Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired by Stephen King

by George Beahm, Frank Darabont (Introduction)

For over thirty-five years, the fiction of Stephen King has thrilled readers all over the world. Many of the genre’s best artists have tackled his novels and stories, ranging from hardcover and paperback art to intricate limited edition paintings and drawings. For the first time, the best of this work has been assembled in one book— a stunning, oversized, full-color tome with over four hundred illustrations. It includes 99 percent of all limited edition artwork ever published, many of the pieces previously available only as expensive collector’s items. Artists include Michael Whelan, Don Maitz, J.K. Potter, Phil Hale, Dave McKean, Rick Berry, Drew Struzan, Mark Ryden, and dozens of others. The book also features a new introduction by director Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption).

In addition to the reprinted artwork, there are several new artworks created just for this book. For starters, Douglas Smith (artist for Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West) provides two color wood engraving interpretations of The Shining, and Michael Whelan delivers his penultimate statement on The Dark Tower. There’s a lot more.

This is the ultimate art book dedicated to the supreme master of horror.

From the publishers of A Lovecraft Retrospective: Artists Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

440 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

George Beahm writes books about censorship, sports figures, and numerous literary figures, including Patricia Cornwell, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Philip Pullman, and others.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

One would assume that when purchasing a book for $295 (and this is the trade edition), you would think that the copy would be very meticulously edited. Sadly, this is not the case. But despite the many typographical errors in the text, the book is an amazing collection of art from all of King's books, movie posters, limited editions and even magazine illustrations. I have a large King collection, and yet many of the illustrations I had not yet seen. Having them reproduced in very large pages is very rewarding. Just be careful when reading for long periods, the book is quite heavy!

[Rob Saucedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever come across a copy of KNOWING DARKNESS: ARTISTS INSPIRED BY STEPHEN KING - pick it up! It's a hefty (and absolutely stunning) hardcover collection of pretty much every piece of artwork ever commissioned for a Stephen King book or movie up until 2009.

Caveat: The tome is, sadly, out of print. I bought a copy for $175 in '09 - the book now goes for $1K!

But hope springs eternal so keep an eye out at estate sales or used bookstores. Book collectors don't live forever and so many collections wind up in the unlikeliest of places.

[VG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and interesting exploration of King book covers and internal artwork, spanning a wide selection of artists and styles. Many of the ‘mini portfolios’ are paired with interviews with the artist, and are a fascinating read for any fan. My only frustration was with the editing - some sentences ran off, and others were missing words or contained typos; a real shame for such an expensive book. If you are interested in cover artwork for horror books, I’d also recommended the similar ‘Paperbacks from Hell’ by Grady Hendrix, which focuses on trends in cover art over the decades and would be a great companion to this work.