{ "item_title" : "Monsters in the Archives", "item_author" : [" Caroline Bicks "], "item_description" : "A fascinating, first-of-its-kind exploration of Stephen King and his most iconic early books, based on groundbreaking research and interviews with King--all conducted by the first scholar to be given extended access to his private archivesA treat for fans of Stephen King.--Paul TremblayA master class in craft--and a peek behind the curtain.--Stephen Graham JonesIlluminating and original.--Amy TanIt will be treasured by admirers of King's novels and is a must read for anyone curious about how great books get written.--James Shapiro, Professor of English, Columbia UniversityA LIT HUB MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR 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? Bicks focuses on five of his most iconic early works--The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary, ʼSalemʼs Lot, and Night Shift--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. Part literary master class, part biography, part memoir and investigation into our deepest anxieties, Monsters in the Archives--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.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers3.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/0/59/373/672/0593736729_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "29.00", "online_price" : "29.00", "our_price" : "29.00", "club_price" : "29.00", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "29.00" } }

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Add this one to the coolest-jobs-ever list: In 2017, Shakespeare scholar and author Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine’s very first Stephen E. King Chair in Literature. Bicks has shared her knowledge of and affinity for the Bard in the form of multiple books and an award-winning podcast. In Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear With Stephen King, she celebrates the King of Horror and shines a light into the dark corners of five of his early works: Pet Sematary, The Shining, Night Shift, ’Salem’s Lot and Carrie. Bicks first encountered King’s work at age 12 with the short story collection Night Shift: “The cover had drawn me in, but it was the words inside that took hold of my imagination and didn’t let go.” Like so many of us, she often wondered what it is about King’s work that makes his stories linger, for better or worse, in our imaginations. How do they—nay, how does he—unlock the “secret door” of our deepest fears and amplify them? Bicks hunted down those monsters in a treasure trove of King’s manuscripts, most of which had never been available to the public or even to scholars. She pored over handwritten notes, typed drafts, photographs (several of which are included in the book), news articles and more. She also interviewed King on numerous occasions, gaining further insight into everything from influences to word choices, character attributes to plot twists.

Read an essay by Caroline Bicks, author of 'Monsters in the Archives.'

For example, Pet Sematary research reveals that references to “Oz the Great and Terrible” were initially absent from the novel but later “became, for him, the book’s prevailing motif.” King confirms he was thinking of Hamlet when he wrote The Shining. And an exploration of Carrie’s creation surfaces an early draft wherein Carrie’s powers have an altogether different effect on her, indicating a more sinister character than the one whose story ultimately became a “cultural touchstone.” King devotees will love Bicks’ super-close readings of his work and fascinating insights into how he conjures up his characters and infuses his stories with humanity, humor and horror. And how about that bloodred cover, which evokes a much-read paperback bearing a spooky font and scary slashes? Monsters in the Archives is superbly shudder-inducing, inside and out.