Castle Rock (Stephen King)
Encyclopedia
Castle Rock, Maine is part of Stephen King
’s fictional Maine
topography and provides the setting for a number of his novels, novellas, and short stories. Built similarly to the fictional towns of Jerusalem's Lot
(featured in the novel 'Salem's Lot) and Derry
(featured in the novels It
, Insomnia
, and Dreamcatcher
), Castle Rock is a typical small New England
town with many dark secrets.
Castle Rock first appeared in the novel The Dead Zone
, and has been used in several other King works since (see list below). King originally intended to stop using Castle Rock as the setting of his works after the novel Needful Things
, although this was followed by an epilogue in the short story "It Grows on You
". Castle Rock was later mentioned in works such as Riding the Bullet
and as part of the setting for Bag of Bones
.
In The Dead Zone
, which is set in the 1970s, Castle Rock is introduced as a town gripped in fear by a serial killer
targeting young girls. The subsequent investigations are unsuccessful until local sheriff George Bannerman enlists the help of Johnny Smith
, a well-known psychic
. Smith eventually identifies the killer as Frank Dodd, Bannerman's deputy; Dodd commits suicide before he can be arrested for the murders. In 1980, the town is again put on alert when a local dog, Cujo
, contracts rabies
and kills several residents, including Bannerman.
. In Creepshow
(1982), there is a sign at the end of "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" that puts Portland
at 37 miles, and Boston
at 188 miles (it should be noted, though, that "Weeds", the short story on which "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" was based, was actually set in New Hampshire
). Geographically, this puts Castle Rock in the northern hemisphere of a 37-mile radius from Portland, Maine. This could include places such as Durham
, Danville, Auburn
, Lewiston
, Bridgton and maybe even Sabattus
. A map on King's official website places Castle Rock in Oxford County
, in the vicinity of Woodstock
. Yet the works in which Castle Rock appears place the town in the fictional "Castle County", which also includes such towns as Castle Lake, Castle View.
, who created a series of fictional small towns in New England called Arkham
, Dunwich
, Innsmouth
and Kingsport
. King has mimicked this idea of Lovecraft's with the towns of Jerusalem's Lot, Castle Rock, Derry, and – to a lesser extent – Little Tall Island and Haven. King has openly admitted being a great fan of Lovecraft, calling him the "20th century's dark and baroque prince". The actual name for the city appears to have been taken from a geographical feature which appears in William Golding
's novel Lord of the Flies
; this rocky area of the boys' island is where Jack Merridew sets up his rival camp.
The town may be based on King's home town of Durham, and Lisbon Falls, Maine
, where he attended high school. Durham was the home of a 19th Century millenarian
sect known as The Kingdom
whose home, "Shiloh", was an imposing wooden complex on a hill, capped by a huge crown. The central portion of the Shiloh complex still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. A town called Castle Hill
exists in Aroostook County.
The first film adaptation of a Stephen King story to make reference to Castle Rock was Stand by Me
(an adaptation of King's novella "The Body
"), although that film's Castle Rock was moved to the state of Oregon
. Rob Reiner
, the film's director, later named his production company Castle Rock Entertainment
. This company has produced several subsequent adaptations of King's work.
In the film adaptation of "The Mist"
, David Drayton reads a newspaper called The Castle Rock Times.
There are several real Castle Rocks in the United States
, notably in southwest Washington and in Colorado
, just south of Denver.
's novel Battle Royale
, the town from which the ill-fated students hail is called Shiroiwa, which translates as "Castle Rock".
In a scene from Peter Jackson's alien invasion movie Bad Taste
, a signpost is shown with two directions listed: one towards to Kaihoro, the other leads to a town named Castle Rock
. This has been confirmed as a reference to King's creation.
Castle Rock is mentioned in One on One
, a 1993 novel by King's wife, Tabitha King
. In an afterword, she thanks "another novelist who was kind enough to allow me" to borrow the name.
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
’s fictional Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
topography and provides the setting for a number of his novels, novellas, and short stories. Built similarly to the fictional towns of Jerusalem's Lot
Jerusalem's Lot (Stephen King)
Jerusalem's Lot is a fictional town in the works of horror fiction writer Stephen King...
(featured in the novel 'Salem's Lot) and Derry
Derry (Stephen King)
Derry, Maine is a fictional town and a part of Stephen King's fictional Maine topography, and, like Castle Rock, it has served as the setting for a number of his novels, novellas, and short stories. It first appeared in the short story "The Bird and the Album" and was expanded on in both It and...
