Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #162

Scribner has released their description of Mr. Mercedes, King’s next novel, which will be out on June 3, 2014.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

 In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

 Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

 Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

This is just one of two novels we’ll see next year, the other being Revival. There’s a new King short story, “Summer Thunder,” in the CD anthology Turn Down the Lights. Editor Rich Chizmar says it “might be one of the most heartbreaking post-apocalyptic tales we’ve ever read.”

King joined Twitter late last week. Within minutes he had 30,000 followers and the number has since climbed to nearly 200,000. You don’t need to join Twitter to see his feed, though. Just click here.

Samuel L. Jackson will play Tom McCourt in the movie adaptation of Cell, joining John Cusack for the second time (1408). There were some amusing follow-up articles in which Jackson confessed that he didn’t know that his character was gay in the novel. The film will be directed by Tod “Kip” Williams (Paranormal Activity 2). Production is scheduled to begin in January.

Long-time King fan Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) plans to adapt Lisey’s Story. King had a cameo in Boone’s debut, Stuck in Love. Boone talks about how King responded when he sent some books to be autographed when he was 12 in this article.

Add another title to the list of remakes or reworkings. Bob Weinstein is developing a proposed 10-part series with Frank Darabont, based on Dimension’s film version of The Mist. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) is in talks to direct Pet Sematary. The day after it was announced that Scott Cooper was considering Christian Bale for the theatrical version of The Stand, the director left the project. Paul Greengrass is now being courted to help the film. Cary Fukunaga is currently attached to the remake of It.

Doctor Sleep link roll:

European tour:

In closing, here is my review of the campy horror film You Can’t Kill Stephen King, which should get US distribution in 2014.

Turn Down the Lights Shipping Soon and Tremendous New Reviews Are Arriving!

We’re pleased to report that the trade edition of Turn Down the Lights edited by Richard Chizmar is on the way to us from the printer and will begin shipping soon.

Turn Down the LightsIf you’re still on the fence, we’d like to point you toward some of the reviews landing on our desk. Click on the links below the excerpts to read the entire reviews, which we highlight recommend:

Turn Down the Lights doesn’t just celebrate Cemetery Dance magazine; it illustrates why the magazine is still such a vital publication a quarter of a century later. Chizmar’s eye for talent is impeccable, and his appreciation for all kinds of horror is essential to his success. These stories flow from the quiet to the surreal, from esoteric experimentation to Saturday matinee funhouse-style horror. For authors, an outlet like Cemetery Dance is a godsend. For readers, Cemetery Dance — including the magazine, this anthology and whatever projects come our way over the next 25 years — is a goldmine.”
— Blu Gilliand, FEARnet

Turn Down the Lights functions as both a celebration and a summation; aptly, quite a few of these stories are about endings, quiet and loud… ”
— Kevin Quigley, FEARnet

“I read devoured the stories in an afternoon, trying to make them last, but unable to control myself. Isn’t that what we all want? Books that compel us to just keep reading – more, more, faster! Yeah, this book has that in spades.”
— SJ, Snobbery

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

Follow Richard Chizmar On Twitter To Win Great Prizes!

Cemetery Dance founder and publisher Richard Chizmar is now on Twitter!  Follow @RichardChizmar today for your chance to win great prizes!

First up: he’ll be picking five random followers to each receive a $100 Cemetery Dance Gift Certificate!  Winners will be selected and announced next week.

Just follow @RichardChizmar on Twitter to be entered into this free contest!

richard chizmar on twitter

Stephen King Books, eBooks, and Art Prints!

Books, eBooks, and Art Prints For Stephen King Fans!

Hi Folks!

Since we’ve had some requests lately for information about our Stephen King items, we thought we’d send out a list of some of the most popular books, eBooks, and art prints for Stephen King fans that are currently available on our website:

Stephen King’s The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance (Revised and Updated) by Robin Furth, the definitive encyclopedic reference book that provides readers with everything they need to navigate their way through the series:

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance (Revised and Updated)

Turn Down the Lights edited by Richard Chizmar, which features “Summer Thunder” by Stephen King, his brand new “end of the world” story that is both chilling and heartbreaking! The anthology also includes stories by Norman Partridge, Jack Ketchum, Brian James Freeman, Bentley Little, Ed Gorman, Ronald Kelly, Steve Rasnic Tem, Clive Barker, and Peter Straub capture the genuine love of the genre that pushes Cemetery Dance Publications forward year after year.

Turn Down the Lights

The Illustrated Stephen King MOVIE Trivia Book by Brian James Freeman, Kevin Quigley, and Hans-Ake Lilja features more than 1,000 questions about the movies, miniseries, and television episodes based on ideas conjured from the imagination of the King of Horror, along with more than 50 illustrated questions created by Glenn Chadbourne and an exclusive afterword by Mick Garris, director of The Stand, The Shining, Riding the Bullet, Desperation, Bag of Bones, and many others!

