NEWS -

Variant cover for issue #1

Posted: October 24, 2009, 00:29
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Click for a larger imageHere is the cover for the variant cover for Battle of Jericho Hill by Brandon Peterson.

Pet Sematary game

Posted: October 23, 2009, 12:16
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How did this happen?


Stephen King tie-in out now
by Jon Jordan

It's close to Halloween so surely time for a Stephen King tie-in on the App Store?

Indeed, Paramount has dug up an old film licence, providing us with a Pet Sematary game.

As tends to happen when multi-faceted novels are converted into other media, it's become a top-down shooter, in which you have to rapidly tap on resurrected pets and small boys to shoot them, while saving the adults who charge around the levels seeking safety.

To be honest, it's doesn't seem to be very sophisticated - but perhaps as an impulse 99c purchase, there's nothing wrong with that.

Each level lasts a swift minute long and you can acquire power-ups along the way to boost your points score, which is shared via online high scores and Facebook.

Pet Sematary is available now, priced 99c, €0.79 or 59p. Hit the Buy It! button to see how deep you have to dig.

Click for a larger image

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Message from Steve

Posted: October 22, 2009, 20:32
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This was posted on King's official site after it was reported that the eBook of Under the Dome would cost $35.

Dear Constant Readers,

Please don’t believe the press reports that the e-book reader price for Under the Dome will be $35. This was the result of confusion from a press release from the publisher, what Big Jim Rennie would call a clustermug. It is true that you cannot order the book as an e-download until December 24th but the physical book, which is a beautiful thing, you can pre-order for less than $9—so who’s better than us?

Steve

Really cool

Posted: October 22, 2009, 14:13
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I have told you about them before but now I have had the chance to see them with my own eyes and they are really cool. What am I talking about? Well, you have a little hint in the photo to the right but if you want to know more, read this

My thoughts #2

Posted: October 21, 2009, 23:28
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Click for a larger image Click for a larger imageHere is my review of issue #1 of Soul Survivor that was released today as well as the regular and variant covers for the issue.

My thoughts #1

Posted: October 21, 2009, 23:24
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Here is my review of issue #0 of The Talisman that was released today.

Interactive book cover

Posted: October 21, 2009, 12:15
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On October 21st at 3pm EST, a new feature will be added to the Under the Dome Widget. The widget will feature a link to an interactive book cover, allowing you to explore the book a little more in depth prior to its release.

---UPDATE---

The interactive cover is now online. Check it out here.

King speaks about The Dome

Posted: October 21, 2009, 12:14
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On Tuesday, October 27th, the AOL.com homepage and AOL’s PopEater entertainment site will feature an interview in which Stephen speaks about Under the Dome.

Click here to go to PopEater

This is a one-day exclusive but if you miss it on October 27th, the interview will also run on selected sites including StephenKing.com beginning on the 28th.

Talisman excerpt

Posted: October 21, 2009, 12:01
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Here you will be able to check out an exclusive excerpt from issue #1 of The Talisman between October 21 and 28.

Meet Stephen King’s Gore Specialist

Posted: October 20, 2009, 15:43
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Here is a very interesting article about Russ Dorr, a man who’s helped King with getting the fact straight in more than one book. Beware though that there are some small spoilers for Under the Dome in the article.

Thanks to Michael Cahill

Interview with Robin Furth

Posted: October 19, 2009, 22:20
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Later this week issue #0 of The Talisman comic is released and as most of you probably already know Robin Furth has a pretty big part in it. I got a chance to talk to her about it and here is what she had to say.

Under the Dome in Italy

Posted: October 19, 2009, 16:38
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Under the Dome was released on Friday in Italy (in Milan and Rome) under the title The Dome. It will be released all over Italy on October 20.

Thanks to Daniele Vailati.

Ka is revealed...

Posted: October 19, 2009, 15:31
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Now we know what Ka is a Wheel is…sort of. It looks like it’s a game based on The Dark Tower but it could be something else as well... It does however looks like we'll know more on November 30. Check out a trailer here

UK limited?

Posted: October 15, 2009, 14:34
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There have been talks about a limited edition of Under the Dome from Hodder & Stoughton for a while now but now things are finally starting to happen.

At Waterstone's they are now taking orders for an edition that costs £100 and my guess is that this is that limited that there has been talks about.

I'm looking for more info as we speaks but if you want to order your copy now you can do that here but please not that there hasn't been any confirmation yet that this IS the limited one.

