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Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired by Stephen King [Hardcover]

George Beahm , Michael Whelan , Dave McKean , Bernie Wrightson , Phil Hale , Mary Ryden , Drew Struzan , Frank Darabont
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)


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Book Description

November 1, 2009

From the publishers of A Lovecraft Retrospective: Artists Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.

Drawing on 35 years of Stephen King in print, Centipede Press's second art book, Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired by Stephen King, measures 11 x 15 inches.  It has 448 pages and over 500 illustrations, including 30 double-page foldouts. From Carrie to Just After Sunset, this definitive collection of art spans King's entire career, with newly commissioned artwork and reprinted art, most from publications long out-of-print that command premium prices.

Scrupulously reproduced with fidelity, shot from the artists' original art or color-corrected computer scans, the art appears the way the artist had intended—a private gallery, as it were, showcasing the works of the most talented artists in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror fields.

The book is printed on heavy matte paper, varnished for protection, and sports sewn signatures for repeated readings. The book is protected by a custom-fitted, illustrated slipcase.

Representing every artistic medium—collages, scratchboard, oils, acrylics, watercolors, graphite pencil, photographs, and digital art—the art reproduced includes virtually all of the work published in King's impossible-to-find, out-of-print limited editions, trade book covers (hardback and paperback), and movie posters.

Drawing on artists worldwide, this book includes work by Dave McKean, Bernie Wrightson, David Palladini, John Jude Palencar, Michael Whelan, Bob Eggleton, John Cayea, Rowena Morrill, Jill Bauman, Kinuko Y. Craft, Jason Eckhard, Les Edwards, David Ho, Allen Koszowski, Zach McCain, Alex McVey, John Picacio, Don Punchatz, Rick Berry, Douglas Smith, Thomas Canty, Glenn Chadbourne, David Christensen, Alan Clark, Ned Dameron, Linda Fennimore, Stephen Gervais, Mark Geyer, Phil Hale, Don Maitz, Steven Stroud, Drew Struzan, and Mark Ryden. As a special visual treat, some of the artists were asked to draw new pieces, based on their favorite King stories or novels, which will never appear anywhere else.

The text for the book—the in-depth profiles, the interviews, the essays—is by George Beahm, whose definitive books about King include a companion book, a biography, a price guide, a travel guide, and collections of essays. Beahm, who has published 30 books on various subjects, has also written extensively about artists and has worked with numerous artists for decades.

SIGNED EDITION: Comprised of two books, both laid in a matching traycase, this collectible is limited to only 300 copies worldwide. The art book has been signed by over thirty artists. A supplementary book of 20 prints (13x19 inches in full color) is also included.

Note: The book is not signed by Mr. Stephen King, nor does it have any text by him.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Frank Darabont is the director of Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, and The Mist.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 440 pages
  • Publisher: Centipede Press; Trade Edition edition (November 1, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1933618493
  • ISBN-13: 978-1933618494
  • Product Dimensions: 15.6 x 11.6 x 2.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,742,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a full-time writer specializing in non-fiction, mostly pop culture topics. On the side, I run a small company that handles producing art prints and also handle the sales of collectibles online through eBay. I live in southeast Virginia.

Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Best King-related book ever!! December 7, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
What can I say. I've been reading Stephen King since 1975, have a collection of some 250 plus books, but never have I been as impressed by a King-related book as I am with Knowing Darkness. The quality of the reproductions is amazing; the all-round quality of the book (paper, binding, etc.) is the best I've ever seen.
Any King-fan will be proud to add this publication to his or her collection!

