Under The Dome: A Novel
Amazon Exclusive: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan ReviewsUnder the DomeGuillermo del ToroandChuck Hoganshare their enthusiasm forStephen King's thriller,Under the Dome. This pair of reviewers knows a thing or two about the art of crafting a great thriller. Del Toro is the Oscar-nominated director of international blockbuster films, includingPan's LabyrinthandHellboy. Hogan is the author of several acclaimed novels, includingThe StandoffandPrince of Thieves, which won the International Association of Crime Writer's Dashiell Hammett Award in 2005. The two recently collaborated to write the bestselling horror novel,The Strain, the first of a proposed trilogy. Read their exclusive Amazon guest review ofUnder the Dome:The first thing readers might find scary about Stephen King'sUnder The Domeis its length. The second is the elaborate town map and list of characters at the front of the book (including "Dogs of Note"), which sometimes portends, you know, heavy lifting. Don't you believe it. Breathless pacing and effortless characterization are the hallmarks of King's best books, and here the writing is immersive, the suspense unrelenting. The pages turn so fast that your hand--or Kindle-clicking thumb--will barely be able to keep up.You Are Here.Nobody yarns a “What if?” like Stephen King. Nobody. The implausibility of  a dome sealing off an entire city--a motif seen before in pulp magazines and on comic book covers--is given the most elaborate real-life alibi by crafting details, observations, and insights that make us nod silently while we read. Promotional materials referenceThe Standin comparison, but we likenUnder The Domemore to King's excellent novella,The Mist: another locked-door situation on an epic scale, a tour-de-force in which external stressors bake off the civility of a small town full of dark secrets, exposing souls both very good...and very, very bad.Yes, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," but there is so much more this time. The expansion of King’s diorama does not simply take a one-street fable and turn it into a town, but finds new life for old archetypes, making them morally complex and attuned to our world today. It makes them relevant and affecting once again. And the beauty of it all is that the final lesson, the great insight that is gained at the end of this draining journey, is not a righteous 1950’s sermon but an incredibly moving and simple truth. A nugget of wisdom you'll be using as soon as you turn the last page.This Is Now.Along the way, you get bravura writing, especially featuring the town kids, and a delicious death aria involving one of the most nefarious characters--who dies alone, but not really--as well as a few laugh-out-loud moments, and a cameo (of sorts) by none other than Jack Reacher. Indeed--whether during a much-needed comfort break, or a therapeutic hand-flexing--you may find yourself wondering, "Is this a horror novel? Or is it a thriller?" The answer, of course, is:  Yes, yes, yes."...the blood hits the wall like it always hits the wall."It seems impossible that, as he enters his sixth decade of publishing, the dean of dark fiction could add to his vast readership. But that is precisely what will happen...when the Dome drops.Now Go Read It. --Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck HoganThe Story Behind the CoverClick on image to enlargeThe jacket concept forUnder the Domeoriginated as an ambitious idea from the mind ofStephen King. The artwork is a combination of  photographs, illustration and 3-D rendering. This is a departure from the direction of King's most recent illustrated covers.In order to achieve the arresting image for this jacket, Scribner art director Rex Bonomelli had to seek out  artists who could do a convincing job of creating a realistic portrayal of the town of Chester's Mill, the setting of the novel.  Bonomelli found the perfect team of digital artists, based in South America and New York, whose cutting edge work had previously  been devoted to advertisement campaigns. This was their first book jacket and an exciting venture for them. "They are used to  working with the demands of corporate clients," says Bonomelli. "We gave them freedom and are thrilled with what they came up with."The CGI (computer generated imagery) enhanced image looks more like something made for the big screen than for  the page and is sure to make a lasting impact on King fans.Meet the CharactersDale BarbaraBarbie, a drifter, ex-army, walks with a burden of guilt from the time he  spent in Iraq. Working as a short-order cook at Sweetbriar Rose is the closest thing he’s had to a family life. When his old  commander, Colonel Cox, calls from outside, Barbie's burden becomes the town itself.Julia ShumwayThe  attractive Editor and Publisher of the local town newspaper, The Chester's Mill Democrat, Julia is self-assured and Republican to the core, but she is drawn  to Barbie and discovers, when it matters most, that her most vulnerable moment might be her most liberating.Jim Rennie, Sr."Big  Jim." A used car dealer with a fierce smile and no warmth, he'd given his heart to Jesus at age sixteen and had little left for his customers, his neighbors,  or his dying wife and deteriorating son. The town's Second Selectman, he’s used to having things his way. He walks like a man who has spent his life  kicking ass.Joseph McClatcheyScarecrow Joe, a 13-year-old also known as "King of the Geeks" and "Skeletor, a bona fide brain  whose backpack bears the legend "fight the powers that be." He’s smarter than anyone, and proves it in a crisis.Chester's Mill, Maine  (click on image to enlarge)--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.