(featured in the novels It
It (novel)
It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
, Insomnia
Insomnia (novel)
Insomnia is a novel written by Stephen King and first published in 1994. Like It and Dreamcatcher, its setting is the fictional town of Derry, Maine. The original hardcover edition was issued with dust jackets in two complementary designs...
, and Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher (novel)
Dreamcatcher is a horror novel written by Stephen King. It was adapted into a 2003 movie of the same name. The book, written longhand, was the author's tool for recuperation from a 1999 car accident, and was completed in half a year...
), Castle Rock is a typical small New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
town with many dark secrets.
Castle Rock first appeared in the novel The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone (novel)
The Dead Zone is a horror novel by Stephen King published in 1979. It concerns Johnny Smith, who is injured in an accident and enters a coma for nearly five years. When he emerges, he can see horrifying secrets but cannot identify all the details in his "dead zone", an area of his brain that...
, and has been used in several other King works since (see list below). King originally intended to stop using Castle Rock as the setting of his works after the novel Needful Things
Needful Things
Needful Things is a 1991 horror novel by American author Stephen King. According to the cover, it is "The Last Castle Rock Story." However, the town later served as the setting for the short story "It Grows on You," published in King's 1993 collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes which, according to...
, although this was followed by an epilogue in the short story "It Grows on You
It Grows On You
"It Grows On You" is a short story written by author Stephen King and originally published in Marshroots, volume 3, no. 1, Fall 1973, later revised and published in August 1982 in Whispers, and again revised for the 1993 short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes.-Plot summary:The story...
". Castle Rock was later mentioned in works such as Riding the Bullet
Riding the Bullet
Riding the Bullet is a novella by Stephen King. This work marks King's debut on the Internet. Simon & Schuster, with technology by SoftLock, first published Riding the Bullet in 2000 as the world's first mass-market electronic book, available for download at $2.50...
and as part of the setting for Bag of Bones
Bag of Bones
Bag of Bones is a 1998 novel by Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife...
.
Fictional history
Novels set in Castle Rock depict events affecting the town, some of which have a lasting impact and influence the plotline of later works.In The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone may refer to:* The Dead Zone , a 1979 novel by Stephen King* The Dead Zone , a 1983 film adaption of the novel, starring Christopher Walken and directed by David Cronenberg...
, which is set in the 1970s, Castle Rock is introduced as a town gripped in fear by a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
targeting young girls. The subsequent investigations are unsuccessful until local sheriff George Bannerman enlists the help of Johnny Smith
Johnny Smith (Dead Zone)
John Smith is a fictional character and the main protagonist originally appearing in the Stephen King novel, The Dead Zone, then in the film and the television series of the same name.-Novel:...
, a well-known psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
. Smith eventually identifies the killer as Frank Dodd, Bannerman's deputy; Dodd commits suicide before he can be arrested for the murders. In 1980, the town is again put on alert when a local dog, Cujo
Cujo
Cujo is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982, and was made into a film in 1983....
, contracts rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
and kills several residents, including Bannerman.
Geographical location
Population of Castle Rock was 1,280 by 1959 and around 1,500 as of its final chronological appearance in Needful ThingsNeedful Things
Needful Things is a 1991 horror novel by American author Stephen King. According to the cover, it is "The Last Castle Rock Story." However, the town later served as the setting for the short story "It Grows on You," published in King's 1993 collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes which, according to...
. In Creepshow
Creepshow
Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
(1982), there is a sign at the end of "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" that puts Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
at 37 miles, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
at 188 miles (it should be noted, though, that "Weeds", the short story on which "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" was based, was actually set in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
). Geographically, this puts Castle Rock in the northern hemisphere of a 37-mile radius from Portland, Maine. This could include places such as Durham
Durham, Maine
Durham is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,419 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area.-Geography:According to the United...
, Danville, Auburn
Auburn, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan...
, Lewiston
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, Bridgton and maybe even Sabattus
Sabattus, Maine
Sabattus is a town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,486 at the 2000 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area...
. A map on King's official website places Castle Rock in Oxford County
Oxford County, Maine
Oxford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine with a population of 57,833 as of the 2010 U.S. census. Its county seat is Paris.Part of Oxford County is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, metropolitan New England City and Town Area while a different part of Oxford County is...
