NEWS -

My Thoughts On The Running Man

Posted: November 14, 2025, 23:37
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Here are my thoughts about The Running Man.

The Running Man is 2025’s biggest surprise. Before I saw it, based on the trailers I was convinced that this was going to be a typical action movie with a lot of one-liners like ”I’ll be back” and ”Yippie ki-yay…” but I was wrong.

Is Mister Yummy Being Filmed?

Posted: November 12, 2025, 13:09
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Deadline reports that Intrinsic Value Films is heading to the American Film Market with several projects, one being a Stephen King adaptation.

The King adaptation is titled Mister Yummy and is based on the short story with the same name from Bazaar of Bad Dreams. It’s being described as a “haunting tale”, the story follows a man confronting mortality where death waits around every corner and regret becomes the ghost that never leaves. Troy Blake has written the screenplay.

My Interview With Joe Hill

Posted: November 3, 2025, 15:28
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Here is my inteview with Joe Hill. In it we talk about his new book King Sorrow, his upcoming book Hunger and Stephen King among other things.

Yeah, so Hunger is in one sense the kind of story I feel very comfortable writing. It’s a ghost story and it’s very much a horror novel. In some way the last third of the book is THE most horror novel I have ever written, you know the most, goes the deepest into the sort of horror genre. In another sense though it’s way outside my comfort zone.

The Day I Met Joe Hill

Posted: November 1, 2025, 23:47
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The day I met Joe Hill was in late October this year, 2025, in London. Joe was there to promote his book King Sorrow, and I was there to interview him and hopefully get a copy signed and a photo taken with him. I was traveling light and figured I’d get a copy of the book to bring with me to our meeting once I got to London. I would be there two days before I was scheduled to meet him, so I thought that would be an easy fix.


On Thursday (I was scheduled to meet him on Friday at 4:30 PM), I set out to get my copy, and I thought that Forbidden Planet, where I would meet up with him the day after, would be a great place to get a copy of the book. I would also get a chance to check out the place so I’d know where I was going and what it looked like the next day. Well, that was what I thought. Once I got there, I couldn’t find the book in the store anywhere, and I thought it must be me looking in the wrong place. The man is scheduled to be there the next day to sign his book. He can’t do that if they don’t have the book, right? Well, I asked a gentleman who worked there if they had it, and he went to look for it. When he came back, he said, “Sorry, but I can’t sell you the book. There is a signing tomorrow between 5 PM and 7 PM, and then after that we will sell any leftovers that we have, so you can come back then.”

Well, OK, I thought. I can understand that they want to have books in stock for everyone that had bought a ticket for the signing, which I hadn’t. But I didn’t sweat it. London is huge and filled with bookstores. I was sure I’d find one that had the book.

During the rest of that day I didn’t run into a single bookstore that had the book, and I started to get stressed out. I couldn’t miss the chance to get a book signed in person when I was meeting Joe Hill. So that evening I went online, and at Waterstones on Piccadilly I found one. I ordered it for Click & Collect, and a couple of hours later I got an email that the book was ready for me to pick up.

During Friday I did a bit of sightseeing and happened to run into another Waterstones bookstore. I decided to see if the book was available there, and if so, I could buy it there, cancel my other one, and save me the extra trip to collect it. They had one copy in the back that they got for me after almost five minutes of searching for it. Only problem with that was that it was already signed. Good thing I noticed. It would have been strange to arrive with a book already signed by Joe, asking him to sign it. So, on my way to Forbidden Planet, I stopped by Waterstones at Piccadilly, and thank God they had the book. It wasn’t already signed, and they allowed me to buy it. With the book in hand, I headed for Forbidden Planet and my meeting with Joe. Of course, it started to rain the second I stepped outside the bookstore. But I was prepared. I had my umbrella, and I had my plastic bag to put the book in, and both I and the book arrived safely.