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The second text part is hidden...

Posted: October 14, 2009, 16:00
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Click for a larger imageA new text segment has been hidden here on Lilja's Library. This one will be a bit harder to find thoug...

Feel free to mail me if you find it...


The second text part hidden here at Lilja's Library:
--
'She went for Woops,' Aidan said. He looked like a little old man - a little old worried man. 'I'd be ascairt to go Halloweenin without Mommy.' 'Come on, Caro,' the man said. 'We ought to-' Rusty rose from the bench. 'Could I speak to you for a minute, ma'am? Just a step or two over here.' Caro looked puzzled
--

More about a BIG book

Posted: October 14, 2009, 14:31
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Well, if you have seen the pictures of this book on my site you know it’s a massive book, it’s actually one of the biggest books I have seen, and then I haven’t even seen it in real life yet… I have however gotten a little taste of it and what I have seen really makes me want to get a copy of the book. As luck has it I will get a copy of this giant so count on a review once I do.

Until then, check out these new pages from the book. The book is filled with stuff like this. Some of the illustrations I recognize and some I have never seen before but they all have one thing in common, they are all very interesting and my guess is that you’ll spend the first read just watching the illustrations...and then the at the second read actually read the text about the illustrators and their work...

Click for a larger image Click for a larger image Click for a larger image

KEY SPECIFICATIONS:
full color, 11 × 15 inches, 448 pages
over 500 illustrations
over 30 pages of double-page foldouts
publication date: November 2009
Order here

Under the UK...

Posted: October 14, 2009, 14:29
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Hodder & Stoughton's Under the Dome site´is now live.

Short interview...

Posted: October 14, 2009, 14:29
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Here is a short interview with King about Under the Dome.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Sneak peek

Posted: October 13, 2009, 16:25
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Here is a sneak peek the first pages of The Talisman

One more arc...

Posted: October 13, 2009, 08:55
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Click for a larger imageMarvel has just announced an aditional story ARC of The Dark Tower comic. It's called The Gunslinger and here is what they say about it:

Marvel, in collaboration with Stephen King, is proud to announce a new chapter in the Dark Tower graphic fiction adaptation-DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER. Beginning in 2010, The New York Times Best-Selling creative team of Peter David, Robin Furth and Richard Isanove return for a new arc exploring the life of Roland Deschain, revealing how and why he began his pursuit of the man in black across Mid-World's Mohaine Desert!

Read more here.

Thanks to Sebastian Rahm.

A hidden masterpiece…

Posted: October 13, 2009, 01:27
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Under the Dome
336,114 words
Broken into 5,196 pieces
A hidden masterpiece

With less than a month left till the release of Under the Dome Hodder & Stoughton is kicking of a contest to celebrate the launch of the book. They are breaking the novel up into 5,196 pieces and then hiding the pieces for all of you to find.

The novel is going to be scattered across the internet and real world and it’s now up to you to find it, bring them back to their site (site is not yet live) and try to piece the novel together before it is out on general release on November 10th.

And if you hadn’t guessed it already there is one piece hidden here at Lilja’s Library as well. Happy Hunting!

King in Playboy

Posted: October 12, 2009, 00:25
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The latest issue of Playboy don't just have Marge Simpsons on the cover. It also has The Bone Church which is a poem by King.

Thanks to Terry Warrick and Mark Reynolds

New column online

Posted: October 12, 2009, 00:23
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Now you can read The One That Got Away online.

Thanks to willowlove.

Bullet illustrations

Posted: October 12, 2009, 00:18
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Here are some news about Riding the Bullet from Lonely Road books:

It will be published next year.

It will feature new artwork by Alan Clark. you can get a sneak peak here.

Thanks to Ari.

Covers for Under the Dome

Posted: October 8, 2009, 19:10
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Click for a larger image Click for a larger image


Click for a larger imageHere are two images of the limited edition of Under the Dome as well as the audio cover.

Also, in the paperback ed. of Just after Sunset there is an excerpt from Under the Dome called Barbie as well as the The airplane and the woodchuck. Barbie continues where The airplane and the woodchuck ends.

