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The Complete Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King
The myriad worlds and universes King has created are, in reality, one world, one universe. Here is the guide to that universe.
"The Complete Stephen King Universe" is the only definitive reference work that examines all of Stephen King's novels, short stories, motion pictures, miniseries, and teleplays, and deciphers the threads that exist in all of his work. This ultimate resource includes in-depth story analyses, character breakdowns, little-known facts, and startling revelations on how the plots, themes, characters, and conflicts intertwine.
After discovering "The Complete Stephen King Universe," you will never read Stephen King the same way again.
"The Complete Stephen King Universe" is the only definitive reference work that examines all of Stephen King's novels, short stories, motion pictures, miniseries, and teleplays, and deciphers the threads that exist in all of his work. This ultimate resource includes in-depth story analyses, character breakdowns, little-known facts, and startling revelations on how the plots, themes, characters, and conflicts intertwine.
After discovering "The Complete Stephen King Universe," you will never read Stephen King the same way again.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
140 people are currently reading
20185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
October 30, 2021
This is basically a road map which examines all of Stephen King's work including novels, short stories, movies and includes in-depth story analyses, little-known facts, and how the plots, characters and themes all intertwine.
I've read a few similar books and I consider this one the best of it's kind, I'll be referring back to it for quite some time; which makes buying this book well worth the money an in highly recommend you do if you're a Stephen King fan - reading this was a lot of fun.
It was very informative read, I mean obviously I already knew a lot of what was included in this having read 57 of his books already but there was a lot I learned also and it's all arranged in a easily digestible manner making it a pleasure to read.
A must for Constant Readers.
I've read a few similar books and I consider this one the best of it's kind, I'll be referring back to it for quite some time; which makes buying this book well worth the money an in highly recommend you do if you're a Stephen King fan - reading this was a lot of fun.
It was very informative read, I mean obviously I already knew a lot of what was included in this having read 57 of his books already but there was a lot I learned also and it's all arranged in a easily digestible manner making it a pleasure to read.
A must for Constant Readers.
July 10, 2015
I have learned a ton of information from this book, discovered connections between books that I would have missed otherwise, and random bits of trivia that should win me lots of money on Jeopardy should ever a Stephen King category come up. =)
March 22, 2022
An informative book that describes how all of Stephen King's books are connected to each other to form a single overarching narrative. The more books of his you read, the more you begin to see the bigger picture and the more you'll be able to appreciate the brilliant literary genius he's capable of. The best part about King is all his books can be enjoyed as great standalone stories, but they all compliment each other and reward you for reading more and more of them.
This guide does a good job creating digestible synopsis's for most of his books that give you a good idea of how certain characters, worlds, villains, monsters and supernatural elements overlap with each other. It also serves as a nice refresher for long-term fans that already have a lot of knowledge and experience regarding the universe he's created.
The guide is a good way to keep track of your progress, but it doesn't delve into specific details, trivia and world building facts in quite as much detail as I would've liked. It does a serviceable job piecing things together, but certain elements could've been a bit more elaborate.
The way Stephen King's universe comes together to form a single story reminds me of how my favorite fantasy author Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion universe connects and forms a single overarching story. I wouldn't be surprised if King took inspiration from Moorcock, especially regarding his Dark Tower series being extremely similar in many ways.
This guide does a good job creating digestible synopsis's for most of his books that give you a good idea of how certain characters, worlds, villains, monsters and supernatural elements overlap with each other. It also serves as a nice refresher for long-term fans that already have a lot of knowledge and experience regarding the universe he's created.
The guide is a good way to keep track of your progress, but it doesn't delve into specific details, trivia and world building facts in quite as much detail as I would've liked. It does a serviceable job piecing things together, but certain elements could've been a bit more elaborate.
The way Stephen King's universe comes together to form a single story reminds me of how my favorite fantasy author Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion universe connects and forms a single overarching story. I wouldn't be surprised if King took inspiration from Moorcock, especially regarding his Dark Tower series being extremely similar in many ways.
