Stephen King's Publishing Problem Quiz

Answer: Cell

"Cell" was the first of King's books to be released in 2006 (the second being "Lisey's Story"). The story involved a device known as 'The Pulse' being triggered in cell phones and causing the listener to become a murderous victim, and a man named Clay, who is followed throughout the story.

As they cross New England, they fight off the merciless killers and attempt to evade "The Raggedy Man".

Answer: Hearts in Atlantis

"Hearts in Atlantis" consists of five novellas, each linked by characters within the other segments of the book. The actual "Hearts in Atlantis" portion (second in the order), is about Peter Riley, who plays Hearts in his university dorm room, but the longer he plays, the more his grades decline and the more he risks being sent to war in Vietnam. All of the stories in this book are linked by a woman named Carol Gerber, who Riley also hooked up with in his story.

Answer: Skeleton Crew

"Skeleton Crew" consists of twenty-two short stories including the famous "Here There Be Tygers". Respectively, those titles with name changes in the question are "The Wedding Gig" (about the mafia), "The Monkey" (about a cymbal-holding monkey toy that predicts deaths), and "The Mist", which was also adapted into a video game. "The Mist" was also the longest story in "Skeleton Crew".

Answer: It

"It", perhaps one of King's longer works, is about the evil Pennywise who tears apart Derry, Maine by killing young children in the form of their greatest fears. A group of children known as 'The Losers' battle the creature in 1958 and return to combat the evil in 1985 when the murders resume. This book was later adapted into a movie in 1990 starring Tim Curry.

Answer: The Running Man

Clearly not the best revised title, "The Running Man" was the final book in the 'Bachman Books' story collection that was released in the eighties. The story follows a man chosen to be on a reality television show in the year 2025 where he is pursued by people known as 'the hunters' as he tries to survive an entire month.

This novel was released as a film which was loosely based on the plot, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Answer: The Eyes of the Dragon

First published in 1987, "The Eyes of the Dragon" is one of King's older books, and it follows the story of King Roland (who appears as the protagonist in the "Dark Tower" series) and his antagonist, Randall Flagg (who is also an enemy in the "Dark Tower" series and another piece, "The Stand"). Flagg is attempting to assassinate the main character and his wife in order to gain power in the Kingdom of Delain.

Answer: The Stand

"The Stand" outlines the destruction and death of basically the entire human population after a superflu commonly known as 'Captain Trips' is released from a compound used for the development of biological weapons. Two groups of survivors, one led by a figure of good in Boulder, Colorado, and the other led by the evil Randall Flagg in Las Vegas, Nevada fight at the final 'stand' for their survival.

Answer: Night Shift

"Night Shift" was the first collection of short stories created by King and it was first published in 1978. The collection featured quite a few short stories which later became his lower-rated films such as "Sometimes They Come Back", "Children of the Corn", and "The Lawnmower Man".

The collection also featured what many regard as a prequel to "Salem's Lot" and a story that parallels the plot to "The Stand".

Answer: The Long Walk

"The Long Walk" was King's second novel under the Bachman pseudonym. The story followed a group of one hundred boys walking along the Maine countryside in a competition called 'The Long Walk'. In the end, only one boy would remain standing, and he would win anything he wanted for the rest of his life.

The shockers is that the boys who fell behind would get three warnings, and then they'd get their 'ticket', which would result in their immediate death.

Answer: The Green Mile

"The Green Mile" was first released over a six month time period in six serialized novels, and it followed the story of wardens and inmates on what was known as 'The Green Mile' in Cold Mountain Penitentiary and one individual, convicted of murdering two young girls, who is found to have a mystical healing power.

The book was later made into a film starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan (a role for which he was nominated an Academy Award). The film itself was also nominated for Best Picture in 1999, losing to "American Beauty".