UPDATE: The Stephen King Universe Flowchart (including The Dark Tower Series) has been updated and can be found here
GO! GO! GO!
When I was in Grade 5 (guess I was ten), my friend Tarnya Smyth brought her mum's battered copy of Stephen King's 'Carrie' to school. We broke it into about 4 pieces and passed them around, all taking turns reading each battered section. I told mum about it and she FLIPPED HER WIG and told me to 'Stop reading that book immediately!!' So I finished it.
Now, I TOTALLY do not recommend ten year olds reading Stephen King books (messed me up good), but this was when my life long relationship with Mr King began. My love for his books is based around his characters. They are so full. I love Stephen King dialogue. I love his sense of humour. And I love the links and connections between the books. I am the kind of annoying person who likes to know the 'In Joke'. So, of course, I MADE A FLOW CHART!!!
1 The Stand
2 The Bachman Books (especially The Long Walk)
3 The Talisman
4 The Dead Zone
5 11/22/63
*** UPDATE @ 11 JANUARY 2013
CLICK HERE to find out details for UPDATED chart coming soon which TOTALLY includes the Dark Tower :-) See what I do for you guys???
Are you a King Fan?
OK, so I thought I was a Stepen King fan too until I read this. I am now going to use it is a reading guide and get all of the books I haven't read. Thanks Tessiegirl!
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty good chart, even more connections than on mine. Left out the Dark Tower series though, which references many of these
DeleteOh yeah, The Dark Tower will change your life and your chart will expand beyond your wildest dreams! I LOVE your chart. It's amazing :D
DeleteI wish I had thought of it.
Ive been a King fan for as long as I can remember. It was a King book that got my husband to start reading after not reading for 15 years. Ive even read his book on 'WRITING';Id never try writting but it was interesting.S.Bailey
DeleteWhat a GREAT chart! I live in "Derry" (Bangor, Maine) and particularly enjoy reading the novels set in this small city! :)
DeleteMy name is Michelle and I am a constant reader. I thought this was a great chart. I've always enjoyed how his characters move with us from one story to the next. It makes us family. I think The Stand is the best book I have ever read. Talk about life changing.
DeleteJust put a picture of the Dark Tower in the middle and connect every line to it.
DeleteOne of the very few reasons to be glad that I'm as old as i now find myself is I was around from the start of Stephen King's career and have read every book he has written as soon as I have gotten my hands on it. My son Greg has adopted the tradition of buying me Steve's latest as a gift each christmas. Here's to many more. And I thought the dark tower was great. I guess I join you in thinking the Stand was the favorite, but I would have It at the second spot on my list of favs.
DeleteMy absolute pleasure. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhy not include the dark tower, too easy? Everyone and everything is connected. Add Hearts in Atlantis The Regulators and Desparation. All include a dark force TAK.
Deletegotta agree with anonymous it is the one that links them all!
DeleteAgreed as well, all have TAK and Dark Tower includes a majority of the other stories as places.
DeleteYou'd need one page along to do all the DT stuff, wouldn't fit here, which is, I'm guessing, the reason it's not included...
DeleteGreat job on this!! are you missing any other references, has anyone given you any? adding Dark Tower references would be great!
DeleteI've been reading since book one, but wanted to skip the dark tower series
DeleteLove The Regulators and Desperation!
DeleteOh! Don't skip the Dark Tower series! Love it!
DeleteWell, The Dark Tower is the Axis of all Stephen King's work so I guess it's better to leave it. It has a lot of connections with all of his work that I guess it would double or triple the size of this huge web. Better leave it on Maine and create a separate Chart for the Dark Tower Series.
DeleteI like that it leaves out Dark Tower--I like his pure Maine stuff best!!
DeleteDo you sell prints of this?? I'd love to hang it by my bookcases!
I still remember my first! Misery....
DeleteThis is pretty awesome, been a King fan going on 25 years.
ReplyDeleteLove this, except Gordie is spelled wrong :(
ReplyDeleteYou also spelled Dolores Claiborne and Michael Noonan wrong.
DeleteAny chance you would ever sell this as a poster? Maybe in your Etsy shop? I'm a big Etsy supporter! :)
ReplyDeleteLove this idea!
DeleteI love this idea, as well! Please let us know if you ever decide to make it into posters. I would absolutely buy it!!!
DeleteDelores Clairborne also gets mentioned in Storm of the Century (although written as a screenplay rather than a book).
ReplyDeleteReally nice work Tessie Girl. Love it. Wait till you read The Dark Tower series. You are going to have to get a bigger box! :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, indeedy! LOL! just read first though, don't try to think "flow-charty" the first time you read, ah, lol, you know that already,
DeleteThanks all- I am updating with that correction to Gordie's name (what was I thinking?!?) I'll probably stick to the novels and short story connections. Erinecnchurchill- I made a Tshirt and a poster and uploaded them to Zazzle... but they pulled them down cos they said it breached copyright stuff... whoops! Sorry Sai King!
ReplyDeleteOh and I am about to download the first of the Dark Tower series for my kindle. I have read just about every SK book, but have always avoided the Dark Tower series. I'm not sure why... I look forward to creating another flow chart!!
You will find that all the connections you have made and more will lead you to the Dark Tower series, its the root of the tree so to speak.
