The Mist (novella)

Book by Stephen King

The Mist

Standalone paperback edition cover

Author| Stephen King
Country| United States
Language| English
Genre(s)| Psychological horror, Science fiction
Publisher| Viking Press (Dark Forces anthology)
Media type| Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Publication date| 1980, 1985, 2007 (Signet)

The Mist is a science fiction psychological horror novella by American author Stephen King. First published by Viking Press in 1980 as part of the Dark Forces anthology, an edited version was subsequently included in King's 1985 collection Skeleton Crew. In the story, the small town of Bridgton, Maine is shrouded in a dense mist that conceals otherworldly creatures. The protagonist and narrator David Drayton, who has taken refuge with his young son in a supermarket, tries to survive against not only the creatures of the mist, but also fanatical aggression from other survivors.[1] In The Mist, King addresses the themes of man-made fears and religious fundamentalism.

King was inspired to write The Mist by a trip to his local supermarket following a thunderstorm, during which he imagined prehistoric animals and giant insects besieging the building. The Mist was nominated for a World Fantasy Award and a Locus Award in 1981, and critics have considered it to be one of King's iconic works and a classic in its genre. Some reviewers lamented the superficial explanation of the mist's nature, while others were pleased with the cinematic presentation.[2] A film adaptation directed by Frank Darabont was released in 2007, and a television series based on the novella's premise aired on Spike in 2017.

## Plot

[edit]

The morning after a severe thunderstorm leaves the town of Bridgton, Maine without electrical power, an unnaturally thick mist gradually envelopes the area. Commercial artist David Drayton, along with his young son Billy and neighbor Brent Norton (whose prized vintage car has been smashed by a fallen tree), go to the local supermarket for groceries, leaving David's wife Stephanie behind at their home. Upon arrival, their suspicions are aroused by the sound of a siren. The mist completely covers the supermarket and conceals strange and hostile creatures. The situation is aggravated by an earthquake, which damages communications and leaves the store without electricity. When a young bagger, Norm, goes outside to fix a clogged vent in the store's generator, he is dragged into the mist by a mass of giant tentacles.

David and assistant manager Ollie Weeks witness Norm's death and try to convince the remaining survivors of what has happened, imploring that no one leave the store. Norton and a small group of people accuse David of lying and go outside for help, only to be killed by unnatural predatory creatures. Ollie is given a revolver by the young Amanda Dumfries. Large "insects" begin crawling over the outside of the store, attracting pterosaur-like creatures, one of which squirms inside through a broken window and is killed with an improvised torch amidst a general panic. Searching for an escape and needing to treat an elderly woman who was injured in the panic, David leads a group of people to retrieve medical supplies from an adjacent pharmacy, where they encounter huge spider-like creatures. Only half the expedition returns alive, heavily demoralizing everyone else inside the store. Two soldiers from a nearby military base are soon found to have committed suicide in the stockroom, leading Ollie and David to speculate about what they knew, and the much-rumored "Arrowhead Project" experiments conducted base the soldiers were stationed at. In the wake of mass hysteria among the survivors, religious fanatic Mrs. Carmody gradually convinces them that the current events fulfill a biblical prophecy of the end times, and that human sacrifice is required to save themselves from God's wrath.

When David, Billy, Ollie, Amanda and a few other survivors attempt to escape to David's car, they are confronted by Mrs. Carmody, who calls on the crowd to offer Billy and Amanda as sacrifices. Ollie shoots and kills Mrs. Carmody, and her "congregation" dissolves in confusion. En route to the car, Ollie and one other survivor are killed, while another flees back to the store. The rest attempt to reach David's house to determine Stephanie's fate, but the driveway is hopelessly blocked by fallen trees. They drive south through a devastated and mist-shrouded New England, witnessing further signs of catastrophe and more mysterious creatures. While stopped for the night, David searches the radio bands and, through the mist's interference, possibly hears someone say "Hartford", giving him a last shred of hope.

## Influences

[edit]

King, in the Notes section in Skeleton Crew, says The Mist was inspired by a real-life experience, when a massive thunderstorm much like the one that opens the story occurred where King lived at the time. The day after the storm, he went to a local supermarket with his son. While looking for hot dog buns, King imagined a "big prehistoric flying reptile" flapping around in the store. By the time the two were in line to pay for their purchases, King had the basis for his story: survivors trapped in a supermarket surrounded by unknown creatures.

While experiencing the unusual spring weather which precedes the storm, some characters make reference to the real-life Great Blizzard of 1888, which devastated much of the northeastern United States.

