Mental powers are a commonly used trope in King´s works and I couldn´t name another author who uses it with such ingenuity, because he unleashes the characters to observe how they freely develop their angelic or hellish powers and become the mentalist, mind penetrating elve, psych necromancer with daddy issues, or whatever. One could say it are descriptions of what his subconsciousness imagines certain magical powers might be made out of and how they could manifest in normal humans, ghosts, or any mythological figure. The Ned Zone", a segment of The Simpsons ' "Treehouse of Horror XV" episode that parodies the novel and film Cronenberg criticized the film's theatrical distribution and stated that it could have been number one at the box office had its distribution been better. [24] The head of marketing at Paramount, David Rose, was arrested for embezzling money and Cronenberg theorized that Rose might have taken money meant for the marketing of the film. [25] I suppose knowing that I read it in one sitting says a lot about what I thought about it – I LOVED IT! It blew me away. It was creepy, heart-wrenching, introspective, speculative, terrifying, thought-provoking – and on and on and on. I just knew I had to read it again now to see if I still felt the same. And, I do! I definitely do! Kehr, Dave (October 26, 1985). "The Dead Zone". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010 . Retrieved August 15, 2021.

And, somehow, The Dead Zone ends in a way that I would never have predicted when I began reading it: as one of my favourite King novels. Last week, in the comments, we discussed our Top 10 Kings, and I listed mine before I began this rereading project. That list has definitely changed now, not least so that I can put this book on there. It's amazing: it feels like King pushing himself, challenging himself to write something outside his usual patch, even as it appears to be entirely resting there. As with many of his best, it's not a horror, even: over its many sections it's a slow-burn psychological thriller; a crime novel; even (whisper it) a more literary novel about rehabilitation and loss. In many ways, in fact, The Dead Zone is a template for the recent glut of Scandinavian crime novels: a detective story with an unconventional detective, pursuing a case with elements of horror, but which delves deeper into the detective's psyche than most.She has no idea who Johnny is, but that can’t be helped because Johnny doesn’t really know who he is either.

I am so glad that I decided to reread this one, as it has become a new favourite. And dare I say - one of King’s best endings? Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: In the novel, the phrase "dead zone" refers to the part of Johnny's brain that is irreparably damaged, resulting in his dormant psychic potential awakening. When some information in Johnny's visions is beyond his perception, he considers that information as existing "in the dead zone." In the film adaptation, the phrase "dead zone" is that part of his psychic vision that is missing—a blank area that he cannot see. This "dead zone" refers to an outcome that is not yet determined, meaning Johnny can change the future.My advice to you dear reader is, if there’s a movie being made of a Stephen King book, read the book first!

After watching and falling for the character John Smith- in the 1983 movie THE DEAD ZONE, I decided to search out the book that it was based on. I had never heard of Stephen King- I had read a lot of mysteries, but had never read a horror novel. To me this was the perfect start into the genre. It is suspenseful and gripping without being gory.

My Book Notes

While in rehab at the hospital, Johnny helps various people, but is frustrated by sensational media coverage and the public's demands for assistance. When he rejects a lucrative offer to lend his name to fake predictions published in a tabloid, the tabloid editor denounces him as a fraud, but Johnny merely hopes that the public's disillusionment will let him resume a normal life. Leaving aside the eerie similarities to America today, what sets this apart from his other novels is the way that King focused on John Smith and made his story a genuine tragedy. Johnny just wanting to try and resume some kind of normal life, but unable to stop himself from using his power to help people and put himself in a media spotlight is incredibly compelling. Johnny Smith- is a well liked small-town schoolteacher. After dropping off his first love -Sarah- at her house , he gets into a horrible car accident, which puts him into a coma for five...long...years. When he finally wakes up, everything has changed. Sarah has moved on, his mother is even mooooooore unstable, his father is having a hard time coping with his marriage and hospital bills, and a man called Greg Stillson has entered into the world of politics. Something else is different too- while John has always had an uncanny ability to find lost things or predict small future events, now this "gift" has turned into something much more powerful. La historia sigue a Jhonny Smith, quien luego de un accidente despierta casi 5 años depués. Sí, mucho tiempo. Demasiado. Lo bueno (o lo malo) de esto es que despierta con un extraño poder; visiones. Todo objeto y a cada persona que toque inmediatamente sabrá cosas de ella. Una habilidad que a lo largo de todo el libro hará pensar al protagonista si es un don o una maldición.

The development of John, his relationship with his family (and Sarah) and the progression of his ability/the perception of his ability by others, was the driving force of this novel. In fact, it was more entertaining than the ultimate climax of the text, which dealt with the question of "if you could stop Hitler before he rose to power would ya?" Like I said, this would have made a fine short story, or even an episode of The Twilight Zone. The concept takes a very common trope – the apparent blessing that is actually a curse – and overlays that onto a very clean, very effectual story arc. Indeed, in his adaptation, Cronenberg boiled the plot down to its bones, yet his film – a sleek hour-and-forty-three minutes – doesn’t miss a single story beat. The Dead Zone is King's seventh novel and the fifth under his own name. The book spawned a 1983 film adaptation as well as a television series.

Check-In

Maslin, Janet (October 21, 1983). "FILM: 'DEAD ZONE,' FROM KING NOVEL". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017 . Retrieved September 14, 2016.