NEWS -

Ep. 52: No Haven In the Bazaar Dark Tower

Posted: December 15, 2015, 08:21
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With your hosts - longtime Constant Readers - Hans Lilja of Lilja's Library and podcaster - Lou W. Sytsma.

Welcome to Episode 52 of The Stephen King Podcast!

A super sized Christmas Holidays extravaganza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your co-hosts Hans Lilja & Lou Sytsma cover the following:

1) Review the first 10 stories in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

2) Start the countdown to end of Haven by reviewing Episodes 14 - 20

And the Biggie!

3) Discuss the latest casting rumours for The Dark Tower concerning Idris Elba being in the running for the role of the Gunslinger himself - Roland Deschain!


As always, we bring you the latest Stephen King news.

We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.

Good or bad, we want it all!

You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:

1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library

2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)


In this podcast:

1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:57 - Podcast Setup
3) 01:46 - From The Death Room - The Latest Stephen King News
4) 18:37 - Reviews From The Night Shift - The Bazaar of Bad Dreams - Part 1
5) 1:20:03 - More reviews from The Night Shift - Haven - S5: Ep 14 - 20
6) 1:38:03 - Dark Tower Casting New - Idris Elba as Roland?
7) 2:28:58 - Sign Off
8) 2:29:56 - Outre




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Intro Music - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Outro Music - Stand By Me - Ben E. King
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Bid On A Signed Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Posted: December 14, 2015, 23:19
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Here's a rare copy of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams signed by King up on eBay. It's for a good cause and as far as I know there aren't that many signed copies of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams around so Place a bid if you want to have a chance on getting it.

On the King board you can read more about the history of the book.



Cell & IT Out Next Year?

Posted: December 14, 2015, 01:12
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StephenKing.com sent out a season's greetings just now and in it they listed what's been released in 2015 and what to expect in 2016. Most of it we already know but what caught my eye was this:

Finally, keep an eye out for the film adaption of Cell starring Samuel L Jackson and John Cusack next summer with the movie adaption of IT not far behind.

Does this mean they know something we don't about Cell and IT?

The Question No One's Asking Is Why?

Posted: December 12, 2015, 14:44
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The news or rather rumor that Idris Elba is considered to play Roland The Gunslinger has absolutely exploded on Internet. People have argued that it's a good thing and that it's a bad thing. King himself commented that it doesn't matter to him.

The once that's against Elba as Roland is it basically because it would mess up the relationship between Roland and Detta/Odetta where she is a black woman that hates Roland because he's white.

The once that are for Elba as Roland on the other hand claims that the story could be altered and still work and that we could still get the conflict between Roland and Detta /Odetta.

Personally I thing much of the relationship between Roland ans Detta/Odetta would be lost if they were both black. But if someone in advance would have told me that the ending of The Mist would have been better when changed I might not have believed that either so I guess anything is possible I just don't see it now.

What I'm surprised by is that no one seems to ask WHY they want to change it! The only reason I can see is that they either think that the story itself will be better or that they can't find someone who will do Roland better or as good as Elba. I don't believe in either of those two reasons and if so they are just changing it for the changing itself and that is just plain wrong if you ask me.

So, until someone gives me a good reason as to why they should change King's (in my opinion good story) and risk it not being as good I'm voting "No" on Elba.

Lilja

Idris Elba To Play Roland Deschain? [RUMOR]

Posted: December 10, 2015, 11:55
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According to Deadline Idris Elba is the front-runner to play Roland Deschain In The Dark Tower. Deadline isn't revealing a source for this and no one seems to want to comment on it so I would just treat this as a RUMOR for now and if you ask me, an unlikely to happen rumor.


But if it would happen, what would you think about it?

Thanks to Dimitris Tso

The Dark Tower Not Set in Stone...Yet

Posted: December 8, 2015, 11:51
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In a recent Reddit AMA Ron Howard was asked about the status of The Dark Tower movie, and while he did say that work is being done, it turns out that there’s no guarantee that the work will ever actually lead to anything.


Thanks to Dimitris Tso

Order Your Christmas Books Now!

Posted: December 8, 2015, 11:46
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If you haven’t already it’s time to pre-order your copy of End of Watch. It’s only 182 days until it’s released. And if you haven’t read the first two books about Bill Hodges, order them today and make sure you have read them until End of Watch is released. Or why not give them to someone you like for Christmas?