DeleteThe Dark Tower series is a wonderful ride through the mind of Stephen King. However, I will tell you that the ending is one you will love...........or hate. There is no gray area here. I loved it, thought it was the only way to go.
DeleteBe prepared to update your "Top 5" as well. Just about everything ties back to the Dark Tower.
DeleteYou're going to pull your hair our trying to make a chart of all of the references he uses from every other book. Long story short... Every book he has written has some sort of reference to the Dark Tower series. Good luck!!
DeleteLoved your intro it mirrors my own pre-adolescent intro to King's works. My first read was The Dead Zone followed quickly by Carrie. I'd be up all night under the covers consuming every last word. The Dark Tower Series can be a bit slow to start since it is different from many of his other works. About mid-way through the Gunslinger though, you will get hooked and you WILL want to go back a re-read all the books with ties to the Dark Tower. Enjoy!
DeleteIt will be the best decision you make! The Dark Tower was the absolute best work of his.
Deleteyou really can't make a chart with out the DT books, and you can't use Sai unless you have you have read the DT books. the first time he used it was in the gunslinger which he wrote before all the others you have listed. King states himself all his book are connected to the dark tower in some way or another the dark tower started it all so without that chart is useless, sorry to burst your bubble but true King fans know this. Everything is about the Tower
DeleteYou can skip part 5 and 6. 1 to 4 is really good, and 5 and 6 don't follow up on the same level imo.
Deletedark tower shows you his true talents... his real passion, watch for the way he involves his heroes and himself ;) (read SK since '86)
DeleteCan you really BE a King fan if you haven't read The Dark Tower?
DeleteAnonymous11 June 2012 12:13 = A-hole. This chart is FAR from useless. Seriously, who died and made you King's Number One Fan? This thing is super-cool and I, for one, appreciate the time she took to put it together. How bout you stop hating for a while and give credit where credit is due? Or better yet, come up with your own damn chart if you think you know everything there is to know...
DeleteDollars to donuts says Tessie will create a new chart once she's finished the DT series, too. It needs its own chart, anyway.
And Tessie, I'm really jealous that you have 7 great SK books to discover...
I have ready everything by Master King and have enjoyed each and every one! You MUST read all the Dark Tower books and don't miss the new one he just added to the mix! Love the chart and would love to see an updated version after the Tower series. My Roland and I are waiting.
DeleteOh you will not sleep until you read all the Dark tower series. Even the wind through the keyhole was great. Like some of the above stated reading them made me go back and reread The Stand and several other books. It also made me read Robert Browning's poem "Childe Rowland to the Dark tower came". I believe he even recently mentioned there is more to come from rowland and his Katet.
DeleteI am jealous that you get to read these books with out having to wait 10,15,or even 30 years for the books to continue.
DeleteYou will need a BIGGER piece of paper for the 8 DT books than you used for this one.
Delete@CC All true, except she now has *8* DT books to look forward to! "The Wind Through the Keyhole" is DT 8 (although it's more of a DT 4.5 if you will). I for one can't wait to settle in and hear more of Roland's tales!
Delete~Long days and pleasant nights.
Yes.... soooo jealous that you have any SK reading to discover. And 8 DT's to read back-to-back for the first time? Exciting! Great job on the chart-- really fun!
DeleteSince you love the Talisman (my absolute favorite!), I think you'll really like DT. The flowchart is fun, thanks for sharing!
DeleteOh wow. Well you are in for a treat. The DT series is a.) awesome and b.) all the more awesome if you've read all his other books. Considering you like making the connections between his works, you will be in hog heaven reading the Dark Tower.
DeleteDo NOT avoid DT series....It is the best and ties everything together; also explains alot.
DeleteGood luck on the Dark Tower flow chart....There have been entire consortium BOOKS written on them. And those were done before DT #4.5 "Wing Through the Keyhole"!
DeleteSorry, "Wind Through the Keyhole", not wing.
DeleteI devoured the Dark Tower series, but for some reason could never bring myself to read the final book. I just think I didn't want the story to end . .
DeleteI guess I need to read the DT series, I haven't read them yet. I am not even sure why I never read them. I have read all his other books, and introduced my daughter to him. I am looking forward to seeing the conections you all talk about. Thank you for taking the time to make your chart. Good job enjoyed it! TRobison
DeleteEven Stephen King makes an appearance in the Dark tower books (can't remember which on though)
DeleteEven Stephen King makes an appearance in the Dark tower books (can't remember which on though)
DeleteHey CC (11 June 2012 12:45) Thanks for having my back dude! x x
Deletecc(11 June 2012 12:45) I totally agree with you about Anonymous11 June 2012 12:13. Gillian for Tessie Girl you did a wonderful job and are really great about making the corrections that have been suggested. Besides how can anyone make connections to books they have yet to read...though I am sure as you read them your chart will grow. i stopped at 'Wolves of the Calla.' I kept crying because of all tragedy that had happened during the previous books. I just needed a break, though I know I will continue it again soon, as I love the way King weaves the story and in the end the tragedies are what shape the characters. I know the crying part sounds silly, but that is just me when I immerse myself in a series and its heroes.
DeleteThis is absolutely fantastic - thank you! I just finished re-reading Needful Things and was struck by how many people I recognized from other stories I hadn't yet read the last thing around... Enjoy the Dark Tower series - you're going to recognize quite a few characters and places there too as you go along...
