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	<title>Stephen King &#8211; Capes and Tights</title>
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		<title>#278: Caroline Bicks &#8211; Monsters in the Archives</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/278-caroline-bicks-monsters-in-the-archives/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Capes and Tights]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:30:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Caroline Bicks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Monsters in the Archives]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=37918</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>This week on the Capes and Tights Podcast, Justin Soderberg welcomes author Caroline Bicks to the podcast to discuss Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King and more!</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/278-caroline-bicks-monsters-in-the-archives/">#278: Caroline Bicks &#8211; Monsters in the Archives</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><strong>LISTEN:  <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/capes-and-tights-podcast/id1580313989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APPLE</a>  |  <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nvtt6Re6KRYeUXEjLY5zr?si=XT5jUf2eSLCeLVb8u5mG1g&amp;dl_branch=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SPOTIFY</a></strong></h3>
<p>This week on <a href="http://capesandtights.com/podcast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Capes and Tights Podcast</a>, <strong>Justin Soderberg</strong> welcomes author <strong>Caroline Bicks</strong> to the podcast to discuss <a href="http://capesandtights.com/monsters-in-the-archives-caroline-bicks-review/"><em>Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</em></a> and more!</p>
<p>Caroline Bicks is an internationally-recognized Shakespeare scholar who has published widely on early modern drama, gender, and the history of science. She studied Renaissance poetry at Harvard University as an undergraduate and received her Phd in English Literature from Stanford University. She was tenured at Boston College in 2008, the same year that she began summer teaching at the Bread Loaf School of English.</p>
<p>In 2017, she became the inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine. The endowed Chair’s mission is to support the public humanities, a challenge that Bicks has embraced by giving talks around the state to a wide variety of audiences, and bringing award-winning fiction writers, journalists, educators, and activists to speak and work with different Maine communities. The position also allowed her to develop a working relationship with <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a> that led to him granting her access to his personal papers and to her writing a book about what she discovered, <a href="https://amzn.to/4sEJw1A" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</em></a>.</p>
<p>The uniquely public-facing nature of her position as King Chair complements the creative nonfiction pieces she has delivered to popular audiences over the years across various media platforms, including the Modern Love column for the New York Times, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and the show <em>Afterbirth</em>, which she performed in alongside <strong>Andrew McCarthy</strong>, <strong>Andrea Martin</strong>, and other stars. Bicks’s award-winning blog, “Everyday Shakespeare,” was the inspiration for her humorous book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4rtA4fT" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Shakespeare, Not Stirred: Cocktails for Your Everyday Dramas</em></a>, co-authored with <strong>Michelle Ephraim</strong>.</p>
<p>In April 2023, they launched their Webby-Award honored Everyday Shakespeare podcast, where they use their talents as educators and entertainers to deliver fresh, funny insights into how Shakespeare’s world connects to ours.</p>
<p><em>Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</em> is available <a href="https://amzn.to/4sEJw1A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at bookstores everywhere</a> from Hogarth. The audiobook, narrated by the author herself, is <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9798217278190" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available via Libro.fm</a>!</p>
<h2>#278: Caroline Bicks &#8211; Monsters in the Archives Author</h2>
<p><iframe class="castos-iframe-player" src="https://5f64e36e73b4e0-01338416.castos.com/player/2409352" width="100%" height="150"></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/278-caroline-bicks-monsters-in-the-archives/">#278: Caroline Bicks &#8211; Monsters in the Archives</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">37918</post-id><media:thumbnail url="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PodFeat278CB-1.png?fit=1280%2C720" />	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Caroline Bicks Launches Monsters in the Archives at Orono Brewing</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/caroline-bicks-monsters-in-the-archives-obc/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Capes and Tights]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:00:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Book News]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Stephen King]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=37665</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Author and Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, Caroline Bicks, launches her book Monsters in the Archives at Orono Brewing on April 21. </p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/caroline-bicks-monsters-in-the-archives-obc/">Caroline Bicks Launches Monsters in the Archives at Orono Brewing</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When you think of Maine, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a> comes to mind. Those in the greater Bangor area also tend to think of the University of Maine, where King was a student and professor. So, it is only fitting that UMaine Professor and Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, <strong>Caroline Bicks</strong>, launches her book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4bKHFlC" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</em></a>, at <a href="https://oronobrewing.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orono Brewing Company</a>.</p>
<p>Orono Brewing opens their doors on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:00pm to help celebrate the special occasion. To help celebrate the launch, author Caroline Bicks will spend sometime in conversation with <a href="http://capesandtights.com/">Capes and Tights</a> founder <a href="http://capesandtights.com/author/justin/"><strong>Justin Soderberg</strong></a> as well as answer questions from those in attendance. For those interested in the book, <a href="https://briarpatchbooks.square.site" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Briar Patch</a>, located in Downtown Bangor, will be in on-hand with copies of the book available for purchase. Bicks will take time to sign each copy for those interested. Orono Brewing will have light refreshments as well as beer, wine, hard seltzer, and soft drinks available for purchase to enjoy during the event.</p>
