How The Dead Zone by Stephen King Asks What You Would Do If You Could Change The Future

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hey bookworms and Constant Readers! Thanks for indulging me as I continue going through the Multiverse in publication order.

[@robpaul7544]

Still lovin it!

[@caseywestrope3357]

Guess it’ll be a while before we get that top ten king video? Looking forward to it and more king videos!

[@williamjones3534]

16:00 Okay mike this is where I'm going to stop. This is a king book I didn't read. I saw the "Dead Zone" movie with Christopher Walken and I thought it was okay. I didn't know there was a "dead Zone" series. In addition to reading the book I'm going to have to look up the series. I haven't dropped a comment on a video in a little while (I'm sure you welcomed the break :P) and I'm sure I'm one of "Those People" you expected a long essay on WOT. Sorry to disappoint :P. Thing is you been dropping videos like a wasp lays eggs so I've been going through at my own pace. I've also been doing a fair bit of reading and writing. I will try to attend your 10k live stream. I'm disappointed that I missed the last one and your live stream with Nae'blis. For some reason I'm not getting my notifications. If I don't "see" you in the live stream congrats on the milestone!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Man. That would be TOUGH.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thanks my man. I always appreciate your long-form comments.

[@ChrisfromtheBasement]

I've always thought the Dead Zone is kind of a precursor to 11/22/63. Both my favorites.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I could see that.

[@PsilocybeJedi]

I unintentionally read the Dead Zone after 11/22/63 and they were so similar lol

[@etherwaveatl]

Read them both simultaneously and the stories just blended together. Had to take some time to separate the stories

[@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS]

Bookshelves are lookin DOPE

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thanks! The kids want to destroy them so bad.

[@Beatlesfan1993]

Very good book. It started very slow, but I appreciate the character development of Johnny. One of my favorite King’s characters.

[@JZETH_]

I’m always up for adding more King to my reading list. I hadn’t thought about adding this one to it but you’ve convinced me

[@mikesbookreviews]

I think you’ll dig it.

[@wheelchazeal8089]

Man I love Stephen King. I love his short story collections. Hell I love everything that I’ve read that he’s done. 🤘

[@mikesbookreviews]

I’m obviously a fan.

[@timkirsten6184]

Man, absolutely love the music and vibe to these intros! Great review too. You've gained a new subscriber :)

[@Merrick]

I lived in the town where they filmed a lot of the movie for a while, so that was fun. The tunnel is scarier in real life

[@john_fouad]

Great video. Loved it. The thing I find odd is that Carrie is referenced as a BOOK as if it's not part of the SK universe itself. But I got a kick out of it anyway.

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

Yeah that was surprising. In other books both the book and the movie versions of The Shining are mentioned. And I've heard Stephen King himself is a character in The Dark Tower series

[@alexthiebaut2195]

Read it last month and really loved it. I really connected with Johnny. Amazing book, I didn't want to read it because I always loved Cronenberg movie so much, but I'm glad I did. The changes from book to movie where justified and good. Great book, one of my favourite from King.

[@fictionalreality1010]

Best way to understanding YOUR "shine" 😁

[@vaso28]

I read this about 2 weeks ago. Loved it

[@mikesbookreviews]

It’s underrated.

[@calista3371]

Great Review! I enjoy this book a lot and I need to give it another read.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I love the new things I pick up reading his books as an adult.

[@VicRibeiro777]

Congratulations on 10k Mike! Now on to the next milestone 😊

[@mikesbookreviews]

Thank you!

[@Merrick]

Admittedly it's been a long time since I read Cujo, but I recall King suggesting that Evil is a thing itself that exists, and that something as seemingly unaligned as an infection can actually be an expression of Evil. I don't recall anything that could be interpreted as Dodd whispering inside Cujo's head though. The POV of an animal going insane is so cool and sad, way to go King. His dog POV in Eyes of the Dragon is memorable as well. Talking about 2 books that aren't Dead Zone. Dead Zone is top ten King for me, which maybe doesn't sound like much, but is complimentary, well worth reading. I also don't remember Dead Zone being preachy or political. A dangerous person gets into a place of power, which everyone should be afraid of, but I don't remember anything critical of the political edifice or even an opinion about parties, policy etc. I may have glossed over, missed it or repressed it, but I remember it as one bad man, not a scummy surface of lying divisionist squabbling soundbites concealing an absolute cess pool of selfish special-interest motivated manipulation. But I agree with Mike, politics suck, books are great, they don't have to intersect other than an acknowledgement and move on.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Some folks just can’t help themselves.