ReplyDeleteDark Tower's final "link them all" approach was a the result of too many pain killers after the assault by vehicle.
DeleteThe first 4 books, awesome, then they done stayed too long at the calla.. with the execption of wizards and glass, which is a great stand alone book.
Glad the series helped Constant Writer stay on course, and I've loved most all that I've read , but the Tower lost its appeal when Ancient customs gave way to the cadence of the calla. Some of you will know what I mean.
Signed, Constant Reader
(yeah, that's me that gets all the writer's notes in SK's books... happy to share them with the rest of ya!)
eleazorfan@yahoo.com
This is awesome! Well done! But... I bet there's more that can be 'flowed'...
ReplyDeleteMy favorites is definitely Dark Tower series and Duma Key. I also read most of the books you mentioned here. Shame you excluded dark tower in the chart.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing work! It's one of the things I love and am in awe of the most in King's work, this inter-connectivity.
ReplyDeleteFor a list of references in the Dark Tower to his other works, see the website: http://www.stephenking.com/darktower/connections
I have spent SO many hours with King's creations. He has always been a favorite of mine. Your chart brought back lots of memories and I think I'll dig a couple of those older books off the shelf again!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
It's always one of the things I've loved about reading King. He makes you feel as though you're in on so many private jokes and that you're a part of that small-town talk. Really cool to see it broken down. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Thanks from St. Leonards-on-Sea in England!
ReplyDeleteIt's also Dolores Claiborne and Pet Sematary, since people have been pointing out the spelling errors... otherwise, love this.
ReplyDeleteCheers, I will update it with those corrections!!
DeleteMy favs are The Shining, Misery, Carrie, and Salem's lot.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely heart you for doing this!! I've been meaning to do it for years, but never sat down long enough to do it. Thank you for doing it for me :) :)
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought I'd pretty much read all of his stuff! Okay, time to do some more book shopping! Thanks immensely, Tessie Girl!!
ReplyDeleteYou say you are a fan and you haven't even read the Dark Tower (Gunslinger) series, seriously???????
ReplyDeleteI waited FOREVER to read the Dark Tower Series too! wanted to always know something awesome was still "out there" . . .chillax dude/ette
Deletethe tower is not included?...that would be like making a chart of tolkien's books and saying "the lord of the rings not included"...its pretty much worthless
ReplyDeletedisagree
Deletedon't like it, don't read it. do better if you think you can
Deletedon't like it, don't read it. do better if you think you can
DeleteThis is awesome! I just read 11/22/63 - so fantastic! I love when I catch a reference to other books!
ReplyDeleteLove this! I love the characters and I can always relate to the little details, their thoughts and the way they react. But while the character development is amazing, the plots are also almost always original and just great. I don't know how someone can NOT be a Stephen King fan.
ReplyDeleteYup!
ReplyDeleteBig Stephen King Fan!
Have Almost every King book in Hardback and have read most.
I am REALLy excited as I am a Library Trustee and heading
to Anaheim next week.
Featured entertainment Saturday night is the Stephen King
Band- Rock Bottom Remains-
I once thought I would start over and read all his works in
the chronological order of them coming out, but it didn't work out.
I got through the first five................
Mac
You are going to need an entirely separate chart for The Dark Tower series, and SO MANY of his other books (like Talisman and Black House) connect in some way. Even The Stand has a major connection! Enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteagree
DeleteThe Dark Tower series will blow your mind with it's references and connections to King's other books, that flowchart is gonna get real messy ;)
ReplyDeleteI am currently re-reading the Dark Tower Series... I had to after reading the Wind through the Keyhole! It made me remember how much I love those characters!
ReplyDeleteAlso, my first Stephen King book was IT... yeah, you thought Carrie messed you up!?!? I was 12 when I read it... got it out of my mom's collection and she about had a heart attack when she found me reading it behind a Seventeen magazine.
Hi to another Jillian (I am With a 'G' though...) That's funny. I think if I had read It when I was that young I would have become a basket case!!
DeleteGoodness! You have patience!!
ReplyDeleteWow, you had some time on your hands! Good job! A couple of my favorites are The Talisman & The Black House.
ReplyDeleteMy first Stephen King experience was when I was 10 as well! Cujo did it for me...hooked for life. Thank you for this awesome chart! It made me want to pick up some of the old novels sitting on the shelf for too long!
ReplyDeleteWow! This is awesome, must have been very time consuming! Just finished 11/22/63 which is definitely his best book in many years and one of my all time favourites.
ReplyDeleteI also avoided the Dark Tower series for quite some time (and also for no particular reason). I was convinced to read them when several people at the job I was working told me they were great books. So I gave them a shot. Now I'm very glad I did. Doing it renewed my interest in Stephen King as an author. If you think this is complex, wait til you read the Dark Tower. There are so many connections it's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteLove it!! I've read all of these books as well. I always feel so close to other King fanatics, like we are all cousins :)
ReplyDelete~Cousin Lenna in Seattle
You will Really like the follow up to the tailsman, it was a great book, I also came across it by accident and had to have it.