I had gotten instructions from Caitlin from Joe’s publisher to wait by the main entrance at 4:15, and she would come and get me. I was there by 4:13 and waited. By 4:20 I was still waiting and got a bit nervous that I had gotten it wrong and was supposed to wait somewhere else. I texted her, and she said Joe hadn’t arrived yet, but that she would come and get me as soon as he had. Puh, I was at the right place, I was at the right spot, and at the right time. So, I waited. After a while I heard a familiar voice. “Should I just go down there? OK.” When I looked up, it was Joe himself entering the store like any shopper would, checking where he was supposed to be with the clerk, and then went past me and down one floor. It felt so unreal that I didn’t even react. I just looked at him as he passed. And in fact, no one else seemed to realize that Joe Hill had just passed them. Very strange. I waited some more, but now I wasn’t nervous that I was in the wrong place — now I started to get a bit nervous that there wouldn’t be time for me to interview him before he was due upstairs to sign books for everyone that was lining up.


While I waited, I met some people I knew and some I didn’t know before but got to know then, and then it was time. Caitlin fetched me, and we went downstairs and into a backroom where I was told to wait — Joe was on his way.

When he arrived, there were also a few of the staff with him carrying books. Those were the staff’s books that Joe was asked to sign, and he did. I quickly understood that Joe is one of those authors that really takes the time to sign a book — he doesn’t just scribble his name and be done with it. I didn’t see what he wrote, but I did see that he took the time to sign and dedicate each and every one of the books. Just like we fans want it. Then it was my turn. My turn to interview Joe Hill face to face.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE

The interview went great, and Joe answered all my questions, and not once, even though there were a lot of fans waiting to get their books signed one floor up, did Joe feel stressed or make me feel like I had to hurry up with my questions. He took the time to answer everything, and he was a joy to interview.


Once I was done, I asked if he had time to sign my copy of King Sorrow, which he did. As with all the other copies I saw him sign, he didn’t just sign his name but also wrote a great inscription and he drew a dragon. After that we took a picture, I thanked him for everything, and he went upstairs to sign books and chat with his fans for two hours. I can only hope that all of you had the same good experience as I did.

Big thanks to Joe and Caitlin for making this happen. I really appreciate it.

Claudia Bachman’s First Contribution

Posted: October 31, 2025, 22:02
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Forbes has an exclusive of Claudia Bachman’s first contribution to The End Times

When asked what byline he’d like to use for the paper, King suggested Claudia Inez Bachman, the wife of Richard Bachman, to whom the apocryphal writer dedicated Thinner.

“It opened up many, many more imaginative doors for me,” Percy said. “Because now The End Times was shouldering up to King’s universe. I'm grinning like an idiot just thinking about it. I've been a constant reader my whole life, so to be able to join forces with my hero is beyond belief.”

Some Thoughts On The End Times

Posted: October 28, 2025, 16:05
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Here are some thoughts aobut The End Times. The first issue will be released the week of November 18 and the second in mid-December so there are still time to get your subscription.

The End Times is a very interesting thing. Not your normal book or short story and I really like it. You can decide for yourself if you want to read one issue a month digitally or buy the entire thing as a physical copy once all issues are out. The paper will run for one year, and what happens after that we don’t know. Maybe the world is no more by then, or, if we are lucky, it’ll be a continuing thing. Either way, make sure you get this. You do NOT want to be left out!

There are still physical editions left but get them fast, no way of telling how long they will last. Get the physical edition here.

If you rather get a digital edition you can get that here.

End Times New Hire!

Posted: October 28, 2025, 13:41
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How about this?


So, Bachman is back--with a twist! Longtime Constant Readers will immediately recognize Claudia as the widow of King's pseudonym Richard Bachman.

The first issue of The End Times is expected to ship around the 19th of November.

There are still physical editions left but get them fast, no way of telling how long they will last. Get the physical edition here.

If you rather get a digital edition you can get that here.

My Thoughts On The Begining Of Welcome To Derry

Posted: October 26, 2025, 09:00
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Today Welcome to Derry premiers on HBO. There will be one episode each week between now and December 14th. I’ve gotten a sneak peek of the first five episodes and here are my thoughts about them. I’ve kept the review spoiler free…or if you have been following the news about the show you are safe from getting it spoiled.