[@huntermurphylaw]

Just finished it after watching the first few minutes of your video on Sunday. Wow, especially after the events in Pennsylvania in July ('24).

[@adox66]

One of my favourites from him when I read it years ago. Also Cronenbergs film adaptation remains one of the few that did the book justice. Also the casting of Walken and Sheen were perfect.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I actually liked the TV series. Anthony Michael Hall was a great Johnny.

[@nealhoffman7518]

The Dead Zone was my favorite King book for a long time, and still top 5

[@nealhoffman7518]

I also really enjoy the TV series. Good adaptation of the source material, but different enough that it stands alone.

[@nealhoffman7518]

One fun episode, they actually alternate realitied into the events of the novel

[@mikesbookreviews]

I remember! Such fun.

[@aldana9124]

you have a way of convincing me to read more king lol

[@mikesbookreviews]

I do try.

[@EdgeOfEntropy17]

Great review!

[@alib6615]

I am slowly making my way through each SK novel in order of publication and just finished "The Dead Zone". This was a first time read for me and I was blown away. I knew the basic premise from pop culture, but hadn't watched the movie or tv show. After I finished it last night I think this might be in my top 3 all time favorite SK novels. I think the ending was perfect and the characters were so well written. I had like 100 pages to go and I ended up staying up until 1:30 a.m. to finish reading because I was so engulfed in the story. Also, the pacing was great. I never got bored and kept looking forward to picking back up because I wanted to know what happened. I actually did tear up at the end...especially the last two pages. Such a good novel and I am surprised more people don't talk about it more. 10/10 recommend from me. Also, I thought that Stillson was such a great villain because he felt real. This might be controversial, but he scared me more than Randall Flagg. I also thought he was more interesting. Anyway, so glad I finally gave this a read. Can't wait to watch both the movie and tv show now. Great review as always. Will check in again after I finish "Firestarter".

[@vizalloteafilter]

read this book this summer and it became a favorite instantly. not a king fan myself, but this book evoked a very interesting feeling in me, somehow familiar, but also eerie! movie was dope as well imo!

[@robpaul7544]

Dude. Seriously. Could you do one video where I don't want to go out and buy more books?! 😌

[@turtleanton6539]

Kingkiller

[@robpaul7544]

@@turtleanton6539 Already have it , and loved it 🤗

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ha ha I guess I could review NotW again

[@andreabknight]

I would suggest the Tommyknockers video that Mike did- but even that made me go out and buy it 😆

[@WilAdams]

This was one of my favorite King novels, and frankly, when I saw that D. Trump was running in 2016, I was instantly reminded of Greg from this book. I actually read this book in 1979, and still remembered that guy. Luckily, Trump turned out to be one of the best Presidents ever and my fears that he would be Greg were unfounded.

[@whutzat]

AMEN!

[@mariposa9506]

🤣

[@djhedgepath7967]

DEAD ZONE is my 2nd favorite King next to 11/22/63 and the TV show was SO good.

[@turtleanton6539]

Both excellent choiches but I Will add IT and Darktower.

[@Sharri2008]

11/22/63 is my favorite Stephen King book! But I disagree on the TV show...didn't think it did the story justice. I really need to read the Dead Zone....

[@djhedgepath7967]

@@Sharri2008 I meant the tv show to The Dead Zone was good. The 11/22/63 show was meh

[@Sharri2008]

@@djhedgepath7967 Gotcha!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad I’m not alone on TDZ tv series. It was crazy cool.

