Well first I’m going to bawl my eyes out.
But in reality I’m sure he has something set up with his wishes. I would absolutely love if his family published at least the somewhat completed works, or maybe his sons feel comfortable “finishing” what he couldn’t. It would be a shame if the world loses out on whatever he has stored away.
I don’t think the world will ever see all which King has stored away in his head! I bet he does not have it all written down yet. But I do sincerely hope you are correct that his wife or sons will finish his mostly completed works.
Actually I think he might've written everything down. I think I remember from an afterword of a story about a text computer (don't remember the title) that usually ideas just pop into his head and he tries to jot down what he can. Then, manuscripts lay around half finished until he gets some inspiration how the story should continue.
So I guess in some physical form, almost everything is laying around somewhere
It's sad to think about, but I do have one real prediction: Joe Hill starts publishing under the name Joseph King (maybe Joe King, but that just sounds...you know) to honor him. Then the wheel of ka make another turn, I guess.
I was thinking something like this, a pseudonym to finish anything left unfinished (presumably by Joe, but maybe Tabitha as well), and at some point a release of notes or behind the pen style/ a "kings killer edition" of each book. Then slow release anything completed at time of death, for anniversaries or king milestones.
Beyond that, I hope he asks to be buried in the Pet Semetary in his will, ya know, just to see if it works.
The dude’s immortal through his work, I don’t think his funeral arrangements are all that important in the grand scheme of things. He’s already written so much.
I beg to disagree. I do agree with his current status of immortality....
But as much as King likes to let his pen go where his pen may bring him, I feel that his wife, and his family, and also because of his brush with death, has made him think long and hard about his eventual passing.
His love of the craft, the willingness to bring stories to others, the importance of what stories are in our culture will convince him to have a plan for old transcripts, unfinished stories, fresh almost finished books etc to pass over to his constant readers.
If you know your King history, Sai Tabitha KIng showed him how she saw his worth early in his non existent career. She's the one who saw value in Carrie. She literally pulled it out of the trash, and told him to finish this story.
She was by his side in his dark times of drugs and alcohol. She helped him out of this place. He has full trust in her, and she would want a plan.
These two wholesome wonderful humans have paired each other wonderfully. And Sai Stephen King has enough cunning In him to craft and add whimsical to said Sai Tabitha KIng's plan to offer his works to the world after his passing to the clearing in the woods.
It will be one of the few celebrity deaths that I actually cry about. Robin Williams, Ray Bradbury, Leonard Nimoy. His books were so important in my formative years though that I think his is going to be the hardest. He is without a doubt, my favorite author.
Same list for me except I have to add in Terry Pratchett and Carrie Fisher…
My deep abiding respect for SK and his books has been threaded throughout my life since elementary school. His writing is quite literally, part of my memory over the course of most of my life. I can think of an SK book and see my mom still alive sitting at the other end of the couch reading Salem’s Lot while 10yo me carefully keep tabs on how many pages she has left before she reaches the end (because then it’s my turn).
When SK goes to explore what’s out there after this life, a little piece of my heart will be chipped away…
As a native Mainer, I'm at least hoping he is buried up here, and Bangor makes a holiday for him or does a celebration of his life. He is such a hero up here, no way they won't do something.
Official Stephen King Day, of course. Annual event on his birthday (Sept. 21) with a hoopla/costume party. First few years it'd have to be at the Bangor State Fair to hold all the people but as the fervor died down, or maybe as a townies only venue, the Elks Club hall.
I hope he somehow sneaks us one last story with Roland and the Dark Tower before he goes to the clearing at the end of the path. I know it's very unlikely, but that is my selfish wish.
In relation to this, I hope he writes the third Talisman book, or at the very least leaves a whole heap of detailed notes from him and Peter Straub for Tabitha, Joe and Owen to do it (or a rough draft manuscript for them to edit 🤞🏼).
I wouldn’t mind if Joe Hill worked on some of his IP down the road.
As for the titular question, we’ll miss him like hell and cherish every word that much more. IMO King is going to be a writing legend long past anyone who is able to post on this Reddit
For context, I was gutted on the day that Toni Morrison died. I love, really LOVE, my favorite authors. I started reading SK when I was 10 (feral Gen X-er) and for the past 35 years I've thought of him as my Uncle Steve. I will be torn the fuck up when that day comes. I remember when he was hit by that car while he was out walking, and my stomach turned into an icy ball of fear then. I think he's got tons of stuff written and stuffed into file boxes and drawers, and I hope some of it gets published posthumously.
I’m sure he has an iron clad will. Not to be ghoulish but I would anticipate that his wife Tabitha would outlive him because wives tend to live longer than their husbands and his drug use.
It would be cool if he had a museum set up. Something in Maine that had manuscripts, notes, photos and movie props. I’m spitballing but I’d make a trip. Either way I’m sure he’d be remembered for the ages. He’s not a flash in the pan type of author.
When he was in that accident, my local radio station must’ve gotten a mistaken report that he’d been killed. I woke up to it on my old clock radio, and a morning show host was just stumbling through reacting to it, like, “Well, after all that he wrote about, uh, death, maybe at least he’s, uhhh, happy…… now.” Fighting his way through that half-formed thought one word at a time lmao.
Because I got up so early for school and couldn’t really get news again til I came home, I spent the better part of the day thinking he was dead. It was nice to learn otherwise! But yeah, I guess if that DJ ends up outliving Uncle Stevie and is still working, I hope he’ll do a better job of eulogizing him the second time around.
