : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UjQPXQ7TKU

But it seem to have an updated reading list, but I wouldnt be surprised if that was the update released for the 10 year edition?

> Order link (https://amzn.to/3gltCo1)

https://club-stephenking.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/onwriting-stephenking-edition-anniversaire-20ans-scribner2020-front.jpg https://club-stephenking.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/onwriting-stephenking-edition-anniversaire-20ans-scribner2020.jpg

[herbertwest]

The book is now out !
Amazon Preview confirms my hypothesis about Joe and Owen, but I cant confirm nor deny the lack of update of reading lists.

Has anybody ordered it?

[Aremag]

My copy arrived yesterday and it contains 4 part reading list. I don't have any other copy of this book yet but I assume the reading list for 2010-2019 is new.

Edit. It's actually 3 lists...the first part of the furthermore sections containing the lists is about editiing.

[herbertwest]

Thanks !

[jon10g]

Would you be able to post a picture of the new list please?
Thanks.



My copy arrived yesterday and it contains 4 part reading list. I don't have any other copy of this book yet but I assume the reading list for 2010-2019 is new.

[Aremag]

Would you be able to post a picture of the new list please?
Thanks.



My copy arrived yesterday and it contains 4 part reading list. I don't have any other copy of this book yet but I assume the reading list for 2010-2019 is new.

I put all three lists in my gallery because I didn't know if there any rules about posting full book page photos. The photos aren't the best because I was taking one handed pictures trying not to bend the spine.
http://www.thedarktower.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=25482

[jon10g]

Many thanks



Would you be able to post a picture of the new list please?
Thanks.



My copy arrived yesterday and it contains 4 part reading list. I don't have any other copy of this book yet but I assume the reading list for 2010-2019 is new.

I put all three lists in my gallery because I didn't know if there any rules about posting full book page photos. The photos aren't the best because I was taking one handed pictures trying not to bend the spine.
http://www.thedarktower.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=25482

[daniel_pyle]

I didn't see this mentioned elsewhere and I'm not sure if this is the right place for it, but Barnes & Noble is releasing The Stand as one of their collectible editions: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stand-stephen-king/1100631608?ean=9780525616719

http://www.thedarktower.org/gallery/data/500/9780525616719_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg

[Merlin1958]

I didn't see this mentioned elsewhere and I'm not sure if this is the right place for it, but Barnes & Noble is releasing The Stand as one of their collectible editions: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stand-stephen-king/1100631608?ean=9780525616719

http://www.thedarktower.org/gallery/data/500/9780525616719_p0_v1_s600x595.jpg


Thanks for posting that!! I ordered one cause, Oh, what the fuck right? lol Can't go wrong with "bonded leather", am I right? lol


One thing though, doesn't say whether it's the cut or uncut version. 1200 pages should be the uncut, no?

[daniel_pyle]

Thanks for posting that!! I ordered one cause, Oh, what the fuck right? lol Can't go wrong with "bonded leather", am I right? lol
One thing though, doesn't say whether it's the cut or uncut version. 1200 pages should be the uncut, no?

I would say definitely so. It would really surprise me if King ever allowed the cut version to come back into print.

I'll definitely grab a copy too. It's no Doubleday limited, but for the price, I just can't resist those B&N editions. Especially if they run a sale, which they seem to do pretty frequently.

[herbertwest]

Belfast Public Health Nursing receives $15,000 grant from Stephen, Tabitha King Foundation
> https://www.penbaypilot.com/article/belfast-public-health-nursing-receives-15000-grant-stephen-tabitha-king-foundation/136262

[Randall Flagg]

That's very nice of them.

[herbertwest]

"Stephen King Dollar Baby : the book", by Anthony Northrup

A book about the dollar babies will be released next month :

In the late 1970s, Stephen King had the idea of selling his short stories for ONE DOLLAR and a contract to let young filmmakers make their own films based on his works. After King's approval, these films were only available for viewing at film festivals around the world. For the last forty-plus years and over hundreds of films made, The Dollar Baby program has made a serious impact not only on the Stephen King world, but the film industry itself.

Unfortunately, for Stephen King fans, unless you attended these film festivals, you basically would never be able to see them. In fact, most Stephen King fans have never even heard of the Dollar Baby program. Well, that's where I come in. I have been interviewing Dollar Baby filmmakers and reviewing their films for eight years. During that time, not only have I also hosted two Dollar Baby Film fests at Crypticon Horror Con in Minnesota, but I also built a trust, a bond, and a friendship with all of the Dollar Baby community.

As a major Stephen King fan, I decided it was time to pull the curtain back and show the fans just what they have been missing. In this book, readers will learn all about the Dollar Baby program, fun facts, trivia, personal stories from the fans themselves, special guests contributors, essays, Where Are They Now?, 55 exclusive interviews with the Dollar Baby filmmakers and reviews of their films, and a whole lot more! I cover every possible angle of the Dollar Baby program and it's all here to enjoy! So, sit back, relax, and get ready to go behind the exclusive curtain and prepare yourselves to enter...Stephen King Dollar Baby: The Book!

> The hardcover (https://amzn.to/3n3Qv1o)
> The paperback (https://amzn.to/34YLSiM)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqkEI23XYAEi9GH?format=jpg&name=medium

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61If0q4IBmL.jpg

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/712m3jx6JHL.jpg

[herbertwest]

Local students will have their manuscript published thanks to famous Maine author
=> https://www.wmtw.com/article/local-students-will-have-their-manuscript-published-thanks-to-famous-maine-author/35434157

[herbertwest]

The memoirs of Hunter Biden, to be released in April, have a lengthy-ish blurb on the back

The amazon page => https://amzn.to/3tIkPTE

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81ZpYkL1MYL.jpg

[Ari_Racing]

I don't collect books with blurbs but...this one is pretty lenghty, just like a small essay.

I'll order one.

[mae]

Here's the back view:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71vTMSwgPiL.jpg

[herbertwest]

(I pay attention to blurbs because around, I would say, 2008-2011, I worked on a book dedicated to them.
I have colllected a book of about 300 pages and tried to get an agent in order to represent it to publishers... but according to them, I need to get authors/publishers authorisation in order to reprint them and it's never going to happen :-( )

[herbertwest]

Officially, the release of the "Black House" script by Chizmar / Schaech is tomorrow, with about 40 copies left according to the publishers website
=> https://www.borderlandspress.com/shop/coming-soon/a-little-silver-book-a-screenplay-by-richard-chizmar-jonathan-schaech-numbered-signed-limited-edition/

[herbertwest]

In the latest PS Publishing newsletter, from today, Pete concluded todays PS Publishing newsletter with an illustration of Cujo by Glenn Chadbourne. Notice the 2020 date with his signature?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ew3FZvKWQAwHdWv?format=png&name=900x900


King has since shared a tweet saying : "The illustrated CUJO is coming, with art by the inimitable and fiendishly talented Glenn Chadbourne."
With this picture :

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ew2mWwyWEAMejOp?format=jpg&name=large


So, do you guys think that PS Publishing is cooking something with Glenn?

[herbertwest]

Small reminder that tomorrow (april 24th) will be the "Independant Bookstore Day" in the USA, with an exclusive print version of "In The Tall Grass"
Only tomorrow
Only in Independant bookstores !
(and then probably resold on ebay)

https://i1.wp.com/firewireblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/tallgrass_stephenking_joehill.jpg?resize=580%2C791&ssl=1

[herbertwest]

And who knows if the copies are not signed?
Would be a nice little surprise, no?

(I have no insider knowledge, there is no hidden message. Just a thought that it would be fun, a bit like the signed SubPress copies)

[herbertwest]

If it bleeds is nominated to the Locus Awards (and a french little award) : https://locusmag.com/2021/05/2021-locus-awards-top-ten-finalists/

[herbertwest]

According to this (https://bangordailynews.com/2021/10/06/news/bangor/a-cryptozoology-shop-will-soon-open-near-stephen-kings-bangor-house/)article, the "iconic red mansion is now the site of King’s charitable foundation and his archive"
It was announced in 2019 that it will become, but has it become?

[herbertwest]

Castle Rock Entertainment Relaunches With $175M Film Fund
https://deadline.com/2021/10/castle-rock-relaunch-rob-reiner-1234858284/

[herbertwest]

Here comes a cookbook inspired by King, who wrote a foreword (https://amzn.to/3t2IU9N)

[Brian861]

Here comes a cookbook inspired by King, who wrote a foreword (https://amzn.to/3t2IU9N)

Thanks, Jeremy.

[jreitan47]

King's long-time agent, Chuck Verrill, has passed away.

https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2022/01/obituary-chuck-verrill/

[herbertwest]

King tweeted (https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1481014109676179460)about it last night

[RichardX]

I honestly never thought that someone like King would ever support censorship. A guy who made millions as a writer of horror novels who has seemingly benefited more than anyone from free speech. But King is celebrating on Twitter the fact that certain politicians have been banned from social media? Somewhere George Orwell is shaking his head. He got it backwards. It turns out it was not the totalitarian governments that became Big Brother censoring writers but writers like King advocating censorship of politicians. No one saw that coming. Liberals were once champions of free speech, but sadly that day is long past. Imagine if Uncle Stevie is deemed to say the wrong thing or commit a thought crime and the mob comes for him? He will sing a new song then.

[Ari_Racing]

I honestly never thought that someone like King would ever support censorship. A guy who made millions as a writer of horror novels who has seemingly benefited more than anyone from free speech. But King is celebrating on Twitter the fact that certain politicians have been banned from social media? Somewhere George Orwell is shaking his head. He got it backwards. It turns out it was not the totalitarian governments that became Big Brother censoring writers but writers like King advocating censorship of politicians. No one saw that coming. Liberals were once champions of free speech, but sadly that day is long past. Imagine if Uncle Stevie is deemed to say the wrong thing or commit a thought crime and the mob comes for him? He will sing a new song then.

This message doesn't belong here. Should be moved to Random Comments

[St. Troy]

I honestly never thought that someone like King would ever support censorship. A guy who made millions as a writer of horror novels who has seemingly benefited more than anyone from free speech. But King is celebrating on Twitter the fact that certain politicians have been banned from social media? Somewhere George Orwell is shaking his head. He got it backwards. It turns out it was not the totalitarian governments that became Big Brother censoring writers but writers like King advocating censorship of politicians. No one saw that coming. Liberals were once champions of free speech, but sadly that day is long past. Imagine if Uncle Stevie is deemed to say the wrong thing or commit a thought crime and the mob comes for him? He will sing a new song then.

Ironically, King was the guy who, long ago, said “read whatever they're trying to keep out of your eyes and your brain, because that's exactly what you need to know.”

[CyberGhostface]

I honestly never thought that someone like King would ever support censorship. A guy who made millions as a writer of horror novels who has seemingly benefited more than anyone from free speech. But King is celebrating on Twitter the fact that certain politicians have been banned from social media? Somewhere George Orwell is shaking his head. He got it backwards. It turns out it was not the totalitarian governments that became Big Brother censoring writers but writers like King advocating censorship of politicians. No one saw that coming. Liberals were once champions of free speech, but sadly that day is long past. Imagine if Uncle Stevie is deemed to say the wrong thing or commit a thought crime and the mob comes for him? He will sing a new song then.

https://abload.de/img/free_speechy4kha.png

[herbertwest]

Probably a reprint of an already published King story in this upcoming anthology


To be released in april 2022
The hardcover is sold out from the publisher's website (https://www.stygianskymedia.com/products/revelations-horror-writers-for-climate-action-hardcover-pre-order?variant=41322987913405), but still available from amazon (https://amzn.to/3fKoJpp)

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0574/2336/4285/products/COVER_740x.jpg?v=1642527031


I am waiting a reply from the publisher about the table of content

[herbertwest]

Confirmed by the publisher : it's a reprint of "Summer Thunder"

[CyberGhostface]

Dead Sled Coffee is releasing a licensed ‘It’ coffee called Deadlights Blend.