ReplyDeleteLove the flow chart. I Pinned it. I wondered why you left out all the Dark Tower references, but then saw you haven't read them yet. I have been reading SK for years and years, and my cousin and I have had hours long conversations about all the cross-overs between the books. Great work, thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteGreat work!
ReplyDeleteBut like Anonymous said on 10.43... :)
/Tanja
This is totally awesome! I usually make the connections while Im reading the books, but this is incredible!
ReplyDeleteI love all S.K books, but i have to say Duma Key and Under The Dome are something else,not including the Dark Tower series, although to me the scariest is IT.
You´re mad ... and I like it :)
ReplyDeleteTessiegirl, you're awesome! Carrie was also my first King book, I read it at 9 or 10, and I've read all of his books at least once. The Dark Tower series is absolutely required reading (connections to Talisman and Hearts in Atlantis, among others, are quite obvious), along with The Wind Through the Keyhole. May I ask a small favor? When you finish book 7 of the series, please post your opinion on the ending. Of course I think Stephen King can do no wrong, and I believe the course of the story played out to perfection, but my husband, who is also a fan, disagrees...I would like an opinion from someone whose underwear I don't wash! Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved the ending. Although bittersweet, I really couldn't think of a better way to do it. It made me laugh and cry at the same time, and want to immediately start over! :)
DeleteAlthough I read the last DT book years ago I still cant make up my mind as to how I feel about the ending. I don't think Sai King could have written it any other way but I was disappointed, maybe because I had reached the end of a fantastic series. I have to say Gillian that I could only read 'Black House' during the daytime but I had to read it as The Talisman was also my favourite.
DeleteLove this! Good job! I also started reading King when I was 10, but a lot of that had to do with the release of the movie Stand By Me. I started with Different Seasons and never stopped! As an FYI...I repinned this to Pinterest. If you would like me to remove it please let me know :)
ReplyDeleteI first started reading Mr. King's work in 5th grade as well, and I am not "messed up" - much :). Tommyknockers was my first book that started me on this wonderful journey of reading, re-reading, and collecting.
ReplyDeleteMy favs are probably The Long Walk, Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass, Cell, Under the Dome and The Talisman. It's hard to just put any five as my favorites.
ReplyDeleteThere is a Stephen King book club. You can join and they will send all his books one at a time. The cost is only around 18 dollars a book.I have been a member for a long time,service is great never had a problem, you should check it out. If you already have some books and only need certain ones they will send only those you want. I have every one and as he writes new books they are sent without my even having to ask for them !
ReplyDeleteYour top two books are my top two, including your selection from #2. If I wasn't already married I would ask you to marry me lol. I love the flow chart!! :)
ReplyDeleteHa Ha! Cheers Frank.
DeleteMy favorite one is "Thinner" of Richard Bachmann. I read it in one go when I was in hospital back in 1989.
ReplyDeleteGreat work! Some cool connections between The Dark Tower (I forget which book -- 5, maybe?) and Salem's Lot. I recently read 11/22/63 and thought the brief reference to IT was cool.
ReplyDeleteYour top two books are my top two, including your selection from #2. If I wasn't already married I would ask you to marry me lol. I love the flow chart!! :)
ReplyDeleteAmazing effort! But wait until join the ka-tet of Dark Tower readers. The connections are seemingly endless. In hindsight, I wish I didn't start the DT series until Sai King finished the last book of the series. I have read the series 3 times and every time I come across more references I missed. Keeps it interesting though.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I've spotted that I'd include, and it's perhaps a dubious inclusion, is that Mother Abigail refers once in The Stand to her grandmother, who used the term "shining" to describe psychic awareness, which makes me think that their could be a familial link to Halloran from The Shining. Too much speculation?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCan I get a hi-res file of this AWESOME flowchart? I have been reading Stephen King since 1978! And my favourite book is also The Stand! Good work on the flow chart!
ReplyDeleteI'll see what I can do Paul. Can you send me your email address?
DeleteLOVE THIS!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! You started young. I didn't read Carrie until I was 11. :-) But I don't think I've missed any sense. I was waiting until the Dark Tower series was complete before reading them. I bought them all in the summer of '09 and read them straight through - and NOW my darling Mr. King has written another! ARGH! But I will read it, it's what I do!
ReplyDeleteI would love a printable version of this... if you wanted to provide one. I am definitely going to mark this page as a favorite!
Top 5? Is that possible?
1. The Stand - could there be a better book in all the land?
2. IT and 11/22/63 - yes, a tie.
4. The Dark Half - finished this one at about 2:30 AM - sitting in an empty bathtub because I was too engrossed to get out!
5. Cell
You are so right about Long Walk being awesome. Perhaps we both like it since we started with SK so young. I was in 2nd grade with Cycle of the Werewolf. You thought your mum flipped out, try that book in Catholic school...
ReplyDeleteI read my first Stephen King book at 10 also - "Firestarter". I've been a fan ever since!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember my first SK book but I do remember seeing "The Shining" movie when I was in 6th grade! Scared the sh*t out of me but I was curious and began reading Sai King and never stopped! My favs are The Stand, The Tailsman and ALL the Dark Tower series. I will be reading Wind through the Keyhole soon. Just finished 11/22/63 and loved it. I always get a giggle when I find a reference in a book to a previous :) Derry...what a sh*ithole:) I should reread IT but that one still gets me...The Tailsman has been on my mind for awhile too to re-read (and now the Black House)so guess its time to pull that from the bookcase. Good job on the flow chart.
