Fairy Tale

Published: 2022

Fairy Tale (2022) follows Charlie Reade, a high school athlete who befriends elderly recluse Howard Bowditch after the man has an accident. Charlie begins caring for both Bowditch and his mysterious dog Radar, gradually uncovering the old man's secrets—particularly a shed containing a portal to another world. When Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie recorded tapes revealing the truth: the shed contains a staircase to Empis, a parallel world once filled with wonders but now darkened under the rule of the cruel Night Flier and his undead followers. Following Bowditch's posthumous instructions, Charlie and Radar descend the 1,793 steps to Empis, where they discover a fallen fairy tale kingdom whose inhabitants suffer from a condition called 'the gray'—a gruesome aging affliction. Charlie learns he may be the prophesied figure who can restore the kingdom by retrieving a magical sundial from the feared Lord of Flies. His journey becomes a classic hero's quest across a landscape that both mirrors and distorts traditional fairy tales, confronting creatures both wondrous and horrific. The novel draws on King's lifelong love of classic fantasy—from the Brothers Grimm to J.R.R. Tolkien—while maintaining his distinctive voice and themes. Through Charlie's first-person narration, King explores how stories offer both escape and moral framework during difficult times, particularly as Charlie processes his mother's death and father's alcoholism through the lens of his fantastic adventure. The parallel world's corruption reflects King's career-long interest in how darkness infiltrates and transforms seemingly idyllic spaces.

Themes

• Parallel worlds
• Coming of age
• Hero's journey
• Corruption
• Restoration

Adaptations

• Film adaptation by Paul Greengrass in development

Collector Notes

A departure into high fantasy for King, though with his characteristic darkness. Influenced by classic fairy tales and fantasy literature, particularly the works of the Brothers Grimm and J.R.R. Tolkien.