Das Ende der Welt wie wir sie kennen

Eine Anthologie mit 34 brandneuen Kurzgeschichten basierend auf Stephen Kings Meisterwerk, dem Nr. 1 New-York-Times-Bestseller THE STAND!

Seit seiner Erstveröffentlichung im Jahr 1978 gilt THE STAND als Stephen Kings bahnbrechendes Meisterwerk der apokalyptischen Fiktion. Mit Millionen verkaufter Exemplare und zwei TV-Adaptionen hat dieser Kultroman Generationen von Schriftstellern beeinflusst. Obwohl es andere bemerkenswerte Werke gibt, die den Zerfall der menschlichen Gesellschaft erforschen, war keines so einflussreich wie dieses – mit seiner beeindruckenden Charaktervielfalt und der düsteren, aber letztlich hoffnungsvollen Vision vom Ende und dem Neubeginn unserer Zivilisation.

Nun hat Stephen King zum ersten Mal offiziell eine Rückkehr in die erschütternde Welt von DAS LETZTE GEFECHT autorisiert - in Form dieser Anthologie, präsentiert von den preisgekrönten Autoren und Herausgebern Christopher Golden und Brian Keene.

DAS ENDE DER WELT WIE WIR SIE KENNEN vereint einige der größten und visionärsten Schriftsteller unserer Zeit und bietet unvergessliche, brandneue Erzählungen, die während und nach (und manche vielleicht lange nach) den Ereignissen von DAS LETZTE GEFECHT spielen – vierunddreißig brillante, furchterregende und zutiefst menschliche Geschichten, die bei Lesern weltweit zum unverzichtbaren Begleiter des klassischen Bestseller-Romans avancieren werden.

Mit einer Einleitung von Stephen King, einem Vorwort von Christopher Golden und einem Nachwort von Brian Keene.

Zu den Autoren gehören:

Wayne Brady und Maurice Broaddus, Poppy Z. Brite, Somer Canon, C. Robert Cargill, Nat Cassidy, V. Castro, Richard Chizmar, S. A. Cosby, Tananarive Due und Steven Barnes, Meg Gardiner, Gabino Iglesias, Jonathan Janz, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Josh Malerman, Ronald Malfi, Usman T. Malik, Premee Mohamed, Cynthia Pelayo, Hailey Piper, David J. Schow, Alex Segura, Bryan Smith, Paul Tremblay, Catherynne M. Valente, Bev Vincent, Catriona Ward, Chuck Wendig, Wrath James White, und Rio Youers.



STEPHEN KING is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by the New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

 

CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN is the New York Times bestselling author of such novels as The House of Last Resort, All Hallows, Road of Bones, and the Stoker Award-winning Ararat, among many others. Golden co-created (with Mike Mignola) the fan-favorite comic book series Baltimore and Joe Golem: Occult Detective. He has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and the online animated series Ghosts of Albion (with Amber Benson). His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. He has been nominated eleven times in eight different categories for the Bram Stoker Award, and has won twice. In 2023, Golden and Amber Benson co-wrote and co-directed the Audible Original podcast Slayers: A Buffyverse Story. Please visit him at http://www.christophergolden.com

 

BRIAN KEENE is the bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of over forty books—mostly horror, fantasy, science-fiction, and nonfiction—as well as over two-hundred short stories and dozens of comic books and graphic novels for Marvel, DC, and others. His first novel, 2003's The Rising, is often credited with renewing pop culture's interest in zombies. He also served as the showrunner for Silverwood: The Door. From 2015 to 2020, he hosted the immensely popular award-winning podcast The Horror Show with Brian Keene. He also serves on the board of directors for the Scares That Care 501c charity organization, which has to date raised over $450,000 for sick children, burn victims, and women battling breast cancer. The father of two sons and one stepdaughter, he lives in rural Pennsylvania with his wife, author Mary SanGiovanni. The two co-own Vortex Books & Comics—a genre specific brick-and-mortar bookstore.



Foreword Christopher Golden

Introduction Stephen King



PART ONE: DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS

Room 24 Caroline Kepnes

The Tripps Wrath James White

Bright Light City Meg Gardiner

Every Dog Has Its Day Bryan Smith

Lockdown Bev Vincent

In a Pig's Eye Joe R. Lansdale

Lenora Jonathan Janz

The Hope Boat Gabino Iglesias

Wrong Fucking Place, Wrong Fucking Time C. Robert Cargill

Prey Instinct Hailey Piper

Grace Tim Lebbon

Moving Day Richard Chizmar

La Mala Hora Alex Segura

The African Painted Dog Catriona Ward

Till Human Voices Wake Us, and We Drown Poppy Z. Brite

Kovach's Last Case Michael Koryta

Make Your Own Way Alma Katsu



PART TWO: THE LONG WALK

I Love the Dead Josh Malerman

Milagros Cynthia Pelayo

The Legion of Swine S.A. Cosby

Keep the Devil Down Rio Youers

Across the Pond V. Castro

The Boat Man Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes

The Story I Tell is the Story of Some of Us Paul Tremblay

The Mosque at the End of the World Usman T. Malik

Abagail's Gethsemane Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus



PART THREE: LIFE WAS SUCH A WHEEL

He's a Righteous Man Ronald Malfi

Awaiting Orders In Flaggston Somer Canon

Grand Junction Chuck Wendig

Hunted to Extinction Premee Mohamed

Came the Last Night of Sadness Catherynne M. Valente

The Devil's Children Sarah Langan



PART FOUR: OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE

The Unfortunate Convalescence of the SuperLawyer Nat Cassidy

Walk on Gilded Splinters David J. Schow



Afterword Brian Keene