Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Kin
Collection
Publication
Signet (1980), Edition: Reissue, 416 pages
Description
Beware, The Wheel of Fortune… Johnny, the small boy who skated at breakneck speed into an accident that for one horrifying moment plunged him into…the dead zone. Johnny Smith, the small-town schoolteacher who spun the wheel of fortune and won a four-and-a-half-year trip into…the dead zone. John Smith, who awakened from an interminable coma with an accursed power—the power to see the future and the terrible fate awaiting mankind in…the dead zone.
Subjects
Original publication date
1979-08
Similar in this library
It by Stephen King
User reviews
LibraryThing member jseger9000
I was excited to finally read The Dead Zone (one of the few early Stephen King novels I haven’t yet read). I’d seen the David Cronenberg movie, so I was already familiar with the gist of the story: Young Johnny Smith is a popular teacher with a bright future when an accident puts him in a coma
This felt like Stephen King's first crack at a 'mature' novel. The pacing was much more deliberate than in his earlier books. Not to say that the book is boring. Just that King invested a lot more time in developing his characters (something he'd been very good good at since 'Salem's Lot at least), making them feel ever more real.
Johnny's mother Vera (for example) goes through a religious mania in the book, grasping at some pretty outrageous beliefs regarding aliens and U.F.O.s. It would have been easy to make this character comic relief, even unintentionally. Yet King handles her so well, making her very sympathetic even when you become exasperated with her.
The other major characters of the novel; Johnny, his one-time fiance Sarah and his father Herb are all adeptly handled.
Stephen King's writing is in top form here. There's a section early in the novel where he plays a wheel of fortune at a county carnival. This scene is written with the level of page-turning intensity of a heist scene. Though The Dead Zone is less blatant about its horror and suspense than Carrie, 'Salem's Lot or The Shining he was still able to keep me eagerly reading. I would be totally enveloped in the book on a break at work and would be angry that my break was over.
I also appreciate that King seems to have done his homework. When he writes about something, it never feels like he's winging it. For instance, when reading about Johnny’s recovery from the coma he puts in enough detail to show that he has done his research and knows what he is talking about. There is enough detail of various medical procedures given to give the book a sense of verisimilitude that is often missing from horror stories. Yet he doesn’t bog down in useless trivia.
The Dead Zone seems to be the first novel where SK started openly linking his works. He doesn't bang the reader over the head about it, but fans will spot offhand references to Jerusalem’s Lot, Flagg Street, Richard Dees and Inside Veiw, Stovington Prep and of course we pay our first visit to Castle Rock.
Yet for all the good stuff here there was something just... off about the novel. The structure of the novel seemed really weird. As I read it I felt like I was reading a novella that had been uncomfortably expanded into a novel by jamming another novella into the middle of it.
In the beginning we follow Johnny and we follow a deranged Bible salesman named Stillson. Then there's a series of murders in Castle Rock that takes up the middle of the book and goes away again. Then we follow Johnny and Stillson again. The whole Castle Rock section of the book (while interesting) really it could have been cut and the book probably wouldn't have felt vastly different.
King's writing is the saving grace here. Even with the trouble I had the book is well worth reading. But I can see why it isn't mentioned as often as The Shining or The Stand.
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for four years. He awakens to find that the world has changed and he has changed. Touching another person will give him uncontrollable psychic flashes, which turns out to be more of a curse than a blessing.This felt like Stephen King's first crack at a 'mature' novel. The pacing was much more deliberate than in his earlier books. Not to say that the book is boring. Just that King invested a lot more time in developing his characters (something he'd been very good good at since 'Salem's Lot at least), making them feel ever more real.
Johnny's mother Vera (for example) goes through a religious mania in the book, grasping at some pretty outrageous beliefs regarding aliens and U.F.O.s. It would have been easy to make this character comic relief, even unintentionally. Yet King handles her so well, making her very sympathetic even when you become exasperated with her.
The other major characters of the novel; Johnny, his one-time fiance Sarah and his father Herb are all adeptly handled.