<h3>About Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</h3>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-34170" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/monsters-in-the-archives.jpg?resize=200%2C300" alt="Monsters in the Archives" width="200" height="300" />After Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maineʼs inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, she became the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives, a treasure trove of manuscripts that document the legendary writerʼs creative process—most of them never before studied or published. The year she spent exploring King’s early drafts and hand-written revisions was guided by one question millions of Kingʼs enthralled and terrified readers (including her) have asked themselves: What makes Stephen King’s writing stick in our heads and haunt us long after we’ve closed the book?</p>
<p>Bicks focuses on five of his most iconic early works—<a href="https://amzn.to/47CbS3R" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Shining</em></a>, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/carrie-review-a-bloody-good-beginning/"><em>Carrie</em></a>, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/pet-sematary-heart-that-wont-let-the-dead-rest/"><em>Pet Sematary</em></a>, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/salems-lot-a-terrifying-vampire-tale/"><em>ʼSalemʼs Lot</em></a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/4dlEths" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Night Shift</em></a>—to reveal how he crafted his language, story lines, and characters to cast his enduring literary spells. While tracking King’s margin notes and editorial changes, she discovered scenes and alternative endings that never made it to print but that King is allowing her to publish now. The book also includes interviews Bicks had with King along the way that reveal new insights into his writing process and personal history.</p>
<p>Part literary master class, part biography, part memoir and investigation into our deepest anxieties, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/monsters-in-the-archives-caroline-bicks-review/"><em>Monsters in the Archives</em></a>—authorized by Stephen King himself—is unlike anything ever published about the master of horror. It chronicles what Bicks found when she set out to unearth how King crafted some of his scariest, most iconic moments. But it’s also a story about a grown-up English professor facing her childhood fears and getting to know the man whose monsters helped unleash them.</p>
<h3>About Caroline Bicks</h3>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-37670" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Caroline-Bicks-1-683x1024-1.jpg?resize=150%2C225" alt="Caroline Bicks" width="150" height="225" />Caroline Bicks is an internationally-recognized Shakespeare scholar who has published widely on early modern drama, gender, and the history of science. She studied Renaissance poetry at Harvard University as an undergraduate and received her Phd in English Literature from Stanford University. She was tenured at Boston College in 2008, the same year that she began summer teaching at the Bread Loaf School of English. In 2017, she became the inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature at the University of Maine. The endowed Chair’s mission is to support the public humanities, a challenge that Bicks has embraced by giving talks around the state to a wide variety of audiences, and bringing award-winning fiction writers, journalists, educators, and activists to speak and work with different Maine communities. The position also allowed her to develop a working relationship with Stephen King that led to him granting her access to his personal papers and to her writing a book about what she discovered, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/monsters-in-the-archives-caroline-bicks-review/"><em>Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</em></a>.</p>
<p>The uniquely public-facing nature of her position as King Chair complements the creative nonfiction pieces she has delivered to popular audiences over the years across various media platforms, including the Modern Love column for the New York Times, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and the show <em>Afterbirth</em>, which she performed in alongside <strong>Andrew McCarthy</strong>, <strong>Andrea Martin</strong>, and other stars. Bicks’s award-winning blog, “Everyday Shakespeare,” was the inspiration for her humorous book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4rtA4fT" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Shakespeare, Not Stirred: Cocktails for Your Everyday Dramas</em></a>, co-authored with <strong>Michelle Ephraim</strong>. In April 2023, they launched their Webby-Award honored Everyday Shakespeare podcast, where they use their talents as educators and entertainers to deliver fresh, funny insights into how Shakespeare’s world connects to ours.</p>
<h3>About Justin Soderberg</h3>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-37671" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Justin.png?resize=150%2C225" alt="Justin Soderberg" width="150" height="225" />Justin Soderberg is the founder and host of the Capes and Tights Podcast and capesandtights.com, which launched in August 2021 and is set to surpass 300 episodes this fall. Through Capes and Tights, Soderberg has reviewed hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books, movies, and TV series. His quotes from his reviews have appeared on the print editions of more than 40 graphic novels and over five novels, and his reviews have been widely used to help promote a various comics and books.</p>
<p>A native of Maine, Soderberg lives in Newport with his wife and two children. He also works as the Creative Director at Orono Brewing Company.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-37677" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CarolineBicks421.png?resize=1000%2C1522" alt="Caroline Bicks Launches Monsters in the Archives at Orono Brewing" width="1000" height="1522" /></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/caroline-bicks-monsters-in-the-archives-obc/">Caroline Bicks Launches Monsters in the Archives at Orono Brewing</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">37665</post-id><media:thumbnail url="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/BookLaunch.png?fit=1240%2C670" />	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Monsters in the Archives: Inside Stephen King&#8217;s Earliest Nightmares</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/monsters-in-the-archives-caroline-bicks-review/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Soderberg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 17:57:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror Books]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Stephen King]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=34131</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Monsters in the Archives by Caroline Bicks is an outstanding deep dive into five of Stephen King’s most iconic early works.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/monsters-in-the-archives-caroline-bicks-review/">Monsters in the Archives: Inside Stephen King&#8217;s Earliest Nightmares</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://amzn.to/4o2vEeh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</em></a> by <strong>Caroline Bicks</strong> pulls back the curtain on <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a>&#8216;s writing in ways we have not yet been able to see. This is thanks to her rare access to King&#8217;s private archives including drafts and notes. As someone who grew up only a short walk from King&#8217;s Bangor home, I couldn&#8217;t wait to dive into this book and was captivated from cover to cover.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-34170" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/monsters-in-the-archives.jpg?resize=200%2C300" alt="Monsters in the Archives" width="200" height="300" />After Bicks was named the University of Maine&#8217;s inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, she became the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives, a treasure trove of manuscripts that document the legendary writerʼs creative process—most of them never before studied or published. The year she spent exploring King’s early drafts and hand-written revisions was guided by one question millions of Kingʼs enthralled and terrified readers (including her) have asked themselves: What makes King’s writing stick in our heads and haunt us long after we’ve closed the book?</p>