Highly recommended, without any hesitation.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Knowing Greatness January 23, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is simply one of the most amazing books to be produced about Stephen King's world ever! The publisher has exceeded my expectations about what this book would be. There is page after page of stunning reproductions of artwork contained within the covers. It is nice to be able to view the images without the lettering (King's name and book title) super-imposed over them. Not only do you get to see the images as the artist made them, but you also learn what inspired them and about the artists themselves. Some share tidbits of what it was like to create something for the Master Stephen King. Although the price is steep for this volume, it is well worth having something like this in your collection. The only downside is the slipcase is not of the best quality, mine cracked along one bottom corner, be forewarned and use precaution when sliding the book out.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars beyond awesome, with caveats November 12, 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Okay, first of all, the price -- which, yes, is quite steep even when discounted -- does not enter into my rating. I've got some thoughts on it, though, and I'll get to those at the end.

No, my review is based on the book and its contents, which are, in a word, awesome. I haven't read a bit of the text yet (I just got "Under the Dome," so it's a no-brainer as to which to read first), but I did take a quick jaunt through the book looking at the art. It is an absolutely stunning collection that covers King's entire career from 1974 through 2008. The art, as you'd expect, varies in quality, but the presentation is out of this world, and the good art -- which is the vast majority of it -- is frequently wonderful.

I honestly have a hard time imagining a devoted King fan who wouldn't want this book. It would probably also be of great interest to anyone who seriously enjoys horror art. If you fall into one of those camps, and you have the money to spend on this thing, then I say you're well-advised to go ahead and spend it; I'd be surprised if you felt as if you'd been cheated.

However, I'm quite disappointed in one aspect of the product: the slipcase.

I opened the box from Amazon, picked the book up, laid it down on the kitchen table, and unwrapped it. Then, I picked it up so I could remove the book from the slipcase, and as soon as I had it in the air, the book busted out the bottom of the slipcase. It was only through having fast hands that my ultra-expensive limited edition managed to not end up in the floor.

I dearly and honestly hope that no one else who bought this book will have that happen, so maybe (and hopefully) mine was a fluke, BUT ... for a book this expensive to have a slipcase that prone to such severe damage is, frankly, amazing. And a little bit disgusting. I care about the book far more than I care about the slipcase, so I'm not gonna bother returning it. That's what clear packaging tape is for.

Still, though; that's poor, poor stuff, and I expect better for the amount of money I paid for this thing.

Nothing but glowing praise for the book itself, though.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Must have!
This is NOT a book. This is a MASSIVE BOOK !
Created by Centipede Press, this is more than a book about Stephen King : this is an artbook based on Stephen King's work. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Club Stephen King
5.0 out of 5 stars Gallery of scary but cool artwork of king's work!
Once you read this, you'll be stepping into an art museum and see the awesome artwork of king's work, such as illustrations and the famous front.book covers. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Neon85
5.0 out of 5 stars THE KING OF ALL BOOKS!!!
WOW!! This is without a doubt one of the greatest books ever published hands down!! The book is truly a monumental work of art as much as the art contained within it! Read more
Published on April 18, 2011 by Michael g
5.0 out of 5 stars Knowing Greatness!
I was fortunate enough to get this item for my 40th birthday. It's the most beautiful art book I have EVER seen!...I teach graphic design. Read more
Published on November 25, 2010 by John Jennings
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb item
Beautiful, heavy book. Worth all the Dollars I payed for it (and with Amazon much cheaper than elsewhere!). Highyl recommended item for everyone who loves Stephen King.
Published on December 25, 2009 by A. S. Sangers
5.0 out of 5 stars A monumental work
When I say that KNOWING DARKNESS is monumental, I mean that in every sense of the word.

First, it's big. And thick. And heavy. Read more
Published on December 19, 2009 by Jan S. Strnad
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome career-spanning collection
First off, in full disclosure, I am friends with the author and some of the artists in this book. I've also written five books about Stephen King's work and am working on a sixth,... Read more
Published on December 6, 2009 by Stephen Spignesi
5.0 out of 5 stars The most beautiful book about Stephen King ever.
There have been so many books published about Stephen King - far more than have been written by King - that it is all too infrequent when one comes along that takes an entirely new... Read more
Published on December 5, 2009 by Kevin Quigley
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