Summary
Warning: This article discusses topics of racism, sexual assault, and abuse towards children.
Established authorStephen Kinghas written some incredible fiction, but there are some moments from his novels that haven’t aged well. King is famous for writing some of thebest books that perfectly blend sci-fi and horror, many of which are also now huge films.Stephen King’s moviesinclude titles such asThe ShiningandMisery, both of which come from books that are just as, if not more so, terrifying as their film counterparts.
While many still celebrate and enjoyStephen King’s 66 books, certain moments from several of his novels and short stories leave a sour taste in the modern day. It’s worth noting that some of these examples are products of their time, but it’s still important to highlight that they receive a much different reaction now than they did when they were first published. Although most of Stephen King’s books are timeless, there are some that don’t work nowadays.
10Child Orgy Scene
It, 1986
It’sLosers Clubexiting the sewers is an immediately obvious moment in Stephen King’s novels that has aged badly.The jarring scene comes straight after a tense and petrifying battle against the monster,which leaves readers on tenterhooks anyway, especially as the children aren’t sure if they’ve actually killed it or not. However, when the group gets lost when trying to make a mad dash to freedom, Beverly’s response to the chaos is far from normal.
Strangely, the 11-year-old girl decides to have sex with each of her male friends. Her reasoning for this is that she believes doing so will bring them all back together, which is nonsensical, as if the trauma they’ve just gone through isn’t enough of a bonding experience. ThiscontroversialItsewer scenehas divided critics and readers since its release in 1986, with many justifying it as a reflection of the book’s theme of losing childhood innocence. Regardless, Beverly’s actions are hard to explain because of how sudden and illogical they are.
Every Stephen King Movie Franchise, Ranked Worst To Best
Stephen King movie franchises are surprisingly rare, though many of them show why the author personally dislikes sequels based on his work.
9The Plane Crash
The Running Man, 1982
King’s dystopian thrillerThe Running Mangenerally ages quite well, with one exception.The Running Man’s storytelling is ahead of its time, and the 1982 book eerily predicts future society with elements such as the titular reality show and commentary about the political climate. However, it’s the book’s penultimate pages that cause an issue. In the climax ofThe Running Man, the main character, Ben Richards, ends up in a fight aboard a plane.
He becomes fatally injured, and in a last attempt to bring the Games Network’s tyranny to an end, Ben puts the plane on autopilot and directs it toward the company’s skyscraper headquarters. Of course,King isn’t predicting the historical event of 9/11 in the 1982 novelThe Running Man, but it is an unfortunate coincidence.Ben’s story sadly ends as he dies on impact, and while he is the hero of the tale, it’s disappointing that his courageous efforts are compared to such a horrifying ordeal years later. Hopefully,Edgar Wright’sThe Running Manremakecan change this.
8The Shooting
Cain Rose Up (Skeleton Crew), 1985
Cain Rose Upis one of the short stories from King’s 1985 collectionSkeleton Crew. However, there are several issues with the entire story, not just one moment in particular.Cain Rose Upfollows college student Curt Garrish, who is depressed and lives with deep-rooted homicidal rage. After a bad day, Curt decides to pull out his hunting rifle from his closet and opens fire across his campus dorm.Curt justifies his decision with the story of Cain and Abel from the biblical Book of Genesis,comparing God’s distaste of Cain’s offering to that of his own life.
In recent years, especially in countries like the United States, school shootings have been a very sensitive topic. Curt is unhappy with his life, which makes him have intrusive thoughts and predict things that aren’t going to happen, but the power he possesses is unsafe for him. Although other books from King cover a similar topic,Cain Rose Upstands out because Curt’s actions appear to have very little meaning other than for the sake of pure violence.
7Trashcan Man Is Assaulted By The Kid
The Stand, 1978
1978’sThe Standis a dark fantasy novel that delves into a world in a deadly pandemic, but its coincidental link to COVID isn’t its most disturbing moment. The character Trashcan Man, a pyromaniac, isn’t perfect, but he is a figure that creates intrigue. During his journey across severalfictional towns of Stephen King’s, he meets the enigmatic The Kid. Little is known about him at first, except for his love for his car. However,the moment in which The Kid and Trashcan Man are in bed after a night of drinking brings some deeply disturbing development for the character.
The Stand’s Trashcan Manfinds The Kid removing his trousers. The Kid starts to rub himself against the other man, only to then feel the cold, metal end of a gun pushing against his behind. While the initiation of this unwelcomed sexual act is bad enough, the added danger of Trashcan Man possibly being shot by the item being used on him makes it even worse. Then, the younger man threatens Trashcan Man with some ridiculously obscene language. Even though The Kid is unhinged, it’s hard to explain why this moment was needed.
6Annie Wilkes Kills A State Trooper With A Lawnmower
Misery, 1987
Although the movie adaptation ofMiseryis shocking enough, the original 1987 novel includes moments that the film misses. In the 1990Miseryadaptation, Paul Sheldon’s eventual escape starts when a local sheriff begins to investigate his disappearance, and Annie Wilkes shoots him. However, in the book, she runs him over with a lawnmower. Annie is one of thebest female horror movie villainsever, but in the book, she’s another level of evil.The scene is awfully gorey, with lines explaining in great detail about the trooper’s uniform being shreddedand the last glance from his horrified eyes.