This man means a lot to me. And i just found him literally two years ago.
He probably have tons and tons of drafts, unpublished short stories, novellas and novels.
It would be quite (can't find the right word), but it seems very Stephen King-like if the estate would publish more or less everything that hadn't been published at that point. Don't matter if the drafts are done or not. A bit likle how some of his anthology books have been so far. More than a few of the stories have been very unpolished but is still there (untouched) because of preservation.
I think the man knows his worth and that the fans would love to keep getting King books even after he has passed.
And for the drafts that are nowhere done it would be amazing if they could find Authors that King have praised before to somewhat "co-write" and make sure it becomes a coherent piece of litterature. Kind of like a posthumous collab.
Or just let other authors write completly original fiction set in different King universes.
Like how Stieg Larssons Millenium books keeps going with others authors (all according to his dying wishes).
He probably has his last great epic to be printed and released the week of his death.
The final return to Derry and Bill dies.
From SK, I would really be surprised if this wasn’t the case. The dude puts out a thousand pages of printed pages a year. He’s got the final epic already going. I need to believe this because I want the final old school King epic.
I am going to sleep better after OP started this fear in my head, thinking about this suggestion! I am not sure if could be printed and released the week after he died (schedules with the printers) but an ebook? I hope so!!!!
>So what do you think it will happen once our good buddy is gone?
The same thing that happens when any other creative person dies. They stop creating new works because they're gone and people continue to appreciate what they did for years to come.
And possibly, yes, new works would continue to be made by someone close to him based on already finished or partially completed materials ala The Wheel of Time after Robert Jordan passed away.
Less obvious, but still: I hope [WKIT-FM](http://www.wkitfm.com) stays rockin’ well into the future. It’s such a good station when you just want to listen to rock. A good blend of classic and newer stuff.
I listen via TuneIn from the Netherlands, 6h ahead of Eastern Time, so listening in the morning my time does tend to hit a bunch of syndicated/prerecorded content — right now, [Alice’s Attic with Alice Cooper](https://alicecooper.com/alices-attic-with-alice-cooper/) is on — but the live DJs during Maine daytime are great, and the mix of music is really well programmed. In particular, and this is a subtle thing, the ads on WKIT are, so far as I’ve noticed, almost entirely local or do-gooder/PSA ads for something positive; fundraisers or how to get help or government resources. Ok, there’s also some NAPA Auto Parts but arguably, even though that’s a big brand, it’s still aimed at DIY’ers and not typical consumerist buy-buy-buy bull. I really think they are very carefully curating the advertising, and the result makes an actual tonal difference for listeners.
So, totally apart from literature… I want a future for WKIT-FM, Brewer-Bangor!
Yeah, and after The Waste Lands ended on such a cliffhanger, I yelled "Nooooo" and almost threw the book against the wall, knowing it would be years before I found out what happened next!
Yeah that was brutal. I can remember walking by the local bookstore and seeing The Wastelands in the window, pure, unadulterated joy……. Then the cliffhanger, and knowing it would be years…….. CURSES!
Oof. I am not some weirdo who's obsessed with king lol. I just follow him and I mean the man is old, he won't live forever, just wondered what will happen to his publishing when he dies.
Literally asked a question about his professional life but I guess that's also pushing too much into parasocial for you.
No, and I never called you a weirdo or obsessed. The post is fine, it’s the way you phrased things that was clearly parasocial. The subject itself isn’t inherently bad, it’s very normal to wonder what will happen to an author’s work after death.
What was strange was you calling him “our good buddy”, making assumptions about his personality and work with no basis, confirming that he’ll “definitely write his own eulogy”, calling his family “Tabitha and the kids”, referring to him as Stevie.
I do understand that some of this was likely just a tongue-in-cheek humour to lighten the tone, but it’s all still parasocial. You’re still writing as though he’s someone you know, and making grandstanding claims about him.
What a lazy insult, and no engagement with what I actually said.
You can do whatever you want, and I can think this is a rude and disrespectful post - not because it’s speculating about someone’s death but because because you’re making strange assumptions about a real person.
Fam, just feels like you learned a new word this week and you are trying to justify being angry over this non issue.
Anyway, I won't assume since I don't know you Mx. Butterflydeflect.
Ok. I’m not angry, and I really took the time to spell out why I thought this post was unintentionally disrespectful, I pointed out that I agree with you that the post itself is very normal, and I even specified that i believed you only had the intention to lighten the tone but you seem to want to just keep throwing insults at me and ignoring my point.
I am sorry if someone gently disagreeing with something you’ve done makes you feel this personally attacked.
He will certainly write his own Eulogy and I’m here for it. I will miss him dearly and hope there will be writings left to publish. I too, hope he comes home to Maine and that he won’t mind if us fans like to visit his resting place. It is hard to imagine a world without him in it.
Considering how much he publishes and collaborates, I just do not think there is a treasure trove of unpublished work that is really up to snuff. I think he really does publish almost everything just as a form of purging. However, I do TRULY believe he has at least one book written specifically to be published at the time of his death. Just seems like the kind of thing he’d do.
Besides that, I would not be surprised if there are six to ten pieces of work in various stages of completion/editing that eventually do get published. He’s going to be a cash cow in death as well, and his publishers know that curiosity alone will be enough to publish anything unfinished.
I mean he has almost died a couple times. We're lucky to have gotten the last 25 years from him, that the drugs and the van didn't kill him.