<p>Not only do I love a great King book, but I also have a personal, well geographical connection to his work that made it easier to want to sink myself into <a href="https://amzn.to/4o2vEeh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Monsters in the Archives</em></a>. When I first moved to Bangor at age ten, I lived just five minutes from the front gate of King&#8217;s iconic West Broadway home. By age 14, I moved to Orrington, finding myself only a couple miles from the house where <a href="http://capesandtights.com/pet-sematary-heart-that-wont-let-the-dead-rest/"><em>Pet Sematary</em></a> was written. Now, working at Orono Brewing just a stone&#8217;s throw from the University of Maine, I still feel surrounded by the places that shaped King&#8217;s stories. In a way, his bibliography has always been right there in my backyard.</p>
<p>While other books may have explored King&#8217;s overall career, his later works, or even their film adaptations, Bicks narrows the focus to five of his earlier and more iconic stories: <a href="https://amzn.to/47PLeoI" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Pet Sematary</em></a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4r49cEa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Shinning</em></a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4iaQiYm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Night Shift</em></a>, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/salems-lot-a-terrifying-vampire-tale/"><em>&#8216;Salem&#8217;s Lot</em></a>, and <a href="http://capesandtights.com/carrie-review-a-bloody-good-beginning/"><em>Carrie</em></a>. Bicks examines their multiple drafts, comparing versions to show us what changed and how each of them took their shape on the way to publication. Seeing this evolution of storylines, characters, settings, and themes from first draft to publication is truly fascinating.</p>
<p><em>Monsters in the Archives</em> includes some photo copies of King&#8217;s original manuscripts with notes in the margins, editorial changes and more to give us a complete picture. These pages included alternate endings, change in locations, and other details that never made it to the final publication versions. Bick&#8217;s conversations with King about why he made the choices he did added even more of a behind-the-scenes and authentic feel to the book.</p>
<p>Reading <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9798217278190" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Monsters in the Archives</em></a> felt like an incredible journey back to King&#8217;s early days at the University of Maine, when he was putting together his &#8220;<em>King&#8217;s Garbage Truck</em>&#8221; column and starting to find his iconic voice. But this book isn&#8217;t just about how his stories were created, it also shows a glimpse into what inspired Bicks to seek King&#8217;s permission and help in the first place. This fully King authorized book allowed me to learn a bit more about the creation of some of my favorite stores as well as getting to know Bicks a bit along the way.</p>
<p>This book not only showed the level of dedication King took in crafting a story, but also the sheer challenge of writing a novel in the first place. The number of changes each book went through from first idea to publication is staggering. After reading the alternate versions and seeing the revisions, I am grateful for the choices King ultimately made, because the finished and polished stories are the best possible versions.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/4o2vEeh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Monsters in the Archives</em></a> by Caroline Bicks is an outstanding deep dive into five of Stephen King’s most iconic early works. Bicks reveals the level of dedication and hard work that goes into each of King&#8217;s books and includes notes, edits and changes that King made along the way by including copies of the original material. This book is a must-read for fans of King, especially those of <em>Pet Sematary</em>, <em>The Shinning</em>, <em>Night Shift</em>, <em>&#8216;Salem&#8217;s Lot</em>, and <em>Carrie</em>.</p>
<p><em>Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King</em> <a href="https://amzn.to/4o2vEeh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hits bookstores everywhere</a> on April 21, 2026 from Hogarth. The audiobook <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9798217278190" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is available for preorder</a> via Libro.fm!</p>
<p><script src=https://bookshop.org/widgets.js data-type="book" data-affiliate-id="102780" data-sku="9780593736722"></script></p>
<h5>NOTE: We received an advance copy of Monsters in the Archives from the publisher. Opinions are our own.</h5>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/monsters-in-the-archives-caroline-bicks-review/">Monsters in the Archives: Inside Stephen King&#8217;s Earliest Nightmares</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">34131</post-id><media:thumbnail url="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/MonstersArchives.png?fit=1240%2C670" />	</item>
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		<title>Hansel and Gretel: Stephen King&#8217;s Haunting Twist on a Classic</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/hansel-and-gretel-review-haunting-twist-classic/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Soderberg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:30:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Stephen King]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=33473</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>What Stephen King and Maurice Sendak have crafted in this new retelling of Hansel and Gretel is a haunting and beautiful version of the classic tale.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/hansel-and-gretel-review-haunting-twist-classic/">Hansel and Gretel: Stephen King&#8217;s Haunting Twist on a Classic</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Hansel and Gretel</em> is an over 200-year-old fairytale that most of us have read at one time in our lives. What <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a> has crafted in this new retelling is a haunting and beautiful version of the classic tale. King&#8217;s amazing storytelling is paired with stunning illustrations from <a href="https://amzn.to/4oa4DGK" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Where the Wild Things Are</em></a> author/illustrator <strong>Maurice Sendak</strong>, bringing fresh life to a story we all thought we knew. This amazing retelling capture the magic and menace of the original tale, while also giving us a new and unforgettable experience.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-33514" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/91-NvY6YIgL._AC_UF10001000_QL80_.jpg?resize=300%2C272" alt="Hansel and Gretel" width="300" height="272" />The haunting tale of two brave children lost in a dark and dangerous forest is reimagined by literary legends. The most deliciously daring rendition of the classic Grimm fairy tale yet. But will you find your way back out?</p>
