Cycle of the Werewolf

Title: Cycle of the Werewolf

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 1983

Date read: 26th December 2019

Score: 4/5

Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Fantasy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Cycle of the Werewolf" by Stephen King is a unique horror novella presented as a calendar year's chronicle of a small town terrorised by a mysterious creature.

The story is set in the isolated town of Tarker's Mills, Maine, and unfolds month by month over the course of a single year, starting in January. Each chapter describes a specific date and a new victim of a ravenous werewolf. The novella is richly illustrated by Bernie Wrightson, with his detailed, gruesome artwork complementing King's prose.

The series of brutal killings begins, initially dismissed as animal attacks or random homicides, but as the months pass and the full moon brings more carnage, a terrifying pattern emerges. The residents of Tarker's Mills, increasingly gripped by fear and paranoia, realize they are dealing with a lycanthrope. The monster's victims vary, from railway workers to children and town outcasts, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of its hunger.

The narrative introduces a small cast of characters, but the true protagonist who takes up the fight is Marty Coslaw, a ten-year-old boy in a wheelchair. Marty is a bright and courageous child. After a close encounter with the werewolf on the Fourth of July, he discovers the creature's true identity: it is one of the respected members of their own community.

Knowing the werewolf's human identity, but unable to convince the skeptical adults, Marty realises he must take matters into his own hands. He secretly prepares for a final confrontation, armed with silver bullets, as the werewolf's next transformation draws near. The novella culminates in a tense and terrifying showdown between the brave young boy and the monstrous beast, as Marty attempts to end the cycle of terror that has plagued Tarker's Mills for a year. "Cycle of the Werewolf" is a classic werewolf tale, focusing on the dread of an unseen killer and the courage of an unlikely hero.

Comments:
Excellent story, typically well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)