ReplyDeleteWind Through the Keyhole is excellent and could totally be a stand-alone. I can see being highly entertained by the story within a story within a story, etc., even if I hadn't read the DT series.
DeleteAny connections to/with The Shining? It's been awhile since reading it. Love the flow chart.
ReplyDeleteMr. Halloran from 'The Shining' also gets mentioned in a story in 'It', about a fire in the barracks or something.
ReplyDeleteFor the rest I don't think I could make a better flowchart, nice work!
i have been reading stephen king since about 5th grade too. :) (and i lived pretty much up the street from him in bangor, maine). i love his writing, particularly his short stories and novellas. i think he is the king (ha!) of short stories...(don't hate me, but sometimes i think his novels get a bit long-winded). but i have to say, my favorite is 'salem's lot. i have read it every summer for the last 20 years or so...in fact, it is getting about time here in maine to pull it out again for the annual reading.
ReplyDeletei love your flow-chart!! very awesome...
Amazing chart!!! There are a few of them that are missed, like Insomnia, it shows Atropos is responsible for Gage Creed's death, he has his shoe as a trophy. But seriously this thing is amazing.
ReplyDeleteLove this! I have twins, too - 5-year-old girls. :) I read my first King book (Night Shift collection) in 1980 when I was 11. Been a fan ever since. That's a bummer about the Zazzle poster, I would have bought one in a heartbeat!
ReplyDeleteI cut my teeth on Stephen King at age 8 (in 1974), reading Carrie, and taking only two days to do so. I soon followed it with Salem's Lot. This is when my mother found out I was reading them...as she hadn't finished SL yet, and wondered where it went. From that point forward, I anxiously waited for Mom to finish each novel so I could read it. If I caught it laying on the end table next to the couch, I would sit down and read till she took it and said "You can wait till I'm done".
ReplyDeleteI am passing this tradition down to my daughter as well. She loves the horror genre, and reads like I do.
Looks like the spelling errors are all mentioned, but do add the Shining reference; in It, I believe, a flashback story is told about Dick Hallorann, Scatman Crother's character from The Shining; and in The Stand, of course, Mother Abigail refers to "The Shine".
ReplyDeleteI cut my horror chops on The Exorcist and Amityville Horror at the ripe young age of 8. I found them at a garage sale for 10 cents. I quickly moved onto Carrie, Cujo, and anything else I could get my hands on...And I wait (not so) patiently for each new release!
ReplyDeletewhy leave out The Dark Tower ? also insomnia has quite a few links to these as well
ReplyDeletehttp://www.stephenking.com/DarkTower/flash_index.html#move
ReplyDeleteCheck this site out too...lots of good information here. Love your chart, keep up the good work!
This is great! I'd like this as a poster to go along with my "Family Trees of Rock" posters from college. It also reminds me that I haven't read some of the books in quite awhile (and Stephen King is always good for a re-read).
ReplyDeleteHa Ha I love this!! I started reading King as a 3rd grader and haven't stopped since!!! All of the connections are great!. Who else loves the part in the Dark Tower where he includes himself!!?? Rock on read on!! I have my 10 year old stepson reading "Eyes of the Dragon" right now!
ReplyDeleteCool! I love all the cross-references in King's novels. I think my favorite is the appearance of a younger Dick Hallorann (The Shining) in IT where he saves Mike's dad from the fire at The Black Spot.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the chart...Awesome! I'm a huge SK fan as well. If you're making corrections though, it is "Claiborne" not "Clairborne" (No 'r')
ReplyDeleteWould totally buy this if it was for sale!
-Kate
so very cool! thanks.
ReplyDeleteGage Creed is also mentioned in Insomnia - Atropo has his shoe.
ReplyDeletetrue say, and Insomnia is sitting all by its lonesome with no connections to it :P
DeleteI'm working from memory, so please forgive me if I'm wrong but wasn't there a short story called JeruSalems Lot and there is a line in another novel maybe The Stand? where someone is driving and the throwaway line is something like "and as he passed the turnpike, the sign said Jerusalems Lot"
ReplyDeleteYes yes there is...'Salems lot was the first Stephen King I read, and it started as a short but was later adapted in to a novel...I don't know if the subsequent line is from The Stand but I do know it exists as well. Also I am almost positive 'Salems Lot mentions Derry as a near by town....how come no one has ever read it. I absolutely loved that novel, and after sneaking out and watching IT at five, I probably would never have read Stephen King again if it weren't for that novel, and Different Seasons.
DeleteWhat? No Dark Tower books?! Those are my favorite. By far. And they contain a lot of links to his other books. Also they have less stuff to keep me up at night, but wonderful story and characters, including King himself.
ReplyDeleteThis chart is amazing!
I can't helb but notice that "Cell" is not included in your chart.
ReplyDeleteUff.. pretty confusing but very interesting especially for me as a big King Fan.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot.
Regards,
The Latino Yeti
latinoyeti.blogspot.com
Wow, this is Amazing. There are so many connections I never knew existed (many of these books I read in the 90s). I started reading SK when I was around 13 years old, but there are still many, many more left to read!