Thanks to John Hanic and Hans

King NOT involved in Haven

Posted: October 8, 2009, 15:02
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Yesterday quite a few articles on the net indicated that King was personally involved with the production of Haven but now it's clear that he is NOT. This was posted on the official message board:

Steve hadn't mentioned this project to me so it came out of the blue when I saw the Google alert. I emailed Steve to find out what the deal was and this is his response which he gave me permission to post:

"I'm not personally involved, and the concept is much more X-Files than it is The Colorado Kid. I okayed the pilot script, which is good (or was, as of the last draft), but there's no possessory credit, as in "Stephen King's The Colorado Kid," and that should tell you something. Basically, they're doing their own thing, and given the less than lyrical reader and critical reaction to the story as published in Hardcase Crime, that's okay with me."

Dome excerpt

Posted: October 8, 2009, 11:31
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Entertainment Weekly will be publishing an excerpt of Under the Dome in their print magazine currently scheduled to be on stands on October 23rd (the date could be subject to change). The excerpt is not expected to be available on-line.

Thanks to Larry Fire.

Limited cover

Posted: October 7, 2009, 15:00
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Here is the cover for the limited edition of Under the Dome. This edition has the art as the regular edition, but there is a bellyband that wraps the book and can be removed where the jacket becomes a piece of art with no writing on it.

More Haven

Posted: October 6, 2009, 16:45
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More about Haven from The Blobe and Mail:

Stephen King has penned some of the literary world's most memorable horror novels, from Carrie to The Shining. But what in the name of Cujo could possibly send shivers up the author's spine?

The answer has finally come: U.S. television studios.

In a deal that will be announced today in Cannes, France, Mr. King has partnered with Canadian television producer E1 Entertainment Inc. to make his latest creation, a television series titled Haven, based on his best-selling novella The Colorado Kid.

It is a deal that shatters the conventions of big-budget television productions. Rather than take his concept directly to a Hollywood studio, the author has specifically gone outside of the U.S. in order to retain more creative control over how the series is made.

When complete, Haven will be offered up to networks to buy, but the author is strategically looking to avoid the studio formula of producing a pilot episode, then hoping it generates enough interest to be picked up for a whole season. Instead, Toronto-based E1 will make an entire season - 13 one-hour episodes - before it is shopped to broadcasters in several countries, including the U.S.

"He had his reasons. He might have been disillusioned a little with the development process in the U.S.," Peter Emerson, president of E1's television division, said of Mr. King's decision to partner with the Canadian company.

"He wants to be able to do it without putting it through a studio that's going to pay 100 per cent of it and consequently have that control. ... That created a unique problem for us, because that's not normally how the business works. Normally you get the U.S. studios involved first and then sell internationally."

Mr. King is not commenting on the deal. However, the author is said to have been upset with the treatment of some of his work on television and in films, and also wants to retain a greater share of the proceeds from Haven than he would if the rights were bought by a studio.

The concept of making a complete season is outside the norm for the big TV studios, which want to limit their financial risk if a show stumbles in its first few episodes. However, the full-season model has been increasingly used by premium cable networks, such as HBO and Showtime, and other cable outlets to develop more complete storylines.

Mr. King, who has sold more than 300 million horror novels in his career, began talking to E1 last year when he decided to adapt The Colorado Kid to television. The story is based on the cursed residents of a small town in Maine. E1 was initially approached by Mr. King's agent, Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency, based on its past work making shows for U.S. and Canadian networks.

The company has helped make Hung for HBO, The Bridge for CBS and CTV, and Copper for ABC and Global Television. To secure the financing needed to make a TV series that is network quality, E1 needed a partner to help it foot the bill of more than $2-million (U.S.) an episode for Haven.

For that, E1 turned to the international arm of NBC's production studio, Universal Networks International. In exchange for putting up some of the production budget, Universal will get the rights to show Haven on pay-television channels outside North America and Scandinavia. E1 is free to sell the show in North America, noting that it will likely end up on science fiction channels on cable. Though Universal is connected to NBC in the U.S., the network has no claim over Mr. King's series.

The U.S. studio model has been in flux since the Hollywood writer's strike two years ago forced the major networks to look beyond heir own operations for new shows. Roma Khanna, president of Universal's international operations, said the deal is a nod to the increasing quality of Canadian productions and a sign of the shift in the U.S. market.

"It says a lot of the production world that we're in now, to think outside the traditional U.S. studio system," said Ms. Khanna, a former executive with CHUM Ltd. in Toronto who moved to Universal's London office three years ago.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Looks good for Haven

Posted: October 6, 2009, 16:44
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It looks good for Haven. This was reported by Variety today:

Universal Networks finds 'Haven'

Global dvision to co-finance Stephen King drama
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDERMore


Universal Networks Intl., the newly rebranded global channels unit of NBC Universal, has signed on to co-finance the Stephen King drama "Haven."