## Influence in other media

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### Film

[edit]

* A film adaptation of the novella, titled The Mist (2007), was directed by Frank Darabont and starred Thomas Jane. This adaptation adds information about the "Arrowhead Project" and the origins of the mist being scientists looking for portals to other worlds and dimensions. It also alters the ending: after running out of fuel, the survivors agree to commit suicide after seeing the mist seemingly overrun New England. David Drayton kills the others, including his son. However, he does not have enough bullets to kill himself. As he steps out of the car to await his fate, the mist begins to disperse to reveal a US Army convoy approaching, destroying the remaining creatures and assisting survivors. David falls to his knees, realizing that they were only moments from rescue.

### Games

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* In 1985, Mindscape released an interactive fiction computer game based on the novella.[3]
* The developers of the Half-Life video game series, which also deals with creatures from parallel dimensions breaking through to ours, have listed The Mist among their primary influences for the game plot.[4] The first game in the series was originally going to be called Quiver, as a reference to the Arrowhead Project from The Mist.
* The Silent Hill video game series bears many similarities to The Mist. Series composer and producer Akira Yamaoka has cited the novella as a "great source of inspiration" for the development of the original Silent Hill game.[5]

### Television adaptation

[edit]

* The Mist, a television series based on the novel, premiered on Spike on June 22, 2017.[6] The series features cast members Morgan Spector, Alyssa Sutherland, Gus Birney, Danica Curcic and Frances Conroy.[6] Spike cancelled the series on September 27, 2017, after just one season.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* Stephen King short fiction bibliography
* The Fog (1975), a novel by James Herbert
* The Fog (1980), a horror film directed by John Carpenter
* Under the Dome, a 2009 novel by Stephen King
* From Beyond (short story)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ King, Stephen (2007). The Mist By Stephen King. ISBN 9780451223296. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
2. ^ "Stephen King Awards". The Science Fiction Awards Database. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
3. ^ Scorpia (January–February 1986). "The Year in Review". Computer Gaming World. p. 16.
4. ^ Hodgson, David (2004). Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar. Prima Games. ISBN 0-7615-4364-3.
5. ^ "AKIRA YAMAOKA - Interview in Spain at Play Fest : page 5 - musicJAPANplus -special features-". 2017-06-01. Archived from the original on 2017-06-01. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
6. ^ a b Gennis, Sadie (January 13, 2017). "Spike's The Mist Series Is a "Reimagination," Not a Remake". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
7. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (September 27, 2017). "'The Mist' Canceled at Spike After One Season (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* The Mist at StephenKing.com
* The Mist title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

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Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

* The Mist
* "Here There Be Tygers"
* "The Monkey"
* "Cain Rose Up"
* "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut"
* "The Jaunt"
* "The Wedding Gig"
* "Paranoid: A Chant"
* "The Raft"
* "Word Processor of the Gods"
* "The Man Who Would Not Shake Hands"
* "Beachworld"
* "The Reaper's Image"
* "Nona"
* "For Owen"
* "Survivor Type"
* "Uncle Otto's Truck"
* "Morning Deliveries (Milkman No. 1)"
* "Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game (Milkman No. 2)"
* "Gramma"
* The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet
* "The Reach"

* v
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The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

Novels|

* The Gunslinger
* The Drawing of the Three
* The Waste Lands
* Wizard and Glass
* Wolves of the Calla
* Song of Susannah
* The Dark Tower
* The Wind Through the Keyhole

Short stories|

* "The Gunslinger"
* "The Way Station"
* "The Oracle and the Mountains"
* "The Slow Mutants"
* "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man"
* "The Little Sisters of Eluria"

Comics|

| Beginnings|

* The Gunslinger Born
* The Long Road Home
* Treachery
* The Sorcerer
* Fall of Gilead
* Battle of Jericho Hill

|

The Gunslinger|

* The Journey Begins
* The Little Sisters of Eluria
* The Battle of Tull
* The Way Station
* The Man in Black
* Sheemie's Tale
* Evil Ground
* So Fell Lord Perth

The Drawing of the Three|

* The Prisoner
* House of Cards
* Lady of Shadows
* Bitter Medicine
* The Sailor

One-shot companions|

* The Gunslinger Born Sketchbook
* Marvel Spotlight: The Dark Tower
* Gunslinger's Guidebook
* End-World Almanac
* Guide to Gilead
* The Drawing of the Three / Revenge Sampler

Characters|

* Roland Deschain
* Randall Flagg
* Crimson King
* Father Callahan

Related books|

* 'Salem's Lot
* The Stand
* The Talisman
* The Mist
* It
* The Eyes of the Dragon
* Insomnia
* Rose Madder
* Desperation
* The Regulators
* Bag of Bones
* Hearts in Atlantis
* Black House
* "Everything's Eventual"
* From a Buick 8
* Charlie the Choo-Choo
* Gwendy's Button Box
* The Outsider
* Gwendy's Final Task

