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Encyclopedia > Desperation
For other uses, see Desperation (disambiguation).
Desperation

First edition cover
Author Stephen King
Country Flag of the United States USA
Language English
Genre(s) Horror
Publication date 1996
Media type Print (Hardback)
Preceded by The Green Mile
Followed by Bag of Bones

Desperation is a horror novel by Stephen King. It was published in 1996 at the same time as its "mirror" novel, The Regulators. It was made into a TV movie starring Ron Perlman in 2006. Desperation can refer to: In literature: Desperation - the 1996 Stephen King novel and the 2006 TV movie by the same name set in the fictional town of Desperation, Nevada. ... Image File history File links Desperationbook. ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... “Horror story” redirects here. ... The year 1996 in literature involved some significant events and new books. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... This article is about the serial novel by Stephen King. ... Bag of Bones is a 1998 novel by Stephen King. ... Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader. ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Regulators is a novel by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... For the business executive, see Ronald Perelman. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


The two novels represent parallel universes relative to one another, and most of the characters present in one novel's world also exist in the other novel's reality, albeit in different circumstances.

Contents

Plot summary

Desperation is the story of several people traveling along the desolate Highway 50 in Nevada who all get abducted by Collie Entragian, the deputy of the fictional mining town of Desperation. Entragian uses various pretexts for his abductions, from an arrest for drug possession to “rescuing” a family from a nonexistent gunman. US 50- The Loneliest Road in America US 50 stretching across the Nevada desert U.S. Route 50 in Nevada crosses the center of the state and is known as the Loneliest Road in America. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Nevada. ...


The captives quickly realize that something is very wrong with Entragian, as his bizarre statements and mannerisms soon escalate to brutal assaults and murder. They come to understand that he is possessed by an ancient evil, a supernatural entity which calls itself Tak, that had been imprisoned in an old abandoned mineshaft until recent activity by a local mining company unearthed it. Tak has the ability to control the local desert wildlife, such as vultures, snakes, spiders, scorpions, and coyotes, and can also take more direct control of human hosts, though such manifestation causes rapid deterioration of the host's body. As such, Tak needs to frequently find new hosts to inhabit in order to travel outside of the ini, a well in an underground chamber, and Tak’s entryway into this world. The story suggests that Tak is actually a physical being trapped in another dimension, but can send its spirit into our world through this opening. For other uses, see Spirit (disambiguation). ... Tak is an extradimensional entity existing within the Stephen King Universe; in the main, his activities are limited to the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively (two books which are, in fact, parallel worlds of one other, after a fashion). ... Tak is an extradimensional entity existing within the Stephen King Universe; in the main, his activities are limited to the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively (two books which are, in fact, parallel worlds of one other, after a fashion). ... Tak is an extradimensional entity existing within the Stephen King Universe; in the main, his activities are limited to the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively (two books which are, in fact, parallel worlds of one other, after a fashion). ... In the Stephen King/Richard Bachman parallel-worlds novels Desperation and The Regulators, the term ini refers to a dimensional portal; in this case, a small aperture (only about an inch across in Desperation, and somewhat larger in The Regulators) that connects Earth to the dimension in which Tak was... For other uses, see Dimension (disambiguation). ...


Among the travelers is a boy named David Carver, who is able to commune with and receive guidance from God. This aspect brings a philosophical, religious depth unseen in some of King's other, earlier works. This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...


As the survivors eventually manage to escape the clutches of Entragian/Tak, their first inclination is to escape Desperation, until David reveals that it is God's will that they confront Tak and seal the ini again.


Inspiration

Stephen King was inspired to write Desperation as a result of a cross-country drive in 1991, during which he visited the small desert community of Ruth, Nevada, near U.S. 50. His first thought was that the town's inhabitants were all dead. He then wondered who had killed them, and the idea occurred to him that the town's sheriff had done so.[1] In 1994, he took another cross-country trip, this time astride his motorcycle, and heard the tale of Chinese laborers who had been trapped inside a collapsed mine near Ruth. Rather than risking the loss of would-be rescuers, the Chinese men were abandoned to their fate. This anecdote was the germ of King's plot for the novel.[2] Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... A small town in White Pine County, Nevada that was founded in 1903. ... U.S. Route 50 is an east-west U.S. highway. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... This article is about mineral extractions. ...


Release with The Regulators

The original hardcovers
The original hardcovers

Desperation was released simultaneously with the novel The Regulators (published by King under the name Richard Bachman). The two novels share many similarities, most notably the cast of characters. Although, in some instances, the ages of the similar characters are vastly different. The original hardcover versions of the novels had cover artwork by Mark Ryden that connected when the two books were placed side by side. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Regulators is a novel by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. ... Richard Bachmans author photo. ... Mark Ryden (b. ...


Dark Tower connections

  • The term can-toi (that is, 'children of the desert') is used in the Dark Tower series to describe the Low Men in Yellow Coats.
  • In the final scene where the survivors are looking at the school photo album, the numbers '10' and '9' appear in the hopscotch diagram. 10+9=19, 19 being the infamous number of the Dark Tower world.

For other uses, see The Dark Tower. ...

