The Stand

Title: The Stand

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 1978

Date read: 19th May 2019

Score: 5/5

Genre: Science fiction, Horror, Psychological

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Stand," by Stephen King, first published in 1978 and later released in a complete and uncut edition in 1990, is an epic post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel. It depicts a monumental struggle between good and evil after a devastating global plague.

The story begins with the accidental release of Project Blue, a highly contagious and lethal strain of influenza from a top-secret U.S. government biological weapon facility. Dubbed "Captain Trips," this engineered super flu quickly spreads worldwide, wiping out over 99% of the global population within weeks. The few survivors are immune, but they are left in a shattered, silent world.

As society collapses, the surviving population begins to experience prophetic dreams, drawing them to one of two opposing figures:

Mother Abagail, a benevolent 108-year-old Black woman from Nebraska, who represents the forces of good and seeks to rebuild society with compassion and democratic principles. Her followers are drawn towards Boulder, Colorado, forming the Boulder Free Zone.

Randall Flagg, a demonic, charismatic figure with supernatural powers, embodying pure evil. He establishes his tyrannical regime in Las Vegas, Nevada, gathering to him the worst elements of humanity: criminals, sadists, and those who thrive on chaos.

The novel then follows the journeys of various survivors as they make their way across the desolate American landscape. Key characters include Stu Redman, an everyman from Texas; Franny Goldsmith, a pregnant college student; Larry Underwood, a musician; Nick Andros, a deaf-mute man; and Tom Cullen, a kind-hearted man with intellectual disabilities. They represent the diverse facets of humanity struggling to survive and find purpose.

The narrative shifts between the two burgeoning societies. In Boulder, Mother Abagail attempts to guide her followers in building a new, just society, though they face internal struggles and difficult decisions. In Las Vegas, Flagg consolidates his power through fear, violence, and dark rituals, preparing for an inevitable confrontation with Mother Abagail's people.

The conflict culminates in an apocalyptic showdown. Mother Abagail's followers undertake a perilous "long walk" to Las Vegas, guided by cryptic visions, to confront Randall Flagg and the forces of evil in a final, decisive struggle for the future of humanity. The climax is a powerful and destructive confrontation, ultimately decided by divine intervention and the inherent choices of the characters involved. "The Stand" is a sprawling tale of survival, morality, and the eternal battle between light and darkness.

Comments:
Truly an epic novel and everyone should read it. I loved it at the time and thought of it many times during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The two instances could not have been much more different but it was interesting to see people in the media comparing them, I am sure that they had not read the book. As well as the entertaining side of this book, it did make me wonder how society would react to something like this happening.

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)