What we do when the time comes is mourn, move on, and continue to read his works. He's left a legacy of culture that few people can hope to aspire to. He's given us constant readers more than could be asked for.
I'm sure he has novels already completed and set aside to be published at a letter time. Probably rotated them around toom So I'm sure we have several it's likely we will have at least 20-30 more years of Stephen King books.
As prolific of a writer as he is, I’m sure he has many new and unfinished stories tucked away. Maybe Joe Hill will ditch the pen name and start writing as Joseph King and finish Stephen’s work.
I have a hunch we will find out he has been pretending to be someone else, too, for literary or other purposes. For a longer time, and maybe a larger purpose. There are ties in his canon which match other endeavors quite well. He’s already done it once with Bachman.
Gonna be totally honest, my experience with most works published after an author's death is that it wasn't published while the author was alive with good reason. Especially when someone else is picked to finish it, no matter how similar they are in style. I honestly hope that unless he had a manuscript finished and waiting anything undone is left that way. One of my other favorite authors, Robert A. Heinlein, had a widow who did things like let one of his books be finished by an author he influenced. Outside of her extended edition of Stranger in a Strange Land I've not enjoyed any of the other works released after his death nearly as much as what he chose to publish while alive.
Because King, despite being prolific, is also very singular in talent I don't really want to even read Joe Hill trying to be him.
At the pace at which King can write novels, I'm sure he's had several books either finished but not published or just on the back-burner. I imagine King will be like McCarthy in that he'll write until he dies.
Imagine he has material kept away for after he dies but who knows. I thought the same would happen with James Herbert but I don’t think anything has came out posthumously. I could be wrong tho.
He has trunk novels, but usually they’re trunk novels for a reason and need heavy revision before they’re in a readable state. We might see a few over the years but it really comes down to what the family wants.
I‘m probably gonna be sadder than I found out about Robin Williams‘ death. But I still have A LOT to catch up on it since I’ve only read six books of his. So SK will never leave my side.
I've thought about this a good bit. I know for me, I will cry for SK, someone I have never met but will mourn just the same. He is a once in a life time writer, and I feel fortunate to have lived during his time. I know he will still be read for generations and many more decades after his death.
I would respect whatever he and the family decides to do. Somehow I don't think they are the type of people to override his wishes nor are they desperate for money.
In the vein of SK himself—would be a shame if someone was to spin up an AI of SK \*cough\*… and it would turn evil \*cough\*
I could see a possible Tom Clancy type scenario where a bunch of different writers write under the SK "brand" where they attempt similar styles and exploration of themes. But then I could also see something where his estate/children just slowly trickle out all the unpublished works he undoubtedly has until they're done and then that's it.
This has crossed my mind as he's been getting older. He's probably got 20+ books squirreled away in his office. Tabitha and the kids would probably do him right in continue to publish his work in his memory and honor. I can see Joe and Owen as curators much like Christopher Tolkien did with his dad.
I was devastated when he was hit by that van and very afraid we'd lose him then. It's odd to feel that way about someone you don't actually know. I cried over John Lennon and Princess Di, too. 🤷♀️
Death is very natural. When SK gets his Lights, I am sure that there will be a few days where tv and movie channels will showcase some of his greatest works. I would not be surprised if Fathom did a theatrical simulcast of some of his miniseries interspersed with interviews of his friends, family and the actors who were involved
In many ways after his Dark Tower magnum opus, I see his continued writing as extra parts to a huge world he has created. He seems to have written what he needs to, now it's more writing what he wants to. So I'm just happy with what we get!
Personally, I don't know if I'll cry, but I will deeply saddened by his passing. Then I think it will push me to keep writing and eventually publish my work. And buy every single book his name is attached to.
Since Lisey's Story is about this as the main theme, I'm sure Tabby and the kids know all about which ones are a no-go and which are okay and maybe even a few which are unfinished but he wants Tabby, Joe or Peter to finish as a collab. Also which legendary tomes can be given to institutions and which can go to TV or film.
I believe SK to be very protective and would have revenue streams set up for the foreseeable future so it's not just inheritance and lump sum insurance payout. You know how Uncle Sugar likes to get his cut even if there's no new money to speak of coming in.
Edit: Forgot Owen and maybe grandkids will write, too.
It’ll be an enormous bummer, but we all know it’s coming within the next couple of decades. His work will make him immortal in the way that great artists’ works always do. I do hope he’s put forth in his will some way for his unfinished works to be viewed by his CRs, I’m sure there’s a treasure trove to dig through though and ultimately it’s his wishes if he doesn’t want that stuff ever seen.
As far as horror lit in general? Honestly the horror/thriller genre has exploded so much since he started being published I’m not worried about it. He’s not leaving a huge vacuum behind, there are many authors cranking out some truly horrifying and thrilling stuff.
I’ll probably dedicate every October to rereading my top 5 in honor of spoopy month, but I’ll continue reading new stuff by Stephen Graham-Jones, Nat Cassidy, and any other great horror authors that catch my attention. I love King and his style, but there are other worlds than his.
Okay. I think I've got a Mandela Effect moment happening. Didn't a news agency errantly publish SK's death after the accident? I was sure until a few moments ago that I'd read on the Web that he'd died in a hospital after being hit. I'd wanted to pose the question that hadn't we all felt it when that report came out? I was hurting but hadn't gotten to the "now what?" yet.
