Meg Hafdahl - The Science of Stephen King: The Truth Behind Pennywise, Jack Torrance, Carrie, Cujo, and More Iconic Characters from the Master of Horror

Copyright 2020 by Meg Hafdahl & Kelly Florence

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Daniel Brount

Cover photograph by gettyimages

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-5774-5

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-5775-2

Printed in the United States of America

We dedicate this book to all the constant readers

who dare to journey into the darkness.

Contents

Introduction

Every constant reader remembers the first time they delved into the delicious horror of Stephen King. For me (Meg), it was finding a paperback of Carrie in my parents stack of books. I asked my mom if she thought I should give it a try. She thought it would be the perfect introduction for me to Mr. King. And, as usual, my mom was right. I was on the cusp of adulthood at age fourteen and, like Carrie, I had a million worries. Unlike Carrie, I couldnt move objects with my mind, or take murderous revenge on my classmates. After reading about the telekinetic teen girl, I was a lifelong constant reader, joining Stephen King on adventures of both unbelievable horror and surprisingly tender heartache. For Kelly, it was watching The Shining with her dad in first grade. Having been introduced to horror movies the year before, Stephen King became her new favorite fascination and she sought out his books as she got older.

When we began research for this book, it became clear that we were going to learn about science, folklore, and literary influences. Yet, we ended up coming to understand the author himself more than anything. Join us, fellow constant readers, on a journey into the creative, dynamic world of Stephen King. Leave behind reality for the modest towns of Derry, Castle Rock, and Salems Lot. Traverse the magical landscape of Mid-World. Because, as you well know, there are other worlds than these.

S ECTION O NE

The 1970s

When you think of horror writers, its impossible not to think of Stephen King. He has scared us, thrilled us, grossed us out, and made us feel terror for nearly fifty years, but his writing breaks the boundaries that are sometimes placed on the genre. As film critic Aja Romano said, the key to his popularity as a horror novelist, and as a novelist in general, resides not in the darkest moments of his writing, but in his basic belief in humanitys innate goodness. The plots within his works are sometimes otherworldly and sometimes rooted in truth. In this book, we will explore the scientific explanations behind his narratives and the fascinating and sometimes unbelievable horror that exists in our world.

CHAPTER ONE

Carrie

We cant begin talking about the science behind Stephen Kings stories until we understand a bit about the man himself. King was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine, and was raised by a single, working mother. His childhood would hold experiences and memories that inevitably wound their way into becoming parts of his novels, characters, and inspirations for dozens of stories over the years. No one else had as much effect on his writing career, though, as Tabitha.

Haakon Forwald, a Swedish electrical engineer, promoted the idea that a person could manipulate gravitational fields by mentally agitating the atoms and neutrons inside an object.

Tabitha Spruce met Stephen King in the library of the University of Maine, where they were both students, in the 1960s. Both being writers, they attended each others poetry readings and read each others work. They married in 1971 and Tabitha encouraged King to write instead of taking a promotion that would leave less time for his craft. This fact led to Kings first novel, Carrie , being saved from the trash. He had begun writing a story from a womans perspective, something he took on as a personal challenge after feedback from a reader of his previous work accused him of being scared of women. The story was inspired by an article in LIFE magazine that touched on the power of telekinesis. If the power existed, the article purported, then the power would be strongest with adolescent girls. Kings first time being in a girls locker room as a custodian also left an impact on him. Seeing a pad and tampon dispenser seemed almost alien compared to what he was used to.

King wrote three typed pages and then immediately threw them in the trash. The plot seemed to be moving too slowly and he was beginning to doubt his ability to write from a womans perspective. I couldnt see wasting two weeks, maybe even a month, creating a novella I didnt like and wouldnt be able to sell, King wrote in his memoir On Writing (2000). So, I threw it away after all, who wanted to read a book about a poor girl with menstrual problems?

Tabitha retrieved the crumpled pages from the trash and gave him some feedback. In fact, throughout his career, Tabitha is credited with useful, truthful feedback that helps shape characters and mold Kings stories. Carrie was finished within nine months and sold to Doubleday for a $2,500 advance. Months later, the paperback rights were sold to Signet Books for $400,000. The movie rights sold later, and by 1980 Stephen King was a worldwide bestselling author. As he told the New York Times , the movie made the book and the book made me. The dedication youll find in every copy of Carrie reads This is for Tabby, who got me into itand then bailed me out of it.

Carrie was reportedly popular among teen and young adult readers, especially those who could relate to being an outsider. According to Stephen Kings website:

The story is largely about how women find their own channels of power, and what men fear about women and womens sexuality. Carrie White is a sadly mis-used teenager, an example of the sort of person whose spirit is so often broken for good in that pit of man and woman eaters that is your normal suburban high school. But shes also Woman, feeling her powers for the first time and, like Samson, pulling down the temple on everyone in sight at the end of the book.

The themes explored throughout the book are vast; the first is the symbol of blood. The symbolic function of womans menstrual blood is of crucial importance in Carrie . Blood takes various forms menstrual blood, pigs blood, birth blood, the blood of sin, and the blood of death. It is also blood which flows between mother and daughter and joins them together in their life-and-death struggle.

A rare period disorder can cause bleeding of the eyes. Known as vicarious menstruation, this rare condition makes a woman bleed from organs besides her uterus.