The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book

The revised and updated second edition of The Illustrated Stephen King Trivia Book features all of the original questions from the first edition, along with more than one hundred new questions about Stephen King’s most recent releases! Also included are ten brand new illustration-based
questions from Cemetery Dance favorite artist Glenn Chadbourne, along with the 60 illustration-based questions from the original edition.

The Illustrated Stephen King Trivia Book

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King, his brand new 500 page novel due out from Scribner next year, this has been described as a detective novel involving a person who drove a car into a crowd of people and then taunted the detective who handled the case after his retirement!

Stephen King

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

Joyland

The Dark Tower Companion is the ultimate compendium to King’s evolving magnum opus, presenting the mythology, history, and geography of this epic fantasy that has captivated generations of readers. Featuring interviews with Stephen King, Ron Howard, Dark Tower expert Robin Furth and others:

The Dark Tower Companion

Shivers VII contains more than 100,000 words of chilling fiction from more than two dozen of today’s most popular authors of horror and suspense including Stephen King, Clive Barker, Graham Masterton, Ed Gorman, Bill Pronzini, Lisa Tuttle, Kaaron Warren, Del James, Lisa Morton, Scott Nicholson, Bev Vincent, Brian James Freeman, Norman Prentiss, and many others!

Shivers 7

Screamplays edited by Richard Chizmar and Martin H. Greenberg features “General” by Stephen King, along with scripts by Richard Matheson, Richard Laymon, Harlan Ellison, Joe R. Lansdale, and Ed Gorman, and nearly 30 pieces of interior artwork by Glenn Chadbourne and a creepy cover painting by Les Edwards that was inspired by a classic Stephen King story:

Screamplays

The Secretary of Dreams (Volume Two) continues where the first acclaimed volume left off: combining classic tales of terror from the mind of Stephen King with the haunting artwork of Maine artist Glenn Chadbourne. This unique book displays an incredible and original blend of King’s words with Chadbourne’s one-of-a-kind B&W illustrations: text and artwork brought together to tell these chilling stories in a whole new way.

The Secretary of Dreams (Volume Two)

The Century’s Best Horror Fiction edited by John Pelan features stories by Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Shirley Jackson, Robert Bloch, Jack Ketchum, and nearly seven dozen other masters of horror:

The Century's Best Horror Fiction

* Lots and lots of eBooks for Stephen King fans:

Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished

Dark Forces

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Lilja's Library

Blood In Your Ears

Chart of Darkness

Drawn Into Darkness

Ink in the Veins

Wetware

* And finally, we have a few Stephen King themed art prints by Glenn Chadbourne:

'Salem's Lot Painting

The Shining Painting

Thank you, as always, for your continuing support!

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker SOLD OUT In Eight Hours!

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
Special Edition Sold Out In Less Than Eight Hours!

Hi Folks!

All editions of The Damnation Game by Clive Barker have now been reserved.  Our thanks goes out to our amazing collectors and Clive’s die-hard fans for selling out this special edition in record time!  If you missed your chance to place an order, you can join the Waiting List to be notified if any copies become available, but please note that this is NOT a reservation or guarantee of any kind.  Thanks again!

The Damnation Game

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker Almost SOLD OUT!

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
Special Edition Now 90% Sold Out Just Hours After Being Announced!

Hi Folks!

If you were on the fence, please note that all editions of The Damnation Game by Clive Barker are now 90% sold out and those last available copies will go fast!

The Damnation Game

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

 

 

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker Signed Limited Edition Announced!

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
Signed & Slipcased Oversized Limited Edition With A Low Collectible Print Run!
Special Edition Already More Than 75% Sold Out!

Hi Folks!

The Damnation GameWe’re extremely pleased to announce we’ll be publishing a deluxe oversized signed & slipcased Limited Edition of The Damnation Game by Clive Barker and it’s already selling out very quickly! Given the extremely low print run and Barker’s worldwide legion of collectors, we do not expect either edition to be available for preorder for very long!

About the Book:
There are things worse than death. There are games so seductively evil, so wondrously vile, no gambler can resist.

Amid the shadow-scarred rubble of World War II, Joseph Whitehead dared to challenge the dark champion of life’s ultimate game.

Now a millionaire, locked in a terror-shrouded fortress of his own design, Joseph Whitehead has hell to pay. And no soul is safe from this ravaging fear, the resurrected fury, the unspeakable desire of…

The Damnation Game.