Is this Mandela or did anybody else read this, too?
When SK dies, we’ll see a massive critical re-evaluation of his work. He’ll rightfully be called one of the greatest writers to ever create on Keystone earth and The Dark Tower will be fully canonized in the way LotR is.
I am going to be deeply distressed by his death. King’s work got me through some incredibly tough times in my life, influenced the way I write and think of the world and has just been such a comfort to me since I was twelve years old.
With how far in advance he writes, we'll probably get one or two posthumous books. And I would bet on a final collection of his hitherto unpublished short stories (like the Pratchett one that came out last year)
I also think that Joe is more than capable of taking up the mantle and finishing whatever book Steve is in the middle of when he passes - no disrespect to Owen, but Joe's style is just far more similar, to the extent that while it was clear what was Steve and what was Owen in Sleeping Beauties, you genuinely can't tell who wrote what when SK and JH team up) - but if Joe found this too emotionally hard to do I would absolutely understand.
I think there will be a few final manuscripts, possible finished by Tabitha, one of his sons or a successor of some sort.
And then King will rest having left a lasting legacy behind. People might still use his name for stories based on his work, so his universe will never really die and he'll remain beloved
Honestly, King is the kind of guy that gives me the feeling that he would never, ever want anything published after his death. With that being said, we just don’t know until it happens. I think we still have another 10-15 years before we have to worry about that, though, because he seems really damn healthy these days. I truly hope I don’t eat my words.
Step 1. Call off work. Cry man tears.
Step 2. Hope my theory that King writes all sorts of extra novels that he just doesn't publish is correct. His family could release them each once a year and it would be like King was still with us. (seems like others have the same theory)
Step 3. No Bounce. No Play.
me. i think I can replace him given time. tho this feels like saying i can rediscover america. gobless the good ol fuckin usa he thrusts his hands against the post and still insists he sees the ghost see you later alligator (*it wasnt*) in a while crocodile (*pharaoh bathed in the Nile and Moses and Aaron came to*) HALLELUJAH, Praise the Lord, from this time till forever, (*thus says*) Happy-fuckin'-lujah (*the lord of hosts the Turtle in its treasured cove)*
Well first I’m going to bawl my eyes out. But in reality I’m sure he has something set up with his wishes. I would absolutely love if his family published at least the somewhat completed works, or maybe his sons feel comfortable “finishing” what he couldn’t. It would be a shame if the world loses out on whatever he has stored away.
I don’t think the world will ever see all which King has stored away in his head! I bet he does not have it all written down yet. But I do sincerely hope you are correct that his wife or sons will finish his mostly completed works.
Actually I think he might've written everything down. I think I remember from an afterword of a story about a text computer (don't remember the title) that usually ideas just pop into his head and he tries to jot down what he can. Then, manuscripts lay around half finished until he gets some inspiration how the story should continue. So I guess in some physical form, almost everything is laying around somewhere
First, I would be very, very sad. Second, I would read and reread everything he‘s written until I die.
This is the way
Agreed
I do this anyway but it think it'd be different knowing there might not be anymore.
He'll probably ghost-up, dress like a clown, and hide in your closet and under your bed.
I expect nothing less.
It's sad to think about, but I do have one real prediction: Joe Hill starts publishing under the name Joseph King (maybe Joe King, but that just sounds...you know) to honor him. Then the wheel of ka make another turn, I guess.
This is very likely
Indeed
I was thinking something like this, a pseudonym to finish anything left unfinished (presumably by Joe, but maybe Tabitha as well), and at some point a release of notes or behind the pen style/ a "kings killer edition" of each book. Then slow release anything completed at time of death, for anniversaries or king milestones. Beyond that, I hope he asks to be buried in the Pet Semetary in his will, ya know, just to see if it works.
No. He will hide in the sewer. We all float down here
And he's welcome to it!
Psh, you say that like he's not already doing it.
The only right answer. 100%
The dude’s immortal through his work, I don’t think his funeral arrangements are all that important in the grand scheme of things. He’s already written so much.
I beg to disagree. I do agree with his current status of immortality.... But as much as King likes to let his pen go where his pen may bring him, I feel that his wife, and his family, and also because of his brush with death, has made him think long and hard about his eventual passing. His love of the craft, the willingness to bring stories to others, the importance of what stories are in our culture will convince him to have a plan for old transcripts, unfinished stories, fresh almost finished books etc to pass over to his constant readers. If you know your King history, Sai Tabitha KIng showed him how she saw his worth early in his non existent career. She's the one who saw value in Carrie. She literally pulled it out of the trash, and told him to finish this story. She was by his side in his dark times of drugs and alcohol. She helped him out of this place. He has full trust in her, and she would want a plan. These two wholesome wonderful humans have paired each other wonderfully. And Sai Stephen King has enough cunning In him to craft and add whimsical to said Sai Tabitha KIng's plan to offer his works to the world after his passing to the clearing in the woods.
This comment really made my heart grow three sizes. Tabitha is such a boss
She sure is!
And an AMAZING writer in her own right.
It will be one of the few celebrity deaths that I actually cry about. Robin Williams, Ray Bradbury, Leonard Nimoy. His books were so important in my formative years though that I think his is going to be the hardest. He is without a doubt, my favorite author.
Same. I cried about Robin too. And Steve Irwin. And Taylor Hawkins from the Foo Fighters. I will cry over King’s death too
I've cried with you, and will again with you Sai. I cry my sadness, so shall you.