<p>Known for his legendary adult horror novels, novellas, and short stories, Stephen King takes his talents to a classic fairy tale with his retelling of <a href="https://amzn.to/3LqFjgV" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Hansel and Gretel</em></a>. King wonderfully balances the child-friendly structure of the story with the extreme mature nature which gives the story the depth needed to capture our attention. While it will likely scare the britches off super young kids, it really is for those ready for a horrifying tale as well as us adults who want to relive this classic story even in our adult years.</p>
<p>It can be daunting to retell a tale from 1812 and give it a fresh take, but that&#8217;s what King does in this 2025 version. I was lucky enough to listen to the author himself narrate the story <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9780063459700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in audiobook format</a> while reading along with the book. King&#8217;s voice gave us a deeper experience that only enhanced the ready of this outstanding book.</p>
<p>The only thing that made this classic retelling by King even better was the inclusion of Maurice Sendak&#8217;s previously unpublished drawings. Sendak has a specific style that worked so well with the words from King. Putting this tale alongside great books such as <em>Where the Wild Things Are</em> is a given and with Sendak&#8217;s illustrations makes even more sense. This is a partnership I never saw coming, but am all the better for it.</p>
<p>While this retelling of <a href="https://amzn.to/3LqFjgV" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Hansel and Gretel</em></a> by Stephen King is wonderful, I can see how some would be cautious of such a dark fairytale having illustrations geared towards a younger crowd. The darker tone skews this story towards a more adult-appreciation rather than simple bedtime reading. However, it is a classic story that can now be enjoyed in a new format from two of storytelling&#8217;s greats.</p>
<p><em>Hansel and Gretel</em> is <a href="https://amzn.to/3JnpTcK" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available at bookstores everywhere</a> from HarperCollins. The audiobook, narrated by King himself, is <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9780063459700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available via Libro.fm</a>!</p>
<p><script src=https://bookshop.org/widgets.js data-type="book" data-affiliate-id="102780" data-sku="9780062644695"></script></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/hansel-and-gretel-review-haunting-twist-classic/">Hansel and Gretel: Stephen King&#8217;s Haunting Twist on a Classic</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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		<title>IT: Welcome to Derry Series Premiere: A Chilling Return That Nails Its First Scare</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/it-welcome-to-derry-series-premiere-review/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Soderberg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 20:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Horror]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror Week]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HBO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[It]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stephen King]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Television]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welcome To Derry]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=33559</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The premiere episode of IT: Welcome to Derry delivers on horrifying atmosphere, bold and brilliant shocking moments, and a true sense of nostalgia for us fans of King's world.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/it-welcome-to-derry-series-premiere-review/">IT: Welcome to Derry Series Premiere: A Chilling Return That Nails Its First Scare</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Expanding on any story of <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a>&#8216;s is going to get my attention, but a prequel to the <a href="https://amzn.to/4nAUIJi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2017 <em>It</em> reboot</a> was a must-watch and the first episode was a banger. Right off the bat in <a href="https://amzn.to/4nqQJif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>IT: Welcome to Derry</em></a> we are given an episode that lays a strong foundation with excellent creep and horror elements, giving us strong hope that the series will live up to the feature film.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-33581" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MV5BZWE0ZWM1MjUtNmYzYS00NzU3LTkxYmQtNmI3NTc0ZTY1NmVlXkEyXkFqcGc%40._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg?resize=240%2C300" alt="IT: Welcome to Derry" width="240" height="300" />In 1962, a young boy, Matt Clements, asks a family to get him out of Derry, and the trip progressively becomes stranger with the family becoming strained; the woman gives birth to a mutant baby who attacks Matt. Four months later, commander Leroy Hanlon arrives at the Derry military base and faces a racist. Lilly Bainbridge suffers a horrific vision of Matt singing a song and sees his bloody fingers from her bathtub; Lilly recounts the vision to her friend Marge and to Teddy Uris and Phil Malkin, but no one believes her.</p>
<p>Teddy later has a horrible vision of Matt as a lampshade. Lilly, Teddy and Phil search for information about Matt&#8217;s disappearance; they reach Ronnie Grogan, who shares that she has also heard children&#8217;s voices coming from the sewers outside the movie theater, singing the same song as Matt. Hanlon is ambushed by masked men and is saved by his friend and partner Pauly Russo. The group goes to the movies in search of answers, and in the movie they see Matt, who blames them before releasing the mutant baby, which kills everyone except Lilly, who is rescued by Ronnie.</p>
<p>The expansion of any tale that is given a prequel gets me excited and given the fact that <a href="https://amzn.to/4nqQJif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>IT: Welcome to Derry</em></a> features involvement of the original filmmakers and <strong>Bill Skarsgård</strong> returning as Pennywise made for an even higher expectation heading into the premiere. While the original story crafted by King <a href="https://amzn.to/3Jjib3u" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 1986&#8217;s <em>It</em></a> is truly fantastic, what <strong>Andy Muschietti</strong>, <strong>Jason Fuchs</strong>, and team have done with these adaptions is truly fantastic. Paying homage to the classic, while also carving a path of their own.</p>