So, the scope of Welcome to Derry is to uncover the origin of the entity called Pennywise. We also know it as IT or as a clown from the book, movies, and miniseries we’ve seen and read, but where does it come from, and why does it look like a clown?

King Talks Holly Live Later This Month

Posted: October 23, 2025, 13:06
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King is set to join UMass Lowell’s Andre Dubus III for a free, virtual event on October 29th at 4 p.m. The virtual, live event is free and open to the public. The two will discuss King’s 2023 novel, Holly.

”Who better to be our inaugural author guest than Stephen King, a writer who has moved (and horrified) millions and millions of readers in dozens of countries for decades.”
- Andre Dubus

Please register for the event (to get the link) here.

King Awarded The H.C.A. Special Literature Award

Posted: October 22, 2025, 23:46
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In September, Stephen King received The Hans Christian Andersen Special Literature Award, presented by The Hans Christian Andersen Literature Committee.

The award is given for King’s “unique ability – similar to Hans Christian Andersen – to use imaginative storytelling to explore the dark and sinister sides of human life, while captivating millions of readers worldwide.”

King On The Vampire Movie That Flew Under Everyone's Radar

Posted: October 20, 2025, 13:05
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The Looper had an interesting article about King’s time as a columnist for Entertainment Weekly between 2003 and 2011 and specifically about a movie that was released in 2010, Let me in.


The movie is based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2004 novel and remakes its 2008 Swedish adaptation, Let the Right One In and centers on a bullied 12-year-old boy, Owen and a vampire named Abby. King found it the movie beautiful and frightening, saying:

"Moving and bloodthirsty, tender and horrifying, sweet and gruesome. These beautifully drawn contrasts — plus the bleak snowscape of Los Alamos, New Mexico — make Let Me In the best remake ... of the year, and the best horror film of the decade."

Talisman 3, One More Holly Book And Then…

Posted: October 16, 2025, 00:48
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In an interview with USA Today King says he has two more books he wants to write and then we’ll have to wait and see what happens…

I’m trying to clear my desk as much as I can. At my age, you're off the warranty. You can't take anything for granted.

King is planning one more book starring Gibney that he hopes to write this winter.

I love Holly. Right now I am rereading The Outside’ because I have a way into this last Holly book so I need to refresh myself with that.

Before that he has to finish the third Talisman book. King says that at the end of Black House it was made “pretty clear” that the world of the Territories, is also the Mid-World of his Dark Tower books and that he plans to “button up” both series with the new tome. Straub had given King some ideas for their third book before his death in 2022.

I kept putting it off when Peter was alive. Peter had stuff to do, too. I mean, it wasn't all on me. But I would say, ‘Well, this time, this time…’ and time ran out for Peter. That made me feel really bad.

King also reveals that he wants to take some time off while he’s still healthy.

You can't guarantee anything once you get past the age of 75, 76. So you've got to be a little bit careful. Anything can happen to anybody. I got hit by a car while I was in my prime, so to speak. I might have another 10, 15 years, but you can't count on it, that's all.

In a recent interview about his new novel King Sorrow his son Joe Hill admitted he wants to be a “book-a-year guy” like King.

He’s a force, man. My dad (sneezes) and then he pulls out the tissue and goes, ‘Oh wow. Look, there's a novel there.’

King’s explanation:

The thing is, I try to entertain myself. I sit down like at quarter of 6 in the morning before anybody's up, and before my wife's having her first cup of coffee and she's in another part of the house. I really enjoy those three or four hours where I can play in a kind of a fantasy world. It's kind of nice.

But don’t worry. King’s not retiring tomorrow, if ever.

I’m a busy guy. However, I’d like to stop before I start to drivel. Like, repeat myself. I feel like I've still got a little more space to explore, but I have to watch out and not become a bore. I hate that idea, of being a boring person. I'd like to still surprise people a little bit.

Words we have heard before…

Pennywise Is Joined By Another Familiar Face In Derry

Posted: October 15, 2025, 00:17
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Pennywise won't be the only familiar face in Welcome to Derry when it debuts later this month. That's right, Dick Hallorann (now played by Chris Chalk) is back.