US Editions:
Book 1: Mr Mercedes
Book 2: Finders Keepers
Book 3: End of Watch

UK Editions:
Book 1: Mr Mercedes
Book 2: Finders Keepers
Book 3: End of Watch

And while you’re at it, why not check out these books.
Lilja's Library: The World of Stephen King (US)
Lilja's Library: The World of Stephen King (UK)
The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book (US)
The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book (UK)

Ep 51: Bad Places: Graveyards, Hell, & Domes

Posted: December 7, 2015, 13:21
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With your hosts - longtime Constant Readers - Hans Lilja of Lilja's Library and podcaster - Lou W. Sytsma.

Welcome to Episode 51 of The Stephen King Podcast!

We review the final episodes of Under The Dome and the 1990 movie - Graveyard Shift.

We also look at the long list of adaptations of Stephen King works stuck in Development Hell.

As always, we bring you the latest Stephen King news.


We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.

Good or bad, we want it all!

You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:

1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library

2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)


In this podcast:

1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:57 - Podcast Setup
3) 03:24 - From The Death Room - The Latest Stephen King News
4) 23:24 - Reviews From The Night Shift - Graveyard Shift
5) 38:21 - More reviews from The Night Shift - Under The Dome - Series End
6) 99:99 - King Crypt - King Adaptations In Development Hell
7) 58:29 - Sign Off
8) 1:32:08 - Outre



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Intro Music - Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Outro Music - Stand By Me - Ben E. King
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Direct Download Link - The Stephen King Podcast - Episode 51

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190 Days Left

Posted: November 30, 2015, 13:40
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190 Days until End of Watch. How excited are you?

Here are two descriptions (SPOILER) of the plot.

IN ROOM 217 OF THE LAKES REGION TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CLINIC, SOMETHING HAS AWAKENED. SOMETHING EVIL.

Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more were badly injured, has been in the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic for five years, in a vegetative state. According to his doctors, anything approaching a complete recovery is unlikely. But behind the drool and stare, Brady is awake, and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room.

Retired police detective Bill Hodges, the unlikely hero of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers, now runs an investigation agency with his partner, Holly Gibney, who delivered the blow to Hartsfield's head that put him on the brain injury ward. Brady also remembers that. When Bill and Holly are called to a murder-suicide with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put not only their lives at risk, but those of Hodges’s friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Because Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Bill Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city.

In End of Watch, Stephen King brings the Hodges trilogy to a sublimely terrifying conclusion, combining the detective fiction of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers with the supernatural suspense that has been his trademark. The result is an unnerving look at human vulnerability and up-all-night entertainment.

--

End of Watch is a compelling and chilling suspense novel which sees retired detective Bill Hodges back on the trail of his nemesis Brady Hartsfield, the criminal the press called The Mercedes Killer. Foiled in his attempt to commit a second mass murder, Hartsfield is confined to a hospital brain injury unit in a seemingly unresponsive state. But all is not what it seems: Brady is able to influence both his physician and the hospital librarian to commit crimes in the outside world. Now, the technological genius has created a hypnotic electronic fishing game which compels users to commit suicide, and he is determined to target the three people who put him in hospital - Hodges and his sidekicks Holly and Jerome. Then he plans to initiate a suicide epidemic. For Hodges - and the city - the clock is ticking in unexpected ways...Both a stand-alone novel and the final episode in the Hodges trilogy, End of Watchis a tense read which takes the series into a powerful new dimension.

Cell Out in February in the UK?

Posted: November 30, 2015, 09:10
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Looks like Signature Entertainment has acquired the distribution rights to Cell in the UK. According to info from the British Board of Film Classification it will be 97 min and 40 sec long, released uncut and out (in the UK) on February 26 2016.


Here are some comments from BBFC about the movie. THIS CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE!

Note: The following text may contain spoilers

CELL is a science fiction horror film, based on a Stephen King novel, about a mysterious outbreak of violent madness that affects anyone with a mobile phone.

VIOLENCE
The film contains strong bloody violence. In one early sequence a large group of people are infected simultaneously and there is sight of them attacking and killing numerous people, with victims being stabbed and shot. During the sequence, there is also sight of a woman being repeatedly punched in the face by an infected man, with blood streaming from her mouth. In another scene, a large horde of infected people are set on fire and shown screaming and running to escape the blaze. The film also contains several scenes in which infected people are shot.