<p>As for the premiere episode, Fuchs and Muschietti pulled no punches. The opening and closing sequences are truly brutal, which gives us a foundation on where they will build the terrifying moments of this series, if this is how far they will push the premiere. They seem to mean business. The series&#8217; version of Derry, Maine, the mood, and design evoke the horror-legacy crafted by King all those years ago. Giving a truly authentic feeling to not only the story itself, but the history of the source material.</p>
<p>While I wanted to comment on the characters, including the abundance of them, but I will hold out comments to the series completes. It&#8217;s hard to really find full dimensions of a character within the first 50 or so minutes of what will be an almost eight-hour series.</p>
<p>The premiere episode of <a href="https://amzn.to/4nqQJif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>IT: Welcome to Derry</em></a> delivers on horrifying atmosphere, bold and brilliant shocking moments, and a true sense of nostalgia for us fans of King&#8217;s world. The creative team doesn&#8217;t hold back on and gives us truly frightening moments to kick things off. This first episode firmly plants its flag in the ground by laying a strong foundation for the rest of the series.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/4nqQJif" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>IT: Welcome To Derry</em></a> debuted on October 26, 2025 on HBO the first season continues every Sunday night for eight episodes through December 14.</p>
<h2>IT: Welcome to Derry Trailer</h2>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKa6u7LT0qE?si=6FUkitIePIjShhKR" width="100%" height="411" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/it-welcome-to-derry-series-premiere-review/">IT: Welcome to Derry Series Premiere: A Chilling Return That Nails Its First Scare</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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			<media:player url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKa6u7LT0qE" />
			<media:title type="plain">IT: Welcome to Derry | Official Trailer | HBO Max</media:title>
			<media:description type="html"><![CDATA[You were never meant to leave.#ITWelcomeToDerry premieres October 26 on HBO Max.About HBO Max:HBO Max is the premier global streaming platform from Warner Br...]]></media:description>
			<media:thumbnail url="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ITw.png?fit=1240%2C670" />
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		<title>Pet Sematary: A Heart That Won&#8217;t Let the Dead Rest</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/pet-sematary-heart-that-wont-let-the-dead-rest/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Soderberg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2025 18:15:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Book Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror Novels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Novels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pet Sematary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stephen King]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=32904</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Pet Sematary is one of Stephen King's best novels. It's a story that dares to show that true horror isn't always what waits beyond the grave, but what happens when we try to bring the grave too close to home.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/pet-sematary-heart-that-wont-let-the-dead-rest/">Pet Sematary: A Heart That Won&#8217;t Let the Dead Rest</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are few <a href="http://capesandtights.com/books/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">novels</a> that manage to burrow into both my heart as well as my nightmares the way the <a href="https://amzn.to/4mzjzMJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Pet Sematary</em></a> manages to do. First published in 1983, a few year prior to my birth, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a> crafts a story of grief and terror that remains to be one of his darkest and most emotionally resonant works to date. It&#8217;s more than a horror novel, it&#8217;s a deep dive into human&#8217;s refusal to accept mortality and how love can twist into something monstrous when touched by desperation.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-33618" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Pet_Sematary_1983_front_cover_first_edition.png?resize=205%2C300" alt="Pet Sematary" width="205" height="300" />When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Despite Ludlow’s tranquility, an undercurrent of danger exists here. Those trucks on the road outside the Creed’s beautiful old home travel by just a little too quickly, for one thing…as is evidenced by the makeshift graveyard in the nearby woods where generations of children have buried their beloved pets.</p>
<p>Then there are the warnings to Louis both real and from the depths of his nightmares that he should not venture beyond the borders of this little graveyard where another burial ground lures with seductive promises and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself, and hideously more powerful. As Louis is about to discover for himself sometimes, dead is better…</p>
<p>As someone who lives in Maine and spent his childhood years down the street in Orrington from where Stephen King penned and based <em>Pet Sematary</em> there was always a pull to read the iconic novel. However, it took me over 20 years to finally crack open the book, although I did see the 1989 film adaptation years ago. I know it sounds like blasphemy for those longtime King fans and Mainers, but the timing just felt right.</p>
<p>Waiting the 20 or so years to finally read the book allowed it to sink and have a bit more impact, as I am now married and have two young kids. The <a href="http://capesandtights.com/horror/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horror</a> tale hit home a bit harder, invoking even more fear along the way.</p>
<p>The key to <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781508226635" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Pet Sematary</em></a> lies within a book that is almost split into two styles of storytelling. The first half of the novel could almost pass as domestic fiction, rich with detail, full of warmth, and laced with small but eery warnings. But when the story takes the terrifying turn into real horror, I was too emotionally involved to even debate looking away.</p>
<p>What makes this story so chilling isn&#8217;t the supernatural premise, which is terrifying, but the way it&#8217;s rooted in something so personal and human, grief. The decisions made by Louis and his overall unraveling come from the same impulse that makes us all want to turn back time when we lose someone or something we love. King portrays this not as simple madness but as a slow, tragic erosion of reason. The result is horror with real empathy behind it.</p>
<p>King&#8217;s novels all have a place horror lore over the past four-plus decades, but its impressive that decades after publication, <em>Pet Sematary</em> still holds the power it does. It could possibly be that it speaks to universal fears, it could be the horrors themselves, either way it holds strong. Over the years the novel has transcended the horror book genre and enter into the pop culture sphere for everyone. No wonder there has been <a href="http://capesandtights.com/pet-sematary-bloodlines-adds-pet-sematary-lore/">multiple movie adaptations</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/4mzjzMJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Pet Sematary</em></a> is one of Stephen King&#8217;s best novels. It&#8217;s a story that dares to show that true horror isn&#8217;t always what waits beyond the grave, but what happens when we try to bring the grave too close to home. King crafts a disturbing, heartbreaking, and truly unforgettable tale that is no essential reading for any horror fan.</p>