Stephen King's writing is in top form here. There's a section early in the novel where he plays a wheel of fortune at a county carnival. This scene is written with the level of page-turning intensity of a heist scene. Though The Dead Zone is less blatant about its horror and suspense than Carrie, 'Salem's Lot or The Shining he was still able to keep me eagerly reading. I would be totally enveloped in the book on a break at work and would be angry that my break was over.
I also appreciate that King seems to have done his homework. When he writes about something, it never feels like he's winging it. For instance, when reading about Johnny’s recovery from the coma he puts in enough detail to show that he has done his research and knows what he is talking about. There is enough detail of various medical procedures given to give the book a sense of verisimilitude that is often missing from horror stories. Yet he doesn’t bog down in useless trivia.
The Dead Zone seems to be the first novel where SK started openly linking his works. He doesn't bang the reader over the head about it, but fans will spot offhand references to Jerusalem’s Lot, Flagg Street, Richard Dees and Inside Veiw, Stovington Prep and of course we pay our first visit to Castle Rock.
Yet for all the good stuff here there was something just... off about the novel. The structure of the novel seemed really weird. As I read it I felt like I was reading a novella that had been uncomfortably expanded into a novel by jamming another novella into the middle of it.
In the beginning we follow Johnny and we follow a deranged Bible salesman named Stillson. Then there's a series of murders in Castle Rock that takes up the middle of the book and goes away again. Then we follow Johnny and Stillson again. The whole Castle Rock section of the book (while interesting) really it could have been cut and the book probably wouldn't have felt vastly different.
King's writing is the saving grace here. Even with the trouble I had the book is well worth reading. But I can see why it isn't mentioned as often as The Shining or The Stand.
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LibraryThing member Bookmarque
Most people when they think of Stephen King think of evil clowns, killer cars, rabid dogs and manic fans with axes. This one is subtler and less action-packed. Those with the need for blatant explanations and lots of stagey scenes should avoid. The Dead Zone follows a similar theme evident in
Johnny Smith does not rail and shake his fist when fate selects him for a path he would never have chosen and feels he doesn’t deserve. No pity parties ensue. No sleepless nights with a bottle trying to find answers to the eternal question of ‘why me?’. Very telling on the character of John Smith. He’s a good man. Most people would use the power of foresight for themselves; finding more carnival wheels to bankrupt, playing the stock market or even just scamming the masses out of their hard-earned and foolishly-spent money. Instead, he turns his power to a deed that, with his gift of prophecy, would best serve the greater good.
Of course it is doomed, as is most everything else Johnny turns his hand to during the novel. His life grinds to a halt after the car crash. Miraculously returned to the living, he finds that life has passed him by and his promising relationship with Sarah is nonexistent. Soon his teaching career is in pieces and even his classroom of one ends badly. With his mother (mercifully) dead and his father involved with a new woman, there seems no place for John. Nice guys do finish last I suppose.
King’s ability to make me feel the poignancy of John’s losses is a bit heavy-handed, but adept. The scenes with Sarah after Johnny wakes are the best examples of this. When John’s anger manifests and focuses itself on the tabloid reporter, I cheered for him. His anxiety and true concern when his warnings were doubted and the subsequent fear and distrust when they were proven out are palpable and sad. And the resurgence of self-esteem when Chuck has his breakthrough; that was well executed, too. Overall a terrific characterization and one of King’s best.
So, with nothing else to lose, John pursues the corrupt and sociopathic Stillson. Strangely this is what stuck with me most from my initial readings even though it takes the least amount of time in the novel. With Stillson’s regular visitation of towns in his district, he is remarkably easy to track down. Some cunning goes into John’s recon of the venue and he successfully hides himself from Stillson’s advance team. The final act, however, goes awry and of course, John goes down. Unbeknownst to him, there is a silver lining – a single photo gets out intact. Who would re-elect a politician, who, when threatened, holds a child up as a shield? Success. But at a staggeringly huge price. And one that John seems glad to pay.