[@longhalloween2528]

Greetings from Italy. I think the dead zone is one of the most underrated King’s book, at least among the ones I read. I read it after It, The Stand, 11/22/63, Misery, The Shining, Pet Sematary, The green mile etc, and i thought i run out of King’s greatest books and I’d just had to settle for “good” King’s books. I was so wrong, i really loved this book, it’s definetely in my top 5. I hope I’ll find the other King’s books I still have to read this good

[@mikesbookreviews]

Glad I’m not alone on it.

[@ioanaberbece8137]

Your book shelves are GOALS! 😍

[@thatsci-firogue]

Reading the books in publication order. Got tied up in other books but after I'm finished Dune I'm starting The Shining

[@mikesbookreviews]

Enjoy!

[@JJizz23]

Good critique, just finished reading Dead Zone. I really enjoyed it

[@sjkrum320]

I loved this book. Like you, I read it when I was young and then again in my 30s. It really spoke to me much deeper the second time around. The story of loss was very emotionally accurate, I think. And Martine Sheen was perfectly cast! I could really see the similarities between him and his son, Charly Sheen big time!

[@mikesbookreviews]

It’s hard to grasp the emotions of something like that as a teenager.

[@ChristmasLore]

To me, it's First Law and physical pain. I'm in constant excruciating physical pain. No one writes it as ..."well" as Abercrombie. I never cried that much reading books. He's now one of my favorite writers, but I can't face reading them again. It was as therapeutic as it was hurtful the first time around....

[@alexthiebaut2195]

@@ChristmasLore Really?? I read Abercrombie's A Little Hatred last month and found his writing really subpar, borderline fanfiction. At the times I didn't know if I was reading Terry Pratchett or Abercrombie. Based on that novel, I really don't rate Abercrombie as quality writer

[@ChristmasLore]

@@alexthiebaut2195 , his standalones are not his best work imo, but you might confuse style and prose. His style is simple, but his prose is excessively precise (like a Flaubert late period for instance). Prose does not have to be flowery, ornate, to be good. Simple prose, but right to the point, is often exceptional. (You can compare to Sanderson: simple style, but no such mastery of the prose; that's why so many people say he's rather 'basic.)

[@alexthiebaut2195]

@@ChristmasLore no, his prose, on that book, did not strike me as precise at all. It has a lot to do on how Abercrombie admittedly writes his novels, he says he writes the dialogues first and 'fills the rest later on'. Well, his prose just like that, smart / funny dialogue with a lot of filler prose. I'll give him another go but not for at least a year. There are many better writers to read out there.

[@roberte.2114]

“If you’re like me and don’t give a shit about party Affiliation” - I am like you and don’t give a shit about party Affiliation 😂😂😂

[@mikesbookreviews]

Free thinkers are hard to find these days.

[@EndlessLaymon]

I see you are a man of my own heart.

[@eddiec2711]

The Dead Zone was my first Stephen King that I read, still love it!!!!!!!

[@mikesbookreviews]

It has aged well.

[@eddiec2711]

Mike's Book Reviews You mention Star Wars have you ever read these ? Star Wars - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction Star Wars - Darth Bane: Rule of Two Star Wars - Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil

[@lindal7827]

Great to come back to another one of your Multiverse videos. I just finished the Dead Zone and its now a tradition to come look at your video multiverse video right after. For me this is a very mid-tier King book. Perfectly competent and an enjoyable read. But not one where I count off the years so it wouldn't be too soon to reread it. (4 years since IT. I almost wish it wasn't still crystal clear and living in my head rent free).

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

I feel the same way. I'm going through King's fiction in publication order too and I always come watch Mike's video after each book. I totally agree about The Dead Zone. Not bad, but not that good either. If it weren't for all the Multiverse connections I would've been fairly disappointed in it

[@Stewart000]

Thanks Mike. I watched the USA tv series & knew it was based on a book but never considered reading it. It's going on my to read list now. I don't have much King experience & I'm not a horror fan, but what I liked about King's writing is that he has a very distinctive voice that comes through his work.

[@mikesbookreviews]

This is a great one to go with if you aren’t in for the horror.

[@baciliogomez375]

Remember Johnny picks the number 19! For the biggest win at the wheel of fortune wheel in the fair with Sarah

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ah, yes! I forgot.