”Dick is in Derry because Dick f---d up and that's the truth. You'll see the show and you'll get that."
- Chris Chalk at New York Comic Con

Chalk has been asked a million times how Dick made the jump from The Shining to IT and says it helps him weed out the casual fans from the absolute diehard fans:

”When people ask that question I go, 'You didn't read the book! You're not a big fan, are you?,'"

And executive producer Barbara Muschietti pointed out that Dick Hallorann indeed appears in King's original IT novel.

Not Just Horror Mentioned In Greek Magazines

Posted: October 13, 2025, 16:45
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The Greek magazine Ladylike include Stephen King: Not Just Horror in it’s Editor’s choice at Ladylike: The Perfect Autumn Reading List where they pick six books that they think everyone should check out this autumn.

Clickatlife calls Stephen King: Not Just Horror fresh and introspective.

A fresh and introspective look at the character and creative path of the King of Horror from the pen of Hans-Åke Lilja, the man who knows Stephen King better than anyone.

Loads Of Updates From Joe Hill

Posted: October 12, 2025, 17:30
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Joe Hill just did a great interview with The Loser’s Club and quite a lot of news and interesting info was revealed.

Joe revealed that the first story his dad wrote for him was called something like Joe and Naomi in the Fart Cookies of Death. My guess is that it was The King Family and the Wicked Witch that involves a witch that begins farting so explosively that she blows herself to the moon. The first real Stephen King book he read was IT and that he read it in manuscript form that was about 200 pages longer than the finished book.

As for Joe’s upcoming publication there are a lot to look forward to. Besides King Sorrow who was called both Coil and Serpentine in early stages Joe revealed that a limited edition of the book will be out in 2 volumes from PS Publishing in the future and in that edition, he hopes to be able to include a major subplot with Donovan McBride that he cut from the original version of the book.

He also confirmed that his next book will be called Hunger and revealed that it will be out in October 2026 if everything goes as planned. b>Hunger is a historical ghost novel taking place in the 18th century and he’s been doing research for it for the last 7 years.

And as if that isn’t enough, he has two more books that he is working on as well as a finished novella that probably will be released as an illustrated stand-alone book. Joe has also written a screenplay based on that same novella.

And, to make things even better Joe reveals that the plan for the next 10 years is to release 1 book and 1 screenplay a year for the next 10 years. This means we will have a lot more to read from Joe up until 2035, at least.

Check out the entire interview over at The Loser’s Club podcast. It’s really worth a listening.

My Thoughts On King Sorrow

Posted: October 9, 2025, 14:50
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Here are my thoughs about King Sorrow by Joe Hill out on October 21st.

Having finished the book, I realize how much I’ve missed Hill’s books. I know he has released a few collections and short stories over the years, but a full novel is something else entirely.

Richard Bachman Connection In The End Times

Posted: October 4, 2025, 00:40
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Interesting news about the upcoming The End Times. I have heard that…

King's Constant readers will be excited to learn that King's contributions will have an interesting connection with Richard Bachman.

There are still physical editions left but get them fast, no way of telling how long they will last. Get the physical edition here.

If you rather get a digital edition you can get that here.

Tom Gordon On Becoming Subject Of A King Novel

Posted: October 3, 2025, 13:28
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Tom Gordon talks about becoming subject of a King Novel.


Gordon said Stephen and Tabitha King came to his hometown to see if he was the right person for the book.

"They came and met me at my hometown and ate at a restaurant called Olympic Restaurant. And she told Stephen, she says, Flash is the right person for this. Stephen told me, he said, when she said that there was no other body, no other person, we were thinking that this was gonna happen with you, my friend," Gordon said.

"And that was the actual final outcome. And I'm grateful."

Gordon questioned King about why he was chosen and not anyone else.

"I asked a couple times, why me? You know, why me? And he said to me, there was no better guy to do this with because we liked how you approached the game. And I approached the game the same way I did as a kid," Gordon said.

Check out the full clip here

Edgar Wright On The Ending Of The Running Man

Posted: October 1, 2025, 13:08
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Edgar Wright talks about how he had to change the ending of The Running Man (no spoilers on the book and/or Movie ending) and what King thought about it in an interview with Film Stories Magazine.