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King’s early works – the power of the mind. Carrie, The Shining and later Firestarter all deal with ESP and telekinesis as does The Dead Zone. That is not the all-consuming point though as it is in the earlier works. The larger theme of The Dead Zone is one’s purpose in life, the random chance of fate and the loss that results.Johnny Smith does not rail and shake his fist when fate selects him for a path he would never have chosen and feels he doesn’t deserve. No pity parties ensue. No sleepless nights with a bottle trying to find answers to the eternal question of ‘why me?’. Very telling on the character of John Smith. He’s a good man. Most people would use the power of foresight for themselves; finding more carnival wheels to bankrupt, playing the stock market or even just scamming the masses out of their hard-earned and foolishly-spent money. Instead, he turns his power to a deed that, with his gift of prophecy, would best serve the greater good.
Of course it is doomed, as is most everything else Johnny turns his hand to during the novel. His life grinds to a halt after the car crash. Miraculously returned to the living, he finds that life has passed him by and his promising relationship with Sarah is nonexistent. Soon his teaching career is in pieces and even his classroom of one ends badly. With his mother (mercifully) dead and his father involved with a new woman, there seems no place for John. Nice guys do finish last I suppose.
King’s ability to make me feel the poignancy of John’s losses is a bit heavy-handed, but adept. The scenes with Sarah after Johnny wakes are the best examples of this. When John’s anger manifests and focuses itself on the tabloid reporter, I cheered for him. His anxiety and true concern when his warnings were doubted and the subsequent fear and distrust when they were proven out are palpable and sad. And the resurgence of self-esteem when Chuck has his breakthrough; that was well executed, too. Overall a terrific characterization and one of King’s best.
So, with nothing else to lose, John pursues the corrupt and sociopathic Stillson. Strangely this is what stuck with me most from my initial readings even though it takes the least amount of time in the novel. With Stillson’s regular visitation of towns in his district, he is remarkably easy to track down. Some cunning goes into John’s recon of the venue and he successfully hides himself from Stillson’s advance team. The final act, however, goes awry and of course, John goes down. Unbeknownst to him, there is a silver lining – a single photo gets out intact. Who would re-elect a politician, who, when threatened, holds a child up as a shield? Success. But at a staggeringly huge price. And one that John seems glad to pay.
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LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
For Goodreads: 2.5 stars.
I think I dislike this book a little more every time I read it. The Dead Zone is, for the most part, boring setups that lead to lackluster climaxes, if they can be called climaxes at all. Maybe "payoffs" would be a better word... But I think what I dislike the most about
Honestly, The Dead Zone never had a chance. Not this time around at least. Especially coming off my reread of King's exceptional third outing, The Shining. (In case you're wondering, I skipped The Stand because I just reread it last year.) I suppose The Dead Zone is a perfect example of that old saying: They can't all be winners. King came out the gate with five fantastic novels. He was bound to lay a stinker on the world eventually.
I do enjoy the first 140 or so pages of this book, but everything's downhill from there. King had some terrific characters, but it seems as if he didn't really know what do with them once they were established. It's funny, because the book feels more like a collection of interconnected short stories than it does a novel.
Notes on the film and television adaptations: I love Christopher Walken. He's one of my favorite actors. But I've never been able to finish the film adaptation of this book. It bores me to sleep every time. Sh*t's better than L-tryptophan, son! And the TV series with that dude from Weird Science? All I saw of that were the commercials. I suppose this story just doesn't pique my interest. I do believe this is the final time I'm reading this one. Maybe...
Notable names:
Jerusalem's Lot (Obvious)
Gendron (used throughout the King-verse)
Richard Dees (the despicable main character of King's short story "The Night Flier")
Inside View (a gossip rag like The Enquirer that shows up quite bit inside the King-verse. The aforementioned Richard Dees is a headhunter for said magazine.)
Carrie (mentioned as a book instead of a person)
And, of course, Castle Rock (No-brainer)
In summation: One of my bottom five when it comes to King's books, right down there with Wizard and Glass and the absolutely terrible From a Buick 8. I'm definitely not looking forward to my reread of the latter.
On to Firestarter, which I don't remember at all. I read this one in my teens and haven't read it since. I'm looking forward to it because I don't remember hating it and I dig the movie adaptation very much.