I’ve had this coffee before (the flavor was available under a different name) and it’s pretty good.

https://deadsledcoffee.com/product/it-chapter-two/

[mae]

King's one-time "home" Entertainment Weekly is no more:

https://www.thewrap.com/entertainment-weekly-appreciation-1990-2022/

[Bev Vincent]

King's one-time "home" Entertainment Weekly is no more:

https://www.thewrap.com/entertainment-weekly-appreciation-1990-2022/

It will still live on in digital form.

[CyberGhostface]

'Dead by Daylight' Creative Director on His Dream Stephen King Collaboration

https://www.newsweek.com/dead-daylight-stephen-king-collab-david-richard-creative-director-interview-1678994

[jreitan47]

King's one-time "home" Entertainment Weekly is no more:

https://www.thewrap.com/entertainment-weekly-appreciation-1990-2022/

And I just subscribed a few weeks ago for $10 a year. :angry_002:

[Iwritecode]

I worked for a magazine fulfillment company many years ago and we knew it was a dying industry even then. Once we started hiring programmers to create websites for them we knew it was just a matter of time.

Highlights for Children was our biggest client. Mostly because of schools and doctor's offices.

[St. Troy]

Goofus and Gallant forever!

[Ari_Racing]

This might be interesting:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1815250421/the-shining-a-visual-and-cultural-haunting

[St. Troy]

This might be interesting:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1815250421/the-shining-a-visual-and-cultural-haunting

Definitely cool and interesting, but I would kill for a version of this based on the novel (as opposed to Kubrick's film).

[herbertwest]

From Brian Keene's latest newsletter (https://briankeene.substack.com/p/letters-from-the-labyrinth-276?s=r) :


I worked on INVISBLE MONSTERS and PROJECT CASTLE (and a lot of people have figured out what the latter is, and Rich Chizmar confirmed it during a YouTube Livestream, so the heck with it — let’s dispense with the codename. PROJECT CASTLE is actually a graphic novel adaptation of Stephen King and Richard Chizmar’s GWENDY’S BUTTON BOX. However, it goes beyond the novella and explores the other residents and denizens of Castle Rock, and what they were up to during the time period of the novella. So, for example, while Cujo, or Deputy Andy Clutterbuck, or Frank Dodd didn’t appear in the book, they could very well appear in the graphic novel. Basically, I’ve been allowed to run riot all over Castle Rock in the 1970s, and it has been a lot of fun. We’re still a while from publication (I’m on the final draft now) and I’ll stay mum about the artist and the rest of the team (because Rich didn’t speak about any of that on the livestream).

If it seems like I’m taking a long time for a 100+ page graphic novel, that’s because I am. These aren’t my characters, and it’s a setting beloved by millions, and I am taking my time to make sure I deliver something that is respectful, thoughtful and loving of them. And I’m also fact-checking with Bev Vincent and other experts to make sure the stuff I’ve added matches up, continuity-wise. Bottom-line: if you’re hoping for Pennywise fighting Father Callahan in the basement of the Castle Rock VFW, you’re going to be very disappointed. But if you’re wondering what the Castle Rock Strangler was doing the night Gwendy pressed a button and ate a chocolate rabbit, I think you’ll dig it.

[EXPLORER]

Probably a reprint of an already published King story in this upcoming anthology


To be released in april 2022
The hardcover is sold out from the publisher's website (https://www.stygianskymedia.com/products/revelations-horror-writers-for-climate-action-hardcover-pre-order?variant=41322987913405), but still available from amazon (https://amzn.to/3fKoJpp)

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0574/2336/4285/products/COVER_740x.jpg?v=1642527031


I am waiting a reply from the publisher about the table of content

APPEARS "Revelations" is still available from publisher.
https://www.stygianskymedia.com/products/revelations-horror-writers-for-climate-action-hardcover-pre-order?variant=41322987913405

[Bev Vincent]

I received my copy a couple of days ago.

[herbertwest]

STEPHEN JOINS THE BOSOX BROADCAST

Read more => https://stephenking.com/p/bosox/

[mikeC]

Nice

[herbertwest]

Absolutely no idea what that means, nor if there will be anything really interesting about Stephen King, but a few days ago, Richard Chizmar posted this in a facebook Stephen King fans group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/SKCRFC/posts/4571120136323152/) :


Between the upcoming free bonus chapbook (by Richard & Billy Chizmar), which is signed and fully illustrated by Francois Valliancourt & Billy’s extra creepy original story for April, there’s never been a better time to sign up for his Patreon page. Plus there’s a bunch of exclusive Stephen King related content. Check it out!
https://www.patreon.com/whchizmar

This is Billy, who has directed the unreleased "Trapped" short movie, that is supposed to become a feature length movie by Mark Pavia

[CyberGhostface]

Sierra’s ‘Phantasmagoria’ Was the Result of Being Turned Down by Stephen King?

https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3709752/sierras-phantasmagoria-was-the-result-of-being-turned-down-by-stephen-king/

[herbertwest]

It was released last summer, but was only able to read it recently : "Adapting Stephen King - vol 1" (https://amzn.to/3s50hFD)

Quite enjoyed it
Very interesting and insightful !


https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71++gc3excL.jpg

[RichardX]

Reading that the axe used by Jack Nicholson in The Shining is going on display at the Stanley Hotel. Part of a " film museum" to be incorporated into the hotel. Someone apparently purchased it for close to $200K.

[Br!an]

Reading that the axe used by Jack Nicholson in The Shining is going on display at the Stanley Hotel. Part of a " film museum" to be incorporated into the hotel. Someone apparently purchased it for close to $200K.

We've been discussing it on the intriguing (https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?226-Intriguing-Stephen-King-King-Related-Dark-Tower-Auctions-Sales&p=1259059&viewfull=1#post1259059)thread.

Bev linked this article (https://www.indiewire.com/2022/05/the-shining-ax-stanley-kubrick-stephen-king-auction-stanley-film-center-1234722171/)about it.

[herbertwest]

Nobody talked about it, but the long forgotten "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County" musicals turned 10 last month!

Not the commercial release (that will be june next year), but for its premiere in Atlanta.
I still wish there was a video recording of it, somehow. Seems like a shame not to have one :-(

Anyway, seems like the whole audio is available freely and legally on youtube (shared by Universal) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzF4gTTgVgc&list=OLAK5uy_kqMCTiMZgqwFp0n9qfWzSLQyFagxOZDo4&index=1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTIdfcwaMAI5Kj5?format=jpg&name=large

[DoctorZaius]

Nobody talked about it, but the long forgotten "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County" musicals turned 10 last month!

Not the commercial release (that will be june next year), but for its premiere in Atlanta.
I still wish there was a video recording of it, somehow. Seems like a shame not to have one :-(

Anyway, seems like the whole audio is available freely and legally on youtube (shared by Universal) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzF4gTTgVgc&list=OLAK5uy_kqMCTiMZgqwFp0n9qfWzSLQyFagxOZDo4&index=1

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTIdfcwaMAI5Kj5?format=jpg&name=large

I was lucky enough to see it in Boston when it toured. It was very cool, but not something that would be very commercial in my eyes. Not sure how I would have reacted if I had not been a King fan. Billy Burke and Gina Gershon were the leads.

[jreitan47]

Encountering Pennywise: Critical Perspectives on Stephen King’s IT, Edited by Whitney S. May, published by University Press of Mississippi, to be released October 2022.

https://www.upress.state.ms.us/var/site/storage/images/books/e/encountering-pennywise/image-front-cover/1447720-1-eng-CA/Image-front-cover_rb_fullcover.jpg

More info: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/E/Encountering-Pennywise

[herbertwest]

Reminds me this book I recently came acccross online, from McFarland (in 2020 (https://amzn.to/3GjIErM)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZaK5oA+6L.jpg

[CyberGhostface]

Those prices are ridiculous. $99 for a hardcover (that's not a fancy limited edition)? $24 for a Kindle ebook?

[jreitan47]

Those prices are ridiculous. $99 for a hardcover (that's not a fancy limited edition)? $24 for a Kindle ebook?

These are "scholarly" books intended for distribution to schools and libraries, not necessarily geared to the 'casual' fan or collector. Of course, there are many that still try to collect them, and often can find them at bargain prices long after publication (I have quite a few), but I think the prices also reflect a more long-term use for many readers checking them out throughout libraries.

[herbertwest]

Mc Farland's prices are not cheap, but then they are an independing academic publisher
Same with the Mississipi University Press

[herbertwest]

Fundraisers planned to benefit three area nonprofits in June


... bla bla bla....

To make up for our substantial revenue losses, we ask everyone to take a look at the very special, varied and quality auction items, including gift certificates for several golf courses, restaurants, florists, and a Patriots-Bills football game, as well as the very special Stephen King autographed novel, “Revival.”

> https://www.sunjournal.com/2022/06/07/fundraisers-planned-to-benefit-three-area-nonprofits-in-june/

[herbertwest]

"Mr Harrigan's Phone" has been announced by King (on twitter) for this fall, on Netflix !

[herbertwest]

Fan-made and non commercial Dark Tower RPG created by a fan :
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheDarkTower/comments/vz7wzw/revised_demo_of_my_final_fantasyinspired_rpg/

[mae]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/stephen-king-praises-nazi-collaborator-prank-phone-call

Renowned horror author Stephen King appeared to praise Ukrainian Nazi collaborator and Holocaust architect Stepan Bandera as "a great man" in a released prank phone call from Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus.

The comedic duo posted a video to Telegram in which King, an outspoken supporter of Ukraine on Twitter, appears to believe he is speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a wide-ranging conversation, the duo seem to get King to offer "Zelensky" a part as Pennywise, the monster clown from King's It, in a new movie. They also get him to consider writing a screenplay supporting the Azov Regiment in which Russian soldiers rape an Azov commander. At one point, the author says, "I think that Russian writers need to shut up," according to the tape.

The Zelensky impostor claimed there were no Nazis in Ukraine and dismissed the Ukrainian nationalist Bandera's "crimes against Jews" as "accidental," the tape shows. He then asked what King thought of Bandera, according to the footage.

"You can always find things about people to pull them down. Washington and Jefferson were slave owners — that doesn't mean they didn't do many good things to the United States of America. There are always people who have flaws, we are humans. On the whole, I think Bandera is a great man, and you're a great man, and Viva Ukraine!" King purportedly answered.

The tape has not been verified, and King has yet to comment on the alleged phone call and video.

Stepan Bandera was the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which played a leading part in the formation of the Ukrainian nationalist movement from the 1930s through the 1950s. He was also a Nazi collaborator and vehement antisemite who laid the groundwork for the Holocaust in Ukraine, as documented in author Grzegorz Rossolinski-Liebe's biography Stepan Bandera: The Life and Afterlife of a Ukrainian Nationalist: Fascism, Genocide, and Cult.

Some Ukrainians maintain that Bandera is an important hero who fought against occupying regimes for the freedom of Ukraine. A large statue dedicated to him stands in his home city of Lvov, and many streets in Western Ukraine are named after him.

Vovan and Lexus have earned international fame due to their pranks of high-level Western officials, including Prince Harry, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), among others, according to the Verge. In recent weeks, the duo collaborated with Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov to produce comedy skits showing a Zelensky actor, with his nose covered in a white powder, personally surrendering to the Chechen leader, according to Vice.

[mae]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-19/stephen-king-set-to-testify-in-book-publishing-antitrust-trial

Best-selling author Stephen King is slated to testify for the federal government in an antitrust suit aimed to block Penguin Random House LLC’s $2.18 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster Inc.

