Stephen King’s book The Stand is one of my all-time favorite novels. It first came out almost 50 years ago and I have read it several times. The book tells the story of a pandemic that wipes out over 99.9% of mankind. The world of The Stand plays in the aftermath of that pandemic. There are people who read this book once a year just for good measure. I believe it’s King’s grand opus and it’s 1,200 pages long.
I don’t usually like short stories or anthologies. When I came across The End Of The World As We Know It, I was skeptical. But once I started reading, I realized that the 34 stories by 34 different authors all play in the universe of The Stand. Some of them at the same time, as the disease ravages the world, others years later, and others yet decades and several generations later. They don’t all play in the United States either. Some are in other countries and continents. The anthology is over 800 pages long and it took me a while to read it – like about one story per session.
Stephen King has fully authorized this work about the harrowing world of The Stand. The stories are presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene.
It features an introduction by Stephen King himself, followed by a foreword by Christopher Golden, and an afterword by Brian Keene. Contributors include Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus, Poppy Z. Brite, Somer Canon, C. Robert Cargill, Nat Cassidy, V. Castro, Richard Chizmar, S. A. Cosby, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, Meg Gardiner, Gabino Iglesias, Jonathan Janz, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Josh Malerman, Ronald Malfi, Usman T. Malik, Premee Mohamed, Cynthia Pelayo, Hailey Piper, David J. Schow, Alex Segura, Bryan Smith, Paul Tremblay, Catherynne M. Valente, Bev Vincent, Catriona Ward, Chuck Wendig, Wrath James White, and Rio Youers.
I will go and find some of the works by these authors after reading their stories here.
Warning: If you have NOT yet read The Stand, this will not make sense to you. Read The Stand first, then this book. I highly recommend both.