Possibly the most nerve-wracking day of the entire production was writing to King with an attachment of the screenplay and pressing send. Everybody knew at the outset that [the novel’s ending] wasn’t going to be part of this adaptation exactly the way.

But would King approve the new ending?

He realised even before he read it that we weren’t going to be doing the ending from the book. And when [King] emailed back, he said, ‘I was very curious how you were going to tackle the ending, and I think you did a great job.’ So I was very happy with that.

We Have A Dragon Winner!

Posted: October 1, 2025, 08:45
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The Contest is over and we have a winner. But before we come to that, let’s check on the question.

The question was:
Joe Hill has written two short stories with his father Stephen King. Name the title of one of them.


The answer is:

Throttle, published in He Is Legend in 2009.
In the Tall Grass, published in Esquire in 2012.

Both stories can also be found in Joe’s collection Full Throttle from 2019 so if you haven’t read them, order the book here and do that now. In the Tall Grass can also be found as a feature film on Netflix.

And now to the winner. From over 1,000 entries I have drawn one winner. This person gave the correct answer and followed me on social media as required and will now receive an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of Joe Hill’s upcoming book King Sorrow, signed by Joe.

The winner is Will Steven from the US. Now, I know this is a fairly common name so before you get all excited let me tell you that I have been in touch with the right Will and if I haven’t been in touch with you even though your name is Will Steven you are not the winner.

With that said, congratulations to Will and a HUGE thanks to Headline, Joe Hill and all of you that entered the contest.

One-Night Only Special Screening Of The Life Of Chuck

Posted: September 25, 2025, 16:15
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The Life of Chuck returns to theaters for a one-night only special engagement on October 1st.

This unique event will feature an exclusive conversation with director Mike Flanagan and legendary actor Mark Hamill, offering audiences rare insight into the making of the film, its emotional resonance, and the enduring legacy of Stephen King’s original short story.


Tickets are available beginning September 24th at participating theaters and major ticketing platforms. At AMC Theaters the film will be screened in Dolby and at Regal in RPX screens.

New Ending For The Long Walk

Posted: September 25, 2025, 15:17
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Amazon.com has the DVD, BD and 4K BD listed on their site with some very interesting info.


1. They list the running time as 2 hours and 30 minutes. While shown at the cinema the running time was only 1 hours and 48 minutes. It's not stated what the extra 42 minutes are. It could be a directors cut edition, all extra material included or just an error on Amazon's part.

2. They list a new ending on the 4K edition that I'm very interested in. This new ending is only included in the 4K edition.

Jay Van Hoy Filming Rat

Posted: September 25, 2025, 08:20
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King's novella Rat is being turned into a film by producer Jay Van Hoy. The screenplay is written by Jeff Howard and Isaac Ezban will be directing.

Ezban said:
“Stephen King has always been my favorite writer, ever since I started reading horror as a teenager, and since then, I’ve had the long-time dream of adapting some of his material… He embodies that essence of the contrast of beauty and brutality that has shaped my vision and sensibilities as a storyteller. I’ve read most of his work, and Rat remains one of my favorite stories he’s ever created… the perfect match — a dark, intimate, bizarre, even humorous and deeply unsettling story that gets under your skin… I see this as a survival movie about writer’s block, and also as the ultimate tale of our craft vs. our people, our creations vs. our loved ones, our art vs. our family, a theme I can very personally relate to. King has always inspired me as a filmmaker and a storyteller, and I feel honored to bring this tale to life.”

In a joint statement, the producers added:
“Coming off the incredible experience of producing 52nd State, we were eager to dive into a project with the same level of ambition and artistic edge. Rat gives us that opportunity. Stephen King’s work has always been a touchstone for genre filmmakers, and with Isaac and Jeff steering this adaptation, we believe it will capture both the terror and humanity that make his stories timeless.”

Earlier Ben Stiller has been mentioned as the films producer but he seems to be out of the picture as of now.

Writing Books On A Typewriter

Posted: September 24, 2025, 09:47
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Joe Hill just posted his newsletter Escape Hatch: Issue 68 and in it he reveals a very interesting thing. He is writing his books on typewriters. How about that. Here is what he writes.