I think I dislike this book a little more every time I read it. The Dead Zone is, for the most part, boring setups that lead to lackluster climaxes, if they can be called climaxes at all. Maybe "payoffs" would be a better word... But I think what I dislike the most about
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this book is all the political mumbo jumbo. I simply don't give a sh*t about politics, and this book is full of it. If Johnny Smith isn't thinking about how shitty he has it, he's ruminating on the political climate. This is purely subjective, of course, because if you dig your stories dredged in government, battered in legislature, and fried in policy then this book is definitely for you. Honestly, The Dead Zone never had a chance. Not this time around at least. Especially coming off my reread of King's exceptional third outing, The Shining. (In case you're wondering, I skipped The Stand because I just reread it last year.) I suppose The Dead Zone is a perfect example of that old saying: They can't all be winners. King came out the gate with five fantastic novels. He was bound to lay a stinker on the world eventually.
I do enjoy the first 140 or so pages of this book, but everything's downhill from there. King had some terrific characters, but it seems as if he didn't really know what do with them once they were established. It's funny, because the book feels more like a collection of interconnected short stories than it does a novel.
Notes on the film and television adaptations: I love Christopher Walken. He's one of my favorite actors. But I've never been able to finish the film adaptation of this book. It bores me to sleep every time. Sh*t's better than L-tryptophan, son! And the TV series with that dude from Weird Science? All I saw of that were the commercials. I suppose this story just doesn't pique my interest. I do believe this is the final time I'm reading this one. Maybe...
Notable names:
Jerusalem's Lot (Obvious)
Gendron (used throughout the King-verse)
Richard Dees (the despicable main character of King's short story "The Night Flier")
Inside View (a gossip rag like The Enquirer that shows up quite bit inside the King-verse. The aforementioned Richard Dees is a headhunter for said magazine.)
Carrie (mentioned as a book instead of a person)
And, of course, Castle Rock (No-brainer)
In summation: One of my bottom five when it comes to King's books, right down there with Wizard and Glass and the absolutely terrible From a Buick 8. I'm definitely not looking forward to my reread of the latter.
On to Firestarter, which I don't remember at all. I read this one in my teens and haven't read it since. I'm looking forward to it because I don't remember hating it and I dig the movie adaptation very much.
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LibraryThing member edgeworth
Stephen King is an author I like, but a wildly uneven one – some of his books are awful, while some of his books are among the best I’ve ever read. He’s not really high on my priority list, but I’m not averse to reading his stuff when it comes up, and I picked up an old paperback of The
One of his earlier books (always a good sign with King), The Dead Zone is enlivened by how much it doesn’t stick to a predictable formula, and it’s really one of those books you want to read knowing nothing about it. Although apparently it was adapted into a Cronenberg film starring Christopher Walken in the 1980s, and a relatively long-running TV series in the 2000s, so maybe it’s more well-known than I thought. I’d only heard of it (and knew the ultimate direction it went in) because I’ve been keeping up with James Smythe’s long-running Re-reading Stephen King series at the Guardian, but I think I would have liked it better if I went in blind, knowing nothing about what happened – not even the first act. So if you haven’t heard of The Dead Zone and you’ve enjoyed anything else King has ever written, stop reading this now and keep an eye out for it. It’s one of his better books and well worth your time.
If you still want to know more, suffice to say that it follows the life of Johnny Smith, a young man with a latent psychic sense and an ability to predict what lies in the past, present and future of certain people. A life-altering accident heightens this ability like never before, and Johnny must suddenly decide what to do with it – and how to cope with the way people now treat him. Some of the best parts of The Dead Zone are in the unexpected flashes Johnny gets of other people’s lives when he touches their belongings; as he pushes coats aside on a rack at a restaurant and knows that a man there is slowly going mad, or when he handles a 100-year-old photograph and learns that its subject, a man long dead, poisoned his wife. Johnny’s psychic ability is a curse as much as a gift, but King does a good job of making Johnny an affable character and never letting his misgivings and misery seem too self-pitying.
