I always look forward to a new book by Stephen King, so I logged on to the web today to check out his upcoming horror novel Revival. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there appear to be some major Lovecraftian themes in this book! From an interview with King:

“The inspiration was Arthur Machen’s The Great God Pan, which is a terrifying story about the world that might exist beyond this one… I also wanted to use Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos, but in a new fashion, if I could, stripping away Lovecraft’s high-flown language.”

Mr. King also writes, “It’s too scary. I don’t even want to think about that book any more”. And according to the dust jacket, this is the “most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written.”

Sounds good to me!

Revival by Stephen King will be available on November 11, 2014. Order it here (clicking this link benefits The Lovecraft eZine).

From the Amazon page:

A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written.

Order Revival, by Stephen King.

Read a chapter from Revival here.

Stephen King has written other Lovecraftian stories as well — while you wait, check out my list of Lovecraftian Stephen King books!