SyFy Looks Through The Eyes of the Dragon

Explore the Worlds of the Dark Tower

In honor of this week’s release of “The Wind Through the Keyhole,” the eighth novel in King’s ‘Dark Tower’ series, I thought it would be appropriate to provide some information about a valuable resource in finding your way around the worlds associated with the series.  Robin Furth, King’s personal research assistant for the ‘Dark Tower’ series, published an encyclopedia of knowledge about the ‘Dark Tower’ series, entitled ‘Stephen King’s The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance.”  

Furth provides the reader with information that will help understand the characters, worlds, plots, and even the language in the Dark Tower series.  She identifies all of the characters in the stories, and provides a genealogical tree for the main characters.  She also provides maps of the three worlds in the series.  These worlds are identified by King as the “In-World, Mid-World and End-World.” These maps will help the reader to know exactly where the characters are at any point in a story, which is very helpful when reading the books. 

Furth also describes other elements of the series that enhances the reader’s experience.  She identifies the languages used including “High Speech, Low Speech and Mid-World Argot.” Furth includes dialects from the “Mid-World” used by certain characters.  Not only does Furth help readers understand the language, she also includes rhymes, prayers and songs that originated in the “Mid-World.”

In addition to the languages and maps, Furth’s reference book explains some of the mysterious elements of the series.  She provides a history of Roland’s Ka-tet, an important concept that appears in several of King's novels.  She also identifies political and cultural references that are made in the series. Her book contains much more information about the ‘Dark Tower’ series.   

The first edition of this resource book was published in 2006.  Furth revised it in a 2010 edition.  This reference source will be revised once again to include the latest information from the continuing series that has spanned for more than thirty years.  The latest revision of this book will be available in November 2012. 

Derry, Maine: A Town of Unspeakable Evil (Pt. 3)

Derry, Maine: A Town of Unspeakable Evil

Part 3 – Dreamcatcher and 11/22/63

This is the final installment about the small town of Derry.

In 2001, Derry was once again the scene of a series of horrific events.  A group of four friends decided to take a hunting trip to the woods, which was an annual outing for them. Gary “Jonesy” Jones, an associate professor of history at John Jay College in Boston, was still recovering from a severe injury that he received after being struck by a car.  Henry Devlin, a psychiatrist, had been suffering from depression and was even contemplating suicide. Joe “Beaver” Clarendon, a carpenter, was an alcoholic who had few friends other than his childhood buddies. Pete Moore, a car salesman, considered “hunting a hobby, beer a religion.”

The four men had grown up together in Derry and had shared many adventures running the streets and playing in the Barrens. As children, the four friends had helped Douglas “Duddits” Cavell, a boy with Down Syndrome, when a bully was beating tormenting him. As a result, Duddits had become the fifth member of their little gang.  The five of them had been involved in the rescue of a missing girl who had fallen in a well. They remained friends for the rest of their lives.

After arriving at their cabin, known as Hole in the Wall, a mysterious hunter named Richard McCarthy visited Jonesy while the others were out getting supplies. McCarthy was suffering from some unknown illness.  Devlin and Moore discovered a female hunter on the road as they were heading back to Hole in the Wall.  The woman also appeared to be suffering from some sort of illness.

After a series of events, the four men discovered that the military had quarantined the area surrounding Derry due to the crash of an alien spacecraft. The military personnel conducted a search for an escaped alien. The area was also infested with a virus codenamed ‘The Ripley Virus’ by the military.

The friends became locked in a battle for survival against the invading alien beings, the widespread virus and the military.  In order to survive, they called upon their childhood friend Duddits to help recapture a psychic connection that they five of them once shared. (To read the full adventures of these childhood friends, see Dreamcatcher, 2001)

Stephen King wrote Dreamcatcher while recovering from injuries that he received after he was struck by a van while jogging. In 2003, it was adapted to film by veteran screenwriter William Goldman who also wrote the screenplays for Misery, Hearts in Atlantis and Dolores Claiborne (uncredited).

In 2011, Derry returned to the center of activity for the adventures of Jake Epping aka George Amberson.  Epping, a high school English teacher, discovered a unique feature in the town of Derry – a “bubble” that allowed a person with enough courage to step back in time.  Epping was not the first to discover it.  In fact, he was shown the time-warping“bubble” by local restaurant owner Al Templeton. 

After the encouragement of Templeton, Epping walked into the past with a mission at hand.  He then set out on a multiple-layered adventure that leads him into a destined meeting with historical figures and events in American history.  In 1958 Derry, Epping made the acquaintance of several residents previously discussed including Richie Tozier and Beverly Marsh.

 In Epping’s adventures in the “Land of Ago,” he traveled from Maine to Florida, and then through Alabama to Texas. He discovered that every action made in the past leads to a consequence in the future.  This phenomenon, known as “the Butterfly Effect, was first identified in the writings of Ray Bradbury.  Epping learned that the past will fight to protect the future; a lesson hard learned. (To read the full adventures of Jake Epping, see 11/22/63, 2011)

NOTE: Since 11/22/63 was recently released, I intentionally gave vague descriptions about it in this article. 