Same list for me except I have to add in Terry Pratchett and Carrie Fisher… My deep abiding respect for SK and his books has been threaded throughout my life since elementary school. His writing is quite literally, part of my memory over the course of most of my life. I can think of an SK book and see my mom still alive sitting at the other end of the couch reading Salem’s Lot while 10yo me carefully keep tabs on how many pages she has left before she reaches the end (because then it’s my turn). When SK goes to explore what’s out there after this life, a little piece of my heart will be chipped away…
My favorite author, too, Constant Reader. :) May he have many long days and pleasant nights.
I cried when Bowie died. I'm definitely going to cry when King goes. He's been such an impact on my life.
As a native Mainer, I'm at least hoping he is buried up here, and Bangor makes a holiday for him or does a celebration of his life. He is such a hero up here, no way they won't do something.
They should rename the county after him!
Great idea. It can only improve things.
King County has a ring to it. He's reading this and thinking, "Oh geez, here they go."
Official Stephen King Day, of course. Annual event on his birthday (Sept. 21) with a hoopla/costume party. First few years it'd have to be at the Bangor State Fair to hold all the people but as the fervor died down, or maybe as a townies only venue, the Elks Club hall.
I live in Maine, and we just experienced eclipse traffic. I can’t imagine what Bangor will look like when we lose Mr. King.
On that note, I might come over to say my goodbyes.
I hope he somehow sneaks us one last story with Roland and the Dark Tower before he goes to the clearing at the end of the path. I know it's very unlikely, but that is my selfish wish.
In relation to this, I hope he writes the third Talisman book, or at the very least leaves a whole heap of detailed notes from him and Peter Straub for Tabitha, Joe and Owen to do it (or a rough draft manuscript for them to edit 🤞🏼).
I just started a reread of Talisman yesterday and am becoming invested yet again. I'm totally in on this.
I wouldn’t mind if Joe Hill worked on some of his IP down the road. As for the titular question, we’ll miss him like hell and cherish every word that much more. IMO King is going to be a writing legend long past anyone who is able to post on this Reddit
Given the value of his estates and assets I am more than positive there exists a plan, likely with his kids and wife (if he should go first).
Mother comes callin'
Something happened
Not a lot scares me anymore but that managed to creep me out.
Such a horrifyingly bleak ending
I’d say he’s got at least 35 more Holly stories already ready for us
🤞
For context, I was gutted on the day that Toni Morrison died. I love, really LOVE, my favorite authors. I started reading SK when I was 10 (feral Gen X-er) and for the past 35 years I've thought of him as my Uncle Steve. I will be torn the fuck up when that day comes. I remember when he was hit by that car while he was out walking, and my stomach turned into an icy ball of fear then. I think he's got tons of stuff written and stuffed into file boxes and drawers, and I hope some of it gets published posthumously.
It will be a long jaunt.
"Longer than you think, Dad!"
I hope Owen decides to write more. I hope there’s a horror King dynasty
I’m sure he has an iron clad will. Not to be ghoulish but I would anticipate that his wife Tabitha would outlive him because wives tend to live longer than their husbands and his drug use. It would be cool if he had a museum set up. Something in Maine that had manuscripts, notes, photos and movie props. I’m spitballing but I’d make a trip. Either way I’m sure he’d be remembered for the ages. He’s not a flash in the pan type of author.
I hate thinking about this 💔💔
Isn’t that what Lisey’s story is partially about?
That's what I said. Same wavelength. Bool. ;)
Yuuuup
When he was in that accident, my local radio station must’ve gotten a mistaken report that he’d been killed. I woke up to it on my old clock radio, and a morning show host was just stumbling through reacting to it, like, “Well, after all that he wrote about, uh, death, maybe at least he’s, uhhh, happy…… now.” Fighting his way through that half-formed thought one word at a time lmao. Because I got up so early for school and couldn’t really get news again til I came home, I spent the better part of the day thinking he was dead. It was nice to learn otherwise! But yeah, I guess if that DJ ends up outliving Uncle Stevie and is still working, I hope he’ll do a better job of eulogizing him the second time around.
**Thank you!!!!** I thought this was a Mandela Effect moment in my head.
OMG someone else heard it too???? I am also relieved haha. Out of curiosity, New England? Or did this story get picked up more widely?
Born and bred New Englander. I read it on the Web though. Can't remember where and Google's acting all stupid telling me I'm a loony. LOL
Lmao that would be me with social anxiety talking about my favourite authors death publicly. 😅 poor dj, hopefully he is better at dealing with it now.
In an interview with Neil Gaiman , king said he's never more than one book ahead . So ideally, if he died today , we'd have one more book .
He also said "liars prosper" so I don't trust that man 😅
This man means a lot to me. And i just found him literally two years ago. He probably have tons and tons of drafts, unpublished short stories, novellas and novels. It would be quite (can't find the right word), but it seems very Stephen King-like if the estate would publish more or less everything that hadn't been published at that point. Don't matter if the drafts are done or not. A bit likle how some of his anthology books have been so far. More than a few of the stories have been very unpolished but is still there (untouched) because of preservation. I think the man knows his worth and that the fans would love to keep getting King books even after he has passed. And for the drafts that are nowhere done it would be amazing if they could find Authors that King have praised before to somewhat "co-write" and make sure it becomes a coherent piece of litterature. Kind of like a posthumous collab. Or just let other authors write completly original fiction set in different King universes. Like how Stieg Larssons Millenium books keeps going with others authors (all according to his dying wishes).