King is being called as a witness in federal court in Washington about his experiences as a popular author in selling anticipated top-selling books, according to court filings.

The author of horror classics including “Carrie” and “The Shining” is expected to testify specifically about publishers that successfully purchase rights to anticipated best-sellers and what effects he believes the proposed deal will have on the markets for those books, prosecutors said.

In the Justice Department’s original complaint, it argued that the acquisition would eliminate competition for authors’ publishing rights between No. 1 Penguin, owned by Bertelsmann SE, and No. 4 Simon & Schuster, owned by ViacomCBS Inc. Prosecutors claim the decreased competition will lead to lower advances for authors and fewer and a smaller variety of books for consumers.

Penguin Random House countered that the deal would result in higher incomes for authors and more choices for consumers.

The trial is set to begin Aug. 1 and last for three weeks. US District Judge Florence Pan, who was nominated to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, said she expects to issue her decision before assuming the new post.

The case is US v. Bertelsmann SE, 21-cv-02886, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

[Randall Flagg]

I wonder which hounds will show up trying to get an autograph.

[herbertwest]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/stephen-king-praises-nazi-collaborator-prank-phone-call

Renowned horror author Stephen King appeared to praise Ukrainian Nazi collaborator and Holocaust architect Stepan Bandera as "a great man" in a released prank phone call from Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus.

The comedic duo posted a video to Telegram in which King, an outspoken supporter of Ukraine on Twitter, appears to believe he is speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a wide-ranging conversation, the duo seem to get King to offer "Zelensky" a part as Pennywise, the monster clown from King's It, in a new movie. They also get him to consider writing a screenplay supporting the Azov Regiment in which Russian soldiers rape an Azov commander. At one point, the author says, "I think that Russian writers need to shut up," according to the tape.

The Zelensky impostor claimed there were no Nazis in Ukraine and dismissed the Ukrainian nationalist Bandera's "crimes against Jews" as "accidental," the tape shows. He then asked what King thought of Bandera, according to the footage.

"You can always find things about people to pull them down. Washington and Jefferson were slave owners — that doesn't mean they didn't do many good things to the United States of America. There are always people who have flaws, we are humans. On the whole, I think Bandera is a great man, and you're a great man, and Viva Ukraine!" King purportedly answered.

The tape has not been verified, and King has yet to comment on the alleged phone call and video.

Stepan Bandera was the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which played a leading part in the formation of the Ukrainian nationalist movement from the 1930s through the 1950s. He was also a Nazi collaborator and vehement antisemite who laid the groundwork for the Holocaust in Ukraine, as documented in author Grzegorz Rossolinski-Liebe's biography Stepan Bandera: The Life and Afterlife of a Ukrainian Nationalist: Fascism, Genocide, and Cult.

Some Ukrainians maintain that Bandera is an important hero who fought against occupying regimes for the freedom of Ukraine. A large statue dedicated to him stands in his home city of Lvov, and many streets in Western Ukraine are named after him.

Vovan and Lexus have earned international fame due to their pranks of high-level Western officials, including Prince Harry, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), among others, according to the Verge. In recent weeks, the duo collaborated with Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov to produce comedy skits showing a Zelensky actor, with his nose covered in a white powder, personally surrendering to the Chechen leader, according to Vice.

Sounds fake, but ok

[mae]

Sounds fake, but ok

Not sure what the ultimate source of this is and I honestly hate to give them views for this, but here it is apparently:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G7mbVusz9c

[Br!an]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/stephen-king-praises-nazi-collaborator-prank-phone-call

Renowned horror author Stephen King appeared to praise Ukrainian Nazi collaborator and Holocaust architect Stepan Bandera as "a great man" in a released prank phone call from Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus.

The comedic duo posted a video to Telegram in which King, an outspoken supporter of Ukraine on Twitter, appears to believe he is speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a wide-ranging conversation, the duo seem to get King to offer "Zelensky" a part as Pennywise, the monster clown from King's It, in a new movie. They also get him to consider writing a screenplay supporting the Azov Regiment in which Russian soldiers rape an Azov commander. At one point, the author says, "I think that Russian writers need to shut up," according to the tape.

The Zelensky impostor claimed there were no Nazis in Ukraine and dismissed the Ukrainian nationalist Bandera's "crimes against Jews" as "accidental," the tape shows. He then asked what King thought of Bandera, according to the footage.

"You can always find things about people to pull them down. Washington and Jefferson were slave owners — that doesn't mean they didn't do many good things to the United States of America. There are always people who have flaws, we are humans. On the whole, I think Bandera is a great man, and you're a great man, and Viva Ukraine!" King purportedly answered.

The tape has not been verified, and King has yet to comment on the alleged phone call and video.

Stepan Bandera was the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, which played a leading part in the formation of the Ukrainian nationalist movement from the 1930s through the 1950s. He was also a Nazi collaborator and vehement antisemite who laid the groundwork for the Holocaust in Ukraine, as documented in author Grzegorz Rossolinski-Liebe's biography Stepan Bandera: The Life and Afterlife of a Ukrainian Nationalist: Fascism, Genocide, and Cult.

Some Ukrainians maintain that Bandera is an important hero who fought against occupying regimes for the freedom of Ukraine. A large statue dedicated to him stands in his home city of Lvov, and many streets in Western Ukraine are named after him.

Vovan and Lexus have earned international fame due to their pranks of high-level Western officials, including Prince Harry, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), among others, according to the Verge. In recent weeks, the duo collaborated with Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov to produce comedy skits showing a Zelensky actor, with his nose covered in a white powder, personally surrendering to the Chechen leader, according to Vice.

Sounds fake, but ok

Did you listen to the interview? It's a Zoom or Skype call with video. Not sure how you could fake that. I suppose you could change the questions. King's answers remain King's answers.

The low point was when King said that Russian authors should shut up.

I thought it was funny when King said he'd do everything he can to support Ukraine but stopped short of the idea of sending money.

[herbertwest]

Nope, because there were no video in the links and it sounded like something of 30seconds made up and easily to fake nowadays

Now with the actual video it seem more reatlistic and gives it more contexte indeed

We however do not have the full context of the conversation and what was said to him to participate in the call. The video also seem slightly edited (eg the jump from 49secs to 50 secs), but havent listened to it entirely yet

But yeah, the video do not seem fake

[CyberGhostface]

It’s legit in that it’s two comedians (who have been accused of state actors for the Russian government elsewhere) pranked him. They generally prank people critical of Russian government and recently they’ve been pranking US celebrities who are critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They did the same thing to J.K. Rowling.

In regards to something asked elsewhere…how much money is King expected to send to Ukraine? He donates millions to charity each year so if the implication is that he’s stingy it’s not really accurate.

[RichardX]

King's arrogance is unreal. He doesn't even realize what a fool he made of himself.
His advocacy for censorship is reprehensible. And imagine if someone had condemned all things Chinese in the aftermath of the pandemic in the same way King blames Russians for the war. Does he think all Russian writers support Putin? He should be deeply ashamed. His effort to stay "hep" with his Ukrainian flag and hat is downright sad. At least get a better hat.

[CyberGhostface]

Is King blaming all Russians for the war? On the contrary, he’s said “The most disturbing thing about the Russian public's understanding of Putin's war is how little they know. He's quite successfully choked off the flow of information.” and “It's vital that the Russian people understand this is happening. It's vital to break down the wall of disinformation.”

But yes blaming the pandemic on the Chinese, stoking anti-Asian hate and using terms like “Kung flu” would be gross.

[Meldar]

Not all Russians support what is happening in Ukraine now. And Putin doesn't read King. King is read by lovers of good literature. And all these statements are very offensive to us, ordinary readers. Culture should be out of politics

[CyberGhostface]

Again, King is not indicating all Russians support Putin and has said that the public in Russia is not fully aware of what's going on.

[Meldar]

Propaganda from all sides mixes the real truth. Not everything is so clear at first glance. but banning the publication of books and shutting up Russian authors is wrong

[CyberGhostface]

What’s the real truth?

Also I think the context is important, King being pranked by two state actors and him effectively going along with the conversation. They did the same thing with Rowling and she “agreed” to replace Harry Potter’s scar with a trident.

[CyberGhostface]

So King owned up to being pranked.


Actually, turned out I WAS pranked. Had no idea who this guy Bandera was. So...I'm embarrassed. But it turns out I wasn't alone. Other victims who fell for these guys include J.K. Rowling, Prince Harry, and Justin Trudeau.

As the Buddha once said: "Shit happens."

https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1550118187840114695
https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1550118355033473025

That's more or less what I expected. The state actors pretending to be Zelensky got him to praise someone he didn't know and then pushed the narrative that King is anti-Semite.

[RichardX]

So King owned up to being pranked.


Actually, turned out I WAS pranked. Had no idea who this guy Bandera was. So...I'm embarrassed. But it turns out I wasn't alone. Other victims who fell for these guys include J.K. Rowling, Prince Harry, and Justin Trudeau.

As the Buddha once said: "Shit happens."

https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1550118187840114695
https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1550118355033473025

That's more or less what I expected. The state actors pretending to be Zelensky got him to praise someone he didn't know and then pushed the narrative that King is anti-Semite.

Then maybe he should stop pontificating on things he has no clue about. How gullible is this guy? Did he really think Zelensky wanted to star in IT as Pennywise? That is unreal. He must be a complete imbecile. The point of this prank seems to be to expose the ignorance of those who know nothing about the "cause." Mission accomplished.

[CyberGhostface]

Then maybe he should stop pontificating on things he has no clue about. How gullible is this guy? Did he really think Zelensky wanted to star in IT as Pennywise? That is unreal. He must be a complete imbecile. The point of this prank seems to be to expose the ignorance of those who know nothing about the "cause." Mission accomplished.

I get that you hate King because of his political views but these guys have pranked other celebrities and politicians. You have a strange conversation with someone, you just go with it. King clearly thought 'Zelensky' was joking about being Pennywise, he wasn't taking that comment at least seriously. He laughs and is like "yeah, ok".

Edit: Also, you don't have to be an expert on Ukraine to not support Putin or Russia's invasion. As for the prankers' intentions, maybe do a little bit of research as to who Vovan and Lexus are and where their interests align.

[mae]

Then maybe he should stop pontificating on things he has no clue about. How gullible is this guy? Did he really think Zelensky wanted to star in IT as Pennywise? That is unreal. He must be a complete imbecile. The point of this prank seems to be to expose the ignorance of those who know nothing about the "cause." Mission accomplished.

He thought this was a private conversation, who's he pontificating to? I haven't watched the whole thing but King's responses seem mostly innocuous and generic.

[RichardX]

Then maybe he should stop pontificating on things he has no clue about. How gullible is this guy? Did he really think Zelensky wanted to star in IT as Pennywise? That is unreal. He must be a complete imbecile. The point of this prank seems to be to expose the ignorance of those who know nothing about the "cause." Mission accomplished.

He thought this was a private conversation, who's he pontificating to? I haven't watched the whole thing but King's responses seem mostly innocuous and generic.

Why would King think the president of Ukraine needed to have a private conversation with him during a war? A conversation that begins with the president suggesting that he wants to play Pennywise? LOL. Not even a child is that gullible. It's a great prank that exposes King's extreme arrogance and ignorance of the subject matter. A concept that extends well beyond Ukraine. King is a mouthpiece of causes that he knows little about and couldn't care less. It's all just to a pathetic attempt of an old man to appease and stay relevant. And trying to excuse his gullibility by citing to Prince Harry and Trudeau getting pranked is rich irony. They suffer from the exact same traits - arrogance and ignorance.