INJURY DETAIL
There are some gory images when the infected people are killed. For example, there is sight of blood oozing from a head wound after an attack, and a scene in which an infected woman repeatedly bashes her head against a wall in a frenzy before turning round and drooling blood and a tooth out of her mouth. Throughout the film there is also sight of bloody scars and injuries on the bodies and faces of the infected.

LANGUAGE
The film contains strong language ('f**k'), some of which is used aggressively.

In one sequence, a man sees a woman kneeling in front of a man in a toilet cubicle, implying sexual activity. No clear detail is shown, however, and the implied activity is revealed to have been just a dream. There are also passing references to drug use.

Thanks to Dimitris Tso

Photos & Descriptions Of The charactes in 11/22/63

Posted: November 26, 2015, 00:20
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Here are photos and descriptions of all the main charactes in 11/22/63.


James Franco (Jake Epping / Jake Amberson)
- A recently divorced high school English teacher turned time traveler and spy. His mission: identify and stop the assassin (or assassins) of John F. Kennedy.


Sarah Gadon (Sadie Dunhill)
- The luminous, sharp librarian in 1960s Jodie, Texas. She falls in love with Jake, unaware of his double life.


Daniel Webber (Lee Harvey Oswald)
- One of the most discussed figures in American history, by turns vulnerable or violent, drifting or driven, and an enigma even to himself.


Lucy Fry (Marina Oswald)
- Lee Harvey Oswald’s new Russian wife. A knockout, challenged to make her way in a foreign country with her unpredictable husband.


Cherry Jones (Marguerite Oswald)
- The mother of Lee Harvey Oswald, as needy and difficult as her infamous son.


George Mackay (Bill Turcotte)
- A young, guileless bartender from 1960s Kentucky, Bill becomes Jake’s ally — and falls deeper into the mystery of Lee Harvey Oswald than he or Jake ever imagined.


Josh Duhamel (Frank Dunning)
- Harry Dunning’s father — the rakish town butcher, a man’s man, and a murderer.


T.R. Knight (Johnny Clayton)
- Sadie Dunhill’s repressed, controlling ex-husband.


Chris Cooper (Al Templeton)
- The irascible owner of Al’s Diner, a mentor/friend to Jake, and a time traveler pioneer. Al’s appeal to save Kennedy sends Jake back on his incredible mission.


Kevin J. O’Connor (Yellow Card Man)
- An enigmatic, eerie figure who appears to Jake periodically as a warning... or a threat.

Stephen King Goes To The Opera

Posted: November 25, 2015, 14:30
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Led by conductor Michael Christie, the cast and orchestra of Minnesota Opera's new commissioned work based on horrormeister Stephen King's bestseller "The Shining" presented a workshop sneak peek on Friday at the opera's rehearsal space. Front row, center to right: Alejandro Vegas as young Danny Torrance, soprano Kelly Kaduce as his mother Wendy, baritone Andrew Lovato as father Jack (Brian Mulligan will sing the role for the May world premiere) and tenor John Robert Lindsey as Lloyd the Bartender.

Read the full story here.

Thanks to Lou Sytsma

Review of Carrie: The Killer Musical Experience

Posted: November 25, 2015, 09:31
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I got an email from Ami Sandler the other day and he told me that he had been to the Carrie musical in Los Angeles on October 24 at the Los Angeles Theatre and from what I understand, it's something you don't want to miss out on.

Carrie: The Killer Musical Experience
Log Angeles Theatre
October 24, 2014

Carrie: The Killer Musical Experience was more than just entertaining: it was alive! From the moment you arrived at the Los Angeles Theatre, you were immersed in the theme of the performance. The doors on the outside of the venue showed hands of Carrie’s victims trying to leave the gymnasium. Inside the entryway, guests were greeted as if they were arriving for the prom. There were prom posters, as well as a photo booth for guests to take free photos against a backdrop using several props. Once inside the theatre, attendees could venture downstairs towards the restrooms for several themed rooms fitting for the musical. One was set up like a gym locker room, with one locker open with items bearing Sue Snell’s name. The other side of the locker room featured showers and tiles, with a bloody message for Carrie.

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

Read the complete text

Lilja Meets the King; 2 Years Ago Today

Posted: November 20, 2015, 11:59
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Two years ago today I meet King for the second time. It was at a Meet and Greet in Hamburg and I got to shake his hand and get two books signed.