[@Farmeryeti]

I just finished reading this after being inspired to do so from watching this video (the non-spoiler parts at least) and I loved it - got my hands on The Stand to read now that I'm firmly back into reading King.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@johnd.3652]

Love me some Stephen King.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ka.

[@epiphoney]

King says in On Writing that this was one of the few times he plotted a novel in advance. pg 166 (ch 5) "...I have written plotted novels, but the results, in books like Insomnia and Rose Madder, have not been particularly inspiring...The only plot-driven novel of mine which I really like is The Dead Zone..."

[@Xbox_no_More]

Great video!

[@jamieserrano827]

I am a total horror head and at the beginning of the year I listened to the stand I have also listened to the regulators on Audible I want to listen to desperation on Audible and I listened to the night flyer on KZbin of all places and it was awesome

[@francissookraj3202]

What a brilliant book, great constructed story. The movie by David Croneberg was so faithful to the novel.

[@alexbigday1587]

I think I found another connection that you might have missed, this time with the Stand. At one point, it is mentioned that when he was young, Herb Smith was beaten by a southern guy named Childress. In the Stand, one of the four dudes that beat the sh*t out of Nick Andros is also named Childress, so I am assuming it must be a relative. If you want to check it, it is when Herb gets the call informing that Johnny had an accident. Another funny thing that happened to me and that kind of spoiled me the surprise is that last year I read Cujo, so I knew the killer's name beforehand (although I didn't know what he does for a living), so by the time he is introduced to us in The Dead Zone I was like "okay, here you are" Great video as usual, Mike

[@ChadQuick270W]

Definitely one of SK’s best novels. Right up there with The Stand, It, Needful Things and 11/22/63. Those are my favorites and The Dead Zone rounds out my Top Five. Very good review here. 👍

[@danijelb.3384]

Really? That's one of them I haven't read yet. I guess I should get to it.

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

1:30-Speaking of going back go the past and Killing Hitler, there is an episode ofTwilight Zone, the version that Forrest Whitaker hosted (dont let anyone tell you they arent good-THEY ARE!) where a woman scientist and her male counterpart create a time machine to go back in time to kill Hitler! (SPOILER COMING UP). When she gets to the point in time with Hitler as a baby, she makes as a caretaker, takes hold of the baby and drowns it. When she returns, all is the same because she drowned the wrong baby, which makes you feel some kind of way.

[@OrcmanRepugnant]

The forgotten movie The Night Flier is also very good.

[@sergiobenitez7568]

I agree completely. I went into this book thinking it would be meh and it is probably in my top four of his books. The political crap in here is silly but doesn't take away from Johnny's story which had to be one of my favorites. I think I shed a tear by the end of this one.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Indeed.

[@etherwaveatl]

My favorite booktuber

[@EdgeOfEntropy17]

Nice! New book review.

[@MrShaiya96]

18:30 that's what I be talking about. That gritty murder mystery stuff is so great and kind of underappreciated. Dennis Lehane is really awesome at it. I Reccomend. (Shutter island, gone baby gone, etc)

[@mikesbookreviews]

I’ll look him up

[@UnknownUnknown-mo7zg]

@@mikesbookreviews Dont watch the Shutter Island movie until after you read the book. Trust me.

[@lelandbobpalmer]

His parents did not accept that he'd probably be dead...his dad, yes...his mother..."GOD'S WILL, MY JOHNNY WILL LIVE!!!" ;) Thanks for a great review and I agree with your views on the book!

[@jackrogers8272]

Would you recommend reading the Multiverse in publication order? Are there spoilers in later books about earlier books?

[@mikesbookreviews]

Only in Dark Tower. It completely spoils Salem’s Lot. For the rest it’s more of a nod to Constant Readers that only they will catch.

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

I'm going through them in publication order. I'm 8 books in and it's been fun so far. I didn't notice hardly any multiverse connections in the first few books, but then with each new novel I find more

[@Vangone-bu6vu]

I read the book and remember liking it, but Christopher Walken and the movie are more stuck in mind. Never saw the TV show.

[@mikesbookreviews]

Yeah Walken just always creeped me out.