[CyberGhostface]

You don't have to be an expert on Ukraine or Banderas to think that Russia invading Ukraine is bad. I get that's the purpose of the obvious state-sanctioned Russian propaganda here... "Oh, King doesn't know who Banderas is... therefore he's wrong in condemning Putin." Like what are you even expecting King to do? Do you think if King was better informed about a guy who died in 1959 he'd change his mind about Russia bombing shopping malls and shelters?

It's also pretty obvious King didn't really think Zelensky was going to play Pennywise and its disingenuous to say that he was. It's like saying Rowling was actually going to change Harry Potter's scar to the trident because she went along with it on the interview.

[CyberGhostface]

Joe Hill chimed in:


Enh, some Russian shock jocks took advantage of my Dad's good heart and played a shitty joke on him. That sucks. But the real joke is on them, because they gotta live in Russia under Putin.

https://twitter.com/joe_hill/status/1550187163119124480

[Br!an]

You don't have to be an expert on Ukraine or Banderas to think that Russia invading Ukraine is bad. I get that's the purpose of the obvious state-sanctioned Russian propaganda here... "Oh, King doesn't know who Banderas is... therefore he's wrong in condemning Putin." Like what are you even expecting King to do? Do you think if King was better informed about a guy who died in 1959 he'd change his mind about Russia bombing shopping malls and shelters?

I believe he didn't know who Banderas was. He's obviously ignorant about Ukraine.

He probably decided to support Ukraine because of his Ukrainian employee. No more thought than that. His employee is a nice person, so the he supports the Ukrainian cesspool.

Russia invading Ukraine is bad. Ukraine bombing Donbas is bad. The US fomenting a coup to overthrow the democratically elected leader of Ukraine is bad. The collective west using Ukraine as grist for the mill to wage war against Russia is bad. (The west losing that war is bad.)

No one must be an expert to have an opinion. However ignorant people might want to refrain from expressing theirs.

I think that if King was better informed about Banderas he might also be better informed about the propaganda of shopping malls, that are no longer shopping malls, being bombed.

The west will continue to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian, and continue to lose, even as their industry is destroyed and they freeze and starve.

[CyberGhostface]

Don’t you support Putin?

[Br!an]

Don’t you support Putin?

Don't you support Nazis?

[CyberGhostface]

Don’t you support Putin?

Don't you support Nazis?

Nope. Do you support Putin or not? You’re always defending him and Russia here.

[Br!an]

Don’t you support Putin?

Don't you support Nazis?

Nope. Do you support Putin or not? You’re always defending him and Russia here.

I'm not defending Putin.

I am simply aware of reality.

The west started this. The west thought they were clever. The west is fucked.

That's reality.

[mae]

The West started bombing Ukrainian cities?

[Randall Flagg]

I'll give this political debate a but of leeway. But if it devolves into endless arguing, I'll have to ask for the debate to end.

[Br!an]

The West started bombing Ukrainian cities?

Are you unaware that this is a proxy war?

Multiple main stream media have reported high level western government officials admitting it's a proxy war.

And yes western armaments have been bombing Ukrainian cities, often civilians, in case you missed that bit of info too.

[St. Troy]

It's simple:

- NATO is the aggressor by virtue of (*checks notes*) forming alliances in the vicinity of a country with a century-long habit of biting chunks out of Europe.

- The forming of alliances by NATO within 1,000 miles of the Russian border therefore justifies any and all action (military or otherwise) by Russia, and any and all resulting death, destruction, and seizure, occupation, or conquest of land.

- The West has failed to learn the most important lesson: if you don't want Russia to invade you, don't form relationships based on Russia's repeatedly demonstrated fondness for invasion (the West has been wearing a very short skirt for quite some time and was clearly asking for it).

[St. Troy]

As for King (ahem), he was trying to do right by someone he thought was in a tough spot and requires no defense. Anyone can look silly when their sympathies are taken advantage of.

[mae]

It's simple:

- NATO is the aggressor by virtue of (*checks notes*) forming alliances in the vicinity of a country with a century-long habit of biting chunks out of Europe.

- The forming of alliances by NATO within 1,000 miles of the Russian border therefore justifies any and all action (military or otherwise) by Russia, and any and all resulting death, destruction, and seizure, occupation, or conquest of land.

- The West has failed to learn the most important lesson: if you don't want Russia to invade you, don't form relationships based on Russia's repeatedly demonstrated fondness for invasion (the West has been wearing a very short skirt for quite some time and was clearly asking for it).

Russia has no right to dictate to its neighbors, be that Ukraine or Sweden, what alliances they can or cannot join. It's literally none of their business. And they especially have no right to do so by military force and annexation.

[St. Troy]

Russia has no right to dictate to its neighbors, be that Ukraine or Sweden, what alliances they can or cannot join. It's literally none of their business. And they especially have no right to do so by military force and annexation.

Somehow this is a controversial position.

[Br!an]

Of course the US is minding its own business. :nope:

https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/us-military-presence-abroad_mapbuilder.png?quality=75&strip=all&w=1600&h=899

[mae]

What territories since the end of WW2 has the US annexed?

[Br!an]

What territories since the end of WW2 has the US annexed?

Hawaii comes immediately to mind.

[Br!an]

What territories since the end of WW2 has the US annexed?

Hawaii comes immediately to mind.

And they did it illegally. Hawaii has a good case for independence.

[mae]

How does that even relate to Russia? And other countries doing bad things makes it okay for others to do bad things?

[Br!an]

I will reply in the World News thread (https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?602-World-News-comment-on-the-news-and-current-affairs.&p=1261926&viewfull=1#post1261926) since that is where most of the Ukraine conversation has been and it's off topic for this thread.

[Br!an]

What territories since the end of WW2 has the US annexed?

Hawaii comes immediately to mind.

And they did it illegally. Hawaii has a good case for independence.

Thanks for the positive rep!

[St. Troy]

…other countries doing bad things makes it okay for others to do bad things?

Yes; an imperfect West justifies all Russian actions.

[Lurker]

Hawaii was taken over in 1898/99. I know as a stamp collector their last stamp was 1899. After that they were overprints.

[Lurker]

Wait wait. I just saw that short skirt comment.

You think a woman in a short skirt is asking to be raped?

[St. Troy]

Wait wait. I just saw that short skirt comment.

You think a woman in a short skirt is asking to be raped?

“Checks notes” is normally considered a pretty clear indicator of sarcasm - is anyone taking that post seriously?

[St. Troy]

I have to say, I almost admire the originality of raising Hawaii in a discussion about Russian foreign policy.

[Br!an]

Hawaii was taken over in 1898/99. I know as a stamp collector their last stamp was 1899. After that they were overprints.

It didn't become a state until 1959 though.

Okay, a better example would be Syria. The US illegally occupies a third of Syria.

Iraq is occupied.

Hell Germany, Japan, Korea, etc. are occupied.

[RichardX]

It's simple:

- NATO is the aggressor by virtue of (*checks notes*) forming alliances in the vicinity of a country with a century-long habit of biting chunks out of Europe.

- The forming of alliances by NATO within 1,000 miles of the Russian border therefore justifies any and all action (military or otherwise) by Russia, and any and all resulting death, destruction, and seizure, occupation, or conquest of land.

- The West has failed to learn the most important lesson: if you don't want Russia to invade you, don't form relationships based on Russia's repeatedly demonstrated fondness for invasion (the West has been wearing a very short skirt for quite some time and was clearly asking for it).

Russia has no right to dictate to its neighbors, be that Ukraine or Sweden, what alliances they can or cannot join. It's literally none of their business. And they especially have no right to do so by military force and annexation.

Anyone remember when Russia sent missiles to Cuba? And the US reaction. Cuba is a sovereign country - right? I suppose the US has no right to dictate what our neighbors do. Ukraine is another "cause" for endless foreign war. The establishment politicians need a replacement after Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and many others. It's an endless repeat. Find some narrative to justify the expenditure of billions. Sell it to a gullible public. Funnel billions to military contractors. Claim it is working but we need to do just a little more. Send in military advisors etc. Creeping escalation. Make no effort to settle the conflict - only escalate. Decades later pull out with nothing accomplished and everything in ruin.

[St. Troy]

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: thank God the Russians have always been there to keep the Great Satan in check.

[Cook]

Does anybody think this thread will be returning to: "Random King-related news" anytime soon.. I think there's mention of him 3 or 4 pages back.

[St. Troy]

Does anybody think this thread will be returning to: "Random King-related news" anytime soon.. I think there's mention of him 3 or 4 pages back.

I have no King news, but as one of the offenders, I'll at least try to prime the pump:

We have Fairy Tale on the horizon, but do we have clues as to what might be next, and when?

[Cook]

Does anybody think this thread will be returning to: "Random King-related news" anytime soon.. I think there's mention of him 3 or 4 pages back.

I have no King news, but as one of the offenders, I'll at least try to prime the pump:

We have Fairy Tale on the horizon, but do we have clues as to what might be next, and when?

I was sorta hoping one of the DT.org members that spoke at the Comic-Con panel would have something for us !!

[herbertwest]

WHSmith will have the usual purple cover
> https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/fairy-tale-exclusive-special-edition/stephen-king/hardback/9781399715430.html


https://www.whsmith.co.uk/mobify/caching/assets/product-image/extra-large/9781399715430_1.jpg

[herbertwest]

Schedule for the "Stephen King rules" dollar baby festival


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FYYQ3zDUIAAlhD5?format=jpg&name=large

[St. Troy]

Looks like a fun film festival; I hope there are some goodies in that batch.

[Randall Flagg]

Does anybody think this thread will be returning to: "Random King-related news" anytime soon.. I think there's mention of him 3 or 4 pages back.

I have no King news, but as one of the offenders, I'll at least try to prime the pump:

We have Fairy Tale on the horizon, but do we have clues as to what might be next, and when?

I was sorta hoping one of the DT.org members that spoke at the Comic-Con panel would have something for us !!
We've been sworn to secrecy.

[St. Troy]

We've been sworn...

It's all about profanity with you people.

[herbertwest]

"Holly" is likely to be the next novel
I am guessing feb/march/april

Then maybe a short stories collection in september 2023? It's been awhile and there are enough I think to be collected

[St. Troy]

"Holly" is likely to be the next novel
I am guessing feb/march/april

Is it actually titled "Holly"?

[Bev Vincent]

Yes, unless it gets changed, that's what King called it.

[St. Troy]

Gotcha, thanks.

[webstar1000]

King just droppped 200 UK S/L. Fairy Tale!

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will ask a federal judge on Monday to block a $2.2 billion merger of two of the "Big Five" book publishers, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, in a trial that is expected to feature testimony from horror writer Stephen King.

https://news.yahoo.com/stephen-king-goes-bat-u-100849421.html

[RichardX]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will ask a federal judge on Monday to block a $2.2 billion merger of two of the "Big Five" book publishers, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, in a trial that is expected to feature testimony from horror writer Stephen King.

https://news.yahoo.com/stephen-king-goes-bat-u-100849421.html

Imagine King "going to bat for the government" to preserve his own large advances. What a hero. Maybe he can advocate for censorship of other writers while he is at it.

[St. Troy]

Do we know what side King is on?

[EXPLORER]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will ask a federal judge on Monday to block a $2.2 billion merger of two of the "Big Five" book publishers, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, in a trial that is expected to feature testimony from horror writer Stephen King.

https://news.yahoo.com/stephen-king-goes-bat-u-100849421.html

Imagine King "going to bat for the government" to preserve his own large advances. What a hero. Maybe he can advocate for censorship of other writers while he is at it.

Research shows that is NOT EXACTLY THE STORY> His testimony is with concern for new authors and those with less stature.;
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/08/02/stephen-king-testify-simon-schuster-penguin-random-house-merger-trial/10210565002/

[EXPLORER]

Do we know what side King is on?

