Stephen King is known for pumping out epic novel after epic novel. Focusing mostly on the horror genre, King never fails to suck readers into shocking narratives. His casual writing style and relatable characters make his books accessible to both avid and occasional readers.
The Stand is one of King’s greatest accomplishments. It was originally released in 1978, but as King explains in the preface of the uncut edition, 150,000 words had been cut from that release. The uncut version was then released in 1990, and the book totalled 1,141 pages in length. The ultimate story of good versus evil, ***The Stand is packed full of religious and post-apocalyptic imagery. While slow starting, it is rich with character and story development, and like most of King’s work, follows several storylines that converge into one for an explosive climax and unexpected ending.
The novel was written, and is set, in America in the 1960s, a time when the U.S. government was experimenting with germ warfare, and the novel explores its worst-case scenario: America’s own biological weapons turned against itself. A killer plague developed by the army wipes out most of the population, leaving other physical weapons of mass destruction, such as fighter jets and A-bombs, lying around just waiting to be picked up. Meanwhile, dark and light spiritual forces rule the earth, a battle between the forces of Satan and God, leaving the characters to feed either the good or bad within them and join a side. The remaining population must not only survive but must band together to defeat the evil forces that threaten to overrule the earth and wipe out any remaining good or, alternatively, join the cause of “the dark man” to eliminate good and allow evil to conquer.
While it’s set in a post-apocalyptic situation, it holds a mirror to readers by taking them deep within the characters’ personal struggles and battles with right and wrong. As the characters realize that they must truly rely on others to survive, they must explore who they want to be when there is no law to hold them accountable and any decision could cost them their life. Raw human emotions including love, hate, and rejection are amplified in each character, and influence them more strongly than they normally would. The Stand will have readers crying, laughing from shock, and glued to the page, greedily awaiting the next sentence.
King is the king of suspense and horror. Both shocking and grotesque imagery is contrasted with heart-wrenching love and compassion, revealing the lengths that humans will go to to survive in desperate times and exploring the internalization of societal rejection, and battles with the self. Most noticeably, The Stand features flawed characters who will have readers sympathizing with and attempting to understand even the most seemingly evil people, all while questioning their own true selves.
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after.
She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.