Special Features Exclusive to this Collector’s Edition:
• deluxe oversized design with a trim size of 7 inches X 10 inches
• full color cover artwork
• high-quality endpapers and fine bindings for both editions
• full-color signature sheets in the signed editions
• extremely collectible print run and you will NOT find our edition in chain bookstores!

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

 

Brand New Bentley Little Novel In-Stock & Shipping Now!

Brand New Bentley Little Novel In-Stock & Shipping Now!
The Influence by Bentley Little
Trade Hardcover Edition, Signed Limited Edition!

The InfluenceWe’re very pleased to announce the publication of The Influence by Bentley Little, a brand new 400+ page novel that has never been previously published anywhere in the world!

About the Book:
Everything is about to change…

When Ross Lowry moves into his cousin’s guest house in the small community of Magdalena, Arizona, he expects nothing more than breathing room and a brief respite from his economic woes.

But something is not right in the desert.

After a raucous party on New Year’s Eve, the luck of the attendees undergoes an immediate U-turn. The rich and successful suddenly find themselves facing catastrophic failure while the less well-off are unexpectedly flush with good fortune.

This is only the beginning…

Soon the citizens of Magdalena are experiencing unnatural desires.

Next their children begin to disappear and freakish creatures emerge from the surrounding wilderness.

The community is unraveling at a frightening pace.

But these are merely the early warning signs of a showdown with a powerful force of darkness that could obliterate the world forever, and only Ross Lowry sees the danger that lurks ahead…

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

 

Last Day For Free Shipping For Turn Down the Lights featuring original stories by Stephen King, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Jack Ketchum, Bentley Little, and many others!

Turn Down the Lights featuring original stories by Stephen King, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Jack Ketchum, Bentley Little, and many others!
Last Day For Free Shipping!

Today is the last day for FREE US SHIPPING on Turn Down the Lights edited by Richard Chizmar, so don’t miss out!

In addition, the last piece of interior artwork for the Artist Edition and the Lettered Edition has arrived. Here is GAK’s illustration for “An Instant Eternity” by Brian James Freeman:

Turn Down the Lights

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

Turn Down the Lights Featuring Stephen King, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, and Many Others!

Turn Down the Lights
edited by Richard Chizmar
Free US Shipping Ends Soon!
Special Editions Will Be Sold Out Pre-Publication!



Turn Down the LightsWe’re pleased to report that Turn Down the Lights edited by Richard Chizmar is selling at an amazing clip and could easily become one of our bestselling titles of all-time! Our deepest thanks goes out to you for all of your support!

If you’d like to take advantage of the Free US Shipping offer that is available on ALL THREE EDITIONS at the moment, please note that this offer will be ending within the next week, so now is the time to order!

If you haven’t made it to the product page yet, here is the complete Table of Contents for easy reference:

“Turn Down the Lights…” an introduction by Richard Chizmar
“Summer Thunder” by Stephen King
“Incarnadine” by Norman Partridge
“The Western Dead” by Jack Ketchum
“An Instant Eternity” by Brian James Freeman
“In the Room” by Bentley Little
“Flying Solo” by Ed Gorman
“The Outhouse” by Ronald Kelly
“Lookie Loo” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“Dollie” by Clive Barker
“The Collected Short Stories of Freddie Prothero” by Peter Straub
Afterword by Thomas F. Monteleone

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

Turn Down the Lights Already More Than 50% Sold Out!


Turn Down the Lights
Already More Than 50% Sold Out!

Hi Folks!

Sorry to send a second note so soon, but the special editions of Turn Down the Lights edited by Richard Chizmar are already more than 50% sold out, which means if you were on the fence or waiting for any other reason, you might want to place your order ASAP so you don’t miss out!

Turn Down the Lights

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

Turn Down the Lights featuring new short stories by Stephen King, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and many others!

Turn Down the Lights
edited by Richard Chizmar
Featuring original short stories by Stephen King, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, Norman Partridge, Jack Ketchum, Brian James Freeman, Bentley Little, Ed Gorman, Ronald Kelly, and Steve Rasnic Tem!
Trade Hardcover Shipping NEXT Month And We’re Offering FREE US Shipping For A Limited Time Only!

Hi Folks!

Turn Down the LightsWe’re pleased to announce a Top Secret surprise addition to our December publication slate, Turn Down the Lights edited by Richard Chizmar, which is already rolling at the printer!

Free US ShippingThis brand new anthology features original horror stories by Stephen King, Norman Partridge, Jack Ketchum, Brian James Freeman, Bentley Little, Ed Gorman, Ronald Kelly, Steve Rasnic Tem, Clive Barker, and Peter Straub that capture the genuine love of the genre that pushes Cemetery Dance Publications forward year after year.