It’s no secret to regular readers of Escape Hatch that I’m in some kind of managed retreat from the 21st Century. I try to keep the median temperature in my office set to about 1976. I mostly skip streaming my music and opt for vinyl. I don’t bring the cell phone in the office, if I can help it. And I wrote all of The Fireman longhand in a bunch of massive ledgers.

But I don’t know if I can work that way and get a novel done every year. So, just in the last couple months, I’ve shifted over to writing my first drafts on the typewriter instead of the computer. It’s the happy spot halfway between scrawling a story on parchment with a raven’s feather and using some bloated piece of word processing software.
If you even want to call working on the typewriter “writing” at all. In the time since I’ve shifted over, I’ve hardly felt like I was writing at all. It’s more like driving nails—or squeezing the trigger on a nail-gun. The steel keys on my Olivetti go chomp-chomp-chomp and eat up the page and a while later I’ve got another 1600 words. No going back to fix things. No second thoughts.

I’ve got a whole stack of functioning typewriters, and I thought I’d rotate them between pieces, see how it goes. I’ve got a frail Selectric III (with a fancy-pants innovation: Correct-Tape!), a robust olive-colored Selectric II, and the one I’m using currently, my blood-red Olivetti, a 60-year-old manual. So far it seems like there might still be some good words left in this antique. Whether I refer here to the machine or the man sitting behind it, I leave you to decide.

Subscribe to Joe’s Substack to receive the next email.

My Interview With JT Mollner

Posted: September 18, 2025, 15:18
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A few days ago JT Mollner (scriptwriter for The Long Walk) took time of from working on his new script for the movie version of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon to talk to me about The Long Walk (and a little about The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon). It was a very pleasant and informative conversation. Please note though that there are some spoilers.

Hill's Introduction To Salem's Lot

Posted: September 15, 2025, 21:46
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In the upcoming 50th anniversary edition of Salem’s Lot Joe Hill has written an introduction where he talks about seeing the adaptation of the book back in 1979 with his parents as well as the importance of the book in the vampire genre. Check it out here

My Thoughts On The Long Walk

Posted: September 12, 2025, 09:39
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Here are my thoughts about The Long Walk.

I really like the movie and I’m going to go so far as to say that it’s one of the best movies based on a King movie ever done. I know there are movies like The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption but I stand by my word. Given the chance to watch only one of those two or The Long Walk I would pick The Long Walk.

Contest Time

Posted: September 9, 2025, 23:06
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Headline and Joe Hill sent me a signed Advanced Readers Copy of King Sorrow to use in a contest here at Lilja’s Library. So, here is your chance to own a quite special edition of Joe’s upcoming book AND it’s signed by Joe. There aren’t many copies like this out there so don’t miss this chance!


This is Joe’s first book in 9 years if you’re not counting collections and comics and the wait is finally over on October 21st. And if you’re like me you’ll love this one.

To win this special book you need to do the following:

1) Follow Lilja’s Library on one or more of my social medias. Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky or Threads.
2) Answer the question below no later than September 30.

I will then after drawing a winner randomly select one of my social media and if the person I have drawn follows me there, we have our winner. If the person is not, I will draw a new winner and again randomly select one of my social media and so on. So, the more of my social media you follow the better.

Question:
Joe Hill has written two short stories with his father Stephen King. Name the title of one of them.

Send in your answer here.

Good Luck everyone and again, thanks to Headline and Joe Hill.

Special feature

King calendar

Ongoing:
Welcome To Derry (TV series)
Out Now!:
Stephen King: Odds & Ends (Italian ed.)
November 14, 2025:
The Running Man
November 19, 2025:
The End Times
2025:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (German edition)
2025:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (German ed.)
2026:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (Portuguese ed.)
2026:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (Portuguese edition)

Latest interviews

Joe Hill
November 3, 2025
JT Mollner
September 18, 2025
Angelina Kekish
February 16, 2021

Latest reviews

The Running Man
November 14, 2025
The End Times
October 28, 2025
Welcome To Derry
October 26, 2025

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