Stephen King is noted as a horror novelist, but I’ve never personally found that to be a good description of his work, which ranges across the whole gamut of speculative fiction: he has time travel novels, apocalyptic novels, fantasy novels and more. The Dead Zone feels more like a suspense thriller than anything, combining the fantasy aspect of Johnny’s sixth sense with a story of serial killers, FBI agents and something much darker. It’s a little slow to get going, but it ends up being a great read – not as good as something like The Stand, The Mist or The Long Walk, but definitely one of King’s better novels.
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Dead Zone for 50p at a library sale.One of his earlier books (always a good sign with King), The Dead Zone is enlivened by how much it doesn’t stick to a predictable formula, and it’s really one of those books you want to read knowing nothing about it. Although apparently it was adapted into a Cronenberg film starring Christopher Walken in the 1980s, and a relatively long-running TV series in the 2000s, so maybe it’s more well-known than I thought. I’d only heard of it (and knew the ultimate direction it went in) because I’ve been keeping up with James Smythe’s long-running Re-reading Stephen King series at the Guardian, but I think I would have liked it better if I went in blind, knowing nothing about what happened – not even the first act. So if you haven’t heard of The Dead Zone and you’ve enjoyed anything else King has ever written, stop reading this now and keep an eye out for it. It’s one of his better books and well worth your time.
If you still want to know more, suffice to say that it follows the life of Johnny Smith, a young man with a latent psychic sense and an ability to predict what lies in the past, present and future of certain people. A life-altering accident heightens this ability like never before, and Johnny must suddenly decide what to do with it – and how to cope with the way people now treat him. Some of the best parts of The Dead Zone are in the unexpected flashes Johnny gets of other people’s lives when he touches their belongings; as he pushes coats aside on a rack at a restaurant and knows that a man there is slowly going mad, or when he handles a 100-year-old photograph and learns that its subject, a man long dead, poisoned his wife. Johnny’s psychic ability is a curse as much as a gift, but King does a good job of making Johnny an affable character and never letting his misgivings and misery seem too self-pitying.
Stephen King is noted as a horror novelist, but I’ve never personally found that to be a good description of his work, which ranges across the whole gamut of speculative fiction: he has time travel novels, apocalyptic novels, fantasy novels and more. The Dead Zone feels more like a suspense thriller than anything, combining the fantasy aspect of Johnny’s sixth sense with a story of serial killers, FBI agents and something much darker. It’s a little slow to get going, but it ends up being a great read – not as good as something like The Stand, The Mist or The Long Walk, but definitely one of King’s better novels.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
A coma patient awakens after several years and finds that he can see future events just by touching people. He didn't ask for this gift and he doesn't want it! A later TV series was made from this book with all the characters created by Stephen King. The fist couple of seasons stayed close to the
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book but began to take on a life of their own in later seasons. Show Less
LibraryThing member salem801
This was my favourite King book for a long time until I decided to re-read it and couldn't get into it again. Loved in my 20's but one of those great memories that it is perhaps better not to go back to
LibraryThing member Wonderland_Books
The worst Stephen King book I've ever read.
This was very surprising to me because I absolutely loved the first half of this book and thought that maybe it would be one that I would actually enjoy reading.
However, the latter half of the book left me extremely disappointed. It started to drag on
Here's hoping the next King book that I read doesn't turn out to be this horrendous.
This was very surprising to me because I absolutely loved the first half of this book and thought that maybe it would be one that I would actually enjoy reading.
However, the latter half of the book left me extremely disappointed. It started to drag on
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and on and it went in an entirely different direction than I expected. It's almost like a different person wrote the second half of the book because it was so utterly and completely boring.Here's hoping the next King book that I read doesn't turn out to be this horrendous.
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LibraryThing member DVerdecia
This book will remain in my Permanent Collection and not available to anyone else. It is AWESOME. If you have seen the movie, I will tell you that you have missed 2/3 of what's in this book. They also changed much in the movie from the Book.
John Smith, through a series of accidents has been given
I found the writing easy to read. I found the characters very believable. I found the story fascinating. I would highly recommend this book as a great read!
