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The End of the Whole Mess
Unknown Binding
About the author
Stephen King
2,255 books895k followersStephen 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 21, 2022
Como siempre, un relato muy original a la vez que estremecedor.
April 23, 2025
A brilliant but tragic short story of two brothers. The End of the Whole Mess is a haunting reminder that even the noblest intentions can lead to ruin. This one deserves 5 stars for sure, well done Mr King!
July 6, 2021
2.5 stars
July 19, 2023
3.75*
From Nightmares & Dreamscapes
From Nightmares & Dreamscapes
November 9, 2022
Interesting disaster story from a cool perspective
August 12, 2024
great short story, probably my favorite from King?
this is a thought-provoking story and i believe these thoughts are worth thinking about. this work centers around what we're willing to sacrifice to achieve world peace, or maybe any peace at all. in a world currently (and always, really) so war-stricken, i've watched conflict and loss of life become numbing to people. social media and the resulting mass propagation of violent news to the extent that some of it is just considered normal (i'm referring to true crime videos and podcasts, but the fact that i could be referring to different things here says more than enough) can't be good for our psyche, but the reactions we're having in response i've also watched become more and more violent without people realizing. when the response to supporting one side of a conflict is wholeheartedly wishing harm and death to another side, whichever side of whatever conflict—i'm really not trying to bring any one topical thing to mind here—, i'd say i start to understand what Bobby saw in society that made him hyperfocus on finding some sort of cure here.
it's after he geniuses up a cure that we, the readers, really ought to start thinking: if we know what will happen to humankind after we achieve world peace, what would be enough to make the peace not worth it? King goes one way with this, my mind has gone to hundreds of other hypotheticals… nevertheless, it was worth contemplating where i'd draw the line personally, might be worth your time figuring that out for yourself as well.
this is a thought-provoking story and i believe these thoughts are worth thinking about. this work centers around what we're willing to sacrifice to achieve world peace, or maybe any peace at all. in a world currently (and always, really) so war-stricken, i've watched conflict and loss of life become numbing to people. social media and the resulting mass propagation of violent news to the extent that some of it is just considered normal (i'm referring to true crime videos and podcasts, but the fact that i could be referring to different things here says more than enough) can't be good for our psyche, but the reactions we're having in response i've also watched become more and more violent without people realizing. when the response to supporting one side of a conflict is wholeheartedly wishing harm and death to another side, whichever side of whatever conflict—i'm really not trying to bring any one topical thing to mind here—, i'd say i start to understand what Bobby saw in society that made him hyperfocus on finding some sort of cure here.
it's after he geniuses up a cure that we, the readers, really ought to start thinking: if we know what will happen to humankind after we achieve world peace, what would be enough to make the peace not worth it? King goes one way with this, my mind has gone to hundreds of other hypotheticals… nevertheless, it was worth contemplating where i'd draw the line personally, might be worth your time figuring that out for yourself as well.
May 5, 2025
It brought me back to those innocent childhood ideas—thinking maybe, somehow, you could fix the world if you just cared enough. Not that I’m some kind of genius like Bobby—not even close!—but I could totally relate to that feeling of wanting to make things better.
What struck me is how genuinely good Bobby’s intentions were. He wasn’t like Thanos or some cold, calculating villain. He wasn’t trying to control or punish the world—he really just wanted to make it kinder. But he forgot that people aren’t numbers, and you can’t solve humanity with a chemical formula. That line—
“What he wanted to do was make the world a kinder place… but he forgot people aren’t equations.”
—was such a gut-punch. You can feel how much love and desperation went into his plan, and that’s what makes it even more tragic.
It reminded me of Flowers for Algernon or even Watchmen’s Ozymandias—characters whose brilliance ends up isolating them, turning their dreams into something heavy and irreversible. And Howard’s fading mind as he tries to tell his brother’s story… it felt like watching a candle burn out. A beautiful metaphor for memory, and for the cost of idealism unchecked.
What struck me is how genuinely good Bobby’s intentions were. He wasn’t like Thanos or some cold, calculating villain. He wasn’t trying to control or punish the world—he really just wanted to make it kinder. But he forgot that people aren’t numbers, and you can’t solve humanity with a chemical formula. That line—
“What he wanted to do was make the world a kinder place… but he forgot people aren’t equations.”
—was such a gut-punch. You can feel how much love and desperation went into his plan, and that’s what makes it even more tragic.