KING SHOWS SUPPORT FOR SMALLER Publishers.: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2022/08/02/stephen-king-testify-simon-schuster-penguin-random-house-merger-trial/10210565002/

IT MIGHT be why HATCHETT got the FAIRY TALE Signed Limited He feels for the Small Press Publishers

[RichardX]

Do we know what side King is on?

His own according to the Yahoo article. King is supporting the government's position which is focused on protecting the advances paid to the most successful authors:

In the publisher merger trial, the government is focused not on what consumers pay for books but on advances paid to the most successful authors, especially those given $250,000 or more.

"The evidence will show that the proposed merger would likely result in authors of anticipated top-selling books receiving smaller advances, meaning authors who labor for years over their manuscripts will be paid less for their efforts," the government said in a pretrial brief.

[mae]

https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article264077286.html

Stephen King didn't break any legal ground on the stand Tuesday as he testified against his own publisher's efforts to merge with Penguin Random House. But he did know how to please a crowd and even get the judge to thank him for his time.

“It was a real pleasure to hear your testimony," the otherwise businesslike U.S. District Judge Florence J. Pan told the author after he finished speaking as a government witness in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, King's longtime publisher.

The 74-year-old King had a haunting but gregarious presence, his gaunt features accented by his gray suit and gray sneakers, his walk tentative, as it has been since he was struck by a van and badly injured in 1999. But once sworn in, he was relaxed and happy to talk, and ever alert to how to tell a story,

“My name is Stephen King. I’m a freelance writer,” King said upon being asked to identify himself. The Justice Department is bidding to convince Pan that the proposed combination of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, two of the world's biggest publishers, would thwart competition and damage the careers of some of the most popular authors — a status King holds like few others.

King's remarkable career, with so many bestsellers he could only offer an estimate, has come amid waves of consolidation in the industry. As he noted in his remarks, there were dozens of publishers in New York when his breakthrough novel, “Carrie," came out, in 1974, and he has seen many of them either acquired by larger companies or forced out of business.

Now, New York publishing is often a story of the so-called Big Five: Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishing, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. The publisher of “Carrie," Doubleday, is now part of Penguin Random House. So is another former King publisher, Viking Press.

Over the first two days, attorneys for the two sides have presented notably contrasting views of the book industry. The Justice Department sees an increasingly limited market for bestsellers, with the Big Five well in command. Penguin Random House's side sees book publishing as dynamic and open to many, with the proposed merger having limited impact.

King's appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington — highly unusual for an antitrust trial — brought a narrative of the evolution of book publishing toward the dominance of the Big Five companies. As government attorney Mel Schwarz walked King through his history starting as a new, unknown author in the 1970s and his relationships with agents and publishers, King homed in on a critique of the industry as it is now.

King crisply answered Schwarz's questions, with some moments of humor and brief flashes of gentle outrage, as he testified during the second day of the trial expected to last two to three weeks.

“The Big Five are pretty entrenched," he said.

Under questioning later in the day, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp detailed a world of fiercely competitive bidding among publishers — including between his firm and Penguin Random House — for authors’ works, sometimes besting each other by millions of dollars for high-profile writers.

With his possible future boss, Penguin Random House Markus Dohle, among those looking on in the courtroom, Karp rejected the Big Five moniker, calling it “parochial and ethnocentric.”

“I think there are a lot of good publishers all over the country. It’s not all about us,” Karp said.

As an example, he said the nearly 100-year-old Simon & Schuster has endured more aggressive competition recently from Amazon’s book publishing business.

But Justice Department attorney Jeff Vernon brought forward a message Karp had sent to John Irving, his favorite author, saying he didn’t think the government would allow Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House to merge. “That’s assuming we still have a Department of Justice,” Karp wrote in the message.

At one point, the judge appeared to support a core government argument — that greater concentration in the industry could reduce the compensation paid to authors. Through two days of testimony, Pan said, “there’s a sense that competition raises the amounts of advances” and less competition lowers them.

King's displeasure about the proposed merger led him to voluntarily testify for the government.

“I came because I think that consolidation is bad for competition," King said. The way the industry has evolved, he said, “it becomes tougher and tougher for writers to find money to live on.”

King expressed skepticism toward the two publishers’ commitment to continue to bid for books separately and competitively after a merger.

“You might as well say you're going to have a husband and wife bidding against each other for the same house," he quipped. “It would be sort of very gentlemanly and sort of, ‘After you’ and ‘After you,'" he said, gesturing with a polite sweep of the arm.

King's was entertaining and informative, although he had little specific to say over how the merger might harm bestselling authors, with the government's case focusing on those receiving advances of $250,000 or more. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli, representing the publishers, told King he had no questions for him and demurred on a cross-examination, saying instead he hoped they could have coffee together some time.

King has long been a public favorite, and spoke warmly Tuesday of “living the dream," paying all the bills while working at something he loves. But the author of “The Stand,” “The Shining" and many others wonders who else might have the chances he did. He was not chosen by the government just for his fame, but for his public criticism of the $2.2 billion deal announced in late 2021, potentially forming what rival CEO Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group has called a “gigantically prominent" entity.

“The more the publishers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers to survive," King tweeted last year.

King's affinity for smaller publishers is personal. Even while continuing to publish with the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, he has written thrillers for the independent Hard Case Crime. Years ago, the publisher asked him to contribute a blurb, but King instead offered to write a novel for them, “The Colorado Kid," released in 2005. He has also written fiction for other small companies, saying some of his work doesn't have the kind of commercial power the Big Five might expect.

King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as “the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes.

“In America, we should all have to pay our fair share," he wrote for The Daily Beast in 2012.

[RichardX]

https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article264077286.html

Stephen King didn't break any legal ground on the stand Tuesday as he testified against his own publisher's efforts to merge with Penguin Random House. But he did know how to please a crowd and even get the judge to thank him for his time.

“It was a real pleasure to hear your testimony," the otherwise businesslike U.S. District Judge Florence J. Pan told the author after he finished speaking as a government witness in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, King's longtime publisher.

The 74-year-old King had a haunting but gregarious presence, his gaunt features accented by his gray suit and gray sneakers, his walk tentative, as it has been since he was struck by a van and badly injured in 1999. But once sworn in, he was relaxed and happy to talk, and ever alert to how to tell a story,

“My name is Stephen King. I’m a freelance writer,” King said upon being asked to identify himself. The Justice Department is bidding to convince Pan that the proposed combination of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, two of the world's biggest publishers, would thwart competition and damage the careers of some of the most popular authors — a status King holds like few others.

King's remarkable career, with so many bestsellers he could only offer an estimate, has come amid waves of consolidation in the industry. As he noted in his remarks, there were dozens of publishers in New York when his breakthrough novel, “Carrie," came out, in 1974, and he has seen many of them either acquired by larger companies or forced out of business.

Now, New York publishing is often a story of the so-called Big Five: Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishing, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. The publisher of “Carrie," Doubleday, is now part of Penguin Random House. So is another former King publisher, Viking Press.

Over the first two days, attorneys for the two sides have presented notably contrasting views of the book industry. The Justice Department sees an increasingly limited market for bestsellers, with the Big Five well in command. Penguin Random House's side sees book publishing as dynamic and open to many, with the proposed merger having limited impact.

King's appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington — highly unusual for an antitrust trial — brought a narrative of the evolution of book publishing toward the dominance of the Big Five companies. As government attorney Mel Schwarz walked King through his history starting as a new, unknown author in the 1970s and his relationships with agents and publishers, King homed in on a critique of the industry as it is now.

King crisply answered Schwarz's questions, with some moments of humor and brief flashes of gentle outrage, as he testified during the second day of the trial expected to last two to three weeks.

“The Big Five are pretty entrenched," he said.

Under questioning later in the day, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp detailed a world of fiercely competitive bidding among publishers — including between his firm and Penguin Random House — for authors’ works, sometimes besting each other by millions of dollars for high-profile writers.

With his possible future boss, Penguin Random House Markus Dohle, among those looking on in the courtroom, Karp rejected the Big Five moniker, calling it “parochial and ethnocentric.”

“I think there are a lot of good publishers all over the country. It’s not all about us,” Karp said.

As an example, he said the nearly 100-year-old Simon & Schuster has endured more aggressive competition recently from Amazon’s book publishing business.

But Justice Department attorney Jeff Vernon brought forward a message Karp had sent to John Irving, his favorite author, saying he didn’t think the government would allow Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House to merge. “That’s assuming we still have a Department of Justice,” Karp wrote in the message.

At one point, the judge appeared to support a core government argument — that greater concentration in the industry could reduce the compensation paid to authors. Through two days of testimony, Pan said, “there’s a sense that competition raises the amounts of advances” and less competition lowers them.

King's displeasure about the proposed merger led him to voluntarily testify for the government.

“I came because I think that consolidation is bad for competition," King said. The way the industry has evolved, he said, “it becomes tougher and tougher for writers to find money to live on.”

King expressed skepticism toward the two publishers’ commitment to continue to bid for books separately and competitively after a merger.

“You might as well say you're going to have a husband and wife bidding against each other for the same house," he quipped. “It would be sort of very gentlemanly and sort of, ‘After you’ and ‘After you,'" he said, gesturing with a polite sweep of the arm.

King's was entertaining and informative, although he had little specific to say over how the merger might harm bestselling authors, with the government's case focusing on those receiving advances of $250,000 or more. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli, representing the publishers, told King he had no questions for him and demurred on a cross-examination, saying instead he hoped they could have coffee together some time.

King has long been a public favorite, and spoke warmly Tuesday of “living the dream," paying all the bills while working at something he loves. But the author of “The Stand,” “The Shining" and many others wonders who else might have the chances he did. He was not chosen by the government just for his fame, but for his public criticism of the $2.2 billion deal announced in late 2021, potentially forming what rival CEO Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group has called a “gigantically prominent" entity.

“The more the publishers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers to survive," King tweeted last year.

King's affinity for smaller publishers is personal. Even while continuing to publish with the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, he has written thrillers for the independent Hard Case Crime. Years ago, the publisher asked him to contribute a blurb, but King instead offered to write a novel for them, “The Colorado Kid," released in 2005. He has also written fiction for other small companies, saying some of his work doesn't have the kind of commercial power the Big Five might expect.

King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as “the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes.

“In America, we should all have to pay our fair share," he wrote for The Daily Beast in 2012.

Who writes stuff like this which is completely inaccurate?

"King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as “the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes."

The first sentence is incorrect. King would be harmed by the deal. Which is why he is testifying against it. His testimony is to promote his own monetary self-interest. As the government acknowledges, this is about protecting the big money authors. The competition between big time publishers means more money on the table for a handful of best-selling writers such as himself. The fewer such publishers, the less competition for his services.

[CyberGhostface]

Just in case you aren’t aware of this but King doesn’t need money. Plus he’s always been one to help out smaller publishers. That’s why he allows limited editions of his work and why he does work for publishers like Hard Case Crime. Like I get that you hate him but that’s not an accurate reading of him.


Maybe he can advocate for censorship of other writers while he is at it.

What censorship are you referring to? Is this “banning someone on twitter is the same as 1984” again?

[webstar1000]

https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article264077286.html

Stephen King didn't break any legal ground on the stand Tuesday as he testified against his own publisher's efforts to merge with Penguin Random House. But he did know how to please a crowd and even get the judge to thank him for his time.

“It was a real pleasure to hear your testimony," the otherwise businesslike U.S. District Judge Florence J. Pan told the author after he finished speaking as a government witness in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, King's longtime publisher.

