Stephen King's Joyland (June 4, 2013): Cover Art Just Released

From EW.com:

Not only is King going retro with the setting of his upcoming novel, he’s also sticking to a tried-and-true format. “I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts,” he said in the press release. “I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book.”

Charles Ardai, editor of Hard Case Crime, promises a layered, genre-crossing story. “Joyland is a breathtaking, beautiful, heartbreaking book,” he said. “It’s a whodunit, it’s a carny novel, it’s a story about growing up and growing old, and about those who don’t get to do either because death comes for them before their time. Even the most hard-boiled readers will find themselves moved. When I finished it, I sent a note saying, ‘Goddamn it, Steve, you made me cry.’” (See the cover of 'Joyland' by Stephen King)

- Read Stephen King's press release on StephenKing.com
- View the cover art for Joyland
- Join Stephen King's mailing list.

I find Stephen King's stories usually either make me scared of the dark, closets, washrooms (especially toilets) and dogs, or they turn me into a puddle of tears. This one seems to be the puddle of tears kind, although I do have the feeling I might not want to go to any carnivals after dark, at least for a while .... None of that matters, though. I've marked my calendar and am counting the days until Joyland hits the shelves. :-)

Other articles you might like:
- Stephen King: 15 tips on how to become a better writer
- Stephen King on Ray Bradbury: The sound I hear today is the thunder of a giant's footsteps fading away
- Henry Miller's 11 Writing Commandments

Photo credit: StephenKing.com

No Ebook Version For Stephen King's Next Book

On Wednesday Titan books plans to announce that their Hard Case Crime imprint will publish Joyland by Stephen King in June of next year.

Stephan Lee writes:

Not only is King going retro with the content of his upcoming novel, he’s also sticking to a tried-and-true format. “I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts,” he said in the press release. “I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book.”
- Stephen King novel 'Joyland' officially announced

Charles Ardai, editor of Hard Case Crime, said that fans can expect

a breathtaking, beautiful, heartbreaking book. ... It’s a whodunit, it’s a carny novel, it’s a story about growing up and growing old, and about those who don’t get to do either because death comes for them before their time. Even the most hardboiled readers will find themselves moved. When I finished it, I sent a note saying, ‘Goddamn it, Steve, you made me cry.’
- Stephen King novel 'Joyland' officially announced

Sounds like another fantastic book by Stephen King. What I find most interesting, though, is King's refusal to release Joyland in ebook form. I'm guessing it has to do with nostalgia, and, possibly, that he has made the tactile part of reading an important part of the book. That's my guess.

We all know King was one of the earliest proponents of the electronic book. In 2000 he self-published the first installment of his serial novel The Plant as well as his novella Riding The Bullet.

[Riding The Bullet] marks King's debut on the Internet. Simon & Schuster, with technology by SoftLock, first published Riding the Bullet in 2000 as the world's first mass-market electronic book, available for download at $2.50
- Riding the Bullet, Wikipedia

I have the feeling some folks might think that King is anti-ebook, so that's why I'm bringing up his pioneering efforts in the medium. Still, the move surprises me. I know a lot of folks, myself included, have made the move to digital. My bookcase is in my iPad. Although Stephen King is one of my favorite authors I think I might wait until the ebook version is released before I indulge myself.

To each his (or her!) own.

Cheers.