Sword in the Darkness

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Connor B

Well-Known Member
May 24, 2015
766
4,219
30
Of all the unpublished and uncollected writings of Stephen, no unseen work has intrigued me as much as Sword in the Darkness. Details are notoriously scarce on this one; after it was written in 1970, it was rejected by twelve publishers, which is quite an achievement, if you ask me. What little I know of the plot involves a character grieving the death of his pregnant girlfriend and mother, as well as another character, a Malcolm X-style lawyer/Black Panther type, starting a race riot after speaking at a high school. Stephen himself has said that its unpublishable; it may well be the Day the Clown Cried of his bibliography, for reason unknown only to him and the few that have laid eyes on the manuscript.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Of all the unpublished and uncollected writings of Stephen, no unseen work has intrigued me as much as Sword in the Darkness. Details are notoriously scarce on this one; after it was written in 1970, it was rejected by twelve publishers, which is quite an achievement, if you ask me. What little I know of the plot involves a character grieving the death of his pregnant girlfriend and mother, as well as another character, a Malcolm X-style lawyer/Black Panther type, starting a race riot after speaking at a high school. Stephen himself has said that its unpublishable; it may well be the Day the Clown Cried of his bibliography, for reason unknown only to him and the few that have laid eyes on the manuscript.
...it's referenced in Rocky Woods omnibus of King's unreleased works...but just teased enough to make you yearn for more...
 

AchtungBaby

Well-Known Member
Dec 5, 2011
3,856
15,540
This one intrigues me too, but what little of his unpublished work I've read ('Slade', 'The Blue Air Compressor', The Cannibals) hasn't really impressed me or anything. Like skimom said — if he says it's not worth a look, I'll take him at his word.
 

muskrat

Dis-Member
Nov 8, 2010
4,518
19,564
Under your bed
Okay, so no Sword in the Darkness (although you all know you'd read that sucker in a minute if given the chance), but what about that Patty Hearst roman a clef thing, which he called The House on Value Street? Now that sounds intriguing. I've said it before, I think, but I'll say it again: it'd be cool if he dusted that one off, finished it, and put it out. Sounds like another Bachman book to me.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Okay, so no Sword in the Darkness (although you all know you'd read that sucker in a minute if given the chance), but what about that Patty Hearst roman a clef thing, which he called The House on Value Street? Now that sounds intriguing. I've said it before, I think, but I'll say it again: it'd be cool if he dusted that one off, finished it, and put it out. Sounds like another Bachman book to me.
...I concur with the Muskinator...