Title: The Dead Zone
First published: August 1, 1983
Description: The Dead Zone is a science fiction thriller novel by Stephen King published in 1979. The story follows Johnny Smith, who awakens from a coma of nearly five years and, apparently as a result of brain damage, now experiences clairvoyant and precognitive visions triggered by touch. When some information is blocked from his perception, Johnny refers to that information as being trapped in the part of his brain that is permanently damaged, "the dead zone." The novel also follows a serial killer in Castle Rock, and the life of rising politician Greg Stillson, both of whom are evils Johnny must eventually face.

Though earlier King books were successful, The Dead Zone was the first of his novels to rank among the ten best-selling novels of the year in the United States. The book was nominated for the Locus Award in 1980 and was dedicated to King's son Owen. The Dead Zone is the first story by King to feature the fictional town of Castle Rock, which serves as the setting for several later stories and is referenced in others. The TV series Castle Rock takes place in this fictional town and makes references to the Strangler whom Johnny helped track down in The Dead Zone.

The Dead Zone is King's seventh novel and the fifth under his own name. The book spawned a 1983 film adaptation as well as a television series.
Subjects: brain tumors, rifles, human shields, assassination, procrastination, murder, Federal Bureau of Investigation, car bombs, United States House of Representatives, mayors, wheel of fortune, comas, high school teachers, precognition, brains, Clairvoyants, thrillers, Supernatural, Movie or Television Tie-In, suspense, horror fiction, science fiction, paranormal fiction, carnivals, good and evil, American Horror tales, Open Library Staff Picks, Fiction in English, Fiction, Translations into Russian, Psychics, Horror, Horror tales, Fiction, horror, New england, fiction, Smith, johnny (fictitious character), fiction, American literature, Coma, Patients, Psychic ability, Media Tie-In, Médiums, Romans, nouvelles
Places: New England, Iowa, Maine, Carmel, California, Ridgeway, New Hampshire, Phoenix
People: Moochie, Otis, R2D2, Red Hawk, Rocky, Rusty, Speedy Tomato, Stiv, Beth Alma, Burth, Casey, Clarice, Dan, Erwin, Germain, Hans, Janice, Mike, Nellie, Ray, Richard, Rupert J., Sean, Shannon, Mrs. Ablanap, Mel Allen, Bonita Alvarez, Howard Baker, George F. Bannerman, Katrina Bannerman, Bass, Anne Beatty, Timmy Benedix, Steve Bernhardt, Don Bolles, Helmut Borentz, Johanna Borentz, Bowden, David Bowes, Sarah Bracknell, Mat Brand, Arthur Bremmer, David Bright, James Brolin, Danny Brown, James Brown, Jerry Brown, Julie Brown, Henry Burke, Earl Butz, George Carlin, Bruce Carrick, Stephanie Carsleigh, Edgar Cayce, John Chancellor, Chevy Chase, Chuck Murphy Chatsworth, Shelley Chatsworth, Ruth Chen, Tim Clark, Stuart Clawson, Dean Clay, Eldridge Cleaver, George Clements, William Cohen, Freddy Colstsmore, Allison Conover, Stephanie Constantine, Leighton Cooney, Walter Cronkite, Elton Curry, Clarence Darrow, John Dean, Richard Dees, Albert Desalvo, Frank Dodd, Henrietta Dodd, Andrew Dohay, Sol Drummore, Carol Dunbarger, Anne Dussault, Roger Dussault, Dawn Edwards, Sonny Elliman, James Erwin, Fearless Farnham, Irving Finegold, Irvina Firegold, Deenbie Fisher, Harrison Fisher, Roscoe Fisher, Susan Flahaty, Erroll Flynn, Gerald Ford, Henry Ford, Alma Frechette, Brad Freneau, Squeaky Fromme, Lottie Gedreau, Bill Gendron, Charles Gendron, Gresham, Edward Gurney, Bettye Hackman, Donny Haggar, Peter Harrington, Fred Harris, Tom Harrison, George Harvey, Bill Hathaway, Cotton Hawes, Tom Hayden, Wayne Hays, Dennis Edward Hazlett, Janis, Hazlett, Sarah Hazlett, Walter Hazlett, Mary Kate Hendrasen, George Herman, Milton Hovey, Billy Humbarr, Hubert Humphrey, Peter Hurkos, Henry Jackson, Michael Carey Jackson, Hake Jamieson, Mrs. Jarvis, Herman Joellyn, Danny Huniper, Danny Jupiter, Rachel Jurgens, Carl M. Keslo, Tom Kenyon, Salem Kirban, Mrs. Labelle, Edgar Lancte, Jenny Langhorne, Norman Lawson, Sinclair Lewis (1885-1951), William Loeb, Logan, Melissa Loggins, James Longely, Charlene Mackenzie, Hector Mackenzie, Joe Mackenzie, Cassie Mackin, Eileen Magown, Marsten, Joe McCarthy, Paul McCartney, George McGovern, Larry McNaughton, Meggs, Marie Michaud, Mark Michaud, Wilbur Mills, Mitchell, Cheryl Moody, Shelly Murphy, Edmund Muskie, Vera Nason, Richard Nixon, Kathleen Nolan, Charlie Norton, Dick O'Donnell, Maureen Ontello, Lee Harvey Oswald, Spider Parmeleau, Ruby Pelletier, Dave Pelson, Maureen Pelson, Black Jack Pershing, Ngo Phat, Pillsbury, Adam Clayton Powell, Bud Prescott, Elvis Presley, Louis Quinn, Ronald Reagan, Frederick Remington, Albert Renfrew, Stanbury Richards, Norma Richardson, Sean Richardson, Warren Richardson, Etta Ringgold, Oral Roberts, Matt Robeson, Franklin Roosevelt, Frank Ross, George Rounds, Raymond Ruopp, Leo Ryan, Lisa Schurmann, Gene Sedecki, John Sherburne, Sarge Shriver, Ann Simons, Sirhan Sirhan, Charlene Smith, Herbert Smith, John Smith, Margaret Chase Smith, Vera Helen Smith, Richard Speck, Chuck Spier, Edward Stanney, Mr. Starret, Carter Stephanie Constantine, Gregory Ammas Stillson, Harry Stillson, Mary Lou Stillson, Harry L. Stonkers, Mrs. Stonkers, Patty Strachan, Anne Strafford, Bobby Strang, Keigh Strang, Dr. Strawns, Deenie Stubbs, Mrs. Sugerman, Mrs. Sylvester, Taylor, Mary Thibault, Hunter Thompson, Meldrim Thompson, Timmons, Pauline Toothaker, Mr. Treaches, Arnie Tremont, Morris Udall, Quentin M. Vann, Norman D. Verizer, George Wallace, William Webster, Sam Weizak, Charles Whitman, Wiggins, Stephanie Wyman, Henry Youngman
Time periods: 1953, 1970