In recent years the worlds of TV and books have merged more than ever before, with such viral television hits as “Game of Thrones,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Big Little Lies” all being based on novels. What does renowned author Stephen King, who penned the crime novel that was adapted into Audience Network’s “Mr. Mercedes,” think about the ever-expanding TV world? “I’ve always been a fan of episodic television’s ability to tell a story with texture and depth — following a novelistic arc,” King confesses in a secret letter that was delivered to the TV academy membership via the show’s Emmy FYC mailer.

SEE Stephen King’s ‘Mr. Mercedes’: Return to Emmys for David E. Kelley?

“I think the two mediums are a natural and complementary fit,” King continues. “So, I am especially pleased with this adaptation of ‘Mr. Mercedes’ — and I hope you enjoy it too.” King didn’t just write the novel, but he also serves as an executive producer on the TV series along with David E. Kelley, Jack Bender, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey.

The complete first season aired last fall, so this is “Mr. Mercedes'” first shot at the Emmys. Former Emmy winners Brendan Gleeson, Mary-Louise Parker and Holland Taylor star on the show, which begs the question: With such impressive talent both on and off screen, might “Mr. Mercedes” put Audience Network on the awards map in a major way?

Here’s more of Stephen King’s letter to TV academy members:

For your 2018 Emmy consideration, I want to share with you “Mr. Mercedes,” the 10-episode drama series based on the first novel in my Bill Hodges detective trilogy.

David E. Kelley wrote the adaptation — and the project is directed by Jack Bender — my collaborator on “Under the Dome” — and so I have been in excellent hands.

“Mr. Mercedes” is a bit of a departure for me — a detective novel based on an actual event that occurred in 2009 when a deranged killer ran over a crowd of people in line at a job fair. While isolated at the time, the use of a vehicle to purposely kill innocent people has sadly become more commonplace.

While that event launches the narrative, the story is primarily about the psychological “cat-and-mouse” relationship between the perpetrator, Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway), and ex-cop Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson), whom Hartsfield taunts into a personal crusade — one that skirts the law and challenges his integrity — to outwit Hartsfield and bring him to justice before he kills again. “Mr. Mercedes” also stars Kelly Lynch, Mary-Louise Parker, Holland Taylor and Jharrel Jermone, among others.

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