5 New Stephen King Works Releasing in 2022
Stephen King is one of the most recognizable names in literature today. He’s written dozens of novels and short stories that have left readers horrified and speechless — sometimes even unable to finish his books! While his books are often classified as horror, there’s much more to them than that. Each of King’s novels is a hidden gem filled with symbolism, metaphors, and meaning as well.
Though Stephen King is known to be one of the most prolific and successful writers of the last century, his movies, based on his books, stand as classics in their own right. He has even collaborated with director and producer Brian K. Vaughn to bring his novella “1922” to life as a Netflix original film. It's only right that we also include some of his newest releases on the big screen in our roundup as well. So, whether you’re a new reader or a long-time fan, this list of Stephen King's newest works is for you!
Fairy Tale
by Stephen King
Release Date: September 6, 2022
Readers may notice right away that Stephen King’s Fairy Tale is a bit different from his usual works. This novel, written during the Covid-19 pandemic, goes into the depths of King’s imagination, illustrating a magnificent tale of a high school boy, his dog, and a parallel world where good and evil are at war.
Charlie Reade looks like an average high school student, a great baseball and football player, and an adequate student. However, he carries a significant burden. His mother was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and his father's grief drove him to drink - a lot - forcing Charlie to learn how to take care of them both. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her owner, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house on a big hill who owns a locked shed in the backyard. A shed that sometimes has very strange sounds coming from it. As Charlie begins working for Mr. Bowditch, he falls in love with Radar. And when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story that no one will believe. The shed that Mr. Bowditch has guarded all his life is a portal to another world!
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Gwendy's Final Task (Gwendy's Button Box Trilogy Book 3)
by Stephen King & Richard Chizmar
Release Date: May 31, 2022
Gwendy’s Final Task, the final book in Stephen King and Richard Chizmar’s Gwendy's Button Box Trilogy, is a chilling novella that revisits the mysterious town of Castle Rock, travels to another famously cursed city, and to the MF-1 space station.
When Gwendy Peterson was twelve years old, a stranger named Richard Farris gifted Gwendy a mysterious box. The box offered treats and vintage coins, but pushing any of the eight colored buttons also promised horrific and terrible things. Now, a successful novelist and rising political star, the box re-enters Gwendy’s life, forcing her to deal with the enticement and malevolent dangers that come with it. As others seek to obtain the box for their own purposes, it is up to Gwendy Peterson to keep it safe at all costs. But where can one hide something from such powerful forces?
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Firestarter
by Stephen King
Release Date: May 13, 2022
McGee And Vicky Tomlison volunteered as test subjects for a government organization known as The Shop when they were in college. They never imagined that their pursuit of extra cash would entail exceptional abilities, and they especially didn’t consider the manifestation these abilities might have in their child. Charlie, their daughter, has been gifted with the most uncontrollable and extraordinary abilities yet - pyrokinesis, the ability to create fire with her mind. As Charlie grapples with the hormones of a growing adolescent and her uncontrollable powers fuelled by her emotions, The Shop learns of her powers. As The Shop violently pursues Charlie and her family for their own malevolent enterprise, Charlie retaliates with a fury that may ignite the entire world on fire.
Though Firestarter was published in 1980, a new film adaptation starring Zac Efron and Ryan Kiera Armstrong was released in theaters and on the Peacock streaming platform in May of this year. The film was directed by Keith Thomas and is actually a remake of the 1984 film adaptation. Though the film has received mixed reviews, there are rumors that the 2022 film is the first of a Firestarter Trilogy. In an interview with Vanity Fair, when asked about how he feels about there potentially being a sequel to the 2022 film, Stephen King remarked “I'd love to see it. I would be perfectly down with that.”
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Salem's Lot
by Stephen King
Release Date: September 9, 2022
Another book adaptation (and film remake) of Salem’s Lot is set to be released in September of 2022. Though Warner Bros. has yet to release a trailer for the film, there are some things that have been made public about it. The film is directed by Gary Dauberman who is best known for screenwriting horror films such as Annabelle: Creation, The Nun, and IT, and will star actors Lewis Pullman, Spencer Treat Clark, and Pilou Asbæk.
Salem’s Lot, originally published in October of 1975, was only King’s second novel. But the story established him as a master of horror and illustrated his ability to transform familiar horror tropes into something new and even more terrifying. The story centers around an author, Ben Mears, as he returns to his hometown, Jerusalem’s Lot - also known as Salem’s Lot. Struggling with personal demons and seeking inspiration for his new book, Ben is determined to explore the history of the Marsten House for inspiration. The house has long been the subject of rumors and speculation among the residents of Salem’s Lot, but Ben doesn’t know the extent of the sinister forces at work. When two boys wander into the woods and only one of them returns alive, Ben realizes that the town is under siege from dark forces. Not to mention that only he and a small group of allies can contain the evil that is taking over their town before it’s too late.
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Castle Rock Kitchen
by Theresa Carle-Sanders & Stephen King
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Though the town of Castle Rock is the main setting for Stephen King’s Gwendy's Button Box Trilogy, as most seasoned fans know, it is also the setting for over 12 novels and short stories. Additionally, the town is referenced in over 20 additional works making it a multiverse in King’s works. Though it is a fictional town in Maine, Castle Rock’s notoriety has inspired real places, works, and so much more!
With a forward written by Stephen King and story excerpts that tie certain recipes to the books that inspired them, Castle Rock Kitchen provides fans with 80 food and drink recipes. This immersive culinary experience by fictional cookbook author Theresa Carle-Sanders transports readers across Maine using plenty of local ingredients such as seafood, potatoes, wild blueberries, and more. A few of the recipes one can find are Pancakes with the Toziers (IT), One-Handed Frittata (Under the Dome), Crab Canapés (Pet Sematary), and Homemade Root Beer (Carrie).
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We’ve got plenty more where these came from! Whether you’re looking for the newest Stephen King, Brandon Sanderson, or Sara J. Mass books, we’ve got you covered. Sign up for NewInBooks’ newsletter and you’ll get the newest book releases sent directly to your inbox every Tuesday!