Stephen King wrote 11/22/63 between January 2009 and December 2010.  King visited many, if not all, of the places discussed in the book including the locations in Dallas associated with the Kennedy Assassination.  He states in the "Afterword" that he first started this book in 1972, but decided to put it on hold until a later time. Thankfully, King returned to this idea and completed it.

Only time will tell what the future holds for Derry!

Stephen King: The Humanitarian

As it states in the introduction, this site is dedicated to the work of Stephen King. So I wanted to write an article on the other works of King, his humanitarian work.  Here are the organizations and foundations that Stephen King has created to make our world a better place for all:

The Haven Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization making grants to freelance writers and artists experiencing career-threatening illness, accident, natural disaster or other emergency or personal catastrophe.

The Barking Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation that provides grants for accredited post-secondary education of meritorious State of Maine residents, based on their demonstrated financial need.

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation is a private non-profit organization that promotes strengthening and supporting communities and draws upon the values & spirituality of the founders. The Foundation has a special interest in organizations & people.

The "Dollar Baby" Program was created by Stephen King to allow some of his work to be adapted to film by student filmmakers. The program was designed by King to promote film production education. 

Mr. King, thanks for all of your work as an author and a humanitarian.

(Information for the above foundations and programs from The Official Stephen King Website. These sites will also be added to the "Links" page.)

'Life Between Frames' Article

The producers of the 'Life Between Frames' site have visited The King of Castle Rock and have given high praise of it. They asked me to write a film appreciation article on one of Stephen King's works. I chose one of my all-time favorites - the 1990 television miniseries adaptation of "IT." 

To see the article that I contributed to their site, follow the link provided here: Pennywise: Haunting Viewers Since 1990

Thanks to Jay Burleson and all those great people at Life Between Frames.

Recognition of a Hometown Supporter

This blog site is dedicated to the work of Stephen King, as you all know. However, I want to take a moment to recognize a local blog site from my hometown area that has supported the King of Castle Rock (TKOCR) site in many different ways. Shoalanda Speaks is a locally-operated blog from my hometown area of the Shoals in Alabama.  Though I do not personally know the kind folks at Shoalanda Speaks, I could not ask for a greater supporter of this project than they have been.

Shoalanda Speaks is a blog that discusses local news, issues and topics of interest to people in northwest Alabama. They are also strong supporters of the arts in our area including local writers.  After the producers at Sholanda Speaks visited TKOCR site, they wrote a wonderful review about it.  They also wrote a great article about myself discussing my writing and past video projects. Then, after the release of the promo video, they posted it to their site to allow their visitors to see it.  They have linked TKOCR site on their page as well. As a result of their unsolicited promotions, many of their followers are regular visitors to TKOCR and have watched the promo. Their kindness has not only brought readers to this site, but has also brought attention to my work.

To all the followers of Shoalanda Speaks that are visiting TKOCR - Welcome! To the producers of their site: Thank you for supporting our site, spreading the word about our exploration of Stephen King's world and for your recognition of my work. Your kindness will never be forgotten.  TB


Here is a link to their site if you would like to visit it:  Sholanda Speaks

More Tips on Writing from Stephen King

More Tips on Writing from Stephen King

Creating a Toolbox

Being a good writer is more than just being able to tell a good story. It requires the creation of words to develop sentences, which connect together to create paragraphs. Of course, anyone who has made it through elementary school understands this concept.  From the earliest of our reading and writing classes, we learned that a sentence consist of a subject and a verb that shows action or a state of being.  Remember, “See Spot run?” However, a writer must be able to do much more. They have to develop tools for their trade like any other profession. 

In On Writing, Stephen King uses an analogy to demonstrate how a writer is similar to a carpenter, which is an excellent comparison. A carpenter works with wood and tools to create a product. A writer works with tools of their own trade to do the same. Writing really is the building of a work, which upon its completion stands alone like the carpenter’s bookshelf. Like a carpenter, a writer also must make use of the various tools in their process. By collecting these different tools, a writer is able to assemble a toolbox that will contribute to every project that they create. King wrote:

 I want to suggest that to write to your best abilities, it behooves you to construct your own toolbox and then build up enough muscle so you can carry it with you. Then, instead of looking at a hard job and getting discouraged, you will perhaps seize the correct tool and get immediately to work (114).

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, the majority of the tools that a writer needs are things that was learned at a young age.  However, some of the things that we learn or do repeatedly becomes systematic and requires minimal focus of our attention.  Take tying shoes as an example.  It is something that people do every day without a passing thought.  It is, as some say, going through the motions.  Nevertheless, as a child, that process requires greater concentration.  Writing is the same type of thing.  King recommends the following when assembling your toolbox:

You’ll find you have most of the tools you need already, but I advise you to look at each one again as you load it into your box. Try to see each one new, remind yourself of its function, and if some are rusty (as they may be if you haven’t done this seriously in awhile), clean them off.