December 16, 2020
I really rated this book 3.5 stars, but rounded up because I love the works of Stephen King. The author of this book discusses how all of Stephen King's works are all related to the world of The Dark Tower. While I agree there are some overlaps, like Randall Flagg appearing in that series, The Stand, and other works, I'm not sure I believe all his works can go back there. Does Carrie go there? Or Cell? I just don't know. But I do know that I love reading books by Stephen King so I recommend this book to anyone else who is a Constant Reader.
September 10, 2007
I picked this up on a whim at Half Price the other night. I really love Stephen King's writing style; the problem is I don't like some of the actual stories themselves. Well, most of the short stories I like but the crazy novels, like IT, well, they're really just not my cup of tea. But this book explores the idea that all (or most) of King's novels and stories are interconnected and all are leading up to a final big clash between good and evil. The Dark Tower series is the focal point of the book and of this final confrontation. I have not read any of this series, but I'm kind of thinking it might be worth a look. This book points out all the connections in the books and stories and essentially what each one means. Like, for example, Pop Merrill runs a store in Castle Rock that is destroyed by fire in the novella "Sun Dog". Pop is the father of Ace Merrill, the bully in the novella "The Body" (Stand by Me). The fire that destroyed Pop's store is mentioned in Needful Things. Ace is also in that book. Just interesting things like that. I am really enjoying this so far.
December 31, 2025
Necessary read for hidden meaning within the mythos!
January 30, 2016
My biggest thing with this book is that I feel like I've read too many Stephen King books and thought too much about the connections for this to be really of any use to me. I did enjoy some parts - mostly because this book was published in 2001, when the last few Dark Tower books had not yet come out, so there are some cute theories about what was going to happen. What could have been. What did not happen.
As well as that, there were a few of the books that I've read a long time ago that I didn't really remember all of the details, so that was nice to read about.
As well as that, there were a few of the books that I've read a long time ago that I didn't really remember all of the details, so that was nice to read about.
December 20, 2021
I'm a Stephen King fan; I like his writing and I like how his stories are linked together. I picked up this book to find out more about those connections, and got turned off by the fawning tone and some problematic language.
January 11, 2012
All right, this was a very fun read. Anything that analyzes Stephen King and his work is always going to interest me but I am only giving the book three stars because I
basically walked away from it with nothing at all. The connections that they describe are, for the most part, obvious. If you read novels and pay attention to what you
are reading, you should be able to pick up on the connections between King's books because, in all fairness, they really aren't that subtle. There were maybe three
things they mentioned that I did not catch and that was only because I have not read all of King's work twice yet. Quite a few of his books I have read more times than
I can remember and then others, like Lisey's Story, The Tommyknockers, Cujo, Pet Sematary, and Salem's Lot have only been read once by me but even so I did not miss
much because King is my favorite author by a Green Mile. (Who hasn't said that one before)? Anyway, the point I am making is that the only people who will most likely
read a book like this are those people who have read all or nearly all of Uncle Stevie's work and if you have done that, you shouldn't be all that surprised by the
contents of this book. I mean, after a while they ran out of interesting ties between King's work and just began summarizing EVERYTHING!! You could read everything this
book says on Wikipedia or some other more reputable site. Like I said, the book should entertain, but don't expect it to blow your mind. I would recommend rereading
some King instead of this book.
basically walked away from it with nothing at all. The connections that they describe are, for the most part, obvious. If you read novels and pay attention to what you
are reading, you should be able to pick up on the connections between King's books because, in all fairness, they really aren't that subtle. There were maybe three
things they mentioned that I did not catch and that was only because I have not read all of King's work twice yet. Quite a few of his books I have read more times than
I can remember and then others, like Lisey's Story, The Tommyknockers, Cujo, Pet Sematary, and Salem's Lot have only been read once by me but even so I did not miss
much because King is my favorite author by a Green Mile. (Who hasn't said that one before)? Anyway, the point I am making is that the only people who will most likely
read a book like this are those people who have read all or nearly all of Uncle Stevie's work and if you have done that, you shouldn't be all that surprised by the
contents of this book. I mean, after a while they ran out of interesting ties between King's work and just began summarizing EVERYTHING!! You could read everything this
book says on Wikipedia or some other more reputable site. Like I said, the book should entertain, but don't expect it to blow your mind. I would recommend rereading
some King instead of this book.
