Once Again, Stephen King Reinvents Horror With His New Book ELEVATION

Don't go looking for that book just quite yet. It'll debut on October 30, 2018. And it's the second book of 2018 we'll see from the man (the other one is a taut thriller by the title of THE OUTSIDER). What makes this new announcement on his second novel rather, well, novel is the fact that along with some other projects he's taken, this particular book called ELEVATION deviates a bit from the standard horror tropes we expect.

For Starters ELEVATION Will Run a VERY Tight 144 Pages Long

And if you know King, you know that's a sprint of a story. Usually his yarns can go for miles and miles, like DUMA KEY or UNDER THE DOME (the latter clocks in at a freakish 1,074 pages LONG). Yet he pulls this one out of his scary hat, and we're treated to something of a novella even though this one's being billed as a novel.

Pretty cool, and honestly not far from King and his passions for what many readers might know as the "short story."

That's not the biggest revelation of ELEVATION, though:

Believe It or Not, This Book ELEVATION Isn't Actually Horror at All!

We'd even go as far to say that ELEVATION is largely an "upbeat" tale touching on divisive culture and real-world issues affecting our society today. Make no mistake: elements of King storytelling are still here, but don't expect to have the pants scared off of you.

Here's the synopsis for the upcoming book ELEVATION if you want a deeper look:

The latest from legendary master storyteller Stephen King, a riveting, extraordinarily eerie, and moving story about a man whose mysterious affliction brings a small town together—a timely, upbeat tale about finding common ground despite deep-rooted differences.

Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis.
In the small town of Castle Rock, the setting of many of King’s most iconic stories, Scott is engaged in a low grade—but escalating—battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. One of the women is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple, and the place is in trouble. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face–including his own—he tries to help. Unlikely alliances, the annual foot race, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.
From Stephen King, our “most precious renewable resource, like Shakespeare in the malleability of his work” (The Guardian), Elevation is an antidote to our divisive culture, as gloriously joyful (with a twinge of deep sadness) as “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

So there you have it. An interesting study on character. And weirdness. Definitely perks your ears, but here's the biggie:

As King Does so Well, He Reinvents Horror and Makes the "Horror" Essentially About the HUMAN CONDITION

And arguably that's the best quality of Stephen King we could ever want. A lot of his books tend to be like that. Obviously he doesn't shy away from the supernatural or the inexplicable. But the true horror stories definitely come from all around us. In the store. At church. In school. And even while we're at work, filing papers.