Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks ~ a Review

by MK French

Caroline Bicks was named the University of Maine's inaugural Stephen E. King Chair in Literature, the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives. Bicks focuses on five of his most iconic early works—The Shining, Carrie, Pet Sematary, 'Salem's Lot, and Night Shift—to reveal how he crafted his language, storylines, and characters. We see King’s margin notes and editorial changes, scenes, and alternative endings that never made it to print. The book also includes interviews Bicks had with King along the way that reveal new insights into his writing process and personal history.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2026; Hogarth; 978-0593736722
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); nonfiction

For any fan of Stephen King's works, this is a treat to see unpublished material that is related to his early novels. Carrie is in its fiftieth anniversary year, which is mind-boggling to think about. Each chapter goes through a different book, and there are photos of the copy edits and excerpts showing us the changes that King did or didn't make, as well as the reasoning behind it. The reasoning is also insight into the craft of writing, which is something he takes very seriously. Even if people don't necessarily feel genre fiction like horror is "serious" enough to study, there is incredible care in the rhythm of the words, the sounds and sensations they evoke, and the atmosphere of the overall story.

As someone who grew up devouring King's books, I found it fascinating to see the early concepts and chapters for the books. There were deliberate references to classic works and allusions to those tragedies, even after revisions edited them out. While some are blink-and-you 'll-miss-it like Hamlet or Macbeth references in The Shining, or Carrie, the sensory and emotional details still remain. It's such an incredible look into the early novels and the editing that shaped them into their final forms.

Buy Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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