This beautiful hardcover edition will be published in three states including a trade hardcover for general readers (shipping in December) and two special hardcover editions for serious collectors (shipping in 2014), but there are no other versions planned at this time, so don’t wait around because we have no idea how long these might last!

Table of Contents:
“Turn Down the Lights…” an introduction by Richard Chizmar
“Summer Thunder” by Stephen King
“Incarnadine” by Norman Partridge
“The Western Dead” by Jack Ketchum
“An Instant Eternity” by Brian James Freeman
“In the Room” by Bentley Little
“Flying Solo” by Ed Gorman
“The Outhouse” by Ronald Kelly
“Lookie Loo” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“Dollie” by Clive Barker
“The Collected Short Stories of Freddie Prothero” by Peter Straub
Afterword by Thomas F. Monteleone

Read more or place your order today while supplies last!

 

Mr. Mercedes: A New Novel by Stephen King

We’re pleased to report we’ll be getting copies of Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King, his brand new 500 page novel due out from Scribner next year!

Stephen KingWe only have some early details, but USA Today described this book as a suspense novel about a deranged terrorist with a bomb. King said he began it before the Boston Marathon bombing, but the events were “too creepily close for comfort.” It’s also been previously described as a detective novel involving a person who drove a car into a crowd of people and then taunted the Detective who handled the case after his retirement.

Read more or place your order!

Add A Special Exclusive Slipcase To Your Order To Protect Your Book!

Even though Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King is being published by another publisher, we will be producing one of our popular custom-made slipcase for this title like we have for the last few Stephen King books!

The easiest way to add a slipcase to your purchase is by selecting the “Trade Hardcover Edition with Exclusive Slipcase!” option above — you’ll also save on shipping by ordering this way! (You can order just the slipcase by itself on the Mr. Mercedes custom slipcase product page.)

Don’t know what a slipcase is? That’s okay! You can see some sample images of other slipcases we’ve made below. We’re using the same high-quality materials we have used for our previous Stephen King cases, with one color hot foil stamping. The company who makes these for us is the best in the business and you won’t find a better way to protect your investment! (If you’re new to collecting, you can read more about slipcases on our Book FAQ page.)

We’re selling these special slipcases for just $24.95, making them an extremely affordable way to protect your book.  These cases will be produced after the book is published because we need a real copy of the book to get the sizing just right and your book and slipcase will ship together to save you on shipping. We think our collectors will be very pleased with what we have in mind for these very special cases, so don’t wait to place your order!

Sample Slipcase Photos:
Sample Photos

Place your order today so you don’t miss out!

New Reviews For Brian James Freeman

We’ve received some great new reviews for Brian James Freeman’s work in the past week, including two rave reviews for his collection Weak and Wounded, which will be done at the printer later this month.

Weak and WoundedHere is an excerpt from Kevin Quigley’s review of Weak and Wounded for FEARnet:

Rarely has a title been so apt. Weak and Wounded plunges us into small worlds, in which people live desperate lives and struggle with impossible decisions. Loss permeates every page: these people survive the deaths of parents, children, spouses, and siblings, only to find that survival might be a fate worse than death. But the power in these pages comes not from what our protagonists suffer, but how they suffer it. How they continue to go on…. By tying these stories together by theme, feel, and intent, Freeman has created a work of collected fiction that stands as one piece. Each story beats with its own punctured heart, but taken as a whole, Weak and Wounded is even better than the sum of its broken and damaged parts.”

Here is an excerpt from Mario Guslandi review of Weak and Wounded at SF Site:

Blue November Storms“Brian James Freeman is a brilliant writer whose horror stories do not rely upon vampires, zombies or werewolves, as the present collection (a slim book reprinting five of his previously published stories) clearly demonstrates. In these stories he portrays one of the true horrors afflicting human existence, namely the pain, the hurt and the emptiness created by the loss of loved ones. Freeman describes that horror with skill, insight and finesse, leaving behind a deep sense of sorrow and anger for the atrocities of life… Whether you’re a horror fan or not, it doesn’t matter: anyone fond of good fiction addressing and probing the deep secrets of the human soul will be enchanted by the sheer beauty of those stories.”

Finally, here is an excerpt from Wayne C. Rogers review of Blue November Storms at Hellnotes:

“I have to admit that what Blue November Storms reminded me of was one of the old episodes from the sixties’ version of The Twilight Zone television series. This is when some of the greatest writers in television (Rod Sterling, Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson) were creating masterpieces on a little known TV show that would later alter the lives of hundreds of future authors. Brian James Freeman, like the authors above, creates and structures his stories at a pace that starts off slowly and then gradually works its way to an exploding climax that has the reader making a mad dash to the finish line.”