, in the vicinity of Woodstock
Woodstock, Maine
Woodstock is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,307 at the 2000 census. The village of Bryant Pond, on State Route 26 in the northern part of Woodstock, is the town's urban center and largest settlement.-Geography:...
. Yet the works in which Castle Rock appears place the town in the fictional "Castle County", which also includes such towns as Castle Lake, Castle View.
Influences
Castle Rock is influenced by the works of H. P. LovecraftH. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, who created a series of fictional small towns in New England called Arkham
Arkham
Arkham is a fictional city in Massachusetts, part of the Lovecraft Country setting created by H. P. Lovecraft and is featured in many of his stories, as well as those of other Cthulhu Mythos writers....
, Dunwich
Dunwich (Lovecraft)
Dunwich is a fictional town that appeared in the H. P. Lovecraft short story "The Dunwich Horror" . Dunwich is found in the fictional Miskatonic River Valley of Massachusetts, part of the imaginary region sometimes called Lovecraft Country...
, Innsmouth
Innsmouth
Innsmouth is a fictional town in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, part of the Lovecraft Country setting of the Cthulhu Mythos.Lovecraft first used the name "Innsmouth" in his 1920 short story "Celephaïs" , where it refers to a fictional town in New England...
and Kingsport
Kingsport (Lovecraft)
Kingsport is a fictional town in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft. The town first appeared in Lovecraft's short story "The Terrible Old Man"...
. King has mimicked this idea of Lovecraft's with the towns of Jerusalem's Lot, Castle Rock, Derry, and – to a lesser extent – Little Tall Island and Haven. King has openly admitted being a great fan of Lovecraft, calling him the "20th century's dark and baroque prince". The actual name for the city appears to have been taken from a geographical feature which appears in William Golding
William Golding
Sir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies...
's novel Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
; this rocky area of the boys' island is where Jack Merridew sets up his rival camp.
The town may be based on King's home town of Durham, and Lisbon Falls, Maine
Lisbon Falls, Maine
Lisbon Falls is a census-designated place in the town of Lisbon, located in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population of Lisbon Falls was 4,420 at the 2000 census...
, where he attended high school. Durham was the home of a 19th Century millenarian
Millenarianism
Millenarianism is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming major transformation of society, after which all things will be changed, based on a one-thousand-year cycle. The term is more generically used to refer to any belief centered around 1000 year intervals...
sect known as The Kingdom
Frank Sandford
Frank Weston Sandford was the founder and leader of an apocalyptic Christian sect, informally called "Shiloh" and eventually known officially as "The Kingdom." Sandford was early attracted to premillennialism, the Higher Life movement, the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, and divine healing;...
whose home, "Shiloh", was an imposing wooden complex on a hill, capped by a huge crown. The central portion of the Shiloh complex still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. A town called Castle Hill
Castle Hill, Maine
Castle Hill is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 454 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
exists in Aroostook County.
Works set in Castle Rock
- The Dead ZoneThe Dead Zone (novel)The Dead Zone is a horror novel by Stephen King published in 1979. It concerns Johnny Smith, who is injured in an accident and enters a coma for nearly five years. When he emerges, he can see horrifying secrets but cannot identify all the details in his "dead zone", an area of his brain that...
- CujoCujoCujo is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The novel won the British Fantasy Award in 1982, and was made into a film in 1983....
- "The BodyThe Body (novella)The Body, or Fall from Innocence, is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in King's 1982 collection Different Seasons and in 1986 adapted into the acclaimed film Stand by Me...
" (novella from Different SeasonsDifferent SeasonsDifferent Seasons is a collection of four Stephen King novellas with a more serious bent than the horror fiction for which King is famous:-Afterword:At the ending of the book, there is also a brief afterword, which King wrote on January 4, 1982...
). As written, the story is set in Castle Rock, MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. In Stand By MeStand by Me (film)Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
(film based on the novella), the town is in OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. - "Uncle Otto's TruckUncle Otto's TruckUncle Otto's Truck is a short horror story by Stephen King, first published in Yankee in 1983, and collected in King's 1985 collection Skeleton Crew.-Plot summary:...
" (short story which appears in Skeleton CrewSkeleton CrewSkeleton Crew is the second collection of short fiction by Stephen King. The first collection, Night Shift, was published seven years prior in 1978. Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas, was published between the two in 1982. Skeleton Crew was originally published in hardcover form by...
