The Outsider (King novel)

The Outsider
First edition U.S. cover
Author Stephen King
Country United States
Language English
Genre Crime fiction, horror
Published May 22, 2018
Publisher Scribner
Media type Print (hardcover)
Pages 576
ISBN 978-1501180989

The Outsider is a horror novel by American author Stephen King, published on May 22, 2018, by Scribner.[1][2]

Description

The novel begins with the tone of a police procedural in its early parts, but shifts to a horror novel toward the end, employing two common genres of Stephen King. However, the plot is wholly consistent and split into several titled sections, each section containing multiple chapters. In addition, there is a small epilogue following the climax. The sections are ordered according to date in relativity to the inciting incident. The first section in the fictional town of Flint City, Oklahoma. Police detective Ralph Anderson arrests popular teacher and Little League Baseball coach Terry Maitland in front of a crowd of baseball game spectators, charging him with raping, killing, and mutilating an 11-year-old boy. The town quickly turns against Maitland. Maitland insists he is innocent, and hires elderly lawyer Howie Gold to assist him, but Anderson has eyewitnesses and clear physical evidence (DNA and fingerprints) of his guilt. In the meantime, eager reporters harass Terry's wife, Marcy, and his two daughters, Sarah and Grace.[3]

The District Attorney, Bill Samuels, who has a cowlick that causes him to resemble Alfalfa from the Little Rascals series, tells Anderson to break Maitland's alibi in order to turn a long court battle into an open-and-shut case. Anderson discovers, however, that not only do multiple eyewitnesses confirm Maitland was out of town when the murder occurred, at a writer's conference in a neighboring fictional town known as Cap City, but security footage provides confirmation as well. With the assistance of private investigator Holly Gibney (a character from King's novel Mr. Mercedes), Anderson begins to dig deeper into the case, following a trail of clues that takes the duo to the fictional town of Marysville, Texas. Jack Hoskins, Ralph's rival in local law enforcement, is coerced by the Outsider to kill Ralph, promising that if he kills Ralph he will save him from cancer. With the help of Oklahoma State Police detective Yune Sablo (a Mexican American), Claude Bolton, an eyewitness to the Maitland Case and the next victim of the Outsider, and Claude's mother, Marysville resident Lovie Ann Bolton (a white woman in the predominantly Latino town), Anderson and Gibney discover that they have an actual monster on their hands, and set out to destroy him in a large cave, a tourist attraction known as The Maysville Hole, where two children died years earlier. [3]

Background information

The novel was first mentioned in an interview for USA Today on August 7, 2017.[4] The book cover was first revealed on January 18, 2018.[5] An excerpt was published in the May 25, 2018, issue of Entertainment Weekly.[6]

Connections to King's other works

The character of Holly Gibney from King's Bill Hodges trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch) is a major character in the book. The novel outlines some events from the trilogy and its aftermath.

The concept of "ka," an integral part of King's The Dark Tower series, is also mentioned.

Television adaptation

In June 2018, it was announced that Media Rights Capital had optioned the novel to be produced as a 10-part miniseries with Richard Price scripting, and executive producers Jack Bender and Marty Bowen.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "StephenKing.com - The Outsider". www.stephenking.com.
  2. ↑ "The Outsider". May 22, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Lavalle, Victor (May 22, 2018). "Stephen King's Reign of Terror Continues in a New Novel". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Q&A: Stephen King busier than ever with 'Mr. Mercedes' show, new books". USA Today.
  5. ↑ "Exclusive: Stephen King's new novel The Outsider gets a chilling cover: Exclusive". Entertainment Weekly.
  6. ↑ "It's GLOW time! Get an exclusive season 2 first look with this week's cover". Entertainment Weekly.
  7. ↑ Jr, Mike Fleming (11 June 2018). "Richard Price To Script MRC 10-Episode Series Adaptation Of Stephen King's 'The Outsider;' Jack Bender, Marty Bowen EPs". deadline.com.
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