Novel Review: Doctor Sleep

You can read my review here.







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Could There be a Sequel to "The Shining"?

*Originally published on 11/27/09


A couple of days ago, Entertainment Weekly posted an article that brought up the idea that Stephen King is brainstorming a sequel to his classic novel, The Shining (I would link it, but hyperlinks haven't been working for me lately).  It's an idea that the author admitted was rolling around in his head, but he can't get seem to get down to it.

The tentative title King offered was Dr. Sleep.  I, myself would've gone with The Shining 2: Psychic Boogaloo but I don't know if readers would be able to take that seriously.

The story would focus on an older Danny Torrance, who is now using his abilities to aid him in his work at a hospice.

An article was later posted saying that readers shouldn't hold their breath and that it would probably never happen.  Much like Kevin Smith's Dogma sequel, it's just an idea at this point and it isn't very high on his list of projects.

With The Shining being one of my favorite novels, the idea of a sequel does leave me ambivalent.  Going back to the Kevin Smith metaphor, people were wary of Clerks II and that turned out to be great.  King also revisited Jack Sawyer in Black House and that was equally effective.  You could argue that The Shining doesn't need a sequel, but it's interesting to think about what it would be like.  I doubt King would do it unless he was absolutely sure that it was a worthwhile endeavor.

I won't hold my breath and I will definitely take this for the brainstorming session that it is, but I am intrigued to see if this does come about, and if so, how it will pan out.







Dr. Sleep Announced as a Work in Progress