Stephen King Uncollected, Unpublished

ISBN 9780975059340

Kanrock Partners Pty Ltd (2006)
ISBN:9780975059340
$29.95
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Reviewed by Tim Kroenert, May 2007

It’s fair to say that your enjoyment of this non-fiction volume will be directly proportionate to the amount of Stephen King’s work you have read, and the degree to which you have enjoyed it.

Truth be told, only the most diehard of King fans are likely to find themselves hanging on every word, from the first page to the last. That said, even the most casual of King readers will find something of interest. In fact, even those who are yet to read a King novel or story, or who feel they have reason to doubt the man’s considerable talent, will at least find the introductory essay to be compulsory, compelling reading.

While largely an explanation of why the authors felt such a book as Uncollected, Unpublished was necessary, the essay, written with the authority of scholarship and the wide-eyed exuberance of fandom, also stands as a dissertation on King’s importance not just to the horror genre, but to the pantheon of American literature itself.

The authors argue that future generations will remember King with the same reverence as they do the likes of Mark Twain and Charles Dickens; King is a master storyteller who is utterly in tune with his culture and times, possesses a vivid imagination and an innate mastery of character, place and plot. What’s more, he is responsible for creating some of the most memorable and iconic stories of the 20th century — think The Shining, The Stand, It, “The Body” (which was filmed as Stand By Me), Misery et al.

Only in recent years, they claim, has King begun to achieve the recognition he deserves, and there’s a good chance any remaining naysayers who think of King as a “mere horror writer” would change their tune after reading this essay.

The second section of the book is also engaging, although a reasonable working knowledge of the King fiction universe is a prerequisite. Anyone who’s familiar with the writer’s work will know that he has a tendency to link stories via recurring locations, references to past characters etc. In this second chapter of Uncollected, Unpublished, the authors define five separate King “realities”, into which (they argue) virtually all of King’s fiction — novels, short stories, screenplays, poems etc. — can be categorised. They provide comprehensive lists for each “reality” (the amount and meticulousness of research evident is quite astonishing) and cross-reference those stories that contain both a “primary” reality and a “secondary” reality in another category.

For example, books such as Cujo and Insomnia both occur in the “Maine Street Horror” reality, as they are set in King’s home state of Maine and take place in the iconic, fictional King towns of Castle Rock and Derry, respectively. Insomnia, however, also contains crossover points into the fantastical “The Dark Tower” reality (where the eponymous fantasy series is set). Similarly, the seminal apocalyptic novel The Stand resides (along with several short stories) within its own “The Stand” reality, but also contains notable crossovers into “The Dark Tower” reality.

All of which is very interesting reading, although it’s unlikely that anyone who hasn’t read a substantial amount of King fiction is going to find great interest in the authors’ painstakingly compiled lists and comprehensive cross-references.

Section three contains an overview of “lost” and “hidden” works; those which are known to exist but have never been seen or read by King researchers — either they’ve been literally lost or King himself has, for one reason or another, prevented them from seeing the light of day. This chapter’s a little tedious — only diehard fans and collectors of King fiction need apply — although at the very least it stands as a rebuttal to anyone who’d care to accuse the authors of not being thorough.

Chapter four, like chapter two, will be of most interest to the more mid-level King fan, and even then it gets a tad repetitive at times. This is the “versions and variations” section, in which the authors first define the distinction they have made between the two terms — in short, “variations” refers to stories that have had only minor revisions, whereas “versions” pertains to stories that have undergone more drastic alterations from incarnation to incarnation.

They then catalogue any King story (novel, screenplay, short story etc.) that has been through more than one incarnation. They pay particular attention to the specific changes that occur, speculate on why the revisions took place from one publication to the next, and categorise each incarnation as either a variation or a version of the original story. It’s interesting at times, although, as noted, the tendency to “re-describe” only incidentally different versions of the same plot does get repetitive.

Chapter five comprises the bulk of the book and is, really, its raison d’etre. This is where the authors delve into the “uncollected and unpublished” branch of the King oeuvre, having — rather commendably — gained special permission from King’s own office to access certain unpublished materials.

This chapter contains nearly 300 pages of plot outlines, and readers will probably be best served by a “lucky dipping” approach, rather than reading slavishly from start to finish. For each of the 70-odd stories, the authors summarise the plot of the story or incomplete story excerpt in question; briefly profile the included characters; extrapolate on the themes; suggest what the story/excerpt reveals about King’s writing process and his progression as a writer; and how/if the piece fits in with his body of work overall.

Of particular interest, and somewhat of an exciting anomaly in a non-fiction book, is the inclusion of a whole chapter from a previously unpublished King novel, The Sword In the Darkness. Written several years prior to the publication of King’s first novel, Carrie, the chapter in question illustrates King’s particular ability to delve inside the mind of his characters. (Rocky Wood argues that, with redrafting, it could stand alone as a powerful short story — this reviewer agrees.)

The chapter’s dramatic centerpiece is a monologue by schoolteacher Edie, as she relates some of the tragic events of her early adulthood as an idealistic young teacher in a decrepit country town. A few overwrought moments aside, during this monologue the reader can virtually hear Edie’s voice, and her story is rendered with heartbreaking poignancy, yet with hardly an ounce of melodrama.

King is nothing if not prolific, so there is certainly a place for works such as Uncollected, Unpublished, which seeks to provide a guide through his seemingly endless body of work. Uncollected, Unpublished is a thoroughly researched and clearly written volume that provides a fitting companion/complement to the authors’ previously published Complete Guide to the Works of Stephen King.