Other|

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Stephen King

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Novels|

* Carrie (1974)
* 'Salem's Lot (1975)
* The Shining (1977)
* The Stand (1978)
* The Dead Zone (1979)
* Firestarter (1980)
* Cujo (1981)
* Christine (1983)
* Pet Sematary (1983)
* Cycle of the Werewolf (1983)
* The Talisman (1984)
* It (1986)
* The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
* Misery (1987)
* The Tommyknockers (1987)
* The Dark Half (1989)
* Needful Things (1991)
* Gerald's Game (1992)
* Dolores Claiborne (1992)
* Insomnia (1994)
* Rose Madder (1995)
* The Green Mile (1996)
* Desperation (1996)
* Bag of Bones (1998)
* The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999)
* The Plant (2000; unfinished)
* Dreamcatcher (2001)
* Black House (2001)
* From a Buick 8 (2002)
* The Colorado Kid (2005)
* Cell (2006)
* Lisey's Story (2006)
* Duma Key (2008)
* Under the Dome (2009)
* 11/22/63 (2011)
* Joyland (2013)
* Doctor Sleep (2013)
* Mr. Mercedes (2014)
* Revival (2014)
* Finders Keepers (2015)
* End of Watch (2016)
* Gwendy's Button Box (2017)
* Sleeping Beauties (2017)
* The Outsider (2018)
* Elevation (2018)
* The Institute (2019)
* Later (2021)
* Billy Summers (2021)
* Gwendy's Final Task (2022)
* Fairy Tale (2022)
* Holly (2023)
* Never Flinch (2025)

| The Dark Tower series|

* The Gunslinger (1982)
* The Drawing of the Three (1987)
* The Waste Lands (1991)
* Wizard and Glass (1997)
* Wolves of the Calla (2003)
* Song of Susannah (2004)
* The Dark Tower (2004)
* The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)

|

Richard Bachman novels|

* Rage (1977)
* The Long Walk (1979)
* Roadwork (1981)
* The Running Man (1982)
* Thinner (1984)
* The Bachman Books (1985)
* The Regulators (1996)
* Blaze (2007)

Short fiction
collections|

* Night Shift (1978)
* Different Seasons (1982)
* Skeleton Crew (1985)
* Four Past Midnight (1990)
* Nightmares & Dreamscapes (1993)
* Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
* Everything's Eventual (2002)
* Just After Sunset (2008)
* Full Dark, No Stars (2010)
* The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015)
* If It Bleeds (2020)
* You Like It Darker (2024)

Nonfiction|

* Danse Macabre (1981)
* Nightmares in the Sky (1988)
* On Writing (2000)
* Secret Windows (2000)
* Faithful (2004)
* "Guns" (2013)

Screenplays|

* Creepshow (1982)
* Cat's Eye (1985)
* Silver Bullet (1985)
* Maximum Overdrive (1986; also director)
* Pet Sematary (1989)
* Sleepwalkers (1992)
* A Good Marriage (2014)
* Cell (2016)

Teleplays|

* "Sorry, Right Number" (1987)
* Golden Years (1991)
* The Stand (1994)
* The Shining (1997)
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* Rose Red (2002)
* Kingdom Hospital (2004)
* Desperation (2006)
* "Heads Will Roll" (2014)
* The Stand (2020–21)
* Lisey's Story (2021)

Comics|

* Heroes for Hope (1985)
* American Vampire (2010)

Musical
collaborations|

* Michael Jackson's Ghosts (1997)
* Black Ribbons (2010)
* Ghost Brothers of Darkland County (2012)

Anthologies
edited|

* The Best American Short Stories 2007 (2007)
* Six Scary Stories (2016)
* Flight or Fright (2018)

Worlds and
concepts|

* Dollar Baby
* Fictional locations in Maine
* Castle Rock
* Derry
* Jerusalem's Lot
* Shawshank State Prison
* All-World

Family|

* Tabitha King (wife)
* Joe Hill (son)
* Owen King (son)

Related|

* List of adaptations
* Bibliography of works on Stephen King
* Raymond H. Fogler Library archives
* Rock Bottom Remainders
* People, Places and Things
* Philtrum Press
* Six Stories
* Stephen King Goes to the Movies
* Charlie the Choo-Choo
* Hearts in Suspension
* The Secretary of Dreams
* King on Screen

* Category

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Adaptations of works by Stephen King

