8 Comments

Not read this one! (Well, any of this collection.) I had no idea he'd written something as a precursor to The Stand. It must be, right? I've always thought the name Captain Tripps was super cool/weird as a name for a virus/disease -- is that explained here or in The Stand? I got halfway through the latter when I was young but never finished it, sadly. I really should. It sits there on my shelf looking at me.

Also, I know it's standard strain naming in a way, but it's also kinda prescient that King here named the variants A2, A6 etc.

Expand full comment

I love the name too. Very pulpy. Captain Tripps is the virus in The Stand, so same idea for sure, though I can’t remember if the symptoms in The Stand were the same…I also was impressed by Kings naming, if only for the fact that it’s indeed how strains are named. You can tell pandemics were something he read about. It’s got to be a precursor!!! Which feels so fun for some reason.

Expand full comment

I did some digging on reddit and other places and it seems the consensus is that it was inspiration for, but not necessarily directly a prequel to The Stand. It must have heavily influenced him into deciding to go forward with the behemoth of The Stand, though.

Expand full comment

Oh man! Yup, not directly tied then...I still wish it was a prequel 😂

Expand full comment

It's been a while since I read any of King's stuff, this makes me want to go back and read them all over again

Expand full comment

You won’t regret it! Feel free to join in with these posts if you have time!

Expand full comment

I just read this and it made me think of Covid, but yes it threads into what I know about The Stand too. The burning of Alvin stayed with me, same question as you, *why*

A pretty bleak story, with the monster being the youths rather than a weird, made up creature.

Expand full comment

Been too long, I can't remember but I think I haven't read it. Goodreads folks are not kind to that one 😂 Sometimes stories start out as morsels, I guess Night Surf was a precursor for The Stand

Expand full comment