While King is no stranger to writing blood-curdling moments like these, the murder of a law enforcement officer feels disrespectful. This is especially notable when King starts to refer to him as a “kid,” implying that the trooper is perhaps new to his role and inexperienced. Many real-life situations leave families concerned for their loved ones who work in public service, and while this isn’t the worst of King’s badly aged moments, it’s still one that feels out of place.
5Jack Destroys His Own Face
The Shining, 1977
AnotherStephen King book that differs from the filmadaptation isThe Shining. In the climax of the Stanley Kubrick interpretation, Jack Torrance terrorizes his family with an axe, which is one ofthe most famous movie scenes referenced in other media. However, in the book, Jack rages around with one of the hotel’s roque mallets. In the climax, once the hotel regains control of Jack, he starts to attack himself with the mallet, disfiguring his face.
This brutal act of violence against himself initially seems to play into the horror genre, but upon a deeper analysis, there are some issues. Even though Jack is possessed,The Shiningplays into the TV and movie trope that villains or those perceived with mental health conditions also need to look different or be disfigured.It’s also unclear as to why this is necessary, especially as the spirit of the hotel is well aware that it’s about to explode, and it seems like this scene is included simply to add in one last moment of brutality.
4Sam’s Rape Memory
The Library Policeman (Four Past Midnight), 1990
Stephen King’sThe Library Policeman,one of the novellas in the collectionFour Past Midnight, contains an overtly graphic scene about its main character being assaulted as a child. Sam Peebles overcomes his previously unknown fear of libraries in an attempt to help him write a speech to his local Rotary club, where he meets elderly librarian Ardelia Lortz. He struggles to look at posters in the library that show a character called the Library Policeman, and at the end of the story, it’s revealed he lives with the memory of being raped by an officer as a child.
Ardelia, who is a demon in disguise, brings these hurtful flashbacks to light for Sam. However,the over-the-top detail that depicts Sam being attacked for returning his library books late is simply unneededand could have been translated without such intricate language. There are far too many words used to describe Sam’s ordeal, and althoughThe Library Policemanisn’t a work aimed at younger people, it easily instills a fear of strangers and law enforcement in any child who reads it.
3Charlie Kills His Teachers & Holds His Classmates Hostage
Rage, 1977
Rageis about high schooler Charlie Decker, who goes on a shooting spree and ends up taking his classmates hostage. Certain parts of the narrative suggest that Charlie’s descent is a result of his troubled relationship with his father, but he is also established as a general troublemaker with no hope as a person overall. Throughout the piece, Charlie kills two of his teachers, but he does release his peers.
Unfortunately, many real-life school shootings share connections toRage.Several shootings across America in the ‘80s and ‘90s are reported as following a similar pattern to Charlie’s,and some of those shooters also spoke aboutRageor even referenced it after the event.Rageis no longer in printbecause of these incidents, something King speaks freely about and agrees with. Thankfully, even King acknowledges thatRageages badly.
2The Use Of Racial Slurs
Carrie, 1974
Carrieis King’s first book and a staple in horror literature. The story focuses on the titular character as she navigates high school, bullying, and menstruation, but isn’t anything to do with race.There are a couple of instances in which particular slurs or comments about race are used inCarrie, but they are supposedly meant to reflect the 1970sand the language used at the time. For example, at one point, Carrie’s lip becomes swollen, and it’s compared to the facial features of a person of color. However, the use of these words and comments isn’t just discriminatory and insulting; it’s also unnecessary.
There’s no doubt that King’s use of language is always varied and an attempt to mirror the inner thoughts of his characters, and in recent years, the author’s progression in this area is apparent. However, consideringCarrieis written in the third person, it’s hard to argue that this wording is because of the character’s era and upbringing when it isn’t written from their point of view. While it doesn’t appear that King does this as a way to create conflict with his readers, it’s definitely a decision that should have been thought through better.
1The Handcuff Scene
Gerald’s Game, 1992
Gerald’s Gameis a deeply suspenseful novel about Jessie, a woman whose husband dies of a heart attack after attempting to assault her, leaving her handcuffed to the bed. While the rest ofGerald’s Gameis a fascinating insight into the effects of psychological damage and trauma, the opening scene is the book’s biggest problem. Jessie is only handcuffed to the bed because she and her husband, Gerald, are trying to spice things up in the bedroom and are playing a “game.” However, their adventure quickly turns sour when Jessie realizes Gerald is planning to rape her.
What’s saddening about this setup for an otherwise endearing story is the attitude it presents to sexual activity,especially within an established relationship. In some ways, this scene implies that people, particularly women, should be wary of exploring their intimate lives. After Gerald dies, Jessie’s main concern is about being found in a compromising decision or even dying naked, rather than the ordeal she manages to avoid. Even though this moment isn’t the most controversial ofStephen King’s, it’s definitely one that leaves behind a lot to think about after reading.
Gerald’s Game: The Crypt Creeper Is Based On A Real Person
The Crypt Creeper seen in Gerald’s Game was partly inspired by a real-life killer named Ed Gein. Gein’s crimes also inspired Psycho.