ReplyDeleteSome of my favourites are Under the Dome, Needful Things (because it was the first I read), 11/22/63 and Black House (read it in 2 days!). Oh, and The Long Walk. And there are so many more!
I was 11 years old when I read my first Stephen King book. It was Cujo. I hid under the covers reading it, hoping my grandmother wouldn't catch me. Since then, I have devoured every book he's ever written/published. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption will always be my favorite with a close second being, The Green Mile. I got 11/22/63 for Christmas and it took me all of 2 days to read it. I'm eagerly anticipating his new book, Joyland next summer.
ReplyDeleteRita Haywortha nd Shawshank is up there for me too.
DeleteYep, I am looking forward to Joyland too!
Ok, I have always wondered (though never thoroughly investigated) why more people don't make the connection(s) back to King's "Eyes of the Dragon"? It was probably my 2nd or 3rd King book, and read Gunslinger shortly afterwards. Since then I too have been hooked on all the fabulous connections he makes and the wonderful way he has shared his imagination and world or wonder with us; so well in fact it almost feels real...kinda like a "thinny" between his world and ours. I have always felt/thought/postulated that all of his stories are a great facade hiding the truly bizarre/enthralling story of some core sect of characters. Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteAlso, you guys should check out his son's comic series "Locke & Key" those are some impressive genes.
FIRST THING I MUST SAY---LOVE the chart...I haven't read ALL of his books yet...still trying to this day but he keeps coming out with new ones so...omg....awesome stuff. I will have to read some of them and look for the references and re-read some of the others to find them...I never caught how all these books were connected in some way but I'm not surprised...Stephen King is a GENIUS!
ReplyDeleteSECOND -- I am lucky to have always been a very advanced reader for my age. I'm 33 now but I read and understood Cujo and The Shining at the ripe old age of 8 years (when I borrowed them from my mom who had an extensive collection at the time -- btw when I turned 30 she gave her entire collection to date to me...I love her!!)
Lastly -- My top 5 favorites of all time
1. The Dark Half (Inspired me to become a writer and scared the heck outta me at the same time!!)
2. It (saw the movie when I was 12, read the book when I was 15....to this day I cannot ever see a clown without getting goosebumps)
3. The Stand (Mom read it to me and dad when I was about 10 or so...I didn't get the sheer complexity of it until the movie came out and I LOVED the movie but to this day I haven't completely read it all the way through yet *It's on my list of to do things...and it's on my NOOK)
4. Cujo (First Stephen King book I ever read....Mom gave it to me to help me get over my fear of dogs...weirdly..it sort of worked...I was bit when I was 3yrs old and had a severe fear of them for a long time. She told me if I ever wanted to get over it I needed to face my fears...and so I did)
5. This one is a tie between Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Everything's Eventual, and Just After Sunset. (I have ADD, and so sometimes reading long works of fiction is hard for me to do, despite my ability to comprehend them...A good short story once and a while is a lot easier and all three of those collections have stories in it that have thrilled and chilled me beyond belief...so I just can't choose between them.)
Thanks so much for posting that chart. I bookmarked it for later reference, and of course...I told my mom about it too...maybe she'll get on here and make a comment hehe.
It's what kept me reading for years. I always read to see if there were elements of other King works in each new story.
ReplyDeletePff, try doing a chart which includes all the Dark Tower links too... then you KNOW you're fucked.
ReplyDeleteI'll get back to you when I've read em all and update you on my level of fucked-ness.
DeleteI noticed you connected Bev Marsh and Bill Denbrough as lovers...I have issue with that on two fronts, if you want to be technical she was lovers with all of the Losers, not just Bill, and when they meet again he is a married man and from what I remember they don't end up having sex again as adults...
ReplyDeleteI actually chose not to connect Bev and all the Losers as 'lovers' as I felt the sexual encounters when they were children were not 'making love' or even really sexual.. if you know what I mean. And they did actually sleep together in 1985 when they returned to Derry. I checked :-)
DeleteI'm a dyed-in-the-wool SK fan for many decades and think your chart is wonderfully fun. Also think it's hilarious how many picky, perfectionistic comments you got here! People...it's just entertainment. Don't go all Annie Wilkes on us. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Carla. I love how passionate people are!
DeleteI must say that I applaud your work. However, it's not really a "flow chart." And it's not very easy to follow. And if you "just discovered" Black House, I'd have to say you're not much of a King fan after all.
ReplyDeleteIs there a scale of fandom? Thanks for the applause. I applaud your use of "punctuation" :-)
Deleteread the Talisman and then re read Black House. You'll get more out of it. Talisman is my favorite although not my first (Carrie) when I was ten. I read Talisman to my son when he was about eight.
DeleteI don't think you included the tons of references made to the gigantic storm in IT that collapsed part of downtown Derry, that would add a whole new network of connections :)
ReplyDeleteYep, I didn't include that. it's on my update list! I'm gonna add a bunch of stuff mentioned here. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you SOOOOOO much for all your feedback. I am so appreciative! I am working on updating the chart as we speak. To the readers who think I can't be a SK fan if I haven't read the Dark Tower series- my answer is, "Yes I can, dude." And when I have read them, I will be a SK fan who has read the Dark Tower series... It's not a competition or a club to be 'qualified' for, is it? It's just a bunch of people reading awesome books that they connect with and love. Thanks again, even the people who don't like the chart or think I can't spell. You are all welcome here. Even if you have only read one Stephen King book. Unless it's Cell. I hated that one....