<p><em>Pet Sematary</em> is <a href="https://amzn.to/4mzjzMJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available at bookstores everywhere</a> from Scribner. The audiobook, narrated by <strong>Michael C. Hall</strong>, is <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781508226635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available via Libro.fm</a>!</p>
<p><script src=https://bookshop.org/widgets.js data-type="book" data-affiliate-id="102780" data-sku="9781668075760"></script></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/pet-sematary-heart-that-wont-let-the-dead-rest/">Pet Sematary: A Heart That Won&#8217;t Let the Dead Rest</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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		<title>Carrie: A Bloody Good Beginning</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/carrie-review-a-bloody-good-beginning/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Soderberg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Sep 2025 18:07:13 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Book Review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Carrie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror Novels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Novels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stephen King]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=32775</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Carrie is a fantastic novel. The story has an emotional core along with some wonderful supernatural horror.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/carrie-review-a-bloody-good-beginning/">Carrie: A Bloody Good Beginning</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a> has dominated the <a href="http://capesandtights.com/horror/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horror</a> genre for over five decades and the signs were there from the start. <a href="https://amzn.to/4mcJoC9" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Carrie</em></a>, first released in 1974, wasn&#8217;t just an outstanding debut, it was a clear signal of King&#8217;s enormous talent. He comes out strong and hits hard with not only a great horror tale but in a unique and well written way.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-32806" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Carrie_1974_front_cover_first_edition.jpg?resize=208%2C300" alt="Carrie" width="208" height="300" />Unpopular at school and subjected to her mother&#8217;s religious fanaticism at home, Carrie White does not have it easy. But while she may be picked on by her classmates, she has a gift she&#8217;s kept secret since she was a little girl: she can move things with her mind. Doors lock. Candles fall.</p>
<p>Her ability has been both a power and a problem. And when she finds herself the recipient of a sudden act of kindness, Carrie feels like she&#8217;s finally been given a chance to be normal. She hopes that the nightmare of her classmates&#8217; vicious taunts is over&#8230;but an unexpected and cruel prank turns her gift into a weapon of horror so destructive that the town may never recover.</p>
<p>What actually takes place during this novel isn&#8217;t much, but the story hits hard emotionally and has real depth. Using interviews, news segments, books, and other sources to tell part of the story dispersed through allows for a deeper story. This unique approach made the tale feel a bit richer and keeps the pacing tight and super engaging.</p>
<p>While I find it difficult at times for a male author to write a story that is so rooted in the female experience, the theme of bullying in <em>Carrie</em> is universally relatable. The main details surround Carrie and what she experiences, but the overall theme resonates with a wider audience. King does a fantastic job blending her mother&#8217;s religious fanaticism, the pressures of school life, and the supernatural horror that ensues.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9780385360104" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Carrie</em></a> is a fantastic novel. It may not be King&#8217;s absolute best, but it ranks near the top. The story has an emotional core along with some wonderful supernatural horror. King allows us to relate to our protagonist even when the things that are happening are not relatable. Its a true skill, no wonder King went on to have the career he has had.</p>
<p><em>Carrie</em> is <a href="https://amzn.to/4mcJoC9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available at bookstores everywhere</a> from Doubleday Publishing. The audiobook, narrated by <strong>Sissy Spacek</strong> &amp; <strong>Margaret Atwood</strong>, is available <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9780385360104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">via Libro.fm</a>!</p>
<p><script src=https://bookshop.org/widgets.js data-type="book" data-affiliate-id="102780" data-sku="9780307743664"></script></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/carrie-review-a-bloody-good-beginning/">Carrie: A Bloody Good Beginning</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Running Man: Reality TV Meets Dystopian Horror</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/the-running-man-reality-tv-dystopian-horror/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Soderberg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Sep 2025 14:21:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Novels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Bachman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stephen King]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Running Man]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://capesandtights.com/?p=32599</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Running Man is a fast-paced and thrilling adventure using a dystopian future, which happens to be this year, and extreme consumerism to terrify us as the readers. Written using his pseudonym, Richard Bachman, Stephen King holds nothing back.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/the-running-man-reality-tv-dystopian-horror/">The Running Man: Reality TV Meets Dystopian Horror</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Published in 1982 but set in 2025, <a href="https://amzn.to/4ncAGoi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Running Man</em></a> feels disturbingly relevant. It&#8217;s somewhat unsettling to think that people today might actually sit down in front of their 75&#8243; television to watch a show like it, and even compete for a shot at a billion dollars. Written by <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a>, using the pen name <strong>Richard Bachman</strong>, <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781508217350" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Running Man</em></a> is a thrilling dystopian horror sci-fi that mixes gladiator style games with brutal consumerism.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-32651" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/11607.jpg?resize=183%2C300" alt="The Running Man" width="183" height="300" />Ben Richards has no job, no money, and a young daughter who urgently needs medical attention. Desperate, out of options, he signs up for The Running Man, “the biggest show in the country.” It’s an ultraviolent competition where the stakes could not be higher. Ben must stay alive for thirty days while an elite strike force, trained to kill, hunts for him. If he can survive for a month, he wins a billion dollars. No contestant has ever lasted longer than eight days. Can Ben Richards win this ultimate game of life and death?</p>