It reminded me of Flowers for Algernon or even Watchmen’s Ozymandias—characters whose brilliance ends up isolating them, turning their dreams into something heavy and irreversible. And Howard’s fading mind as he tries to tell his brother’s story… it felt like watching a candle burn out. A beautiful metaphor for memory, and for the cost of idealism unchecked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2023
I went into this with some hesitation because the previous story Dolans Cadillac was great. I read the description and thought Stephen Kind Sci-Fi ( PLEASE don’t be like ray Bradbury,the boring of the boring) and thankfully it wasn’t. The story was interesting, had a great hook and definitely deserves an adaptation whether it be a Creepshow episode or a stand alone thing ( NOT feature-length though) 3/5
June 1, 2026
I read this short story as part of “Nightmares and Dreamscapes.” I didn’t think this was true horror. It went too fast to let me form a true opinion as I read it. The writing was rushed, and it didn’t explain much about the outcome of the “purge.”
I think the “scary” part of the book is whatever happened at the end of the purification process Bobby invented. It seems like Bow-wow goes insane? Loses his memory? Unable to write? The ending is unclear.
I think the “scary” part of the book is whatever happened at the end of the purification process Bobby invented. It seems like Bow-wow goes insane? Loses his memory? Unable to write? The ending is unclear.
November 25, 2023
A fun riff on “Flowers for Algernon.” It has the benefit of irony in hindsight, as a key plot point involves Waco, TX being a particularly peaceful place (granted, it was written 7 years before the Branch Davidian siege).
January 26, 2026
A unique tale of the end of the world, the ending hit better than the rest of the story I felt.
My rating: 4/5
Would I own/re-read?: Perhaps!
TW: Death, Mental Illness, References to real-life tragedies, War, Apocalypse, Alzheimer's
Does the animal die?: Some wasps are swatted.
My rating: 4/5
Would I own/re-read?: Perhaps!
TW: Death, Mental Illness, References to real-life tragedies, War, Apocalypse, Alzheimer's
Does the animal die?: Some wasps are swatted.
July 5, 2022
I really enjoy the way the writing styles change as the main character reaches the end of their lifespan. The whole story is extremely well written, but includes many unneeded details.
December 12, 2022
I’m crying now.
The story is very mild but the ending is very touching in the most personal and disturbing way.
(Trigger warning: this man has internalized misogyny for sure)
The story is very mild but the ending is very touching in the most personal and disturbing way.
(Trigger warning: this man has internalized misogyny for sure)
February 26, 2023
Full review on my website
https://emmyelenakatzen.wixsite.com/e...
https://emmyelenakatzen.wixsite.com/e...
October 1, 2023
An excellent short-story from King's collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, very entertaining & deeply saddening.
May 18, 2024
I like this little story of the super brainy brother who ends the whole world with super water.
April 19, 2025
One of my all time favorite stories about the destruction of humanity.
April 28, 2025
stephen king always eats
August 8, 2025
powerful water
stops organ grinder of doom
and everything else
stops organ grinder of doom
and everything else
September 9, 2025
the road to hell is paved with good intentions
November 4, 2025
This one is a bit innuendo. I liked it but not too much - however the terror felt very real. Who could've thought that the decision was so dumb?
November 14, 2025
A man learns the hard way that one size doesn’t always fit all, on the international scale specifically.
March 24, 2026
I enjoyed this story. The ending was both creative and sad and I would love to see a King write a follow-up to it from the future to see if the effects went on into perpetuity.
April 1, 2026
short and fun, reminded me a bit of upgrade blake crouch which i just read recently.
October 4, 2024
FULL REVIEW ON MY WEBSITE
http://thebookcornerchronicles.com/20...
This short story is included in the “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” which I will be reviewing pretty soon.
To be fully honest here, short stories written by Stephen King always miss the mark with me. I always end up not liking his short stories and I don’t know why it is so.
And this short story isn’t any different from Stephen King’s other short stories ive read in the past.
The characters in this short story in my opinion were very boring and uninteresting.
The plot in this one is meh as well because it was very slow, boring and uninteresting. And to be honest writing I’m writing this review the next day after reading this short story and I cant recall what the short story was about because I just didn’t bother remembering this short story because I didn’t like it so much.
The writing style here in my opinion didn’t feel like something written by the one and only master of horror. But rather by someone who have never written any books or short stories before
http://thebookcornerchronicles.com/20...
This short story is included in the “Nightmares and Dreamscapes” which I will be reviewing pretty soon.
To be fully honest here, short stories written by Stephen King always miss the mark with me. I always end up not liking his short stories and I don’t know why it is so.
And this short story isn’t any different from Stephen King’s other short stories ive read in the past.
The characters in this short story in my opinion were very boring and uninteresting.
The plot in this one is meh as well because it was very slow, boring and uninteresting. And to be honest writing I’m writing this review the next day after reading this short story and I cant recall what the short story was about because I just didn’t bother remembering this short story because I didn’t like it so much.
The writing style here in my opinion didn’t feel like something written by the one and only master of horror. But rather by someone who have never written any books or short stories before
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews