HEY EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW.
HE IS THE AUTHOR BEHIND SO MANY OF THE STORIES WE LOVE:
"CARRIE," "IT," "MISERY," "THE SHINING," "THE SHAWSHANK
REDEMPTION," "THE OUTSIDER," AND "THE STAND," COMING SOON TO
CBS ALL ACCESS.
HIS NEW BOOK IS "IF IT BLEEDS."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," STEPHEN KING!
STEPHEN KING, YOU-- YOUR ENTIRE CAREER HAS BEEN IMAGINING
HORRIFIC SCENARIOS.
HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THIS ONE IN REALITY?
>> WELL, I'M DOING IT LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
I'M SITTING AT HOME MOST OF THE TIME, AND WHEN I GO OUT TO THE
GROCERY STORE, I WEAR MY LITTLE MASK.
AND WHEN I COME HOME, I WASH MY HANDS BECAUSE I CAN IMAGINE--
IMAGINATION IS A TERRIBLE THING SOMETIMES WHEN IT TURNS AGAINST
YOURSELF-- I CAN IMAGINE GERMS AS BIG AS WAGON WHEELS ON MY
HANDS AND CRAWLING UP MY ARMS AND INTO MY FACE.
>> Stephen: WELL, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE CURRENT HORROR STORY
THAT WE'RE IN AND ONE OF THE CENTRAL CHARACTERS, WHICH IS
OUR-- OUR PRESIDENT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE-- THE THING ABOUT DRINKING BLEACH JUST
KIND OF BOWLED ME OVER.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TELLING ME FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, THAT I SORT OF
FRESAW DONALD TRUMP.
I WROTE A BOOK CALLED "THE DEAD ZONE," AND THERE WAS A CHARACTER
IN THERE, A KIND OF TV COMEDIAN-TYPE GUY WHO APPEALED
TO THE COMMON PEOPLE AND TOLD EVERYBODY THAT HE WAS GOING TO
SOLVE THE POLLUTION PROBLEM, AND THE PROBLEM OF GARBAGE.
HE WAS GOING TO SHOOT IT ALL INTO OUTER SPACE!
AND THEN HE WOULD HAND OUT HOT DOGS AND HE'D SAY, "YOU'RE GOING
TO SAY 'HOT DOG' WHEN YOU ELECT GREG STILSON PRESIDENT."
AND REALLY, SHOOTING GARBAGE INTO OUTER SPACE COMPARES PRETTY
FAIRLIY TO INJECTING BLEACH INTO THE HUMAN BODY I THINK.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH, I THINK IT'S ON-- I THINK IT'S ON
PAR.
IF YOU HAD WRITTEN-- IF YOU HAD WRITTEN THE SCENARIO WE'RE IN
RIGHT NOW, WOULD IT HAVE GONE THIS WAY?
IS IT PLAYING OUT THE WAY YOU WOULD HAVE IMAGINED IT?
>> WELL, I WROTE A BOOK CALLED "THE STAND," IN 1975 OR '76, AND
I'M STILL APOLOGIZING FOR IT 40, 50 YEARS LATER.
PEOPLE WILL COME ALONG AND SAY THROUGH THEIR LITTLE MASKS, "I
FEEL LIKE I'M LIVING IN A STEPHEN KING STORY."
AND MY RESPONSE IS, "I'M SORRY FOR THAT."
BUT WHEN I WROTE IT BACK IN THE 70s, I JUST HAD THIS IDEA
BASED ON A CHEMICAL SPILL IN UTAH.
AND I WENT TO A DOCTOR THAT I KNEW, AND I SAID, "COULD YOU
GIVE ME A SCENARIO FOR A PANDEMIC THAT WIPES OUT 99% OF
THE EARTH'S POPULATION?" AND HIS EYES LIT UP.
I MEAN, THEY LOVE THAT SORT THE APOCALYPTIC "WHAT IF" SCENARIO.
AND HE SAID, "WELL, THE FLU WOULD BE THE BEST THING.
IT'S A VIRUS.
IT'S NOT DEAD.
IT'S NOT ALIVE.
NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHAT IT IS."
BUT THE THING ABOUT THE FLU IS IT'S THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON
GIVING BECAUSE EVERY YEAR IT COMES BACK, BUT IT COMES BACK IN
A DIFFERENT FORM, SO THAT YOU NEED A DIFFERENT SHOT FOR IT.
AND MY FEAR, STEPHEN, ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS, IS THAT WE MAY GET
THINGS BACK TO NORMAL, AND THEN WANT VIRUS MUTATES, AND IT COMES
BACK, WHICH LEAVES TWO POSSIBILITIES-- ONE IS THAT IT
COMES BACK MUCH WEAKER AND IT'S NOT MUCH OF A PROBLEM.
BUT THE NIGHTMARE SCENARIO-- WHICH OF COURSE IS WHERE MY MIND
GOES-- I'M SORRY, BUT IT DOES-- IS THAT IT COMES BACK MORE
LETHAL THAN EVER.
>> Stephen: YOUR NEW BOOK IS CALLED "IF IT BLEEDS."
IT'S ACTUALLY FOUR STORIES.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, STEPHEN, I JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE A COPY OF IT
RIGHT HERE.
>> Stephen: OH, REALLY?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU DO?
>> IT'S MARVELOUS.
>> Stephen: LOOK AT THAT.
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE.
>> WE EACH HAVE A COPY OF IT.
IT'S FANTASTIC.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE ROLE OF A HORROR STORY RIGHT NOW WHEN
WE'RE LIVING IN A SORT OF DYSTOPIAN FUTURE?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT PEOPLE DO KIND OF GRAVITATE OWARD HORROR
STORIES WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH AND TIMES ARE SCARY.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY TRUE NOW.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO A HORROR STORY, LIKE "IF IT BLEEDS," OR
"GERALD'S GAME" OR ANY OF THE STUFF I'VE WRITTEN-- ALL OF
WHICH ARE AVAILABLE BY MAIL ORDER OR CURB SERVICE FROM YOUR
LOCAL BOOKSTORE-- CORRECT-- YOU READ IT, AND THE SITUATIONS ARE
EVEN MORE HORRIBLE THAN BEING UNDER HOUSE ARREST WITH NO
TOILET PAPER.
AND WHEN YOU FINISH, YOU CLOSE THE BOOK, AND YOU'VE HAD A PLACE
TO PUT YOUR FEARS FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY, "THESE PROBLEMS MUCH WORSE THAN MY
PROBLEMS," AND THEN YOU CLOSE THE BOOK, AND YOU CAN GO TO BED
AND SLEEP LIKE A BABY.
AT LEAST THAT'S-- THAT'S THE THEORY.
>> Stephen: WHO OF THE CHARACTERS YOU'VE WRITTEN WOULD
YOU LEAST WANT TO BE QUARANTINED WITH?
OR-- OR-- OR MOST.
EITHER ONE.
>> IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE.
I WOULDN'T BE TO WANT QUARANTINED WITH ANNIE WILKES.
BECAUSE SHE WOULD THINK THAT WAS A COCKA DOODY BRAT, AND THEN SHE
WOULD SAY, "STEPHEN, I HAVE A WONDERFUL IDEA FAIR BOOK, AND I
WANT TO YOU WRITE IT OR I'LL CUT OFF YOUR FOOT."
SO I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE QUARANTINED WITH HER.
IF I HAD TO PICK SOMEBODY THAT --
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT JACK TORRENCE?
YOU'D BE OKAY QUARANTINING WITH JACK TORRENCE FROM "THE
SHINING?" >> NO, I WOULDN'T BE OKAY
QUARANTINING WITH JACK TORRENCE, EITHER, BECAUSE I'D BE AFRAID
HE'D START WRITING, "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL
BOY."
I'D BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
BUT I COULD BE QUARANTINED WITH HOLLY GIVE ME FROM "IF IT
BEEDS."
SHE HAS HER O.C.D., BELLS AND WHISTLES AND TICKS AND TOCKS.
>> SHE'S A FAN FAVORITE AND IS BACK FOR THIS COLLECTION.
>> SHE IS, SHE IS.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S A FAN FAVORITE BUT SHE'S MY FAVORITE.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE STUCK WITH HER IN THIS BOOK, ANYWAY.
>> Stephen: YOU RECENTLY WERE ASKED FOR YOUR TOP 10 FAVORITE
BOOKS, AND YOU PUT "LORD OF THE RINGS" ON YOUR LIST.
I AM A HUGE FAN OF LORD OF THE RINGS.
WHAT IS IT, FROM A NOVELIST'S POINT OF VIEW, WHAT DO YOU LIKE
ABOUT "LORD OF THE RINGS?" >> OH, BOY, THAT IS ONE OF THE
BOOKS THAT TAUGHT ME HOW TO WRITE FICTION.
BECAUSE, OKAY, SO, THE HERO IS A HOBBIT.
HE'S A LITTLE TINY CRETE WUR FURRY FEET.
AND HE EATS 12 TIMES A DAY.
AND WE KNOW THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS HOBBITS.
BUT HE'S AN ORDINARY GUY, BUT HE'S GOT A BIG HEART, RIGHT?
HE'S GOT A HUGE HEART AND A LOT OF COURAGE, AND WE ALL WISH THAT
WE HAD THAT, PARTICULARLY IN TIMES LIKE THIS.
AND HE SETS OUT ON A QUEST WITH HIS FRIENDS, AND I LOVE STORIES
ABOUT FRERND FRENDSHIP, STRONG FELLOWSHIPS.
AND I I THINK EVERYBODY DOES.
I PARTICULARLY-- WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN "LORD OF
THE RINGS?" CAN I ASK THAT?
>> WELL, SAM.
>> SAM WAS MY FAVORITE CHARACTER FROM "LORD OF THE RINGS."
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE THE LINE THEY ALWAYS REMEMBER-- AND IT ACTUALLY
BROUGHT TEARS MY EYES-- IS WHEN THE RING FINALLY GOT TOO MUCH
FOR FRODO, SAM SAYS, "I WILL CARRY YOU, MR. FRODO."
AND HE DOES.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT, BEAUTIFUL STORY.
>> Stephen: I LIKE WHEN THEY'RE ABOUT TO GO UP INTO THE
CRACKS TO THROW THE RING IN THERE.
IT'S THE NIGHT BEFORE THEY GO UP.
AND HE LOOKS AT FRODO, AND HE SEES A LIGHT COMING OUT OF
FRODO.
HE PERCEIVES HIM AS A VESSEL OF LIGHT.
AND HE GOES, "WELL"-- HE LOVES HIM, HE REALIZES.
AND HE SAYS, "WELL, HE'S LIKE THAT, AND SOMETIMES IT SHINES
THROUGH."
I JUST LOVE THAT MOMENT WHERE HE JUST REALIZES THAT HOW MUCH LOVE
AND ADMIRATION HE HAS FOR HIM.
>> IT'S A SIMPLE STORY, BUT IT'S WELL TOLD, AND YOU CAN FALL INTO
IT.
IT'S PARTICULARLY GOOD IN TIMES LIKE THESE.
AND I THINK YOU AND I WOULD BOTH SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING
FED UP WITH BEING QUARANTINED AND THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO GO.
THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO PUT YOUR HEART FOR QUITE A LONG TIME,
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT THERE.
BUT IT'S ONE OF THOSE BOOKS THAT WHEN I GOT TO THE END OF IT, I
SAID TO MYSELF, "IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG TIME-- MAYBE IT'S
GOING TO BE YEARS-- BEFORE I READ ANYTHING AS GOOD AS THIS
AGAIN."
>> Stephen: STEPHEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.
>> Stephen: AND THANKS FOR THE NEW BOOK.
"IF IT BLEEDS" IS ON SALE NOW.
STEPHEN KING, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.