TV movie

Desperation
Directed by Mick Garris
Produced by Bruce Dunn
Mick Garris
Stephen King
Mark Sennet
Kelly Van Horn
Written by Stephen King
Starring Tom Skerritt
Ron Perlman
Steven Weber
Annabeth Gish
Distributed by ABC (USA)
Release date(s) May 23, 2006 (USA)
Running time 180 min. (with commercials)
Language English
Budget $12M (USD)
IMDb profile

Desperation was adapted into a television movie, written by King himself, was filmed in 2004 and broadcast in 2006. The film was directed by frequent King collaborator Mick Garris and starred Ron Perlman as Collie Entragian, Tom Skerritt, Steven Weber, and Annabeth Gish. Filming primarily took place in Bisbee, Arizona, in the nearly deserted Lowell borough, with other sequences in Old Bisbee, the outskirts of Bisbee, and in Tucson, Arizona. During filming, a set in the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) caught fire. Five people were injured. The fire destroyed everything on the set, including all production gear and equipment, and the TCC was heavily damaged.[3] Image File history File links Desperation_pos. ... Mick Garris (December 4, 1951 -) is an American filmmaker and screenwriter born in Santa Monica, California. ... Mick Garris (December 4, 1951 -) is an American filmmaker and screenwriter born in Santa Monica, California. ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... Thomas Alderton Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an Emmy Award-Winning American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes (half Picket Fences). ... For the business executive, see Ronald Perelman. ... Steven Weber (born March 4, 1961) is an American actor. ... Annabeth Gish (b. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... is the 143rd day of the year (144th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... “Telefilm” redirects here. ... Mick Garris (December 4, 1951 -) is an American filmmaker and screenwriter born in Santa Monica, California. ... For the business executive, see Ronald Perelman. ... Thomas Alderton Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an Emmy Award-Winning American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes (half Picket Fences). ... Steven Weber (born March 4, 1961) is an American actor. ... Annabeth Gish (b. ... Bisbee is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, USA, 82 miles (132 km) southeast of Tucson. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... , Tucson (pronounced ) is the seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles (98 km) north of the U.S.-Mexico border. ...


The film closely followed the plot of the novel, and received moderate reviews, including a 46 rating from Metacritic.[4] Though originally intended as a two-part miniseries, Desperation aired in its three-hour entirety on May 23, 2006, on ABC, after a red-carpet premiere screening at Tucson's historic Fox Theatre (built in 1929). ABC aired Desperation on the same time as Fox's American Idol, an action that King himself was upset with,[5] and thus did not do well at all in the ratings. Even the bemused populace of Bisbee was torn between the two programs. Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... A miniseries (sometimes mini-series), in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. ... American Idol is an American reality-competition show airing on Fox. ...


Cast

Thomas Alderton Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an Emmy Award-Winning American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes (half Picket Fences). ... Richard Bachmans author photo. ... For the business executive, see Ronald Perelman. ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... Steven Weber (born March 4, 1961) is an American actor. ... Steve Ames is a fictional character from the Mirror-Image worlds in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively. ... Annabeth Gish (b. ... Mary Jackson is a fictional character from the alternate Earths in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively. ... Charles Durning Charles Durning (born February 28, 1923 in Highland Falls, New York) is an American actor of stage and screen, born to an impoverished Irish American Catholic family, which he left as soon as possible to ease the financial pressure on his mother. ... Tom Billingsley is a fictional character from the mirror-image worlds in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively. ... Shane Haboucha in the video clip for Stacys Mom. ... David Carver is a fictional character from the Mirror-Image worlds in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively. ... Matt Frewer (b. ... Ralph Carver is a fictional character from the Mirror-Image worlds in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively. ... Richard Bachmans author photo. ... Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr. ... Peter Jackson is a fictional character from the Mirror-Image worlds in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively. ... Sylva Kelegian is an American actress. ... Richard Bachmans author photo. ... Samantha Sammi Hanratty (born September 20, 1995) is an American child actress whose movie and television roles include Holly in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Kayla in Magic. ... Kirsten Pie Carver is a fictional character from the Mirror-Image worlds in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman Novels Desperation and The Regulators, respectively. ...

Relations to works by King

  • Cynthia Smith, the drifter who gets mixed up in the events of the novel after being picked up by Steve Ames, was a resident of the shelter Daughters and Sisters from Rose Madder. She mentions sustaining a broken nose in Norman's crazed attack. There is also mention of 'a baleful rose-madder glint in the eyes of a horse drawn on the wall of the movie theatre in which the group takes shelter.
  • Tommyknockers are mentioned during Tom Billingsly's China Pit story,
  • In the film, a vision of David's shows the words "redrum dog" (reversed to: murder god) painted in red upon the wall. This is a reference to "The Shining."

Rose Madder is a 1995 novel by Stephen King. ... For other uses, see Nose (disambiguation). ... Rose madder can mean: Rose madder, a pinkish color made from madder pigment or dye. ... For other uses of this term, see Shining. ...

References

  1. ^ StephenKing.com: Inspiration for Desperation
  2. ^ Highway 50 - "The Loneliest Road in America" passes through White Pine County, Nevada
  3. ^ Desperation (2006) (TV) - Trivia
  4. ^ Stephen King’s Desperation (ABC) - Reviews from Metacritic
  5. ^ StephenKing.com: News

External links

Look up Desperation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

  Results from FactBites:
 
hfn - The Years of Lying Desperately (8696 words)
This action reflects the desperation of the terrorists who are trying to destroy the Iraqis’ confidence in their government’s ablity to protect them.
Well, that's the desperation you see from terrorists and see from regime elements who know that a free and peaceful Iraq is going to deal them a significant blow, and deal a significant blow to their ambitions.
The terrorists are growing more desperate in their attempts to derail the elections and they're trying to put it all on the line and give it all they can.
desperation - definition of desperation in Encyclopedia (269 words)
Desperation is the title of a horror novel by Stephen King.
Desperation is the story of several people travelling through Nevada who all get arrested for one reason or another (all of which are unjustified) by Collie Entragian, the deputy of the fictional ghost town of Desperation.
Desperation was released simultaneously with the novel The Regulators (published by King under the name Richard Bachman).
  More results at FactBites »


 

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