) - The Dark HalfThe Dark HalfThe Dark Half is a horror novel by Stephen King, published in 1989. Publishers Weekly listed The Dark Half as the second best-selling book of 1989 behind Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger. It was adapted into a feature film of the same name in 1993.Stephen King wrote several books under a...
- "The Sun DogThe Sun DogThe Sun Dog is one of four novellas by Stephen King appearing in the book Four Past Midnight, published September 1990.- Plot :Kevin Delevan receives a Sun 660 Polaroid camera for his fifteenth birthday...
" (novella from Four Past MidnightFour Past MidnightFour Past Midnight is a collection of four novellas by Stephen King, published in 1990. The four stories are "The Langoliers"; "Secret Window, Secret Garden"; "The Library Policeman"; and "The Sun Dog".- The Langoliers :...
) - Needful ThingsNeedful ThingsNeedful Things is a 1991 horror novel by American author Stephen King. According to the cover, it is "The Last Castle Rock Story." However, the town later served as the setting for the short story "It Grows on You," published in King's 1993 collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes which, according to...
- "It Grows on YouIt Grows On You"It Grows On You" is a short story written by author Stephen King and originally published in Marshroots, volume 3, no. 1, Fall 1973, later revised and published in August 1982 in Whispers, and again revised for the 1993 short story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes.-Plot summary:The story...
" (short story which appears in Nightmares & DreamscapesNightmares & DreamscapesNightmares & Dreamscapes is a short story collection by Stephen King published in 1993.-Stories:-Adaptations:"The Night Flier" and "Dolan's Cadillac" were both adapted to films of the same respective names. "Chattery Teeth"' was adapted into a segment of the film Quicksilver Highway...
)
Works referencing Castle Rock
- "Graveyard ShiftGraveyard Shift"Graveyard Shift" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the October 1970 issue of Cavalier magazine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift...
" (short story which appears in Night ShiftNight Shift (book)Night Shift is the first collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published in 1978. Many of King's most famous short stories were included in this collection.-Stories collected:-Details:...
) - CreepshowCreepshowCreepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
- "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank RedemptionRita Hayworth and Shawshank RedemptionRita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a novella by Stephen King, from his collection Different Seasons . It has been hailed by critics as King's "greatest work", and "masterpiece". The novella was adapted for the screen in 1994 as The Shawshank Redemption, itself a lauded film, nominated for...
" (the narrator was a resident before his incarceration at Shawshank) - Pet SemataryPet SemataryPet Sematary is a 1983 horror novel by Stephen King. It was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and was later made into a film of the same name.-Plot:...
(refers to the events of Cujo which take place in Castle Rock) - "GrammaGramma (short story)"Gramma" is a short story by Stephen King first published in Weirdbook magazine in 1984, and collected in King's 1985 collection Skeleton Crew. Certain characters/creatures/unearthly powers featured in the works of H.P...
" (short story appearing in Skeleton CrewSkeleton CrewSkeleton Crew is the second collection of short fiction by Stephen King. The first collection, Night Shift, was published seven years prior in 1978. Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas, was published between the two in 1982. Skeleton Crew was originally published in hardcover form by...
) - "Mrs. Todd's ShortcutMrs. Todd's ShortcutMrs. Todd's Shortcut is a story by Stephen King, first published in the May 1984 issue of Redbook magazine, and collected in King's 1985 collection Skeleton Crew.-Plot summary:...
" (short story appearing in Skeleton CrewSkeleton CrewSkeleton Crew is the second collection of short fiction by Stephen King. The first collection, Night Shift, was published seven years prior in 1978. Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas, was published between the two in 1982. Skeleton Crew was originally published in hardcover form by...
) - "Nona" (short story appearing in Skeleton CrewSkeleton CrewSkeleton Crew is the second collection of short fiction by Stephen King. The first collection, Night Shift, was published seven years prior in 1978. Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas, was published between the two in 1982. Skeleton Crew was originally published in hardcover form by...
) - ItIt (novel)It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King. The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by the eponymous inter-dimensional predatory life-form that exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It"...
- Gerald's GameGerald's GameGerald's Game is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The story is about a woman who accidentally kills her husband while she is handcuffed to the bed as part of a bondage game, and, following the subsequent realisation that she is trapped with little hope of rescue, begins to let the...