John Smith, through a series of accidents has been given
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the power of second sight. The crux of the story comes down to one question. "If you could go back in time with what you know now about Hitler, would you kill him?" John Smith is able to see the definitive futures of individuals and is able to alter their outcome. The story of how he has to deal with this "gift" is the premise behind this book.I found the writing easy to read. I found the characters very believable. I found the story fascinating. I would highly recommend this book as a great read!
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LibraryThing member StefanY
For some reason, my recollection of reading this book before was very vague. Therefore, I went into the rereading process without knowing what to expect at all. Boy, was I surprised. After finishing it, I think that The Dead Zone is one of King's best novels.
The character development is superb and
The story, while not action packed, takes the reader completely into the world of Johnny Smith, a regular guy with a bit of psychic ability and some incredibly bad luck. A big part of the storyline revolves around the political climate of the 70's but it is written in such a way that it stays interesting throughout. I honestly did not experience any moments of boredom with the story.
As I'm finding with several King books that I've re-read lately, The Dead Zone is not really a horror novel at all. There's a little bit of gore and graphic violence and of course King's choice of language is a bit colorful at times, but really this is a good suspense story with a bit of politics and psychic powers thrown in for good measure.
All in all a GREAT novel. I highly recommend it.
The character development is superb and
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I think that Johnny Smith is possibly one of King's best developed characters. We also spend considerable time with his family members and the principle villains and these characters are all strongly developed and quirky in their own ways.The story, while not action packed, takes the reader completely into the world of Johnny Smith, a regular guy with a bit of psychic ability and some incredibly bad luck. A big part of the storyline revolves around the political climate of the 70's but it is written in such a way that it stays interesting throughout. I honestly did not experience any moments of boredom with the story.
As I'm finding with several King books that I've re-read lately, The Dead Zone is not really a horror novel at all. There's a little bit of gore and graphic violence and of course King's choice of language is a bit colorful at times, but really this is a good suspense story with a bit of politics and psychic powers thrown in for good measure.
All in all a GREAT novel. I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member purple_pisces22
I read this book years ago in high school, but re-reading it now felt like I’ve never read it before, as I see the whole story differently being older. It makes me think perhaps I should go back and re-read some of his other stuff that I read so long ago.
Johnny Smith has had a rough life,
I love this book because it doesn’t get too crazy like many of King’s later works, and I can see why he became one of my favorite authors way back then. I did not recall the ending so I was pleasantly surprised. It’s hard to say too much without giving away spoilers.
Bottom line, if you haven’t read this book and you are a Stephen King fan it’s a definite must read.
Johnny Smith has had a rough life,
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physically at least. As a small boy it seems that an accident caused his first psychic event. Over the years, he tries to keep this to himself, but sometimes when he touches someone it happens without him being able to stop it. when he meets the girl of his dreams, another accident gets in the way of happily ever after with her. But this doesn’t stop him from keeping her in his heart and always being aware of what she is doing.I love this book because it doesn’t get too crazy like many of King’s later works, and I can see why he became one of my favorite authors way back then. I did not recall the ending so I was pleasantly surprised. It’s hard to say too much without giving away spoilers.
Bottom line, if you haven’t read this book and you are a Stephen King fan it’s a definite must read.
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LibraryThing member usuallee
Classic. King is such a natural storyteller. I thought I'd read this aeons ago. but I only remembered the beginning, so I may not have finished it. I have resumed my quest to read Stevie's books in (more or less) chronological order.
This one is not really frightening like, say the Shining or It,
The Dead Zone is justifiably considered a classic, and one of King's better books. I have to say, in the new audiobook version that was just released, James Franco does a very nice job with the narration.
This one is not really frightening like, say the Shining or It,
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it reads more like a thriller with supernatural overtones. You feel like you have been on a real journey by the end of the book, and it features a very tense finale, which is not true of all King books. The only very slight criticism is that the book is loosely plotted, more episodic in nature, though it's really no less compelling as a result. The Dead Zone is justifiably considered a classic, and one of King's better books. I have to say, in the new audiobook version that was just released, James Franco does a very nice job with the narration.
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LibraryThing member glamrockskisuit
This was my first Stephen King book and although he isn't one of my favourtie authors I still think he is good. I liked the book. There were some quite creepy moments but like most of his books it wasn't exactly action packed...more like...subtle action...oh I dunno...heehee
LibraryThing member mrtall
One of King's best. Creepy, compelling and even tragic.