The 74-year-old King had a haunting but gregarious presence, his gaunt features accented by his gray suit and gray sneakers, his walk tentative, as it has been since he was struck by a van and badly injured in 1999. But once sworn in, he was relaxed and happy to talk, and ever alert to how to tell a story,

“My name is Stephen King. I’m a freelance writer,” King said upon being asked to identify himself. The Justice Department is bidding to convince Pan that the proposed combination of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, two of the world's biggest publishers, would thwart competition and damage the careers of some of the most popular authors — a status King holds like few others.

King's remarkable career, with so many bestsellers he could only offer an estimate, has come amid waves of consolidation in the industry. As he noted in his remarks, there were dozens of publishers in New York when his breakthrough novel, “Carrie," came out, in 1974, and he has seen many of them either acquired by larger companies or forced out of business.

Now, New York publishing is often a story of the so-called Big Five: Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishing, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. The publisher of “Carrie," Doubleday, is now part of Penguin Random House. So is another former King publisher, Viking Press.

Over the first two days, attorneys for the two sides have presented notably contrasting views of the book industry. The Justice Department sees an increasingly limited market for bestsellers, with the Big Five well in command. Penguin Random House's side sees book publishing as dynamic and open to many, with the proposed merger having limited impact.

King's appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington — highly unusual for an antitrust trial — brought a narrative of the evolution of book publishing toward the dominance of the Big Five companies. As government attorney Mel Schwarz walked King through his history starting as a new, unknown author in the 1970s and his relationships with agents and publishers, King homed in on a critique of the industry as it is now.

King crisply answered Schwarz's questions, with some moments of humor and brief flashes of gentle outrage, as he testified during the second day of the trial expected to last two to three weeks.

“The Big Five are pretty entrenched," he said.

Under questioning later in the day, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp detailed a world of fiercely competitive bidding among publishers — including between his firm and Penguin Random House — for authors’ works, sometimes besting each other by millions of dollars for high-profile writers.

With his possible future boss, Penguin Random House Markus Dohle, among those looking on in the courtroom, Karp rejected the Big Five moniker, calling it “parochial and ethnocentric.”

“I think there are a lot of good publishers all over the country. It’s not all about us,” Karp said.

As an example, he said the nearly 100-year-old Simon & Schuster has endured more aggressive competition recently from Amazon’s book publishing business.

But Justice Department attorney Jeff Vernon brought forward a message Karp had sent to John Irving, his favorite author, saying he didn’t think the government would allow Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House to merge. “That’s assuming we still have a Department of Justice,” Karp wrote in the message.

At one point, the judge appeared to support a core government argument — that greater concentration in the industry could reduce the compensation paid to authors. Through two days of testimony, Pan said, “there’s a sense that competition raises the amounts of advances” and less competition lowers them.

King's displeasure about the proposed merger led him to voluntarily testify for the government.

“I came because I think that consolidation is bad for competition," King said. The way the industry has evolved, he said, “it becomes tougher and tougher for writers to find money to live on.”

King expressed skepticism toward the two publishers’ commitment to continue to bid for books separately and competitively after a merger.

“You might as well say you're going to have a husband and wife bidding against each other for the same house," he quipped. “It would be sort of very gentlemanly and sort of, ‘After you’ and ‘After you,'" he said, gesturing with a polite sweep of the arm.

King's was entertaining and informative, although he had little specific to say over how the merger might harm bestselling authors, with the government's case focusing on those receiving advances of $250,000 or more. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli, representing the publishers, told King he had no questions for him and demurred on a cross-examination, saying instead he hoped they could have coffee together some time.

King has long been a public favorite, and spoke warmly Tuesday of “living the dream," paying all the bills while working at something he loves. But the author of “The Stand,” “The Shining" and many others wonders who else might have the chances he did. He was not chosen by the government just for his fame, but for his public criticism of the $2.2 billion deal announced in late 2021, potentially forming what rival CEO Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group has called a “gigantically prominent" entity.

“The more the publishers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers to survive," King tweeted last year.

King's affinity for smaller publishers is personal. Even while continuing to publish with the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, he has written thrillers for the independent Hard Case Crime. Years ago, the publisher asked him to contribute a blurb, but King instead offered to write a novel for them, “The Colorado Kid," released in 2005. He has also written fiction for other small companies, saying some of his work doesn't have the kind of commercial power the Big Five might expect.

King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as “the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes.

“In America, we should all have to pay our fair share," he wrote for The Daily Beast in 2012.

Who writes stuff like this which is completely inaccurate?

"King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as “the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes."

The first sentence is incorrect. King would be harmed by the deal. Which is why he is testifying against it. His testimony is to promote his own monetary self-interest. As the government acknowledges, this is about protecting the big money authors. The competition between big time publishers means more money on the table for a handful of best-selling writers such as himself. The fewer such publishers, the less competition for his services.

Why do you hang here? You literally hate the guy... its so odd.

[sentinel]

I actually agree with webster100. You constantly re-write the facts the way you want to interpret them. If you don't like King....move on.
I don't speak for everyone here but I'm sick of you.

[St. Troy]

Well, there's King the writer (who I think we all like), and then there's King the public figure who makes statements on various public issues and current events (with which we are likely to occasionally disagree or find fault).

I might have missed the orientation, but I don't think members are required to suck King's dick in order to remain on this site (RF can let us know if this is inaccurate).

[Br!an]

You don't have to suck his dick. It wouldn't hurt you to give it a tug once and a while though. :wtf:

[Cook]

Wow.. This kinda went south pretty quick. :o

[Randall Flagg]

It sure did.
Back on track please, and forgo the insults involving sexual acts.

[RichardX]

https://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/celebrities/article264077286.html

Stephen King didn't break any legal ground on the stand Tuesday as he testified against his own publisher's efforts to merge with Penguin Random House. But he did know how to please a crowd and even get the judge to thank him for his time.

“It was a real pleasure to hear your testimony," the otherwise businesslike U.S. District Judge Florence J. Pan told the author after he finished speaking as a government witness in a federal antitrust lawsuit against the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, King's longtime publisher.

The 74-year-old King had a haunting but gregarious presence, his gaunt features accented by his gray suit and gray sneakers, his walk tentative, as it has been since he was struck by a van and badly injured in 1999. But once sworn in, he was relaxed and happy to talk, and ever alert to how to tell a story,

“My name is Stephen King. I’m a freelance writer,” King said upon being asked to identify himself. The Justice Department is bidding to convince Pan that the proposed combination of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, two of the world's biggest publishers, would thwart competition and damage the careers of some of the most popular authors — a status King holds like few others.

King's remarkable career, with so many bestsellers he could only offer an estimate, has come amid waves of consolidation in the industry. As he noted in his remarks, there were dozens of publishers in New York when his breakthrough novel, “Carrie," came out, in 1974, and he has seen many of them either acquired by larger companies or forced out of business.

Now, New York publishing is often a story of the so-called Big Five: Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishing, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan. The publisher of “Carrie," Doubleday, is now part of Penguin Random House. So is another former King publisher, Viking Press.

Over the first two days, attorneys for the two sides have presented notably contrasting views of the book industry. The Justice Department sees an increasingly limited market for bestsellers, with the Big Five well in command. Penguin Random House's side sees book publishing as dynamic and open to many, with the proposed merger having limited impact.

King's appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington — highly unusual for an antitrust trial — brought a narrative of the evolution of book publishing toward the dominance of the Big Five companies. As government attorney Mel Schwarz walked King through his history starting as a new, unknown author in the 1970s and his relationships with agents and publishers, King homed in on a critique of the industry as it is now.

King crisply answered Schwarz's questions, with some moments of humor and brief flashes of gentle outrage, as he testified during the second day of the trial expected to last two to three weeks.

“The Big Five are pretty entrenched," he said.

Under questioning later in the day, Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp detailed a world of fiercely competitive bidding among publishers — including between his firm and Penguin Random House — for authors’ works, sometimes besting each other by millions of dollars for high-profile writers.

With his possible future boss, Penguin Random House Markus Dohle, among those looking on in the courtroom, Karp rejected the Big Five moniker, calling it “parochial and ethnocentric.”

“I think there are a lot of good publishers all over the country. It’s not all about us,” Karp said.

As an example, he said the nearly 100-year-old Simon & Schuster has endured more aggressive competition recently from Amazon’s book publishing business.

But Justice Department attorney Jeff Vernon brought forward a message Karp had sent to John Irving, his favorite author, saying he didn’t think the government would allow Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House to merge. “That’s assuming we still have a Department of Justice,” Karp wrote in the message.

At one point, the judge appeared to support a core government argument — that greater concentration in the industry could reduce the compensation paid to authors. Through two days of testimony, Pan said, “there’s a sense that competition raises the amounts of advances” and less competition lowers them.

King's displeasure about the proposed merger led him to voluntarily testify for the government.

“I came because I think that consolidation is bad for competition," King said. The way the industry has evolved, he said, “it becomes tougher and tougher for writers to find money to live on.”

King expressed skepticism toward the two publishers’ commitment to continue to bid for books separately and competitively after a merger.

“You might as well say you're going to have a husband and wife bidding against each other for the same house," he quipped. “It would be sort of very gentlemanly and sort of, ‘After you’ and ‘After you,'" he said, gesturing with a polite sweep of the arm.

King's was entertaining and informative, although he had little specific to say over how the merger might harm bestselling authors, with the government's case focusing on those receiving advances of $250,000 or more. Attorney Daniel Petrocelli, representing the publishers, told King he had no questions for him and demurred on a cross-examination, saying instead he hoped they could have coffee together some time.

King has long been a public favorite, and spoke warmly Tuesday of “living the dream," paying all the bills while working at something he loves. But the author of “The Stand,” “The Shining" and many others wonders who else might have the chances he did. He was not chosen by the government just for his fame, but for his public criticism of the $2.2 billion deal announced in late 2021, potentially forming what rival CEO Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group has called a “gigantically prominent" entity.

“The more the publishers consolidate, the harder it is for indie publishers to survive," King tweeted last year.

King's affinity for smaller publishers is personal. Even while continuing to publish with the Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner, he has written thrillers for the independent Hard Case Crime. Years ago, the publisher asked him to contribute a blurb, but King instead offered to write a novel for them, “The Colorado Kid," released in 2005. He has also written fiction for other small companies, saying some of his work doesn't have the kind of commercial power the Big Five might expect.

King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as “the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes.

“In America, we should all have to pay our fair share," he wrote for The Daily Beast in 2012.

Who writes stuff like this which is completely inaccurate?

"King himself would likely benefit from the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster deal, but he has a history of favoring other priorities beyond his material well-being. He has long been a critic of tax cuts for the rich, even as “the rich" surely includes Stephen King, and has openly called for the government to raise his taxes."

The first sentence is incorrect. King would be harmed by the deal. Which is why he is testifying against it. His testimony is to promote his own monetary self-interest. As the government acknowledges, this is about protecting the big money authors. The competition between big time publishers means more money on the table for a handful of best-selling writers such as himself. The fewer such publishers, the less competition for his services.

Why do you hang here? You literally hate the guy... its so odd.

Nothing odd about it. I'm a huge fan of his books. Or at least the good ones he wrote several decades ago. Unfortunately, King has chosen to spend most of his time espousing political opinions etc. He has every right to do so. Just as it's entirely fair to respond to his opinions. Most people can make a distinction between movies and books and the individuals who produce them. They are not the same.

[RichardX]

I actually agree with webster100. You constantly re-write the facts the way you want to interpret them. If you don't like King....move on.
I don't speak for everyone here but I'm sick of you.

You are sick of me because I noted that this article is factually incorrect? And you don't even attempt to note what I misstated? This isn't even a criticism of King per se. It's a criticism of the article. I have no problem with King arguing in his own self interest. The article got his motivations completely wrong, however. That is all that I was pointing out here.