So what are the tools that should be included in a writer’s toolbox?  They are actually the things that one might expect a writer to use.  The three basic tools of a writer are vocabulary, grammar and style.  The various ways that these three components are mixed and arranged are as unique as the fingerprints of the writer.  No two writers will use the exact combination of these elements in their work.  When these elements are used in an efficient and captivating way, the result is true art composed by an artisan, such as Stephen King.

(The three basic tools listed above will be discussed in greater detail in future articles.)



Derry: A Town of Unspeakable Evil, Part 2

Derry, Maine: A Town of Unspeakable Evil

Part 2 – 1958 to 1998

In the first installment of this profile of Derry, I discussed the town, its history, and a few of its famous residents. Now I will discuss events that have been documented in King’s stories. Derry plays a significant role in the world that King has built. Due to the number of stories that take place in Derry, this will be a three-part series.

 

One event that must be discussed covers a time span from 1958 to 1985.  In 1958, children in Derry were disappearing or being killed at an alarming rate.  One of these victims was Georgie Denbrough who was killed while playing with a paper boat that his brother Bill made for him. Bill Denbrough and six of his friends created a club called “the Losers Club” while playing in the Barrens where they spent their childhood afternoons building a dam in the creek that flows through it.  The boys become convinced, due to things that they saw and experienced, that an evil murderer was stalking their hometown.  In 1958, they track the “murderer” into the sewers to exact revenge and stop the murders.  They believed that they were the only ones who could stop the murderer.



The Losers Club



In 1985, children started to disappear and be murdered again; This was also the same year of the Great Flood in Derry, which did damaged the city extensively and cost millions to repair. Mike Hanlon, the city librarian and a member of the Losers Club, contacted all of his childhood friends about the recent activity. They had made a promise as children to return if the murders started again.  Six of the seven members returned to Derry and faced the child-killing monster again.  In the course of their stay in Derry, Mike Hanlon was stabbed and one of their friends was killed. (For more about these events, see IT, 1986)

IT was inspired by the classic Norwegian fairy tale “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” according to The Complete Stephen King Universe.

In 1994, Derry resident Ralph Roberts begins a descent into a type of madness created by insomnia and the loss of his first wife, Carolyn.  Ralph, who is a senior citizen, begins to see strange people-like beings that he calls “the little bald doctors.”  Ralph develops a sixth sense that allows him to see the auras of people around him.  One of the hardest things about Ralph’s newly developed abilities is the way that he can see death hanging over someone’s head.  Ralph described it as being able to see a “black balloon” over their heads.  This is not a pleasant gift to have in the town of Derry because death is a daily occurrence.

Ralph Roberts also develops the ability to know evil when he sees it.  Ralph decides that he must take action when he learns that his neighbor, Ed Deepneau, is planning an assault on the Derry Civic Center where Susan Day, a pro-choice activist, is speaking.  A mysterious force known as the Crimson King is manipulating Deepneau’s thoughts and wants the man to kill a child named Patrick Danville, who has an important place in history.  (To read about Ralph Robert’s life, see Insomnia, 1994).

To promote the release of Insomnia, Stephen King made a ten-stop tour of independent bookstores across the United States on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This trip helped inspire two novels, Desperation and The Regulators, which were released in 1996.

In 1998, Mike Noonan, a best-selling novelist who calls Derry home, finds his life changed in a significant way.  Noonan’s wife, Jo, dies from an aneurysm that occurs when she is expecting their first child.  Noonan becomes emotionally distraught and finds it difficult to pen another story.  He decides to leave Derry for a while and stay at their summer home at Dark Score Lake.  The home is called “Sara Laughs.”  The author believes that the writer’s block may be broken by staying at his summer home.




Mike Noonan (portrayed by Pierce Brosnan)



While staying near Dark Score Lake, Noonan becomes involved in a couple of different events.  He rescues a child from the street and then finds himself in the middle of a custody battle between the child’s mother, Mattie Devore, and her father-in-law, millionaire Max Devore. Noonan also begins receiving messages in various ways from spirits, one of which he believes to be his deceased wife. He also starts to investigate the possibility that his wife had an affair prior to her death.  The truth was much darker.  His wife had been investigating the rape and murder of a Jazz singer named Sara Tidwell that occurred nearly a century earlier. (Mike Noonan’s story can be found in Stephen King’s Bag of Bones, 1998)

Bag of Bones was adapted for television in 2011 and aired on A&E.  Stephen King read the audio version of this novel.

To Be Continued...

 

New Promo for The King of Castle Rock

This is the new promo for the King of Castle Rock Blogger and Facebook sites. This promo covers fourteen of King's most memorable works. Check it out and let me know what you think. TB

The King of Castle Rock Promo (YouTube link)