LibraryThing member TonyaSB
Can't say that I'm much of a fan of the show but this was a very good book. I've been making my way through a lot of Stephen King lately since my last roommate was a big fan and I had only read a few of his books before moving in with her. Now for someone who didn't read this book when it came out
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almost 30 years ago, it was a little scary but not in the normal Stephen King way. The book itself didn't scare me so much as how similar the bad politician is to my favorite politician of today. The things that Johnny sees for this guy are so earily acurrate for someone else that he could have been shaking hands with that someone else. Now of course I can't mention that someone else's name because then I'll have the Secret Service after me saying I'm advocating assassination. NEVER. I don't believe in killing for any reason (which is why I hate this someone else so much). This book simply makes me wonder who SK had in mind when he wrote that book. Is it purely coincidence that the time line for the future of the bad politician in the book is only about 5 years off? Was there someone in 1979 that SK saw as so scary and on his way to leading the country even though no one else would have believed it? Can something like that be coincidence and if there was no one in his mind at the time, could it be that the idea came to him from a source outside himself? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Show Less
LibraryThing member santhony
As with many of King's works, I find his books that deal with real people to be far scarier and more entertaining than the books that involve supernatural (and many times silly) monsters and beings. Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne, The Shining, Misery are terrifying without being ridiculous.
LibraryThing member karieh
Funny thing? The face on the cover of my copy (published in 1980) looks eerily like Anthony Michael Hall who would portray Johnny in the TV series (which I also like) MANY MANY years later. Hmmmm....
LibraryThing member AndrewCottingham
If this was the first Stephen King book I had ever read then I would not be in a hurry to read another of his books. The movie was far more interesting than the book which was not even similar to the Curates Egg – far too few good bits in among the drivel. I left it on the train after reading
LibraryThing member Djupstrom
Interesting concept...seeing the future after waking up from a coma. I wonder if it has something to do with the time while you were a vegetable and your brain not functioning, that when you come out of it you mind is doing double time to make up for all the time lost. Think of all the
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possibilities! Show Less
LibraryThing member jvalka
The first half of the book is rather slow to get going, focusing mainly on Johnny's relationship with his parents and Sarah, a woman he loved just before the crash. I really like the Wheel of Fortune scene at the fair though, and how it becomes a recurring symbol. This heat up when he tracks down
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Frank Dodd, but the investigation is over rather abruptly. Nevertheless, King does a fine job plotting here, with Frank Dodd and the restaurant fire premonition leading Johnny to the inevitable conclusion that he must assassinate Greg Stillson for the great good of the world. Johnny is tormented by his psychic gift and the way it distances him from other people, haunted by his mother's words that God has a mission for him to do. Show Less
LibraryThing member rosencrantz79
I will probably attract the attention of the CIA or the Secret Service if I intimate that it would be beneficial for all humankind if John Smith, the protagonist of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, had occasion to shake the hand of our current president. So I'm not going to suggest that. I will,
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however, suggest that this is a tightly-crafted novel that exemplifies some of King's best work. And that the 1970's Vietnam/Nixon impeachment/Watergate backdrop makes for a setting that resonates in today's political climate. Show Less
LibraryThing member coloradogirl14
I am slowly but surely working my way through Stephen King's novels chronologically, with the Dead Zone being the most recent book of his I've read to completion, excluding Doctor Sleep. It had been awhile since I first The Dead Zone, and it was sort of like reading it for the first time, since
Johnny has been gifted with an unusually keen sense of perception (or luck) ever since he hit his head on the ice as a child. But trouble really starts for him when he's in a horrific car accident and falls into a coma that lasts for five years. When he wakes up, he's miraculously able to walk, talk, and remember much of what happened to him, but now he notices that he has a supernatural ability to know things about the people he touches. And when he shakes hands with up-and-coming politician, Greg Stillson, he sees a horrific vision of nuclear war in the not-so-distant future - a vision that will surely come to pass unless Johnny kills him.