- SleepwalkersSleepwalkers (film)Sleepwalkers is a 1992 American horror film based on an original screenplay by Stephen King and directed by Mick Garris.-Plot summary:...
(Sheriff calls for backup from Castle Rock) - The StandThe Stand (TV miniseries)# Project Blue [1:33]# The Dream Begins [2:08]# On the Road to Kansas [3:57]# The Trashmen in Vegas [1:58]# Headin' West [1:56]# Larry & Nadine [2:38]# Mother Abigail [3:10]# 'Sorry Mister, I Don't Understand' [2:54]# Mid Country [3:22]...
- Bag of BonesBag of BonesBag of Bones is a 1998 novel by Stephen King. It focuses on an author who suffers severe writer's block and delusions at an isolated lake house four years after the death of his wife...
(significant portions of this story are set in Castle Rock, along with Derry, MaineDerry (Stephen King)Derry, Maine is a fictional town and a part of Stephen King's fictional Maine topography, and, like Castle Rock, it has served as the setting for a number of his novels, novellas, and short stories. It first appeared in the short story "The Bird and the Album" and was expanded on in both It and...
and on TR90 at Dark Score Lake, Maine) - The Girl Who Loved Tom GordonThe Girl Who Loved Tom GordonThe Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. In 2004, a pop-up book adaptation was released, designed by Kees Moerbeek and illustrated by Alan Dingman.- Plot summary :...
- Riding the BulletRiding the BulletRiding the Bullet is a novella by Stephen King. This work marks King's debut on the Internet. Simon & Schuster, with technology by SoftLock, first published Riding the Bullet in 2000 as the world's first mass-market electronic book, available for download at $2.50...
- DreamcatcherDreamcatcher (novel)Dreamcatcher is a horror novel written by Stephen King. It was adapted into a 2003 movie of the same name. The book, written longhand, was the author's tool for recuperation from a 1999 car accident, and was completed in half a year...
(refers to the Castle Rock radio station) - "The Man in the Black SuitThe Man in the Black Suit"The Man in the Black Suit" is a short story by Stephen King. It was originally published in the October 31, 1994 issue of The New Yorker magazine. In 1995, it won the World Fantasy Award and the O. Henry Award for Best Short Fiction. In 1997, it was published in the limited-edition collection Six...
" (short story which appears in Everything's EventualEverything's Eventual"Everything's Eventual" is a novella by Stephen King. It was originally published in the October/November 1997 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. In 2000, it was included in the game Stephen King's F13...
) - Kingdom HospitalKingdom HospitalKingdom Hospital is a thirteen-episode television miniseries based on Lars von Trier's The Kingdom , which was developed by horror writer Stephen King in 2004 for American television...
(Television series) - Lisey's StoryLisey's StoryLisey's Story is a novel by Stephen King combining the elements of psychological horror and romance. It was released on October 24, 2006, and was nominated for the World Fantasy Award in 2007.-Plot:...
- "N.N.N. is a novella written by Stephen King that appears in his collection Just After Sunset .-Plot summary:In the outer circle of a nested narrative, a woman named Sheila writes to her childhood friend Charlie about her brother Johnny, a psychiatrist who recently committed suicide...
" (short story appearing in Just After SunsetJust After SunsetJust After Sunset is the fifth collection of short stories by Stephen King. It was released in hardcover by Scribner on November 11, 2008, and features a holographic dust jacket. On February 6, 2008, the author's official website revealed the title of the collection to be Just Past Sunset. About a...
) - Under the DomeUnder the DomeUnder the Dome is a novel by Stephen King, published in November 2009. It is a partial rewrite of a novel King attempted writing twice in the late 1970s and early 1980s, under the titles The Cannibals and Under the Dome...
- "Premium HarmonyPremium Harmony"Premium Harmony" is a 3,700-word short story by American author Stephen King. It was published in the November 2009 issue of The New Yorker magazine...
" (short story published in the November 2009 issue of The New YorkerThe New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
)
The first film adaptation of a Stephen King story to make reference to Castle Rock was Stand by Me
Stand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
(an adaptation of King's novella "The Body
The Body (novella)
The Body, or Fall from Innocence, is a novella by Stephen King, originally published in King's 1982 collection Different Seasons and in 1986 adapted into the acclaimed film Stand by Me...
