The Dead Zone
About this book
The Dead Zone is a science fiction thriller novel by Stephen King published in 1979. The story follows Johnny Smith, who awakens from a coma of nearly five years and, apparently as a result of brain damage, now experiences clairvoyant and precognitive visions triggered by touch. When some information is blocked from his perception, Johnny refers to that information as being trapped in the part of his brain that is permanently damaged, "the dead zone." The novel also follows a serial killer in Castle Rock, and the life of rising politician Greg Stillson, both of whom are evils Johnny must eventually face. Though earlier King books were successful, The Dead Zone was the first of his novels to rank among the ten best-selling novels of the year in the United States. The book was nominated for the Locus Award in 1980 and was dedicated to King's son Owen. The Dead Zone is the first story by King to feature the fictional town of Castle Rock, which serves as the setting for several later stories and is referenced in others. The TV series Castle Rock takes place in this fictional town and makes references to the Strangler whom Johnny helped track down in The Dead Zone. The Dead Zone is King's seventh novel and the fifth under his own name. The book spawned a 1983 film adaptation as well as a television series.
Reader Profile
4.0/5 · 253331 readers · 400 pages · ≈ 7 h 24 m · Moderate
How long does it take to read The Dead Zone?
About ≈ 7 h 24 m — 400 pages, assuming roughly 250 words per page at 225 words per minute.
How many pages is The Dead Zone?
400 pages in its most-read edition.
What genre is The Dead Zone?
It sits on the Paranormal, Horror, Science Fiction shelves.
Has The Dead Zone been made into a movie or TV show?
Yes — screen adaptations include The Dead Zone (1984), The Dead Zone (1983), The Dead Zone.
Is The Dead Zone in the public domain?
No — it is still under copyright.
Who are the main characters in The Dead Zone?
The main characters include Moochie, Otis, R2D2, Red Hawk.
Where does The Dead Zone take place?
It is set in New England, Iowa, Maine during 1953, 1970.
Who wrote The Dead Zone?
Stephen King.