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you make of DT.
ReplyDeleteI love this chart! It always annoys me when I recognise a character, but can't think from which book, now I have a reference. My first SK was 'Geralds Game' at 12 or so and so began a 19 year (and counting) love affair!
I started with Carrie also eigth grade. Then fire starter freshman year which lead me to the gunslinger; after that your in his world. I think reading earlier books with younger characters then growing and maturing with King is what did it for me. I'm always a few years behind on his books (except last four dt books) because I'm a thrift store and library discard book rescuer. Maybe its the library girl in me but there is something about a well read used book. Its like someone read and felt this too. His books are always well read held appreciated. Btw I applaud the flow chart. He needs that up in the virtual office.
ReplyDeleteWhere is his Jonathan Swithen story? You have S.K. and Richard Bachman, so why leave out the story he wrote as Jonathan Swithen?
ReplyDeleteI remember that there was a part in 'Insomnia' that referenced Gage Creed. The main character had found his shoe!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an awesome flow chart! Love it. I love King, mainly because of his characters.... I always fall in love with them!
(I would LOVE to know what you thought of the 'Bag of Bones' mini series)
I didn't read all the comments so i don't know if this was already mentioned but The Stand is his greatest work by far and not even mentioned. Its been awhile but I thought there was a reference to cujo in there.
ReplyDeleteHello from Trinidad and Tobago i've been a constant reader since i was 10,the novel "IT" being my first taste of King,and i haven't looked back in twenty years.Hope you enjoy the DARK TOWER series it's some really good work.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. You did an excellent job. I found it by way of the Stephen King Fan page on Facebook. Had to share it so more people could see and appreciate it. Maybe you should ask Sai King if you could distribute it.
ReplyDeleteWell Gillian, I take my hat off for you; brilliant job. There are some things missing but you have also spotted stuff I missed. You probably could take a A0 size paper to really plot out all links.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job! Thanks and greetings from Germany.
ReplyDeleteLong days and pleasant nights!
And this looks like a fraction of what could be done if you had the time or patience! What a great job! Is The Shining in there or Misery? I don't see them. Annie Wilkes mentions both the events of The Shining and Cujo I think in Misery. And this doesn't include the short stories - Children of the Corn is mentioned in IT - the introduction to Ben Hanscom.(Downtown deserted Gatlin, Nebraska, not far from Hemingford Home - where the old lady lives in The Stand.)
ReplyDeleteAnd an addendum I just remembered...in The Running Man, at one point he flies into Derry...
DeleteWas given a battered copy of The Shinning at the age of 16, 38 years later and still a huge fan.
ReplyDeleteFavourites?
1. The Stand
2. The Talisman
3. The Shinning (sorry, never liked the film, Jack Nicholson just wasn't right)
4. Misery
5. Hearts in Atlantis (loads of connections in this)
This chart is pretty awesome, the connectivity between novels and characters and places is what really gets me with SK.
I'd love it if anyone can connect "Ghost Boys of Darkland County" to the larger SK universe. We traveled from Pennsylvania to Atlanta, GA to see the play.
ReplyDeleteBLESS THIS POST.
ReplyDeletegreat job cant beleive you havent read the tower it wil be great to read them one aftyer the other every thing hes ever written cennects to the tower
ReplyDeleteWow! I love the chart. I always knew there were connecions, but I never realized just how many. Now I want to reread all the SK books I have read before. Well I better get started: ) lol
ReplyDeletea friend sent me the link on facebook, and I was blown away. Good job. Certainly there will be a whole new way of seeing King's world(s) once you have The Dark Tower under your belt. Insomnia is a good one to help set up the structure of the events in Dark Tower, and how they weave into the other stories..."There are other worlds than these"..Jake
ReplyDeleteGreat job! You are my hero... :*
ReplyDeletedont know if anyone mentioned this or noticed it but you can link christine with IT. i believe the car belch picks henry up in is christine. its a red and white plymouth fury. and did anyone else think that maybe the tiger that the losers pretend to see in the barrens was real and was the tiger from "here there be tigers"
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! This is wonderful! I've been a Stephen King fan since 1976 when I saw the movie "Carrie." During the credits when I saw it was based on the book "Carrie" by Stephen King, I had to run out and buy the book. I've been hooked on King's books ever since. I have every single one of them -- including the non-fictions, the 'written as' and the Dark Tower series. I've downloaded novellas and read short stories only available on line. Every story he writes brings a new insight. I just love seeing how his characters intertwine from book to book, story to story. I never get tired of his stories or his creativity.
ReplyDeleteWow. And I thought I was a fan, LOL! Your chart blows away my Dear Stephen King letter on my blog today.
ReplyDeleteCarrie was the first of his books I read, too. And like you, it was a lifetime of reading love - I couldn't wait until his next book was due out. As an author, I'm always asked who my biggest influence is... like anyone who knows me even has to ask that. It's Stephen King.