In the case of "Haven," E1 Entertainment is behind the show -- based on the King novella "The Colorado Kid" -- and will produce 13 episodes (Daily Variety, Sept. 28). Universal has acquired exclusive pay TV rights across the globe except for the U.S., Canada and Scandinavia, where distribution is still being sought.

Deal reps E1's first major pact with Universal Networks Intl.

Thanks to Marcus

Dark Tower comic

Posted: October 6, 2009, 00:51
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Marvel has published a nice article about what has happened so far in The Dark Tower series and added some black/white sketches of the upcoming #6. Check it out here

Thanks to Sebastian Rahm

The cover, last part

Posted: October 6, 2009, 00:36
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Here is the finished cover for Under the Dome. Beutiful if you ask me.

Click for a larger image

Mor Cannibals

Posted: October 5, 2009, 10:20
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60 new pages of The Canniblas are now up for download on King's site. Get them (and the first 60) here.

Thanks to Peter Hunt

A VERY big book

Posted: October 5, 2009, 10:18
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Here's a selection of photos from Artists Inspired by Stephen King that was released by the publisher. It gives you a feeling of just how big this book is. They also wanted me to tell you that the book has shipped from China and is expected to be in the U.S. in a few short weeks. So, if you haven’t ordered your copy yet, do it now. You can order it here.


Stephen to Appear in Toronto

Posted: October 2, 2009, 08:08
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From King's official site:

Stephen to Appear in Toronto

Simon & Schuster Canada is pleased to welcome international bestselling author Stephen King to Toronto for an exclusive Canadian in person appearance on November 19th, 2009 at the Canon Theatre. The legendary horror, science fiction, and fantasy author has written more than fifty bestselling books and is the 2007 recipient of The Canadian Booksellers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Stephen King visits Toronto to celebrate the launch of his epic new novel, Under the Dome.

For this exclusive in person event King will be joined in conversation by highly-acclaimed Canadian director, writer, and producer David Cronenberg on stage at the elegant Canon Theatre.

Hosted by Canadian television and radio personality George Stroumboulopoulos, host of CBC television program The Hour, the evening will commence at 8:00pm with introductions followed by an in-depth interview with Stephen King led by David Cronenberg.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, October 2nd for $33 and $28 (Service charges apply to phone and internet orders. All prices are in Canadian dollars and include GST & CIF. Seating is subject to availability) and will be available by phone at TicketKing (416) 872-1212 or 1(800)461-3333,
online at www.ticketking.com, or in person at these box offices: The Royal Alexandra Theatre (260 King Street West) or The Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West).

Gilead preview

Posted: October 2, 2009, 08:04
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Here is a preview of issue #5 of Fall of Gilead that can now be found in stores.

Thanks to Sebastian Rahm.

The TimesTalks

Posted: September 30, 2009, 10:53
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This was posted on King's official board about The TimesTalks event:

The TimesTalks has posted an update for their simulcast locations. You can find the list of participating theaters at this link (see the Choose a Country section and follow the links through). There is also a link to submit a question for consideration by the moderator at the event. I did not see the pricing for the tickets on their page, though, and do not know if pricing is set by the local theaters.

My review

Posted: September 30, 2009, 01:11
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Check out my review of It Grows On You: And Other Stories, The End of the Whole Mess: And Other Stories and Sorry, Right Number: And Other Stories here.

The Colorado Kid becoming Haven

Posted: September 29, 2009, 13:53
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According to Variety, E1 Entertainment has committed to 13 hour-long episodes adapting Stephen King’s novella The Colorado Kid into a television series called Haven.

Scott Shepherd will serve as showrunner and exec produce with Lloyd Segan and Shawn Piller, all three of whom were exec producers on USA Network's version of The Dead Zone.

Two more Dead Zone alumni, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn, are writing the pilot and will also serve as exec producers.

The report describes the project as, “centers on a spooky town in Maine where cursed folk live normal lives in exile. When those curses start returning, FBI agent Audrey Parker is brought in to keep those supernatural forces at bay — while trying to unravel the mysteries of Haven.”

E1 is in advanced talks with several European broadcast partners to sign on and help finance the show. After securing an international partner, the company will turn its attention to finding U.S. and Canadian broadcasters.

Thanks to Bev Vincent