The Talisman
Author: Stephen King
Author: Peter Straub
Year: 1984
Abstract:
Jack Sawyer is a 12 year old boy who is slowly losing his mother to cancer. When he finds out
that there is another world running parallel to his and that in that world there is a talisman that
might be able to heal her, he sets off on a journey that will take him to hell and back on the
way from New Hampshire to California.
| Advanced Mind | |
| Exploration/Quest |  |
| Military/Fighting | |
| Horror | |
| Magic | |
| Advanced Technology | |
| Time Travel/Alternate History | |
| Science | |
| Aliens/Beasties | |
| Contemporality | |
Other books in this series: Talisman
Black House [2001]
tyranist's Review
Stephen King is often ignored in by fantasy buffs who readily dismiss him has a horror hack. This is
really too bad since he has penned a number of truly unique and wonderful fantasies. It is true that
these fantasies lack some of the high fantasy conceits that draw most fans' love, but if we could just
get past the prejudice, there is a comfortable, if slightly darker, fantasy here.
The Talisman is, I believe, one of the earlier mythic America novels to be written. This little
sub-genre would later be made popular by such authors as Neil Gaiman and Clive Barker, but
here in the early '80s two men put together a magical story that takes place in the United States
and its own parallel place.
The magic of the book for me was in the characters and in the other place. It took me back to many of
my childhood imaginings. What drew me to fantasy in the first place was good characters and a place
different from my own to hold them. King and Straub execute that perfectly while managing to keep a
sense of horror brooding over the whole thing. That takes nearly as much talent as making me laugh
and feel scared at the same time.
I'm betting this book is commonly overlooked in the community, so I am over proselytizing a little,
but I highly recommend this to fans of the modern fantasy.