Paquette (literature, U. of South Florida) examines Stephen King's apocalyptic epic The Stand, following a narrative structure to the story outlining the players, setup and overall arc. The
analysis includes a chapter on style and prose of The Stand as well as a section outlining the work's connections with his later series The Dark Tower. The introduction offers in depth
consideration of where to place King in the canon of American writers (as a serious literary writer or genre phenomenon) and discusses the horror genre in general as problematic in gaining
mainstream critical and academic acceptance as serious literature. Similarities to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings are examined as well as character, meaning, and the context of the work in King's
considerable canon. Annotation 穢2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