September 25, 2012
I genuinely enjoyed reading this. There's a lot of Stephen King I've never read, including some that have come out since the last edition of this book was published. I would like to see them cover 11/22/63, for one.
This book makes me want to re-read every King book I read when I was 9, 10, 11, and pick up the ones I haven't. Like, say, the entire Dark Tower series. And because I read these so young, the big plot I remember, and maybe a few random bits, but the details have been lost to me. So to see how each story is intertwined, and the references to other stories, was just nifty.
Recommendable to King fans, that's for sure.
This book makes me want to re-read every King book I read when I was 9, 10, 11, and pick up the ones I haven't. Like, say, the entire Dark Tower series. And because I read these so young, the big plot I remember, and maybe a few random bits, but the details have been lost to me. So to see how each story is intertwined, and the references to other stories, was just nifty.
Recommendable to King fans, that's for sure.
January 7, 2009
This book is a must for anyone who is deep into the Dark Tower series. Really, anyone with a remote interest in King's books will probably find this interesting. This book will show you each time a character finds his way into a new story, how most of his novels (Yes, I said MOST OF HIS NOVELS) all pertain to each other in some fashion, and it explains how everything is all centered on The Dark Tower. Stephen King is not an author of many books; he is an author of one giant story and this book explains it all. (Or at least all of it up until its publication.)
March 27, 2011
Basically bought this one for background before beginning a read of The Dark Tower. Did a good job of refreshing me on the characters/plots of the SK books and pointing out interrelationships between the different characters and settings.
March 7, 2008
A must if you're a Stephen King fan. It brings his works together and shows common areas, characters, and themes throughout his work.
December 29, 2010
Intriguing and comprehensive work. It covers King's titles through 2006 and shows how the author has and is linking his works together. Fascinating.
June 14, 2012
As a collector of Stephen's books , this was a must own for me . A lot of the connections in his novels I had already found but this book cleared up a bunch more for me !
February 13, 2022
As a Stephen King freak I really enjoyed this guide. It also made me remember a bunch of his books I haven’t read for some time and want to re-read as well as highlighting some special books (for example, that were released in audiobook only) that I need to chase up.
January 5, 2020
Really interesting “summing up” of King’s writing up to the published date of this book. I, like other reviewers, would love to see an updated version of this book, as I feel that many of King’s more recent works have felt quite different from the books covered here. Would love to hear how Wiater and his coauthors might fit those newer books into this context.
February 8, 2011
Not sure if there is an updated version of this book out or not, but I remember when I first read this being blown away by the realization that ALL of Kings work is basically ONE story. Nice addittion to any king collection
May 7, 2011
[Dutch]
Als fan van Stephen King wil je soms wel eens wat meer weten over hem en over z'n werk. Maar is Het Stephen King universum daarvoor het geschikte boekwerk?
Lees meer op 8WEEKLY
Als fan van Stephen King wil je soms wel eens wat meer weten over hem en over z'n werk. Maar is Het Stephen King universum daarvoor het geschikte boekwerk?
Lees meer op 8WEEKLY
August 21, 2011
I found this to be an informative re-hashing of most of Stephen kings work although I didn't find out anything I didn't already know. Good for the super fan like myself if you want a reminder of the stories.
August 28, 2016
Quite interesting. It's dated, of course, but that only helps us see how books since then work into the universe.
There is some repetition throughout, but he does a good job of allocating the stories into his view of King's worlds.
There is some repetition throughout, but he does a good job of allocating the stories into his view of King's worlds.
April 22, 2008
Not quite what it was made out to be. It did not explain the connections between King's work as well as I had hoped.
July 21, 2009
Excellent study of King's cluster of universes existing in parallel dimensions. Awesome. Who likes clowns, anyway?
March 28, 2011
Really a waste of time reading it. It felt more like a really long essay on Stephen King's books and stories and offered little I didn't already know.
January 14, 2016
Great review of all the SK books and how they fit together. Nice read.
June 10, 2012
A must for Stephen King fan's (like myself)...great companion for linking his books throughout the years!
March 8, 2012
I hade fun reading it it put chils in my spin.
November 20, 2012
If you've read a lot of King... read this book!
June 28, 2013
Great Great Book...........
February 16, 2014
I Love this book one of my many favorites by King
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews