Last Updated on July 31, 2021
What's more exciting?
King's return to Castle Rock in SERIES form with the newly announced Hulu/J.J. Abrams show CASTLE ROCK. Or King's return to Castle Rock in BOOK form with the new novel GWENDY'S BUTTON BOX?
TV or books? You tell me.
Anyway, there is a lot of info on the new novel, co-written by Richard Chizmar (A LONG DECEMBER), I have packed into this article so I am going to cut my ramblings a bit short here and just let you peep all the details yourself below!
About the GWENDY'S BUTTON BOX via Cemetery Dance:
The little town of Castle Rock, Maine has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told… until now.
There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974 twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside.
At the top of the stairs, Gwendy catches her breath and listens to the shouts of the kids on the playground. From a bit farther away comes the chink of an aluminum bat hitting a baseball as the Senior League kids practice for the Labor Day charity game.
One day, a stranger calls to Gwendy: "Hey, girl. Come on over here for a bit. We ought to palaver, you and me."
On a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat like for a suit, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat…
Journey back to Castle Rock again in this chilling new novella by Stephen King, bestselling author of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, and Richard Chizmar, award-winning author of A Long December. This book will be a Cemetery Dance Publications exclusive with no other editions currently planned anywhere in the world!
King on the genesis of Gwendy’s Button Box:
I had the idea for the story last July, and thought it was a little like Richard Matheson’s “Button, Button,” but could be its own special thing. I liked it because it basically postulates putting the fate of the world in the hands of a child (like Trump).
King on seeking out a collaborator:
I didn’t know how to finish it. So it just sat there until this January. I didn’t seek out a collaborator; one kind of fell into my lap. I’ve corresponded via email with Rich Chizmar for years. I sent him “Gwendy,” and basically said, “Do what you want, or it will stay unfinished.
And, finally, King on his return to Castle Rock and if the book ties into the Hulu series CASTLE ROCK:
I went back to Castle Rock with this one before JJ [Abrams] sold the series to Hulu, so that didn’t play a part. Mostly, I just…well…missed the place!
Gwendy’s Button Box hits stores May 30, 2017. Until then, you can read King and Chizmar's full interview HERE. And you can pre-order your copy of the book RIGHT HERE
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