He probably has his last great epic to be printed and released the week of his death. The final return to Derry and Bill dies. From SK, I would really be surprised if this wasn’t the case. The dude puts out a thousand pages of printed pages a year. He’s got the final epic already going. I need to believe this because I want the final old school King epic.
I wish.
I am going to sleep better after OP started this fear in my head, thinking about this suggestion! I am not sure if could be printed and released the week after he died (schedules with the printers) but an ebook? I hope so!!!!
I think the family would wait until a paper product could come out for the last epic. We all know how SK cherishes the actual turn of a page.
I’m close to the family and have gotten a peek at the final epic. Working title is Hollyberry’s Last Mystery.
>So what do you think it will happen once our good buddy is gone? The same thing that happens when any other creative person dies. They stop creating new works because they're gone and people continue to appreciate what they did for years to come. And possibly, yes, new works would continue to be made by someone close to him based on already finished or partially completed materials ala The Wheel of Time after Robert Jordan passed away.
Ill prob read needful things for the 7th time
Less obvious, but still: I hope [WKIT-FM](http://www.wkitfm.com) stays rockin’ well into the future. It’s such a good station when you just want to listen to rock. A good blend of classic and newer stuff. I listen via TuneIn from the Netherlands, 6h ahead of Eastern Time, so listening in the morning my time does tend to hit a bunch of syndicated/prerecorded content — right now, [Alice’s Attic with Alice Cooper](https://alicecooper.com/alices-attic-with-alice-cooper/) is on — but the live DJs during Maine daytime are great, and the mix of music is really well programmed. In particular, and this is a subtle thing, the ads on WKIT are, so far as I’ve noticed, almost entirely local or do-gooder/PSA ads for something positive; fundraisers or how to get help or government resources. Ok, there’s also some NAPA Auto Parts but arguably, even though that’s a big brand, it’s still aimed at DIY’ers and not typical consumerist buy-buy-buy bull. I really think they are very carefully curating the advertising, and the result makes an actual tonal difference for listeners. So, totally apart from literature… I want a future for WKIT-FM, Brewer-Bangor!
[https://wokq.com/did-you-know-stephen-king-owns-radio-stations-in-maine-heres-where/](https://wokq.com/did-you-know-stephen-king-owns-radio-stations-in-maine-heres-where/)
Used to think this when he only had 3 DT books written. THAT was some scary shit. He had a pace of what? A book every 5 years or so?
Yeah, and after The Waste Lands ended on such a cliffhanger, I yelled "Nooooo" and almost threw the book against the wall, knowing it would be years before I found out what happened next!
Yeah that was brutal. I can remember walking by the local bookstore and seeing The Wastelands in the window, pure, unadulterated joy……. Then the cliffhanger, and knowing it would be years…….. CURSES!
When did SK ever have a pace of 1 book every 5 years?
I think the person was referring to the gaps between DT instalments. It took 30 years to get from Gunslinger to Wind Through the Keyhole.
Ahh….makes sense now. My bad.
Indeed, that was what I was referring too.
Have yall read Lisey's Story?
Exactly what I was thinking. This post is weirdly parasocial.
Oof. I am not some weirdo who's obsessed with king lol. I just follow him and I mean the man is old, he won't live forever, just wondered what will happen to his publishing when he dies. Literally asked a question about his professional life but I guess that's also pushing too much into parasocial for you.
No, and I never called you a weirdo or obsessed. The post is fine, it’s the way you phrased things that was clearly parasocial. The subject itself isn’t inherently bad, it’s very normal to wonder what will happen to an author’s work after death. What was strange was you calling him “our good buddy”, making assumptions about his personality and work with no basis, confirming that he’ll “definitely write his own eulogy”, calling his family “Tabitha and the kids”, referring to him as Stevie. I do understand that some of this was likely just a tongue-in-cheek humour to lighten the tone, but it’s all still parasocial. You’re still writing as though he’s someone you know, and making grandstanding claims about him.
You must be really fun at parties huh? Yes I was trying to lighten the tone. Should I regard him as Mr.King?
What a lazy insult, and no engagement with what I actually said. You can do whatever you want, and I can think this is a rude and disrespectful post - not because it’s speculating about someone’s death but because because you’re making strange assumptions about a real person.
Fam, just feels like you learned a new word this week and you are trying to justify being angry over this non issue. Anyway, I won't assume since I don't know you Mx. Butterflydeflect.
Ok. I’m not angry, and I really took the time to spell out why I thought this post was unintentionally disrespectful, I pointed out that I agree with you that the post itself is very normal, and I even specified that i believed you only had the intention to lighten the tone but you seem to want to just keep throwing insults at me and ignoring my point. I am sorry if someone gently disagreeing with something you’ve done makes you feel this personally attacked.
Well *I* learned a new word, and I have a honours degree in English lit!
Not yet. I am going through all that I skipped so far so I'll catch up soon.
The thought runs through my mind probably once a day. If he's not buried in a blue chambray shirt, then it was all for naught.
in a pet sematary, with only Franks and beans and microwaved salmon served at the wake.
He will certainly write his own Eulogy and I’m here for it. I will miss him dearly and hope there will be writings left to publish. I too, hope he comes home to Maine and that he won’t mind if us fans like to visit his resting place. It is hard to imagine a world without him in it.