Here are the facts:

Fact: King testified on behalf of the government.
Fact: the objective of the case (as stated by the government itself) is to protect the advances of high-profile authors (those that receive $250K or more).
Fact: There are literally a handful of such authors.
Fact: King is one of the few high-profile authors.

Contrary to what was stated in the article, King is not doing this for some altruistic purpose. He is one of the few that stands to benefit.

[St. Troy]

You don't have to suck his dick. It wouldn't hurt you to give it a tug once and a while though. :wtf:

It's always good to know I'm not the only one with a sense of humor!

[St. Troy]

You don't have to suck his dick. It wouldn't hurt you to give it a tug once and a while though. :wtf:

...and I tried to give you some rep for this but apparently I must have done so some time in the last 36 months because the system prevented me from doing so...

[St. Troy]

...forgo the insults involving sexual acts.

If you might be willing to post something useful in the DT.net remembrances thread, we have a deal.

[herbertwest]

I actually agree with webster100. You constantly re-write the facts the way you want to interpret them. If you don't like King....move on.
I don't speak for everyone here but I'm sick of you.

You are sick of me because I noted that this article is factually incorrect? And you don't even attempt to note what I misstated? This isn't even a criticism of King per se. It's a criticism of the article. I have no problem with King arguing in his own self interest. The article got his motivations completely wrong, however. That is all that I was pointing out here.

Here are the facts:

Fact: King testified on behalf of the government.
Fact: the objective of the case (as stated by the government itself) is to protect the advances of high-profile authors (those that receive $250K or more).
Fact: There are literally a handful of such authors.
Fact: King is one of the few high-profile authors.

Contrary to what was stated in the article, King is not doing this for some altruistic purpose. He is one of the few that stands to benefit.

King may benefit from not seeing the merger happening, but we cannot say for sure that this is his sole motivation.
I tend to agree with someone that posted earlier saying that he doesnt need the money anymore.
He said it many times before, and I reckon it's true : he would probably continue writing even if it wasnt published.

I would argue that S&S probably needs him more than he needs them.
Doesnt mean that he testified for his own interest or for other authors interests. Could be either of them. Or could be both. I certainly have my opinion

[CyberGhostface]

Well, there's King the writer (who I think we all like), and then there's King the public figure who makes statements on various public issues and current events (with which we are likely to occasionally disagree or find fault).

I might have missed the orientation, but I don't think members are required to suck King's dick in order to remain on this site (RF can let us know if this is inaccurate).

There’s dicksucking and there’s calling repeatedly calling King a coward, a rat fink, an imbecile, a racist and other things I’m probably forgetting.

There aren’t rules or anything but if King’s existence fills you with that much bile it’s worth asking why you’re on a board about his work.

I don’t think anyone here puts King on a pedestal; I’ve been one of his harshest critics in regards to how he shit the bed with the last Dark Tower book… but if it gets to the point when you have nothing but hatred for the man… :confused:

[CyberGhostface]

IDK where this fits but Waxwork Records is releasing a vinyl of Doctor Sleep's soundtrack.

https://waxworkrecords.com/products/doctor-sleep

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Darn, that's tempting, one of the (only?) movies I liked better than the book!

BTW -- Richard Bachman made an appearance on Jeopardy Monday! His name, anyway.

[herbertwest]

Here is the teaser for sunday's Simpsons x IT episod : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7mRTmTaMUPw
And the opening (Georgie) scene : https://youtu.be/JNH4UZH8p5I

[herbertwest]

Anybody heard about the Delirium #30 magazine?

It was supposed to be released in april, and have never heard about it since
Apparently contains a rare / lost Tobe Hooper interview about the Salem's Lot miniseries (1979)


http://www.deliriummagazine.com/2022/02/delirium-30-with-master-of-horror-tobe-hooper/



http://www.deliriummagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/D30.jpg

[Br!an]

Here's the sale page. (https://www.fullmoondirect.com/Delirium-Magazine-Issue-30_p_1642.html) On sale for $7.20.

[RichardX]

Here is the teaser for sunday's Simpsons x IT episod : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7mRTmTaMUPw
And the opening (Georgie) scene : https://youtu.be/JNH4UZH8p5I

Wow was that bad. I suppose as a homage to King it worked but as comedy it was dull stuff. One funny line "Kid murder is a kid problem."

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I haven't watched The Simpsons since they stopped releasing them on DVD.
The few times I've seen parts of the show switching channels recently I hardly recognized it.
I guess this makes me old-fashioned or out of the loop or whatever. Comcast has been available here for about a year now, I suppose one day I should 'Hook up and catch up'!

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

It wasn't meant to be a comedy. It's a "Treehouse of Horror Production" of one of the greatest horror stories of the 20th century.

https://static.simpsonswiki.com/images/thumb/1/19/Not_It_poster.png/617px-Not_It_poster.png

[CyberGhostface]

A scene was written for a Stephen King cameo (for the Simpsons episode) but he turned it down.

https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/1584340636987113472

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I always liked the Treehouse of Horror shows, with or without King.
I need to re-watch my Simpsons DVDs!

[CyberGhostface]

They did another 'It' parody in the comics which IMO was funnier.

https://abload.de/img/stevb7cka.jpg

[georgiesarm]

A scene was written for a Stephen King cameo (for the Simpsons episode) but he turned it down.

https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/1584340636987113472

And yet he said yes to doing a cameo on Duncanville

[RichardX]

It wasn't meant to be a comedy.

They succeeded in that regard.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

I f anyone needs some mugs:

https://wbshop.com/products/it-chapter-two-white-mug-1?utm_source=Engaged%20Openers%20Segment%20-%206%20months&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Happy%20Halloween%20%2801GGQ56VHS61YQ HGDDXYEVSJ7X%29&utm_content=Image%20of%20IT%20Chapter%20Two%20Whit e%20Mug&_kx=nHdpVbdLKlvJd8FN6TLI_JPmqlxYTirkUR2ksGMJgxE%3D .UVEExh

[herbertwest]

"Adapting Stephen King - volume 2", about "Night Shift" will be released early december !

I read the first volume and thought it was interesting !
> More details on amz (https://amzn.to/3EpaeEu)



https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51oQBaVZ6YL.jpg

[Bev Vincent]

The first volume was really good.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

After Svengoolie ran 'X' (AKA The Man With the X-Ray Eyes), which they managed to squeeze in between the same dumb-ass commercials they run every time, he mentioned after the movie there is a rumor that Stephen King may have added an extra line of dialog right after Ray Milland's character gouges his eyes out. Another rumor says the line was considered at the time for the movie and then dropped.

King's idea was AFTER the movie was made, I must clarify, he had nothing to do with the production, according to the rumor!

[CyberGhostface]

What happened was King wrote the following in Danse Macabre.


But I have heard rumors—they may or may not be true—that the final line of dialogue was cut from the film as too horrifying. If true, it was the only possible capper for what has already happened. According to the rumor, Milland screams: I can still see!

Then Roger Corman responded years later saying it wasn’t true but it would have made the film better.

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

What happened was King wrote the following in Danse Macabre.


But I have heard rumors—they may or may not be true—that the final line of dialogue was cut from the film as too horrifying. If true, it was the only possible capper for what has already happened. According to the rumor, Milland screams: I can still see!

Then Roger Corman responded years later saying it wasn’t true but it would have made the film better.

Aha!
Now I see the true story!
Thanks.

[Br!an]

What happened was King wrote the following in Danse Macabre.


But I have heard rumors—they may or may not be true—that the final line of dialogue was cut from the film as too horrifying. If true, it was the only possible capper for what has already happened. According to the rumor, Milland screams: I can still see!

Then Roger Corman responded years later saying it wasn’t true but it would have made the film better.

Aha!
Now I see the true story!
Thanks.

Eye see. Missed it by that much.

[herbertwest]

"Fairy Tale" and "Gwendy's Final Task" are both nominated to the Goodreads Choice Awards!
> https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2022?ref=gca2022opening_eb

"Fairy Tale" is #4 at the top 10 books of the year, according to the Amazon Editors
> https://www.amazon.com/amazonbookreview/read/B0BLJ5T2K1?

[mae]

https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/penguin-random-house-scraps-22-bln-deal-merge-with-simon-schuster-2022-11-21/

Penguin Random House, the world's largest book publisher, and smaller U.S. rival Simon & Schuster have scrapped a $2.2 billion deal to merge, Penguin owner Bertelsmann (BTGGg.F) announced on Monday.

Bertelsmann, a German media group which owns Penguin, initially said it would appeal a U.S. judge's decision that said its purchase of Simon & Schuster would be illegal because it would hit authors' pay.

But Bertelsmann said in a statement that it "will advance the growth of its global book publishing business without the previously planned merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster."

Reuters reported on Sunday that the German company was unable to convince Paramount Global (PARA.O), Simon & Schuster's owner, to extend their deal agreement and appeal the judge's decision.

The U.S. Justice Department "is pleased that Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster have opted not to appeal," Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter said in a statement.

Judge Florence Pan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on Oct. 31 that the Justice Department had shown the deal could substantially lessen competition "in the market for the U.S. publishing rights to anticipated top-selling books."

With the deal's dissolution, Penguin will pay a $200 million termination fee to Paramount.

Paramount said on Monday that Simon & Schuster was a "non-core asset" to Paramount. "It is not video-based and therefore does not fit strategically within Paramount's broader portfolio," the company said in a filing on the deal's termination.

Unlike most merger fights, which focus on what consumers pay, the Biden administration argued the deal should be stopped because it would lead to less competition for blockbuster books and lower advances for authors who earn $250,000 or more.

Penguin writers include cookbook author Ina Garten and novelists Zadie Smith and Danielle Steele, while Simon & Schuster publishes Stephen King, Jennifer Weiner and Hillary Rodham Clinton, among others.

The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the deal in November 2021.

In hearings held in August, the government argued that the largest five publishers control 90% of the market, and a combined Penguin and Simon & Schuster would control nearly half of the market for publishing rights to blockbuster books, while its nearest competitors would be less than half its size.

The top five publishers are Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster and Hachette, with Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) also in the market. HarperCollins is owned by News Corp (NWSA.O).

[herbertwest]

They didnt really have any choice with the antitrust

[St. Troy]

I thought the Simpsons It was great, and too bad King declined the cameo (it read fine to me).

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

https://news.yahoo.com/best-selling-writers-rally-around-202900276.html?ncid=twitter_yahoomaint_db4axuscm0k

[Bev Vincent]

The author has seen a significant bump in sales (hundreds of copies in a couple of days) and interest from international publishers!

[jreitan47]

New mass market paperback releases for 2023:

June 27, 2023
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41qPrEOzqJL._SX273_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/Billy-Summers-Stephen-King/dp/1668010127/ref=sr_1_6?crid=GOMMCD4PQREM&keywords=stephen+king&qid=1671215995&sprefix=stephen+king%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-6

May 23, 2023
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41VLJz-ChwL._SX273_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/Bag-Bones-Novel-Stephen-King/dp/166801808X/ref=sr_1_7?crid=GOMMCD4PQREM&keywords=stephen+king&qid=1671215995&sprefix=stephen+king%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-7

March 28, 2023
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bNvBTDk8L._SX273_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/Christine-Stephen-King/dp/1668018071/ref=sr_1_13?crid=GOMMCD4PQREM&keywords=stephen+king&qid=1671215995&sprefix=stephen+king%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-13

[Brian861]

I wonder if those anniversary editions will be 1st printings or reprints.

[herbertwest]

Gallery 13 will release the whole Dark Tower graphic novel series as 3 giant omnibus volumes !

