Monsters in the Archives - by Caroline Bicks (Hardcover)

About the Book

"After Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, she became the first person given full access to King's archives, a treasure trove of material about the legendary writer's creative process and life, most of it never seen before. Her year of studying the archival materials was guided by one question millions of readers have asked themselves: What makes Stephen King Stephen King? Bicks focuses on five of King's early iconic books--The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary, 'Salem's Lot, and Night Shift--to reveal how he manipulates character, language, and story to cast his remarkable, creepy spells. Through close reading of early drafts, interviews with King, and freshly discovered biographical details, as well as her own personal history as a reader and scholar, Bicks shows King's mastery of storytelling and his enduring imprint on American culture. In the process, Bicks faces her own fears and gets to know the man partially responsible for them"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A fascinating, first of its kind exploration of Stephen King and his most iconic early books, based on groundbreaking research and interviews with King--all conducted by the first scholar to be given extended access to his private archives

"A treat for fans of Stephen King."--Paul Tremblay
"Illuminating and original.--Amy Tan

After Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, she became the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives, a treasure trove of manuscripts that document the legendary writer's creative process--most of them never before studied or published. The year she spent exploring King's early drafts and hand-written revisions was guided by one question millions of King's enthralled and terrified readers (including her) have asked themselves: What makes Stephen King's writing stick in our heads and haunt us long after we've closed the book?

Bicks focuses on five of his most iconic early works--The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary, 'Salem's Lot, and Night Shift--to reveal how he crafted his language, storylines, and characters to cast his enduring literary spells. While tracking King's margin notes and editorial changes, she discovered scenes and alternative endings that never made it to print, but that King is allowing her to publish now. The book also includes interviews Bicks had with King along the way that reveal new insights into his writing process and personal history.

Part literary master class, part biography, part memoir and investigation into our deepest anxieties, Monsters in the Archives--authorized by Stephen King himself--is unlike anything ever published about the master of horror. It chronicles what Bicks found when she set out to unearth how King crafted some of his scariest, most iconic moments. But it's also a story about a grown-up English professor facing her childhood fears and getting to know the man whose monsters helped unleash them.

Review Quotes

"Caroline Bicks has penned an affable, compulsively readable mix of memoir, biography, and heady analysis of Stephen King's iconic early works enhanced by access to early drafts and notes. Monsters in the Archives is a treat for fans of Stephen King as well as anyone who ever wanted more of a peek behind the curtain at the great and terrible authorial Oz."--Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and A Head Full of Ghosts

"Illuminating and original, Monsters in the Archives takes us deep into Stephen King's private papers to show us how he crafted some of his most iconic, haunting books and took possession of so many of our imaginations."--Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club

About the Author

Caroline Bicks is the Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine, where she teaches courses in Shakespeare, early modern culture, and horror fiction. She is the author of Cognition and Girlhood in Shakespeare's World and Midwiving Subjects in Shakespeare's England; co-author of Shakespeare Not Stirred: Cocktails for Your Everyday Dramas; and co-host of the Everyday Shakespeare podcast. Her essays and humor pieces have appeared in the Modern Love column of the New York Times, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and the show Afterbirth. She lives in Blue Hill, Maine, with her family.