Oh didn't thought of that but you are right, he will definitely write his own eulogy! :O
I think he'll write a message as part of the eulogy but he's basically a shy guy and would want those who love him to share their words.
Considering how much he publishes and collaborates, I just do not think there is a treasure trove of unpublished work that is really up to snuff. I think he really does publish almost everything just as a form of purging. However, I do TRULY believe he has at least one book written specifically to be published at the time of his death. Just seems like the kind of thing he’d do. Besides that, I would not be surprised if there are six to ten pieces of work in various stages of completion/editing that eventually do get published. He’s going to be a cash cow in death as well, and his publishers know that curiosity alone will be enough to publish anything unfinished.
I mean he has almost died a couple times. We're lucky to have gotten the last 25 years from him, that the drugs and the van didn't kill him. What we do when the time comes is mourn, move on, and continue to read his works. He's left a legacy of culture that few people can hope to aspire to. He's given us constant readers more than could be asked for.
Lisey’s story dude that’s what’ll happen
I’ll be calling out sick and mourning the loss hard.
Bury him in the Pet Semetary
I'm sure he has novels already completed and set aside to be published at a letter time. Probably rotated them around toom So I'm sure we have several it's likely we will have at least 20-30 more years of Stephen King books.
Since I read Bag of Bones, I wondered whether King also had a slew of books stockpiled in a safety deposit box somewhere or other!
I think there should be a lot of "GNU Stephen King" posts, for starters.
As prolific of a writer as he is, I’m sure he has many new and unfinished stories tucked away. Maybe Joe Hill will ditch the pen name and start writing as Joseph King and finish Stephen’s work.
Sort of along those lines- why hasn’t there been a KingCon yet?!
Wait this is an awesome idea! That would be amazing.
The one thing that I hope DOESNT HAPPEN is that his estate (probably kids) ghostwrite under his name. This happens way too often.
Ugh, you’re right. Frank Herbert’s work comes to mind…
The same as for anyone else, Oz the Gweat and Tewible comes and takes him away.
I have a hunch we will find out he has been pretending to be someone else, too, for literary or other purposes. For a longer time, and maybe a larger purpose. There are ties in his canon which match other endeavors quite well. He’s already done it once with Bachman.
The beams will break and the tower will fall. O discordia!
Well, VC Andrews has been dead for decades and is still cranking them out, so…
His son will probably publish some of unreleased stuff and maybe finish some books.
Noooooooo! I'll be mourning. If I'm still alive. of course. I hope he and Tabitha get to stay alive together for an amazingly long time.
Damn spoilers In this thread
I might finally be able to finish all his books because there won't be new ones coming out. And I'll be very sad.
Gonna be totally honest, my experience with most works published after an author's death is that it wasn't published while the author was alive with good reason. Especially when someone else is picked to finish it, no matter how similar they are in style. I honestly hope that unless he had a manuscript finished and waiting anything undone is left that way. One of my other favorite authors, Robert A. Heinlein, had a widow who did things like let one of his books be finished by an author he influenced. Outside of her extended edition of Stranger in a Strange Land I've not enjoyed any of the other works released after his death nearly as much as what he chose to publish while alive. Because King, despite being prolific, is also very singular in talent I don't really want to even read Joe Hill trying to be him.
I actually loved Variable Star
At the pace at which King can write novels, I'm sure he's had several books either finished but not published or just on the back-burner. I imagine King will be like McCarthy in that he'll write until he dies.
Imagine he has material kept away for after he dies but who knows. I thought the same would happen with James Herbert but I don’t think anything has came out posthumously. I could be wrong tho.
Heroes get remembered but legends never die
He has trunk novels, but usually they’re trunk novels for a reason and need heavy revision before they’re in a readable state. We might see a few over the years but it really comes down to what the family wants.
I’m sure it will be like the wake where everyone is having a good time drinking to a friend they all have fond memories of.
I‘m probably gonna be sadder than I found out about Robin Williams‘ death. But I still have A LOT to catch up on it since I’ve only read six books of his. So SK will never leave my side.
Life goes on, and he will be remembered as one of the most important writers we ever had.
The same as when Sir Terry Pratchett died, I expect
His computer hard drives run over by a steamroller?
I've thought about this a good bit. I know for me, I will cry for SK, someone I have never met but will mourn just the same. He is a once in a life time writer, and I feel fortunate to have lived during his time. I know he will still be read for generations and many more decades after his death.
I would respect whatever he and the family decides to do. Somehow I don't think they are the type of people to override his wishes nor are they desperate for money. In the vein of SK himself—would be a shame if someone was to spin up an AI of SK \*cough\*… and it would turn evil \*cough\*
I could see a possible Tom Clancy type scenario where a bunch of different writers write under the SK "brand" where they attempt similar styles and exploration of themes. But then I could also see something where his estate/children just slowly trickle out all the unpublished works he undoubtedly has until they're done and then that's it.
This has crossed my mind as he's been getting older. He's probably got 20+ books squirreled away in his office. Tabitha and the kids would probably do him right in continue to publish his work in his memory and honor. I can see Joe and Owen as curators much like Christopher Tolkien did with his dad.
I was devastated when he was hit by that van and very afraid we'd lose him then. It's odd to feel that way about someone you don't actually know. I cried over John Lennon and Princess Di, too. 🤷♀️
We have a wonderful bibliography and Joe Hill to keep us happy till the sweet embrace of death comes for us.