1) Beginnings, in september (https://amzn.to/3k7p5MC)

2) The Gungslinger, in october (https://amzn.to/3IwcOus)

3) The Drawing of the Three, in november (https://amzn.to/3Z2viZ7)



https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513ugrbJaGL.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KY8UxPjfL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/417rZXnwAmL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

[Ari_Racing]

There's a new Christine 40th anniversary edition released by Scribner.

As far as I saw, it doesn't have anything different from other editions than the cover:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Christine/Stephen-King/9781668018071

[herbertwest]

They've been releasing a few of "anniversary" editions those past couple of years or so.
Check here : EOTD, Dolores, Running Man and Christine indeed :

https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Stephen-King/1666839

[herbertwest]

New limited edition of CARRIE by Hodder, the uk publisher

https://specialeditionbooks.co.uk/products/carrie-the-constant-reader-edition

[herbertwest]

In theory, the "Carrie" Constant Reader Edition is supposed to ship mid-august
https://specialeditionbooks.co.uk/products/carrie

[jreitan47]

A tad late on this one, but did anyone pick one up?

Stephen King's Thinner: The Original Screenplay Paperback – January 10, 2023
by Tom Holland (Author) & Michael McDowell (Author)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jvSf+oKkL._SY466_.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Kings-Thinner-Original-Screenplay/dp/195920582X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1695739462&sr=8-7

[St. Troy]

Seems like a low-demand item.

[CyberGhostface]

Interesting that Michael McDowell helped write the screenplay, I didn't know that.

[Elliot HP Spencer]

I apologize if this is the wrong thread to post this in but I thought people might be interested in reading this article about the sad fate of this Stephen King collector and his sizable collection. It also shows how slimy people can be.

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/09/the-stolen-treasures-of-james-strand-steve-duin-column.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

[herbertwest]

A tad late on this one, but did anyone pick one up?

Stephen King's Thinner: The Original Screenplay Paperback – January 10, 2023
by Tom Holland (Author) & Michael McDowell (Author)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jvSf+oKkL._SY466_.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Kings-Thinner-Original-Screenplay/dp/195920582X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1695739462&sr=8-7

There is also The Langoliers screenplay on amazon (https://amzn.to/457SkQH)


https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81HDZ6s0y+L._SY425_.jpg

[WeDealInLead]

I apologize if this is the wrong thread to post this in but I thought people might be interested in reading this article about the sad fate of this Stephen King collector and his sizable collection. It also shows how slimy people can be.

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/09/the-stolen-treasures-of-james-strand-steve-duin-column.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

A name familiar to most of the TDT members is mentioned in the article.

[mikeC]

I apologize if this is the wrong thread to post this in but I thought people might be interested in reading this article about the sad fate of this Stephen King collector and his sizable collection. It also shows how slimy people can be.

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/09/the-stolen-treasures-of-james-strand-steve-duin-column.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Interesting article, thanks for posting. I hope they catch the bad guys and get the books returned.

[Ben Mears]

I apologize if this is the wrong thread to post this in but I thought people might be interested in reading this article about the sad fate of this Stephen King collector and his sizable collection. It also shows how slimy people can be.

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/09/the-stolen-treasures-of-james-strand-steve-duin-column.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

An unfortunate situation and a noble gesture from a forum member.

[webstar1000]

I apologize if this is the wrong thread to post this in but I thought people might be interested in reading this article about the sad fate of this Stephen King collector and his sizable collection. It also shows how slimy people can be.

https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2023/09/the-stolen-treasures-of-james-strand-steve-duin-column.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

An unfortunate situation and a noble gesture from a forum member.

Ralph is a great guy but sadly has not been a forum member for like 5 years or more.

[jreitan47]

Tim Underwood (1948-2023)

Publisher and author Tim Underwood, 75, died October 11, 2023 in hospice.

Tim Edward Underwood was born January 12, 1948 in Sault Ste Marie MI. Underwood co-founded small press Underwood Miller in 1976 with Chuck Miller; their first book was a hardcover of The Dying Earth by Jack Vance that same year. They went on to publish works by Philip K. Dick, Robert E. Howard, Robert Silverberg, Roger Zelazny, and more, plus art books on Hannes Bok, Virgil Finlay, and other creators, until closing in 1994.

In 1994, Underwood launched his own Underwood Books, specializing in art books. He published 20 volumes of the annual Spectrum anthology, along with books featuring artwork by Frank Frazetta, Donato Giancola, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Ilene Meyer, John Jude Palencar, Gahan Wilson, and others, along with occasional fiction and non-fiction works by authors including Dick, Ellison, and Silverberg.

Underwood was an expert on the work of Jack Vance, and created bibliographies Fantasy and Science Fiction by Jack Vance (1977, with Chuck Miller), Fantasms: A Bibliography of the Literature of Jack Vance (1978, Daniel J.H. Levack), and Fantasms II: A Bibliography of the Works of Jack Vance (1979, with Levack & Kurt Cockrum). With Miller, he wrote Jack Vance (1980), part of the Writers in the 21st Century series. He and Miller also edited numerous books on Stephen King, including Fear Itself: The Horror Fiction of Stephen King (1982), Kingdom of Fear: The World of Stephen King (1986), Bare Bones: Conversations on Terror with Stephen King (1988), and Feast of Fear: Conversations with Stephen King (1992). Working alone, he published Stephen Kings Spills the Beans (2008), Savage Art: 20th Century Genre and the Artists that Defined It (2010), and Shameless Art: Paintings of Dames, Dolls, Pin-ups, and Bad Girls (2010).

For more see his entry in the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction.

[Ari_Racing]

RIP.

[mae]

https://variety.com/2024/theater/news/the-shawshank-redemption-stage-adaptation-china-1235865940/

Once banned in China, Stephen King’s “The Shawshank Redemption” had its much-anticipated debut as a stage play in the country’s tech capital Shenzhen on Jan. 4. Adding to its unusual status, the play is performed in Chinese by a cast of Western actors who are based in the Middle Kingdom.

Based on King’s novella “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” the 1994 Frank Darabont-directed film adaptation “The Shawshank Redemption,” starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, became one of the most iconic and enduring movies for millions of viewers around the world. Thirty years later, it still regularly appears on lists of most popular films. Complete with corrupt prison officers and a cunning jail break, the story closely observes a friendship and the fears of inmates who are being held in the Shawshank State Penitentiary, a maximum-security prison.

The picture has had a bumpy history in China. While the original was made at a time when China had few modern cinemas and was importing minimal numbers of Hollywood films, it was later given prominence and played as the closing title of the 2005 edition of the Shanghai International Film Festival. But, following the real-world escape from house arrest by blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng and the U.S.-China diplomatic incident that followed, online searches for “Shawshank” were blocked on the Chinese internet and social media in 2012. The film’s anti-authoritarian leanings may also have fed into the temporary ban.

The new stage adaptation aims to move beyond that and portray a message of hope and endurance. It is directed by well-known actor and film director Zhang Guoli (“Back to 1942,” “The 601st Phone Call”).

The narrator, Red, is played by Mark Rowswell, a Canadian who is better known by his Chinese name Da Shan. Beijing-born, U.S. actor Andy Friend (aka An Di), whose credits include Chinese blockbusters “The Wandering Earth” and “The Battle at Lake Changjin,” plays the corrupt warden Greg Stammas. Two other villainous antagonists Rooster and Hadley are portrayed by Shawn Patrick Moore and Matt William Knowles (“Asura,” “Son of the South”), respectively, while Australia’s James Clarke plays the hero Andy.

Zhang says he has translated the story’s western narrative into a unique cultural context for China. He is promising to deliver a linguistic evolution of the story with nuances from the two cultures.

“The play was translated from the English version and then adjusted using ideas from Stephen King’s novella as well as ideas from the film,” Knowles told Variety. “While play is still set in Maine, the characters all speak fluent Chinese and there is a blend of Chinese cultural ideas and phrases throughout to localize it for the Chinese audience.”

Zhang and Robbins previously worked together on 2011 Chinese epic film “Back to 1942” and the pair have since maintained a dialog, with Zhang keeping Robbins informed of preparations for the stage show. “When the producer first asked me to direct this play, you were the first person I thought of. As you may know, the film ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ is the most beloved movie for Chinese audiences. Your character Andy brings hope and inspiration. For this production, we have assembled a cast of actors from 7 countries, performing in Chinese on stage for the first time. We plan to tour 20 cities next year. I hope this classic work will continue to shine brightly on the Chinese stage, bringing hope and strength to the people,” Zhang said in a letter.

There have been previous stage adaptations. In 2009, Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns were behind a version that premiered in Dublin. It later went on to London, New York’s Broadway and elsewhere.

The Chinese show is co-produced by the China Dream Live Entertainment and Longma Entertainment. “The Shawshank Redemption” will run in Shenzhen from Jan. 12-14, before touring to Shanghai (Jan. 18-21) and Beijing (Jan. 25-28).

[ur2ndbiggestfan]

Not for me, but someone here may want one (or half a dozen):

https://www.sideshow.com/collectibles/it-pennywise-sideshow-collectibles-100479?xnpe_tifc=OInDxFHjbuYXbIoZbdbphyp.EM4ladJsV siWhFWLRkUWa.1XxF1XrFLNOf4LOkbJ4F1l4IVp4FHT&utm_source=bloomreach&utm_campaign=TM_100479_Pennywise&utm_medium=email

[WeDealInLead]

Looks like Pennywise has been getting his three meals a day.

[CyberGhostface]

https://bloody-disgusting.com/books/3803617/exclusive-stephen-king-to-feature-in-stephen-graham-jones-audiobook-for-the-angel-of-indian-lake/

Fans of Stephen Graham Jones‘ Indian Lake Trilogy will have something special with the upcoming final instalment’s audiobook. Set to be released on March 26, Simon & Schuster Audio has announced that The Angel of Indian Lake will have the legendary Stephen King as a featured voice.

[CyberGhostface]

Newly discovered fossil of giant turtle is named after Stephen King novel character

Peltocephalus maturin is between 40,000 and 9,000 years old and comes from the Brazilian Amazon. With a shell length of about 180 centimeters, the species is one of the largest known freshwater turtles in the world. The armored reptile was named after the giant turtle "Maturin," a fictional character created by best-selling author Stephen King.

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-newly-fossil-giant-turtle-stephen.html

[RichardX]

Newly discovered fossil of giant turtle is named after Stephen King novel character

Peltocephalus maturin is between 40,000 and 9,000 years old and comes from the Brazilian Amazon. With a shell length of about 180 centimeters, the species is one of the largest known freshwater turtles in the world. The armored reptile was named after the giant turtle "Maturin," a fictional character created by best-selling author Stephen King.

https://phys.org/news/2024-03-newly-fossil-giant-turtle-stephen.html

Or Patrick O'Brian?

[CyberGhostface]

O’Brian’s Maturin wasn’t a turtle.

[herbertwest]

Anybody listened to the "The Angel of Indian Lake" (from Stephen Graham Jones) audiobook?
It's supposed to be partially read by King... curious to know how much he contributes to the audiobook

https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Indian-Lake-Trilogy-Book/dp/B0CMDGGJJT/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0

[herbertwest]

Here is a new "essay" by King about Carrie :

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/04/18/t-magazine/stephen-king-tracy-chapman-chloe-sevigny-debut.html

[CyberGhostface]

Anybody listened to the "The Angel of Indian Lake" (from Stephen Graham Jones) audiobook?
It's supposed to be partially read by King... curious to know how much he contributes to the audiobook

https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Indian-Lake-Trilogy-Book/dp/B0CMDGGJJT/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0

I heard it’s just one chapter.

[Ari_Racing]

I didn't want to buy it just to check it. Still trying to find a trial period in one audiobook service. Audible I already used so gotta find another.