Even though this was written in the late seventies/early eighties, it still has a distinctive Stephen King FEEL that's hard to describe but easy to understand if you've read a lot of his work. Maybe it's the combination of dark suspense, deep characterization, and straightforward writing, but whatever it may be, this book has the unofficial Stephen King stamp.
The book's main flaw is that the story feels disjointed, instead of everything working together towards a final conclusion. First we see Johnny before his accident. Then we see him after the coma trying to cope with his new skill. Then he's called in to help solve a horrific series of child rapes and murders in a nearby town. Then he's hired to tutor the son of a wealthy New England family. And it isn't until THIS part in his life that Johnny even meets Greg Stillson, although the reader has been treated to several forays into Stillson's mind before this. The plot just feels like a string of beads stretched out in a line, with separate beads not having much to do with one another.
Does this affect the entertainment value of the story? Not for me. It's a fast read, Johnny is a likeable yet conflicted character, and the other characters are just as interesting. Not my favorite Stephen King, and one I probably wouldn't suggest unless someone had already read a good chunk of his work already, but still a solid and entertaining choice.
Readalikes:
Some of Stephen King's less horror-centric titles might make for good suggestions, including The Long Walk, The Green Mile, and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (novella).
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. Both titles feature a likeable protagonist with an unwanted gift of supernatural visions, although Odd Thomas's story is less grounded in reality than The Dead Zone and features more dark humor.
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there was so much of it I didn't remember.Johnny has been gifted with an unusually keen sense of perception (or luck) ever since he hit his head on the ice as a child. But trouble really starts for him when he's in a horrific car accident and falls into a coma that lasts for five years. When he wakes up, he's miraculously able to walk, talk, and remember much of what happened to him, but now he notices that he has a supernatural ability to know things about the people he touches. And when he shakes hands with up-and-coming politician, Greg Stillson, he sees a horrific vision of nuclear war in the not-so-distant future - a vision that will surely come to pass unless Johnny kills him.
Even though this was written in the late seventies/early eighties, it still has a distinctive Stephen King FEEL that's hard to describe but easy to understand if you've read a lot of his work. Maybe it's the combination of dark suspense, deep characterization, and straightforward writing, but whatever it may be, this book has the unofficial Stephen King stamp.
The book's main flaw is that the story feels disjointed, instead of everything working together towards a final conclusion. First we see Johnny before his accident. Then we see him after the coma trying to cope with his new skill. Then he's called in to help solve a horrific series of child rapes and murders in a nearby town. Then he's hired to tutor the son of a wealthy New England family. And it isn't until THIS part in his life that Johnny even meets Greg Stillson, although the reader has been treated to several forays into Stillson's mind before this. The plot just feels like a string of beads stretched out in a line, with separate beads not having much to do with one another.
Does this affect the entertainment value of the story? Not for me. It's a fast read, Johnny is a likeable yet conflicted character, and the other characters are just as interesting. Not my favorite Stephen King, and one I probably wouldn't suggest unless someone had already read a good chunk of his work already, but still a solid and entertaining choice.
Readalikes:
Some of Stephen King's less horror-centric titles might make for good suggestions, including The Long Walk, The Green Mile, and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (novella).
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. Both titles feature a likeable protagonist with an unwanted gift of supernatural visions, although Odd Thomas's story is less grounded in reality than The Dead Zone and features more dark humor.
Show Less
LibraryThing member phaga
This wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a great book either. The ending was weak and seemed rushed compared to the rest of the story. Almost like King was told to cut the length so he just chopped the ending drastically while leaving the rest of the story intact. This gave the story an unbalanced
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feel. His characters, like always, are the strongest aspect of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Anagarika
Classic King. An amazing read.
LibraryThing member les121
A suspenseful, tragic, masterfully written tale. So far it's my favorite of King's books.
LibraryThing member vkb1
I've read quite a few of King's books, and this has to be one of his best. The story is tightly woven (the way I like my books) unlike some of King's others, where one is left wanting more of a resolution or explanation. King dips into the unexplored recesses of the mind over and over again, but he
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does it here flawlessly. Show Less
Pages
416