[@Xbox_no_More]

I just finished this book today I loved it

[@obijuan-kenobi5117]

Oh man, just read this book for the first time. Usually I'm able to separate politics from fictional works I absorb, but kinda hard to in this case given the recent assassination attempts... Problem is that the orange man is not Greg Stilson, and King is not Johnny Smith, even if some people think that's the case... Even so, this is still a good book. I enjoyed the tracking down of the murderer and what led up to it more than the ending portion though.

[@agnieszkam3484]

Just read it and I absolutely loved the characters especially Johnny, Sara and Herb. I enjoyed mentioning of Jerusalem's Lot and Marsten family - so insignificant yet so satisfying. You made me interested with Dodd's ghost in the next books however I'd prefer ghost Johnny - cause of that last scene in the book

[@EndlessLaymon]

One of my favourite King novels

[@mikesbookreviews]

It has become underrated.

[@turtleanton6539]

A really great book.

[@Merrick]

How did I not know there was a series?!

[@mikesbookreviews]

Are you in the States? It was in USA Network. Not sure of the availability abroad.

[@Merrick]

@@mikesbookreviews found it on prime, 6 seasons! it must have been at least okay

[@FstopPicturesByAlunDavies]

Did you watch the series to the end did you by chance notice that the actor playing Johnny’s dad was the same guy that played the sheriff in the movie interesting I thought

[@Michael_L_Morrison]

Read it once years ago. I remember liking it a lot. This is one I need to reread.

[@GetWriteOnIn]

I loved this book. Great review on it. I totally thought it was going to be something different when I initially went into it, but it was totally worth what it actually was. Very political though, you're right

[@brentasmith]

I read this book about 4 months ago so it's really still recent in my memory. You said pretty much everything I would have. I was afraid I wouldn't like it because of the politics, but it turns out it was really really good. Some of the dialogue is clearly of the time it was written, but the villain and story are great. Oh btw the whole Dead Zone tv series is available on Amazon Prime.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I wouldn’t mind revisiting the TV series. It was fun.

[@Motivation-jh2bi]

Goo book, keep it up

[@donaldcoffey800]

My opinion is that the TV series ruined the movie for anyone that had watched the series before seeing the movie, and I consider it King's very best story. Movie adaption was near perfect, the cast and score were perfect( Michael Kamen) for the music. A truly scary primice and so relative for the last eight years.

[@whutzat]

I adore the film version so much that i've been afraid to read the book. Edit: I also enjoyed the TV show.

[@atom0191]

Good

[@mathieuleader8601]

Don't forget Nigel the butler droid mentioning the presidential slogan

[@mikesbookreviews]

Oh dang. Forgot about that ha ha

[@jasonnichols545]

i would put this one in my top 5............maybe. Definitely top 10. You ever read any Robert R Mccammon?

[@mikesbookreviews]

I have not, but I get lots of recs for his stuff in my King videos.

[@jasonnichols545]

@@mikesbookreviews I don't say he is as good as King. I think Swan song is his best.

[@tomahawkchop7669]

Please explain to me the continuous comments asking "want to be friends" ? Very odd to me and has an online stalker feel to it lol

[@turtleanton6539]

Some boring meme I bet

[@mikesbookreviews]

Just a bot. Nothing you can do about them, sadly.

[@Aust51989]

I feel like if King wrote this book now, outside of King’s politics, it would have just leaned into the detective side of the story.

[@maybeltr39]

Lots of 19 stuff in this book

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

I don't have any strong gripes with The Dead Zone, but I don't really have many praises for it either. I thought it was just bland. It never really hooked me

[@OrcmanRepugnant]

The great man is great because of how consistent he's been through the decades. Over 60 novels now and maybe 3 or 4 I didn't care for. And of course it's not just me. I could name 8 Great books from the 1990's.

[@poolplayerbrian]

Why are there so many intros? just an observation?

[@mikesbookreviews]

A reading excerpt before reviews is just something I’ve always done. They’ve only seemed to bother newer viewers so I’ve started placing time stamps on more recent vids.

