Fairy Tale

Stephen King is a prolific writer best known for his horror and dark fantasy novels. Since releasing his first novel, Carrie, in 1974, he has published 65 books including some of the most beloved works of modern horror literature like It, The Shining, and The Stand. While best known as a horror writer, King is also well established in the fantasy genre. He wrote The Eyes of the Dragon in 1984, an epic fantasy that centers on two brothers’ claims to a kingdom’s throne. Like Fairy Tale, The Eyes of the Dragon features a struggle between good and evil, magic, and references to fairy tales and H.P. Lovecraft. The Eyes of the Dragon was well received by critics but spurned by many of King’s horror fans; this inspired King to write Misery, a book in which an obsessed fan kidnaps her favorite author and violently forces him to continue writing in his original romance genre.

While The Eyes of the Dragon was seen as a departure for King, he later established himself as a master of the fantasy genre by writing his eight-book series The Dark Tower. Published between 1998 and 2004, King blends dark fantasy, science fiction, horror, and western tropes into this self-proclaimed magnum opus. The series comprises a sprawling literary universe, with many of his works including The Eyes of The Dragon, Salem’s Lot, and The Shining taking place in The Dark Tower world. The series also shares many of Fairy Tale’s characteristics, including intertextual references to books like The Lord of the Rings and Arthurian legends, incorporating fairy tales and mythology, and meditations on themes like good vs. evil, the inescapability of fate, and the importance of community.

Although Fairy Tale includes many of King’s hallmark horror and fantasy tropes, its comparatively lighthearted tone stands out in King’s canon. In a 2022 interview with Variety magazine, King spoke about the novel’s origins. He conceived of the book during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when he was depressed and disillusioned with the state of the world. He came up with the idea to lift his spirits by writing “a thumping good read…that would make me happy.” King’s intentions show in Fairy Tale’s far-reaching plot, which invokes both the comfort and the thrill of the fairy tales many readers will remember from childhood. Unlike complicated protagonists in other King novels like The Dark Tower’s Man in Black, the protagonist in Fairy Tale, Charlie, is easy to root for as he slays monsters, falls in love with a princess, and comes of age through a series of magical trials. The novel is also a tribute to the way that writing influences the lives of its readers; the narration is full of references to Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and other authors whose work shaped King’s own life.

Fairy Tale is not a purely feel-good book. It is a dark fantasy with plenty of gore and suspense, and parts of the narrative touch on life’s all-too-familiar tragedies. Still, King ultimately delivers a story that highlights the power of coming together for the greater good even in dark times. Kind deeds are rewarded, evildoers are punished, and readers receive the comfort of a happy ending.