Silver Bullet

by Stephen King, Bernie Wrightson (Illustrator)

The story of a werewolf who terrorizes the remote Maine town of Tarker's Mills is accompanied by the screenplay for its movie version.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Werewolves, Mystery, Supernatural

255 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 1985

About the author

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always like the movie Silver Bullet, and try to see it each Halloween. I was happy to get a copy of the original book a few years ago and have read it twice. The short story and the illustrations are great.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen the movie twice before; the movie is okay. I love the book! (but not the screenplay). I think Stephen King's descriptions are awesome in this: "There is nothing of God or Light in that heartless sound- it is all black winter and dark ice" and "The ice coating Main Street glows like dead bone." I also think the illustrations really add to the reading experience. Quick read. Highly recommend, especially if it's a Full Moon.

[BellaGBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I liked this stephen king book so much because it is short :P.

(And of course because of the werewolves)

[Gilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun short read, but I'm sad I read it in Dutch. It could have been 4 stars if I read it in English!

[Leslie M. Cann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was yet another great Stephen King story. I’d never heard of this one and was gifted it by a friend. It pulled me in on page 1 and kept me interested throughout until the end. My one dislike is that it’s about a werewolf and I’m not usually into those kinds of stories but it works here.

[Marina Gareis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este tipo es bueno hasta para escribir guiones.

[John Tetteroo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een weerwolf verhaal van de meester van de horror. Het is echter niet zo super eng, of vreselijk spannend. Wel zodanig geschreven dat ik het in een avondje in een ruk uitgelezen heb. Elk hoofdstuk beslaat een maand en elke maand valt er een slachtoffer te betreuren. Natuurlijk valt de verdenking op een weerwolf pas halverwege de roman en dan nog gelooft niemand de enige getuige, een invalide jongen van 10 jaar.

Een standaard weerwolf verhaal dat een paar jaar later verfilmd werd onder dezelfde titel, want Stephen King had het geschreven. Waarom dan alsnog de gehele cast andere namen kreeg, blijft onduidelijk, maar misschien vond King het script toch wat teveel van het verhaal zelf afwijken. Het is een prettig leesbaar verhaal zelfs al worden de hoofdstukken niet echt samengebonden door een persoon, de weerwolf zelf daargelaten, maar daar zit ook niet echt een karakter ontwikkeling in.

Dus... Niet zijn beste werk. Maar omdat hij zo goed schrijft nog best genietbaar. Je hoeft er niet voor naar de boekenwinkel, bieb of minibieb te rennen, maar mocht je het ergens tegenkomen dan is het zeker geschikt voor een uurtje of twee verstrooiing. Het is ook verlucht met sfeervolle pentekeningen van Berni Wrightson, die nog het meest aan prentbriefkaarten of stillevens doen denken. Ook hier geldt, niet griezelig genoeg voor een rating...

[Bryan Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is actually two versions of the same Stephen King tale. The first is a reprint of King’s novella “Cycle of the Werewolf.” For my money, the Berni Wrightson inter-chapter pictures are worth the cover price all by themselves. Throw in Wrightson’s chapter illustrations and an entertaining story from King, and “Cycle” turns out to be a pretty good deal. The back half of this tome is devoted to the screenplay that King wrote for the movie version of his werewolf yarn. It’s worth a look, inasmuch as it features elements not found in either the novella or the movie Dino De Laurentiis made out of the script. Though overall neither version ever rises much above the level of entertaining read, sometimes that’s enough. At least it’s a quick project; I managed to finish the whole thing in a single bout of insomnia.

[⭐️MidnightSun⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Reader

Silver Bullet...this little short story had me hooked. Now that I've read the book I appreciate the concept of the whole story even more.

Movie Talk📽
Silver Bullet is one of my favorite movies. If I see it on television I am going to sit down and watch it. The movie is a bit different from the book things were added to the movie just to fill it out. I think the movie is a good adaptation of the book and they did a good job on casting the main characters. I give both 5 stars.

Happy Reading📚
MidnightSun

[Barbara LeMere · Rating 4 out of 5]

After The Stand, this is probably my next favorite Stephen King book. I love the Talisman, and the Shining and Salem's Lot were two of the scariest books I ever read, but Silver Bullet was awesome! The movie version is pretty good to, I liked them both.

[Mado Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay miedos que nunca pasan de moda #silverbullet #amazing #miedoazul #stephenking #libros #terror #novelafantastica Un pequeño pueblo azotado por una ola de asesinatos, un niño en silla de ruedas,una hermana adolescente, un tío borracho..

[Roeland Struik · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most suspenseful part of a horror book is when the killer or monster is not found yet and stalks unsuspecting victims. A large part of this book covers exactly that. The hero confrontating the werewolf was less exciting and a little short. Read it mostly in one day. Overall I liked it.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Kings love to scare kid and in this book he certainly does Another unknown as to when I purchased and read this book.

[Vickie Vance]

I love this one.

[Michelle Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚🐺 Cycle of the Werewolf & Silver Bullet – A Howling Good Time

As a lifelong fan of Stephen King, I always love diving into his work, but Cycle of the Werewolf was something special. It’s a fast-paced, beautifully illustrated horror tale that delivers suspense in short bursts—literally! Each chapter aligns with a different month, chronicling brutal werewolf attacks in the town of Tarker’s Mill. It’s eerie, atmospheric, and unapologetically classic King.

What made this one even better? Watching Silver Bullet right after reading the book. While the film takes some creative liberties—turning the story into a full-length suspense thriller—it keeps that small-town dread intact. Corey Haim was fantastic as Marty, the young boy who suspects the truth, and Gary Busey brought so much personality to Uncle Red. The werewolf effects? Well, let’s just say the 80s charm makes them all the more fun!