[@poolplayerbrian]

@@mikesbookreviews Thanks for the reply and the book excerpt is cool. It sets the tone for the book you are about to review. I would recommend dropping the theme song portion and going from the excerpt to the review. I feel like the them song intro breaks the tone of the excerpts. Just my opinion. But just stumbles on your channel about a week ago. I like it overall.

[@ahill6858]

How bad does he bash Republications? Does it make you almost roll your eyes?

[@turtleanton6539]

This is really a fantasy book not horror.

[@simonedwards9450]

I wasn’t a fan of this one. Started brilliantly and the second half just became dull. The movie was brilliant though. I’m on the same side as Stephen in terms of politics but I felt the Dead Zone was too in your face and full on over the top. Think he did the politics better in later books

[@rassipillai1516]

This book is extremely slow, drags throughout, would have been a very good story if it had been edited tighter, I liked the plot.

[@pablovargas7078]

South Park adaptation 😂

[@glyndwr15]

This is a great book. It's classic King, but King's politics are infantile. His ideas about politics seem to be completely divorced from actual policy and instead are entirely focused on who he imagines a politician is as a person. While there are endless legitimate criticisms of Trump, for instance, King never made one. His critique seemed confined entirely to Trump's personality, as if this even mattered at all. I just find that to be weird. King seems to imagine that presidents are like absolute monarchs with magical powers and that everything that happens is somehow chosen by the president by way of conscious and deliberate intention. It's how I might have thought about politics when I was 10 years old. It reveals just how little time King has actually spent thinking seriously about history, public affairs, or how any of this works, and quite frankly, this isn't surprising coming from a person who hasn't had to worry about money since the early 1970s. Literally the only somewhat truthful and insightful thing he ever said about politics was in On Writing where he briefly points out that the problem with the Boomers is that they used the power they inherited to chase money and careers. That's it. The only bit of political or historical commentary from King that was worth anything and it's ironic, considering that's basically what he himself did. This is in the same book where he offhandedly happens to mention a trip he took once to Australia where he and some other old rich guys rode motorcycles across Australia's outback. This is what King does for fun, I guess. I mean, whatever. In King's defense, he really does deserve his success. He didn't screw anyone over or exploit anybody. He just entertained people with his stories and managed to do this better than most, so if anybody deserves the swimming pool full of cash, it's King, but this success really did enable him to divorce himself from reality. It's painfully obvious to everyone but King himself. If I were his agent or a member of his family, I would have told him to stop using Twitter a long time ago.

[@VaskoBuk]

Thumbs up for your effort, first of all. However, this is IMO one of King's lamer books: too political, too preachy, too sleazy. Yup, more like "The Hype Zone", I agree. ;)

[@mikesbookreviews]

Ha ha I can see that for some folks.

[@mikepicioli1100]

Comon, Stillson is so obv, not trying to be political but C'MON

[@mikepicioli1100]

All life serves the beam

[@mikesbookreviews]

King wants DJT to be Stillson so hard.

[@1014-m6s]

I’ve also admired his imagination, persistence, and writing skills. However not long into his career it was apparent that Stevie needed a thorough editor and a therapist. Today he sounds as hateful as Reiner and DiNero. Distracting and unprofessional.

[@mrwhale7351]

Personally It's one of my least favorite king books. Other than some great scenes, ideas and moments I didn't like it so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it though. Edit: the serial killer part was great but I feel it should have been longer. It was just solved so fast.

[@mikesbookreviews]

I have that same criticism. How it ended with him was just so sudden.

[@HereIsWisdom1318]

I dont see Stilson as Trump at all!

[@No1emilybrowningfan]

One of my least favourites of Kings novels. Hated the character of Johnny Smith.

[@anthonyjordanmoviesandmore2470]

I like Stephen King but I find his politics very off-putting there's a right way and a wrong way and I don't think he's the right way you can completely be the opposite of My Views but if you present yourself in the right way I don't have a problem with it

[@EthelredHardrede-nz8yv]

The Dead Zone is pretty good. Unlike many of King's books.

[@pearcegreatesteverleftback03]

I thought it was a little too long and the plot became pretty lame with its political content. Not in my King Top Ten

[@mikesbookreviews]

Fair.