Here is what I wrote about it 2 years ago.

Lilja Meets the King


Today I was at a Meet & Greet with Stephen King.


I got two books signed (German Doctor Sleep and Swedish Dark Tower 7)


I got to shake the masters hand.


And a photo.

Thanks to King and everyone at Heyne who made this possible.

Matthew McConaughey as Flagg or Roland?

Posted: November 17, 2015, 08:36
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Will Matthew McConaughey play Flagg in the upcoming movie version of The Dark Tower? Or will be play Roland The Gunslinger? Well rumor says that he has been offered to play either of these roles. Personally I would prefer Flagg. That way they could also cast him as Flagg in The Stand as it has been rumored earlier. Please note though that this is just a rumor and its source is labeled as ”a person familiar with the project”. So please take it as a rumor for now.


If you could decide, would you cast him as Flagg, Roland or none of them?

Review of Misery Theatre Play

Posted: November 13, 2015, 04:00
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I got an email from Roy Bruhn who went to see the theatrical version of Misery with Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf. In the mail he shared his thoughts on it with me and after him giving me his approval I’d like to share it here with you. Unfortunatley the play isn’t as good as one could hope for… Here is what Roy had to say.

I am not a theatre critic, but I love theatre and the medium and was very curious how they would manage to bring one of my favorite King stories on stage. I loved the book (having said that, I only read it once, when it was released), I did like the movie, but I don’t think it captured the elements and the spirit of the book very well. I think the movie was a good stand-alone movie, but not a very good book adaption, when it comes to produce similar emotions in me as the book did and to portrait well (or at all) what I saw as the key ideas of the book.


Anyway, now it is about the play: It started all very promising, the stage design looked great and was rotating during the play, dynamically changing the potion of the house that was faced to the audience while the actors where acting. The house segments shown where outdoors, Paul’s bed chamber, the hallway and the kitchen. I am attaching you a picture of the outdoors view, as it looked before the play started. The intro was very well done, the bed chamber was dark, some light came through the window, enough to see there is a badly injured person in the bed, the door opened and light come flooding in from the corridor. The long shadow of Annie was preceding her and have the whole play a fabulous eerie start. Unfortunately this was already the best of the play. Of course, the story in itself remains great, but the play really seem to have butchered it and turned it nearly into a comedy rather than a suspenseful stage adaption. Bruce Willis' performance was bad, he never convinced me. He seemed to be more annoyed with Annie then scared.

Read the complete text

Second Description of End of Watch

Posted: November 12, 2015, 00:45
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Here is a second description of End of Watch:

End of Watch is a compelling and chilling suspense novel which sees retired detective Bill Hodges back on the trail of his nemesis Brady Hartsfield, the criminal the press called The Mercedes Killer. Foiled in his attempt to commit a second mass murder, Hartsfield is confined to a hospital brain injury unit in a seemingly unresponsive state. But all is not what it seems: Brady is able to influence both his physician and the hospital librarian to commit crimes in the outside world. Now, the technological genius has created a hypnotic electronic fishing game which compels users to commit suicide, and he is determined to target the three people who put him in hospital - Hodges and his sidekicks Holly and Jerome. Then he plans to initiate a suicide epidemic. For Hodges - and the city - the clock is ticking in unexpected ways...Both a stand-alone novel and the final episode in the Hodges trilogy, End of Watchis a tense read which takes the series into a powerful new dimension.

And the Winners Are...

Posted: November 9, 2015, 15:17
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The winners in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams contest has been drawn and I would like to congratulate F R Maher, Mark Wiggins and Kirk Mulligan who all sent in the correct answers. The book will be with you shortly.

Contest Has Ended!

Posted: November 9, 2015, 08:48
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The winners in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams contest has been drawn. To make it a bit more exciting I will post the correct answers now and the winners later today…

Question: What is the title of King’s first collection of stories?
Answer: Night Shift

Question: How many stories is there in Bazaar of Bad Dreams?
Answer: 20

Question: What is the English title of the story that was first just published in France and Germany?
Answer: Bad Little Kid

Stay tuned for the winners later today…

Us Getting The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Posted: November 4, 2015, 14:18
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King’s latest book, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, is out and I would like to do the same thing I did when his preivous books was released. I want to put together a page with photos of you all and your copy of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. All you need to do is send me a photo (this should open an email but if it dosn't, send the photo to info[a]liljas-library.com) of yourself and the book (any edition works) and I’ll post them here. If you don’t want to send it by email you can also post it on the Facebook page and I’ll grab it there. I would also like to ask you to include your name, town and country so that I can list that with the photo.