Reading the book gave me the extra details that made the movie even more enjoyable. Both versions capture that feeling of isolation and fear—who can you trust when the monster is someone you know? If you're in the mood for an underrated King horror experience, definitely pair these together.

Have you read or watched Cycle of the Werewolf/Silver Bullet? What did you think?

#StephenKing #CycleOfTheWerewolf #SilverBullet #HorrorBooks #ClassicHorror

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is also known as Cycle of the Werewolf.

A supernatural monthly cycle has come to terrorize the isolated Maine town of Tarker Mills. Once a month, reports of a brutal attack plagues the town and the bodies are starting to pile up. The culprit only strikes during nights of the full moon and they prey on their victims indiscriminately. A chance encounter with a disabled boy in a wheelchair armed with fireworks might just reveal the culprit to be one of the town's own trusted citizens.

A very straightforward monster-hunt story. A werewolf terrorizes a small town, a string of murders occur and a hunt for the beast ensues. There's no big twists or complex characters which is a rarity for most Stephen King stories, but it's a fun and quick read that has a classic black-and-white monster movie feel to it.

Though their time to shine is very short, I enjoyed the cool companionship between Marty and his rowdy uncle. A boy in a wheelchair armed with nothing but fireworks being the key to solving a werewolf murder mystery is pretty cool.

[Sunday Hollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story!!! One of my favorite movies, the original story is great! Different in some ways, but the 2 media - film and paper - both do a great job and stay true to each other. The intro by S. King was entertaining as well, and the screenplay was amazing to read!

[Bob Lindhoud]

A short concept story about a werewolf let loose in a small town. Consisting of 12 short stories taking place over a year, you follow the people in the town as they experience the horrors let loose by the monster.

[Mark DeMeo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Not one of King’s best but a fun story you can breeze through in a couple hours that has its moments

[Kata Kovacs · Rating 3 out of 5]

first stephen king book. the illustrations omg. loved the beginning of the story and the witting.

[Ivan Rodga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hubiera funcionado mejor si solo hubieran sido relatos cortos sin mucha confección

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every second of it. And the art....chef's kiss.

[Nora K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that there were pictures in the book! Really good story too

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally read the graphic novel 40 years ago. (Yes, you read that right, and I'm not happy about it. The older I get the more shocking these revelations are to me.) I was a senior in high school and I happened to go to the drugstore for some silly reason and found this Stephen King book with artwork drawn by Bernie Wrightson. I went home to rub it in my brother's face who was a junior and an aspiring artist. I told him he could read it after I was done with it, but that I intended to take my time with it. Two hours later, I handed it to him, because it's a short read, but even more important, I wanted his opinion. Turns out that we both thought it was awesome.

In this version of Cycle of the Werewolf (the original title), it includes the screenplay (an extra 100 plus pages) and an audiobook version that has dramatic sound design. The story is derivative of the werewolf sub-genre of horror: however, it also is very good. Not all werewolf stories are created the same, and although King fudges with the calendar a little bit, here he is in prime gory form. Wrightson's artwork is an exceptional complement to the narrative and is readily transformable from one medium to others.

“Outside, its tracks begin to fill up with snow, and the shriek of the wind seems savage with pleasure. There is nothing of God or Light in that heartless sound—it is all black winter and dark ice.”
― Stephen King, Cycle of the Werewolf

[TE · Rating 3 out of 5]

VERY quick read: I've actually read the Cycle of the Werewolf volume previously. What makes this one different is that it features the script of the 80s movie, which left a fair bit to be desired, actually, on both counts. It also gives the account of how the story came to be. In its initial iteration, it was supposed to be a type of "almanac," comprised of a serial of short stories, one each month, centering around holidays, but later morphed into a short novel, featuring a main character, Marty, who also appears in the movie. Apparently, King was having some difficulty fulfilling a promise to someone to create this particular work, until he hit upon the idea of a particular character. Gotta give props for creativity on that count: a wheelchair-bound, werewolf-fighting "tween" boy, aided by his older sister and their uncle. Anyway, kind of fluffy, and not a terribly in-depth story, which we would expect from Stephen King, but fun nonetheless.

Definitely not a typical Stephen King novel, but would recommend it for those who found the movie mildly entertaining.

[Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! This was one of the first books from Stephen King that I had read. The basics of this book is 2 kids find out a priest is a warwolf. They try to get help by adults and no one but a drunk will believe them never mind help. The kids are left to deal with a killer in their town. This is a book that has a movie that is also very well done.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book/movie.
A paralyzed boy becomes a target of something or someone killing people in the town. He has an awesome uncle who builds him this great wheelchair that he will come to desperately need.
People are dying and the boy is starting to think he knows who is doing the killing and soon finds out how right he is.

[Sylvie Geerts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een dun boek met duidelijke hoofdstukken, nl. een per maand van het jaar en een klaar en duidelijk verhaal. Ik hou niet van alle boeken van Stephen King, maar deze komt in het rijtje bij die waar ik wél van hou. Een klassiek griezelverhaal waar ik van gesmuld heb net zoals de weerwolf in het verhaal van zijn slachtoffers smult. Ook een genot zijn de illustraties van Berni Wrightson.

[Paul Labonte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as a kid and loved it. I read it again a few years ago and still liked it a lot, but I think having seen the movie affected my second reading. Oh well. Great werewolf stories. Loved the drawings too.

[Sophiedefeyter · Rating 4 out of 5]

leest heel vlot, weinig poespas maar een goed stevig verhaal. de manier waarop het boek ingedeeld is, NL ieder hoofdstuk staat voor de volle maan tijdens een nieuwe maand (Jan tem Dec ) maakt het licht uitgemolken onderwerp non the less interessant!