"), although that film's Castle Rock was moved to the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
, the film's director, later named his production company Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment
Castle Rock Entertainment is a film and television production company founded in 1987 by Martin Shafer, director Rob Reiner, Andrew Scheinman, Glenn Padnick and Alan Horn. It is a subsidiary of Warner Bros...
. This company has produced several subsequent adaptations of King's work.
In the film adaptation of "The Mist"
The Mist (film)
The Mist is a 2007 American science-fiction horror film based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film is written and directed by Frank Darabont, who had previously adapted Stephen King's works The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile...
, David Drayton reads a newspaper called The Castle Rock Times.
Residents
- George Bannerman – longtime sheriff (deceased)
- Evelyn "Aunt Evvie" Chalmers – former holder of the Boston Post cane, awarded to the town's oldest living resident (deceased)
- Alan Pangborn – former sheriff of Castle County; Bannerman's successor (since moved away)
- Norris Ridgewick – Current sheriff of Castle County; Pangborn's successor
- Reginald Marion "Pop" Merrill – junk-shop owner (deceased)
- John "Ace" Merrill – Pop's nephew, a career criminal and drug dealer (deceased)
- Frank Dodd – Sheriff's deputy and serial killer (deceased)
- Vern Tessio – Local boy who was one of Gordie Lachance's friends and saw the body of Ray Brower in the summer of 1960. He later went on to be an average Castle Rock teen, even associating with his former tormentor, Ace Merrill (deceased)
- Teddy Duchamp - Local boy who was the best friend of Gordie, Vern, and Chris who saw the body of Ray Brower. His father was sent to Togus after burning off Teddy's ears with a wood burner after he broke a plate. His father had been showing signs of insanity after arriving home from the war. (deceased)
- Gordie LaChance - Local boy who saw the body of Ray Brower in the summer of 1960. Went on to become a popular writer. (since moved away)
- Red - Sent to Shawshank for killing his wife
- Chris Chambers- A local boy who is best friends with Gordie Lachance and came from a bad family, where he suffered abuse from his father. He was killed while trying to break up a fight in a fast-food restaurant. (deceased)
Other Castle Rocks
The name of King's town would eventually become famous enough that it was used for a few other products other than King's writings. A monthly newsletter about Stephen King called Castle Rock was published from January 1985 through December 1989. For most of this period it was edited by King's brother-in-law, Christopher Spruce, and later by his sister-in-law, Stephanie Leonard.There are several real Castle Rocks in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, notably in southwest Washington and in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, just south of Denver.
Other references
In Koushun TakamiKoushun Takami
is the author of the novel Battle Royale, originally published in Japanese, and later translated into English by Yuji Oniki and published by Viz Media and, later, in an expanded edition by Haika Soru, a division of Viz Media....
's novel Battle Royale
Battle Royale
thumb|260px|Cover of the 2009 expanded edition, ISBN 978-1-4215-2772-3 is a 1999 Japanese novel written by Koushun Takami. The story tells of schoolchildren who are forced to fight each other to the death....
, the town from which the ill-fated students hail is called Shiroiwa, which translates as "Castle Rock".
In a scene from Peter Jackson's alien invasion movie Bad Taste
Bad Taste
Bad Taste is a 1987 cult science fiction comedy horror film. Produced on a low budget, it is one of the first films directed by Peter Jackson. The film features Jackson and his friends taking a number of key roles, both on and off-screen...
, a signpost is shown with two directions listed: one towards to Kaihoro, the other leads to a town named Castle Rock
Castle Rock
-Islands:*Castle Rock , an island off the coast of the U.S. state of Alaska*Castle Rock, Hong Kong , an island of Hong Kong, part of the Po Toi Islands*Castle Rock , an island in the U.S...
. This has been confirmed as a reference to King's creation.
Castle Rock is mentioned in One on One
One on One (novel)
One on One is a work of literary fiction by author Tabitha King. It is set in the fictional New England town of Nodd's Ridge, which was previously explored in other Tabitha King novels such as Pearl, Caretakers, and The Book of Reuben...
, a 1993 novel by King's wife, Tabitha King
Tabitha King
Tabitha King is an American author and activist. She is married to writer Stephen King.-Family:King met her husband, author Stephen King, in college through her work-study job in the Fogler Library. Their daughter Naomi Rachel was born in 1970. They married on January 2, 1971...
. In an afterword, she thanks "another novelist who was kind enough to allow me" to borrow the name.
External links
- Map of Maine from Stephen King's official website