<p>People will go to extremes to take care of those who they love, so it&#8217;s really no surprise that Ben Richards agrees to join these brutal competitions out of a sense of desperation. However, what is almost more disturbing are those people who are watching from home, or worse, helping with the hunt itself. Turning human lives into entertainment is twisted, just up Stephen King&#8217;s alley.</p>
<p>Having the protagonist outsmart the leaders of the games isn&#8217;t groundbreaking, but in <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781508217350" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Running Man</em></a>, it&#8217;s how much smarter Richards is than the game-runner made for an amazing tale. The lengths he goes to survive and protect his loved ones, all while calling out the horror of the games and fighting to possibly hurt them is truly fantastic.</p>
<p><a href="https://amzn.to/4ncAGoi" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Running Man</em></a> is a fast-paced and thrilling adventure using a dystopian future, which happens to be this year, and extreme consumerism to terrify us as the readers. Written using his pseudonym, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Richard Bachman</strong></a>, Stephen King holds nothing back.</p>
<p>A new hardcover printing of <em>The Running Man</em> <a href="https://amzn.to/4ncAGoi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hits shelves on October 14, 2025</a> from Scribner. The audiobook, narrated by <strong>Kevin Kenerly</strong>, <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781508217350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is available via Libro.fm</a>!</p>
<p><script src=https://bookshop.org/widgets.js data-type="book" data-affiliate-id="102780" data-sku="9781982197100"></script></p>
<h5>The Running Man feature film premieres on November 14, 2025.</h5>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/the-running-man-reality-tv-dystopian-horror/">The Running Man: Reality TV Meets Dystopian Horror</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Long Walk: Survival One Step at a Time</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/the-long-walk-novel-review/</link>
					<comments>http://capesandtights.com/the-long-walk-novel-review/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Soderberg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:20:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Horror]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[The Long Walk]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Long Walk is a truly excellent book by Stephen King, I mean Richard Bachman. It's an intense and gripping story packed with more than I ever expected.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/the-long-walk-novel-review/">The Long Walk: Survival One Step at a Time</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The premise of <a href="https://amzn.to/3VcrB2X" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Long Walk</em></a> is simple but compelling, a story built around walking long distances with the fear of death ever-present. Turning that into a gripping <a href="http://capesandtights.com/books/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">novel</a> seams like is no easy feat, but <a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a>, writing as <strong>Richard Bachman</strong>, pulls it off. King manages to make every step tense, suspenseful, and hard to stop reading.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-32457" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/the-long-walk.jpg.jpg?resize=180%2C300" alt="The Long Walk: Survival One Step at a Time" width="180" height="300" />In a dystopian near-future, America has fallen on hard times. Sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty is about to compete in the annual grueling match of stamina and wits known as the Long Walk. One hundred boys must keep a steady pace of four miles per hour day and night, without ever stopping. The winner gets “The Prize”—anything he wants for the rest of his life. But the rules of the Long Walk are harsh and the stakes could not be higher. There is no finish line—the winner is the last man standing. Contestants cannot receive any outside aid whatsoever. Slow down under the speed limit and you’re given a warning. Three warnings and you’re out of the game—forever.</p>
<p>Stephen King once tells a story that I&#8217;d never imagine could work, how to make a competition about walking a long distance interesting? Sure, the threat of characters being shot if they slow down or stop adds suspense, but I still thought it could easily turn very dull, drawn-out and difficult to want to continue if not handle well. Like many of King&#8217;s best works, though, it&#8217;s done through well-developed characters.</p>
<p>King crafts unique characters, each with their own background, view of the world around us, and personal stakes in the competition. While some have nothing to lose, others everything to lose, but all have reasons to win that go beyond just staying alive. As their stories unfold, you start to see the harsh realities they come from, adding depth to both the characters and the world they inhabit. This also goes rules of the walk and how the competition, gradually revealed, pulling you deeper into the story. This slow-burn approach makes for an immersive and thought-provoking tale.</p>
<p><em>The Long Walk</em> is a truly excellent book by Stephen King, I mean Richard Bachman. It&#8217;s an intense and gripping story packed with more than I ever expected. That said, I find the over sexualization of his stories sometimes can distract me from the heart of the story. With so much already at stake, lives literally on the line, it felt unnecessary and pulled focus from the core of the story. Still, despite that, <em>The Long Walk</em> is another highlight in the many highlights of Kings writing.</p>
<p><em>The Long Walk</em> is <a href="https://amzn.to/415xpii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available at bookstores everywhere</a> from Scribner. The audiobook, narrated by <strong>Kirby Heyborne</strong>, is <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781508217299" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available via Libro.fm</a>!</p>
<p><script src=https://bookshop.org/widgets.js data-type="book" data-affiliate-id="102780" data-sku="9781501144264"></script></p>
<h5>The Long Walk feature film directed by Francis Lawrence and written by JT Mollner hits theaters in September 2025!</h5>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/the-long-walk-novel-review/">The Long Walk: Survival One Step at a Time</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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		<title>The End of the World As We Know It: A Love Letter Signed by the Best Voices in Horror Fiction</title>
