Every Stephen King Story Set in Castle Rock

Cujo

One ofStephen King ’s most famous creations is the not so subdued little Ithiel Town ofCastle Rock , Maine , and here ’s all the taradiddle he ’s set there . It ’s well - known that the understanding King place so many of his stories in Maine is that it ’s where he ’s from . A common piece of writing advice is to " write what you make love , " and while some now discord with that erstwhile saw , King has sure taken it to affection . Not only do most of his books let in Maine , but many also asterisk characters that happen to be successful ( or sometimes struggling ) writers .

While King has invented several fictional Maine town during his penning calling , the one he ’s fallen back on most often is easily Castle Rock . Other commonly used fictional Maine locales by King includeDerry , best known as the setting forIT , and Jerusalem ’s Lot , best known as the setting forSalem ’s Lot . People often spill about how King has built a universe of his own in the literary realm , and that hold up just as much for places as it does people and things .

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Castle Rock is the most prolific fictional King location , and without further ado , here ’s a rundown of every story at least part set there . There ’s some disagreement among fans as to what formally counts as a Castle Rock tarradiddle , but every story mentioned below has at least one strong sleeper to Castle Rock , even if it is n’t the story ’s primary scene .

The Dead Zone

King ’s 1979 novelThe Dead Zone , center on a coma patient call Johnny Smith that awakens with trace - base psychical powers , holds the preeminence of being Castle Rock ’s literary debut . Johnny is enlist by Castle Rock sheriff George Bannerman to help oneself catch a beastly serial killer operating in the town , which rick out to be another cop identify Frank Dodd .

The story ofCujo , King ’s 1981 novel about a overzealous St. Bernard with an appetency for murder , is set entirely within Castle Rock . In fact , Donna Trenton and her boy Tad only recently locomote to town , which clearly was a error in hindsight . Notably , Tad does n’t survive the playscript , something sure to view people who go out the picture show first off guard .

The Body (aka Stand by Me)

The Body , King ’s come of age novella released as part of theDifferent Seasonscollection and later adapt into the movieStand by Me , is set entirely within Castle Rock ’s confines as well . A uncommon King story without any supernatural element , The Bodysees four puerility friends enter on a charge to see a real - life-time dead body .

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Uncle Otto’s Truck

Originally published in a 1983 issue of Yankee Magazine , Uncle Otto ’s Truckwas later let in in the 1985 King story collectionSkeleton Crew . Set in Castle Rock , the patch concerns two business mate who create a successful lumber company . When one partner kills the other for selfish reasons , ghostly retaliation occurs .

Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut

First publish in a 1984 egress of Redbook Magazine , and also collected inSkeleton Crew , Mrs. Todd ’s Shortcutis another short storey set within Castle Rock . It sees an honest-to-goodness woman obsess with obtain shortcuts apparently bring out a wormhole to another proportion , and managing to get young every trip-up she makes .

The Dark Half

King ’s 1989 novelThe Dark Halfwas inspired by the reveal that he had been write under theRichard Bachman playpen name . The secret plan concentre on author Thad Beaumont , who somehow manifests a homicidal alter ego named George Stark . The Dark Halfis in the main set in Ludlow , but include Castle Rock as a sub - stage setting , and reveals more of the town ’s history .

The Sun Dog

Released as part of 1990’sFour Past Midnightcollection , The Sun Dogsees a untried piece named Kevin find a polaroid television camera for his birthday , only to pick up that all the picture it take away tour into images of an evil black hound advancing closer each time . For avail , Kevin turns to slimy Castle Rock businessman Pop Merrill .

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Needful Things

King ’s 1991 novelNeedful Thingsis set totally within Castle Rock , and was at the time billed as the final Castle Rock tale . The nominal shop open in the town , owned and work by the mysterious Leland Gaunt , who turn out to be a real devil . Gaunt sell good at extremely punk prices , provided the recipient will do him a ghastly favor .

It Grows on You

It Grows on Youwas in the first place published in 1973 , but it was n’t until being hoard in the 1993 bookNightmares & Dreamscapesthat the chronicle ’s circumstance was changed from Harlow , Maine to Castle Rock . The plot bear on a business firm in the town that grows and expand on its own , seemingly every time glowering issue occur within its wall .

Premium Harmony

primitively published in a 2009 issuance of The New Yorker , Premium Harmonywas afterwards amass in the 2015 bookThe Bazaar of Bad Dreams . set up in a Castle Rock that never truly find from the events ofNeedful Things , the story marrow on a valet whose wife and dog buy the farm the same Clarence Day , acquire a disturbingly restrained reaction .

Gwendy’s Button Box

A 2017 novella co - written by King and Richard Chizmar , Gwendy ’s Button Boxis set in 1974 Castle Rock , and focuses on the titulary 12 - year - honest-to-goodness girl . One day , at the top of a local landmark called the Suicide Stairs , Gwendy encounter a piece primp in black named Richard Farris . They " palaver , " and he devote her a box with release inside .

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Elevation

peak , published in 2018 , is a novel center on Castle Rock occupier Scott Carey , who battles an unexplained illness that causes him to lose large total of weight in a short amount of time . Scott also tries to attend to a twosome of lesbian business owner with their battle against the disapproval of town residents .