Let's get those photos collected!

IT Films Next Summer

Posted: November 1, 2015, 01:37
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Here are some news from Bloody Disgusting about the upcoming adaptation of IT:

Andy Muschietti, director and producer of Guillermo del Toro’s Mama, is preparing It, the long-gestured and troubled Stephen King adaptation that would be made as two features.

Recently announced, Andy Muschietti substituted Cary Fukunaga on the New Line project.

Shooting is now set to take place next summer, partly to allow for work with children, as they have the main roles in the first part.

Casting is currently underway, with Will Poulter (The Maze Runner, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) still in the mix for the role of Pennywise, the demonic clown. “Will Poulter would be a great option. For me he is at the top of my list,” Muschietti firmed up.

Thanks to Lou Sytsma

King Search For the Most Gripping Short Story

Posted: October 31, 2015, 01:19
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King and The Guardian in search for the most original and gripping short story.

The master of horror fiction joins us in a search for the most original and gripping short stories. But how will you interpret Stephen King’s intriguing invitation?

To mark the publication, we are teaming up with his UK publisher Hodder & Stoughton to run a short story competition, in which King himself will pick the winner. The prize will include publication of the winning story on the the Guardian books website and a chance to improve your skills at a Guardian Masterclass run by King’s UK editor, Philippa Pride.

Read more here.

Thanks to Lou Sytsma.

Contest!!!

Posted: October 30, 2015, 22:14
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Contest time again here at Lilja’s Library. This time it’s 3 copies of the UK hardcover of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams that you can win. All you have to do is answer these three questions.

Answer the questions no later than November 8 and you are in the running for one of the books.

Good Luck!

Full List of Narrators for Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Posted: October 20, 2015, 23:58
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Simon & Schuster Audio is proud to announce the full ensemble cast for the unabridged audiobook edition of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. The collection draws together 20 incredible stories, many of them brand-new to audio. Introductions written and read by King himself precede each tale, offering a unique behind-the-scenes look at the story’s origins or what inspired him to write it. The star studded cast of readers includes Dylan Baker, Brooke Bloom, Kathleen Chalfant, Hope Davis, Santino Fontana, Peter Friedman, Holter Graham, Edward Herrmann, Will Patton, Thomas Sadoski, Tim Sample, Cotter Smith, Craig Wasson, Fred Weller and Mare Winningham.

Scribner Gets Rights to 27 Older King Books

Posted: October 14, 2015, 05:28
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Looks like Scribner will be continueing releasing King's books.

Two decades after becoming the megaselling author’s publisher, Simon & Schuster imprint Scribner has acquired North American and Open Market print, e-book, and audio rights to 27 titles

Here is a list of the books.

Christine
Cujo
Cycle of the Werewolf
The Dark Half
The Dead Zone
Desperation
Different Seasons
Dolores Claiborne
The Eyes of the Dragon
Firestarter
Four Past Midnight
Gerald’s Game
IT
Misery
Needful Things
Rose Madder
Skeleton Crew
The Tommyknockers
The Long Walk (writing as Richard Bachman)
Roadwork (writing as Richard Bachman)
The Running Man (writing as Richard Bachman)
Thinner (writing as Richard Bachman)
The Regulators (writing as Richard Bachman)
The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower series)
The Drawing Of The Three (The Dark Tower series)
The Wastelands (The Dark Tower series)
Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower series)

Thanks to Lou Sytsma and Bruno Barattini

Special feature

King calendar

2025:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (Spanish ed.)
Januari 2025:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (Italian edition)
2025:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (German ed.)
February 21, 2025:
The Monkey (movie)
2025:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (German edition)
May 27, 2025:
Never Flinch
May 30, 2025:
Life of Chuck
may 2025:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (Czech edition)
2025:
Shining in the Dark (German trade ed.)
2025:
The Long Walk (movie)
2025:
The Institute (TV series)
July 2, 2025:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (Greek ed.)
September 2025:
Welcome To Derry (TV series)
2025:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (Portuguese ed.)
2025:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (Portuguese edition)
November 7, 2025:
The Running Man

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