		<link>http://capesandtights.com/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-review/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Anna Dupre]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 07:28:41 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[The End of the World As We Know It]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Stand]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>The End of the World As We Know It edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene offers a kaleidoscopic worldview of the place Stephen King created, a landscape rife for horror, heart, and humanity, something for everyone. </p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-review/">The End of the World As We Know It: A Love Letter Signed by the Best Voices in Horror Fiction</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>M-O-O-N, that spells one hell of an anthology.</p>
<p><a href="http://capesandtights.com/tag/stephen-king/"><strong>Stephen King</strong></a>&#8216;s <a href="http://capesandtights.com/the-stand-the-stand-monumental-battle-good-evil/"><em>The Stand</em></a> needs no introduction. There’s no denying the impact such a novel makes on horror fiction, fiction in general, or pop culture, the never ending reverberation such a story possesses. But if you need a signifier of just how influential this thousand-page tome of apocalyptic fiction really is, you don’t need to look any further than <a href="https://amzn.to/416YTEd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand</em></a>. Edited by two masters of horror themselves, <strong>Brian Keene</strong> and <a href="http://capesandtights.com/146-christopher-golden-author-comic-book-writer/"><strong>Christopher Golden</strong></a> have opened the gates to King’s sandbox, inviting some of our favorite voices in horror fiction to build castles.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-32366" src="https://i0.wp.com/capesandtights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-9781668057551_hr.jpg?resize=199%2C300" alt="The End of the World As We Know It" width="199" height="300" />And just like there’s no denying just how powerful <em>The Stand</em> is, there’s no avoiding the romanticism in the very existence of <em>The End of the World As We Know It</em>. Before I unpack the contents of the anthology itself, the sheer excitement, enthusiasm, and honor that so many contributors have expressed regarding their inclusion in this massive love letter to The Dark Man, Trashy, and Larry Underwood is nothing short of infectious. It is a unique time to be a horror fiction fan, one in which so many powerful voices gain the opportunity to partake in such a momentous opportunity. Something like this deserves to be celebrated with as many diverse voices as possible, and I believe that’s exactly what Golden and Keene have done.</p>
<p><em>The End of the World As We Know It</em> contains over thirty stories set in the universe of <em>The Stand</em>, each providing their own unique perspective, conflict, and resolution to the world built by Stephen King, a world ravaged by Captain Tripps. Walking into this anthology, you may think you know what to expect, but perhaps one of the best facets of this 800-page love letter is that you’ll be surprised. The doors have been thrown wide open as readers are able to experience the fallout from space, from South America, or from the perspective of beings you may have not considered. Holding <em>The End of the World As We Know It</em> in your hands feels a lot like having the world (albeit a devastated one) at your fingertips, a glimpse into parts unknown and undiscovered, until now.</p>
<p>Perhaps the greatest strength of many of these stories is their ability to make you feel, ranging from sorrow to optimism, about the state of humanity in such a setting. <strong>Jonathan Janz</strong>&#8216;s <em>Lenora</em> is one of those stories that tears you to pieces and stitches you whole again within mere pages, tugging on every heartstring imaginable. <em>Wrong Fucking Place, Wrong Fucking Time</em> by <strong>C. Robert Cargill</strong> is a pulpy romp that also serves as an homage to all we love about horror, a genuinely good time. And of course, <a href="http://capesandtights.com/233-paul-tremblay-author-another/"><strong>Paul Tremblay</strong></a> gives us a story, <em>The Story I Tell Is the Story of Some of Us</em>, that is so wholly his despite its presence in this very Stephen King anthology. It’s the most joyously on-brand thing you can fathom, and horror fiction fans will be living for these stories.</p>
<p>But where I really want to turn the spotlight is to the female voices in this anthology that absolutely shine. <strong>Catriona Ward</strong> gives us an unforgettable story, a true revelation, with <em>The African Painting Dog</em>. It’s a story I think about nearly weekly, one that I think is what this whole anthology hopes to embody: something new, something different, and something so heartbreakingly well-written. The same can be shared in regards to <em>Came the Last Night of Sadness</em> by <strong>Catherynne M. Valente</strong>, a sprawling, poetic entry that touches upon the most unique parts of humanity within the King universe. <strong>Sarah Langan</strong>’s <em>The Devil’s Children</em> carries hefty symbolism regarding the human need for connection, presenting a situation so true to the conflicts of this universe while remaining wholly distinct. <strong>V. Castro</strong> stares down the darkest facets of violence with <em>Across the Pond</em>, an entry that left my skin crawling. And <em>Make Your Own Way</em> by <strong>Alma Katsu</strong> feels like the feminist stand that this anthology calls for, a tough, gritty look at independence in a distraught world. Nothing but sheer joy can be found in finding these stories in this menagerie of apocalyptic tales marked by love, loss, hurt, anguish, bravery, and strength.</p>
<p>It’s a joyous time to be a <a href="http://capesandtights.com/horror/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horror</a> fan, full stop. To be around for the active celebration of a modern classic through the inclusion of so many voices, so many perspectives feels special, in short. And to be more specific, seeing the names of Katsu, Ward, and Castro right next to King’s feels emblematic of the place I’m happiest as a female reader. <em>The End of the World As We Know It</em> edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene offers a kaleidoscopic worldview of the place Stephen King created, a landscape rife for horror, heart, and humanity, something for everyone.</p>
<p><em>The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand</em> edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene hits shelves on August 19, 2025 from Gallery Books. The audiobook, narrated by<strong> Sean Patrick Hopkins</strong> &amp; <strong>Adenrele Ojo</strong>, is <a href="https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=25361&amp;awinaffid=1475442&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Flibro.fm%2Faudiobooks%2F9781797197654" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available via Libro.fm</a>!</p>
<p><script src=https://bookshop.org/widgets.js data-type="book" data-affiliate-id="102780" data-sku="9781668057551"></script></p>
<h5>NOTE: I received an advance copy of The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand from the publisher. Opinions are my own.</h5>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-review/">The End of the World As We Know It: A Love Letter Signed by the Best Voices in Horror Fiction</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://capesandtights.com">Capes and Tights</a>.</p>
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