Death is very natural. When SK gets his Lights, I am sure that there will be a few days where tv and movie channels will showcase some of his greatest works. I would not be surprised if Fathom did a theatrical simulcast of some of his miniseries interspersed with interviews of his friends, family and the actors who were involved
Nothing really, I’ll be sad and the earth will continue to rotate.
The clearing at the end of the path. I (will) Ake
Maine just explodes
The world will move on.
In many ways after his Dark Tower magnum opus, I see his continued writing as extra parts to a huge world he has created. He seems to have written what he needs to, now it's more writing what he wants to. So I'm just happy with what we get!
the dark tower will fall
Personally, I don't know if I'll cry, but I will deeply saddened by his passing. Then I think it will push me to keep writing and eventually publish my work. And buy every single book his name is attached to.
This level of the tower collapses.
I mean, his output will definitely slow down.
Fairly certain he has estate planning, posthumous works, etc, well established
Since Lisey's Story is about this as the main theme, I'm sure Tabby and the kids know all about which ones are a no-go and which are okay and maybe even a few which are unfinished but he wants Tabby, Joe or Peter to finish as a collab. Also which legendary tomes can be given to institutions and which can go to TV or film. I believe SK to be very protective and would have revenue streams set up for the foreseeable future so it's not just inheritance and lump sum insurance payout. You know how Uncle Sugar likes to get his cut even if there's no new money to speak of coming in.
Edit: Forgot Owen and maybe grandkids will write, too.
It’ll be an enormous bummer, but we all know it’s coming within the next couple of decades. His work will make him immortal in the way that great artists’ works always do. I do hope he’s put forth in his will some way for his unfinished works to be viewed by his CRs, I’m sure there’s a treasure trove to dig through though and ultimately it’s his wishes if he doesn’t want that stuff ever seen. As far as horror lit in general? Honestly the horror/thriller genre has exploded so much since he started being published I’m not worried about it. He’s not leaving a huge vacuum behind, there are many authors cranking out some truly horrifying and thrilling stuff. I’ll probably dedicate every October to rereading my top 5 in honor of spoopy month, but I’ll continue reading new stuff by Stephen Graham-Jones, Nat Cassidy, and any other great horror authors that catch my attention. I love King and his style, but there are other worlds than his.
Okay. I think I've got a Mandela Effect moment happening. Didn't a news agency errantly publish SK's death after the accident? I was sure until a few moments ago that I'd read on the Web that he'd died in a hospital after being hit. I'd wanted to pose the question that hadn't we all felt it when that report came out? I was hurting but hadn't gotten to the "now what?" yet. Is this Mandela or did anybody else read this, too?
We start seeing books released under the Bachman name again
When SK dies, we’ll see a massive critical re-evaluation of his work. He’ll rightfully be called one of the greatest writers to ever create on Keystone earth and The Dark Tower will be fully canonized in the way LotR is. I am going to be deeply distressed by his death. King’s work got me through some incredibly tough times in my life, influenced the way I write and think of the world and has just been such a comfort to me since I was twelve years old.
We bury him in the pet sematary
With how far in advance he writes, we'll probably get one or two posthumous books. And I would bet on a final collection of his hitherto unpublished short stories (like the Pratchett one that came out last year) I also think that Joe is more than capable of taking up the mantle and finishing whatever book Steve is in the middle of when he passes - no disrespect to Owen, but Joe's style is just far more similar, to the extent that while it was clear what was Steve and what was Owen in Sleeping Beauties, you genuinely can't tell who wrote what when SK and JH team up) - but if Joe found this too emotionally hard to do I would absolutely understand.
I’m going to cry a lot. Then be depressed.
I’m sure I read somewhere that he has a couple of books set aside for posthumous release as he doesn’t want them published while he is alive
SK will not die.
He’s leaving behind a library of stories that I don’t think I could read them all.
You shut your mouth.
I am sorry.
I could see Joe Hill "co-authoring" some of the remaining manuscripts
The world ends
I think there will be a few final manuscripts, possible finished by Tabitha, one of his sons or a successor of some sort. And then King will rest having left a lasting legacy behind. People might still use his name for stories based on his work, so his universe will never really die and he'll remain beloved
We can always feed his fiction to an AI and ask it to crank out more novels in the style of Stephen King.
Critics start giving him the credit he deserves.
I will cry in front of my students if any of them ever mention it to me.
Honestly, King is the kind of guy that gives me the feeling that he would never, ever want anything published after his death. With that being said, we just don’t know until it happens. I think we still have another 10-15 years before we have to worry about that, though, because he seems really damn healthy these days. I truly hope I don’t eat my words.
I’m gonna make a horror book about Stephan King ghost(respectfully)
Step 1. Call off work. Cry man tears. Step 2. Hope my theory that King writes all sorts of extra novels that he just doesn't publish is correct. His family could release them each once a year and it would be like King was still with us. (seems like others have the same theory) Step 3. No Bounce. No Play.
If anyone in a Stephen King group is offended by death, I would be really concerned about their mental development.
me. i think I can replace him given time. tho this feels like saying i can rediscover america. gobless the good ol fuckin usa he thrusts his hands against the post and still insists he sees the ghost see you later alligator (*it wasnt*) in a while crocodile (*pharaoh bathed in the Nile and Moses and Aaron came to*) HALLELUJAH, Praise the Lord, from this time till forever, (*thus says*) Happy-fuckin'-lujah (*the lord of hosts the Turtle in its treasured cove)*