Fav Stephen King books (not in any particular order: The Stand, The Shining, The Green Mile, It, all of his short story collections, Four Past Midnight.
this is just awesome! I'm a huge King fan, and have most of his books - I luv getting the 'inside joke' when I read them, but never would've caught all of theese!!! great job :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Constant Readers. I picked up Pet Sematary in 2002, and I never looked back since. Great, great chart! Shared this to my friend who’s also into Stephen King, and she just went nuts. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteWow, The Stand, The Long Walk AND The Talisman as your top 3? Throw in some of the cooler/creepiest stories from Nightmares & Dreamscapes (and say, the perfectly executed story The Raft) and that'd be my same list! You have excellent taste. ;-p
ReplyDeleteReally nice flow chart. Of course Roland and the Dark Tower series will twist things up considerably. For me, my first King book was Salems Lot. From there I read everything I could lay my hands on and the Bachman Books got me through a tough summer while I recovered from a Heart Valve Repair. The new book "Wind Through The Keyhole" is really good, but if I had to list my 3 favorites....?????
ReplyDelete1. Salem's Lot
2. Insomnia
3. Under The Dome
Awesome flow chart! I have been reading Stephen King books since I was 12 and I started with The Stand. It has since continued to be my absolute favorite of his, it is really like no other! In the many years since I read The Stand, I have read just about every book SK has written - I haven't read the latest one yet, but it's on my list - and most of them I have read several times. Like you, one of my favorite things about King is when he crosses references between different stories. I love that feeling of "I know that name, he/she was in ______".
ReplyDeleteHere are my top 5:
1. The Stand
2. The Dark Half
3. 11/22/63
4. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
5. The Green Mile
This is great & a really lovely starting point. There are, in my opinion, however, simply too many overlapping references to list in a readable flow chart. This was fun, though, don't get me wrong! :)
ReplyDeleteLike The Shining/IT connections (doesn't Ben live in Hemingford Home, NE?, Halloran saving Mike's dad, etc.), The Shining/The Talisman (been a while, but isn't there a Halloran connection in there somewhere?), The Shining/The Stand connections (Arapahoe Street) ... etc.
This is out of date, but a nice reference (though not as pretty!): http://malakoff.com/sklnklst.htm Of course, there's always that Stephen King Universe book that was published a while back.
I, too, started reading King at a young age. My first book was "The Shining." The cover was silver. When I read all of my Judy Blume, I went searching my mom's bookcase for a new book. The cover was silver; need I say more?
Hook. Line. Sinker.
Love the flow chart and it's a great reminder of books that need to be given a re-read! I haven't read the Dead Zone in YEARS and it's an awesome book. I didn't read thru all of the comments but if no one's given you the nod towards Joe Hill, don't miss out. He's SK's son and is a chip off the old block. Both of his books so far have been fantastic! The Stand is probably my favorite book of all time... Tommyknockers is probably my least favorite book of all time tho, funny. Anywho, love love love it!
ReplyDeleteLove it! 1st for me in the Talisman (I had no idea of a sequel so will be checking that out) and the Stand. Also, love King's short stories with fav's - the Mist (the movie sucked), Summer Spring (the one about the man eating frogs) and Rock and Roll Heaven (was it called that? Fans will remember it).
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more from your blog!
Cheers, Michelle. Just finished Black House (Talisman sequel). I enjoyed it, but I missed characters like Wolf and Sunlight Gardener. And I guess I didn't have the background of the DT series to really 'get' some aspects. But you should definitely read it, just to see Jack Sawyer again, all growed up!
DeleteAwesome! I am a huge SK fan! My first taste was at 11 when my oldest brother got me "The Shining" for Christmas. Enjoy the Dart Tower, its great!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gillian; my eyes are bow doingthe Macarena...in Hell!!
ReplyDeleteNice chart, incomplete, but a great start. Been reading King since 1980 (The Shining) and have read the Dark Tower sequence 4 times. Fave five are 1)The Shining, 2) The Stand (1978), 3)Cujo, 4)Lisey's Story, 5) It; Least favorite: The Stand: Complete and Uncut--utter shite.
Keep up the great work.
Thanks Great Cthulhu! Yep, I have a lot more work to do updating with all the suggested corrections and additions!
DeleteI love it!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI can understand about The Dark Tower omission, though. You would have had lines EVERYWHERE for that...
if I'm reading this right than the one who made this listed Carrie and Carrie White as two separate characters but they are one adn the same
ReplyDelete'Carrie' refers to the book title, 'Carrie White' refers to the characters name. :-)
DeleteLove it , thanks heaps bought back a lot of memories , if your updating please give some thought to my fav bad guy Randell Flagg.
DeleteUhm, maybe someone already said that, but in The Shining we find Dick Halloran, right? Well, Dick is the person that saves Mike's father's life among others in IT, when the Black Spot is set on fire, guiding them in a certain direction because "he knows" where to go.
ReplyDeleteNice work, anyway, really amazing!
LL
Just for the record, anybody that tells you that publishing this chart as a t-Shirt or poster is a violation of Copyright laws does not understand copyright laws. Andy Warhol did not need Cambell's permission to use soup cans in his art and you don't need anybody's permission to reference book/characters in an artwork.
ReplyDeleteBTW, this pretty well rocks, great job.
-Archaic
thanks archaic. I am looking into the possibility of producing and distributing the chart. Stay Tuned!!
Deleteawesome!!
ReplyDelete