Feature films|

* Cujo (1983)
* The Dead Zone (1983)
* Christine (1983)
* Cat's Eye (1985)
* Silver Bullet (1985)
* Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
* Graveyard Shift (1990)
* Needful Things (1993)
* The Dark Half (1993)
* Dolores Claiborne (1995)
* Thinner (1996)
* The Night Flier (1997)
* The Green Mile (1999)
* Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
* Dreamcatcher (2003)
* Secret Window (2004)
* Riding the Bullet (2004)
* 1408 (2007)
* No Smoking (2007)
* The Mist (2007)
* Dolan's Cadillac (2009)
* A Good Marriage (2014)
* Mercy (2014)
* Cell (2016)
* The Dark Tower (2017)
* Gerald's Game (2017)
* 1922 (2017)
* In the Tall Grass (2019)
* Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022)
* The Boogeyman (2023)
* The Life of Chuck (2024)
* 'Salem's Lot (2024)
* The Monkey (2025)
* The Long Walk (TBA)

Carrie|

* Carrie (1976)
* The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
* Carrie (2002)
* Carrie (2013)

The Shining|

* The Shining (1980)
* Doctor Sleep (2019)

Creepshow|

* Creepshow (1982)
* Creepshow 2 (1987)
* Creepshow 3 (2006)

Children of the Corn|

* Children of the Corn (1984)
* The Final Sacrifice (1992)
* Urban Harvest (1995)
* The Gathering (1996)
* Fields of Terror (1998)
* Isaac's Return (1999)
* Revelation (2001)
* Children of the Corn (2009)
* Genesis (2011)
* Runaway (2018)
* Children of the Corn (2020)

Firestarter|

* Firestarter (1984)
* Rekindled (2002)
* Firestarter (2022)

Trucks|

* Maximum Overdrive (1986)
* Trucks (1997)

Different Seasons|

* Stand by Me (1986)
* The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
* Apt Pupil (1998)

The Running Man|

* The Running Man (1987)
* The Running Man (2025)

Pet Sematary|

* Pet Sematary (1989)
* Pet Sematary Two (1992)
* Pet Sematary (2019)
* Bloodlines (2023)

Misery|

* Misery (1990)
* Julie Ganapathi (2003)

The Lawnmower Man|

* The Lawnmower Man (1992)
* Beyond Cyberspace (1996)

The Mangler|

* The Mangler (1995)
* The Mangler 2 (2002)
* Reborn (2005)

It|

* It (2017)
* It Chapter Two (2019)

TV films,
episodes,
miniseries|

* "The Word Processor of the Gods" (1984)
* "Gramma" (1986)
* "Sorry, Right Number" (1987)
* Golden Years (1991)
* The Tommyknockers (1993)
* The Langoliers (1995)
* The Shining (1997)
* Quicksilver Highway (1997)
* "The Revelations of 'Becka Paulson" (1997)
* Stephen King's Desperation (2006)
* Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)
* Bag of Bones (2011)
* Big Driver (2014)
* 11.22.63 (2016)
* "Chapter Thirty-One: A Night to Remember" (2018)
* The Outsider (2020)
* Lisey's Story (2021)
* "Not It" (2022)
* Carrie (TBA)

Salem's Lot|

* Salem's Lot (1979)
* A Return to Salem's Lot (1987)
* Salem's Lot (2004)

It|

* It (1990)
* Woh (1998)

Sometimes They
Come Back|

* Sometimes They Come Back (1991)
* Sometimes They Come Back... Again (1996)
* Sometimes They Come Back... for More (1998)

The Stand|

* The Stand (1994)
* The Stand (2020–21)

Rose Red|

* Rose Red (2002)
* The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003)

TV series|

* The Dead Zone (2002–2007)
* Kingdom Hospital (2004)
* Haven (2010–2015)
* Under the Dome (2013–2015)
* The Mist (2017)
* Mr. Mercedes (2017–2019)
* Castle Rock (2018–2019)
* Creepshow (2019–present)
* Chapelwaite (2021)
* It: Welcome to Derry (2025)

Stage|

* Misery (1992 play)
* Dolores Claiborne (2013 opera)
* The Shining (2016 opera)

Carrie|

* Carrie (1988 musical)
* Scarrie! The Musical (1998 musical parody)

Audio|

| Radio|

* The Mist in 3D Binaural Sound (1984)
* Salem's Lot (1995)
* Pet Sematary (1997)
* Secret Window, Secret Garden (2003)
* Misery (2004)

|

Podcast|

* Strawberry Spring (2021)

Comics|

* Creepshow (1982)
* The Dark Tower (2007–2017)
* The Stand (2008–2012)
* The Talisman (2009–2010)

Video games|

* The Mist (1985)
* The Running Man (1989)
* The Dark Half (1992)
* The Lawnmower Man (1993)
* Stephen King's F13 (1999)

* Category

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