Customer Reviews

Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired by Stephen King

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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. If you live in Maine and need to add some weight to your rear wheels to make it through the snow, toss a couple of these babies in the trunk.

Secondly, an epic amount of effort went into creating this book. The sheer magnitude of artwork assembled between these oversized covers is awe inspiring. I can't imagine the diligence it took to ferret these pieces out, or the quantity of supplications that must have been required to pry them out of the hands of publishers and collectors long enough to photograph, or the Herculean task of cataloging and sorting and laying them out into such a beautifully designed volume. One must be more than "committed" create a book like this. One must be obsessed.

But mainly, the book is truly a monument to the twisted imagination of Stephen King and the images it has conjured up in the minds of the talented artists represented herein.

Section one, "Early Art: 1974-1984," opens with a collection of artwork ranging from the pedestrian (some of the early book covers where the art, while technically fine, fails utterly to suggest the depth of weirdness within) to the ludicrous (advertising art for a Literary Guild newsletter that makes THE SHINING look like a Nancy Drew mystery) to the sublime (John Cayea's Boschian jacket art for THE STAND). It then presents portfolios by Don Brautigam, Stephen Gervais, J. K. Potter, Ned Dameron, Thomas Canty and Phil Hale, each portfolio accompanied by brief essays by George Beahm.

Section two, "Middle Art: 1985-1995," begins with an overview of book art and ably-written text, but on page 201 something remarkable happens: we encounter the work of Bernie Wrightson and a personal interview conducted by George Beahm and fantasy artist Tim Kirk. At this point I quit skimming the articles and slowed down to read every word...whenever, that is, I wasn't staring glassy-eyed at Wrightson's compelling imagery.

Section two continues to compel with artwork by Michael Whelan, Don Maitz, Dave McKean and Rick Berry. The astounding thing here is the sheer range of expression from artist to artist, all inspired by the same writer. Funny how the same words can conjure such varied images in the human mind, and how lucky we are that some of those humans possess the skill to share their inner imaginings with those of us who can only gaze in wonder and admiration.

The last section, "Current Art: 1996-present," features the work of John Jude Palencar, Peter Staminirov, Drew Struzan, Steve Stone, Darrel Anderson and Les Edwards. Article-wise, the standout offering is the Struzan piece. Struzan's work is iconic, gracing movie posters from the 1970s until his recent retirement, including posters for BLADE RUNNER, the STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES series and, presented here, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE and THE MIST. While not as horrific as the other work here displayed, the accompanying article reminds us of what we recently lost as movie posters moved from the tactile medium of paint to bits and bytes rendered on computer screens. Like the legendary gunmen of the west, Struzan's retirement coincides with the end of a rich, textured era, the likes of which we will not see again.

In this way, too, KNOWING DARKNESS is monumental, commemorating what is likely to be the passing of a glorious era of hand-rendered art. Our consolation is that this particular body of work is so grandly and lovingly assembled to enjoy for decades, and even generations, to come.

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, the second volume of my LOST WORK OF STEPHEN KING to be published by the Overlook Connection Press.) With that out of the way, let me say that even if I had no connection to the work and world of Stephen King other than reading him, I would be absolutely blown away by this stupendous volume.

As author George Beahm knows, I have never been a big fan of collecting art or of the efforts to illustrate works of literature. I just never responded to it in a way that would have transformed it into a passion.

Yet now, after sitting with KNOWING DARKNESS and flipping through every page, I can easily see the impact art can have when it is created to accompany a story, or a novel. This book is an enormous treasure trove of almost everything "visual" related to King's work, from book covers and line drawings, to massive full-color multi-page foldouts. The book is organized chronologically, which helps keep us grounded as to where in King's career the art appeared, but other than that, the "timeline" approach wasn't really necessary, since each art work is superb and there was no "evolution" of artistic interpretation of King's work over the decades. From CARRIE on, artists have responded brilliantly to King's stories, and it was an amazing experience seeing some of the characters and scenes I've known so well over the years.

Physically, the book is HUGE. It takes up the right quarter of my coffee table. The quality of the reproductions is breathtaking, and the accompanying essays provide historical, literary, and King-related insights into the works that are represented.

KNOWING DARKNESS is an expensive book, but for collectors, it's worth it. I've been trying to think of other authors whose body of work has lent itself to the type of artistic interpretation presented in this book. I could only think of a couple, although there may be more: JRR Tolkien and HP Lovecraft. With this volume, Stephen King is certainly in good company. All involved should be pleased and proud. The creation and publication of KNOWING DARKNESS is a milestone event in the fields of both art and literature.

Stephen Spignesi

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 angle on the subject. Even more rare is a book which is instantly necessary, filling a niche in King criticism and appreciation that has long been overlooked. Knowing Darkness neatly fits both categories; it is at once fresh and essential. It is a wonder that a book of this type has not been written before.

Even if it had been, however, it could not possibly have approached the scope of Knowing Darkness. Its aim - to cover the world of Stephen King through the art and artists inspired by his works - is no small feat, and the immensity of the finished product is a testament to that. The book is huge, wide and tall and incredibly heavy, packed with full-color glossy reproductions of the best and most interesting artwork ever married to Stephen King's words. For easier navigation, Knowing Darkness is divided into three major sections: Early Art (1974-1984); Middle Art (1985-1995); and Current Art (1996-present). In addition, major artists in the King canon, such as Bernie Wrightson, Michael Whelan, and Phil Hale, get spotlight treatment, including in-depth interviews and a deeper look into the breadth of their contributions.

Surprises abound, both artistically and textually. A major contributor to the field of King artwork, Don Brautigam, has been largely unsung Ö but his terrific cover art has adorned such iconic paperback covers as the original The Stand, Dolores Claiborne, The Drawing of the Three, The Running Man, and perhaps my favorite, The Dark Half. As horror art seems more a male-dominated field, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the cover of Pet Sematary and the Creepshow movie poster were created by women. And did you know that the art for The Stand was inspired by a Goya painting? I didn't, either.

Beyond these fascinating tidbits, we are treated to some sumptuous art. Knowing Darkness is worth its price and weight alone for the illustrations which originally accompanied the limited edition of Christine (breathtaking work by Stephen Gervais). The oversized reproductions of Bob Giusti's It and Misery covers and Rob Wood's Dolores Claiborne and Four Past Midnight covers get a whole new life when viewed out of the context of book covers. And that is to say nothing of the art original to this volume, the best of which is a brand-new Don Maitz interpretation of Duma Key, which features a ghost ship on an easel overlooking an Atlantic sunset. You don't notice at first - your eye is so drawn to the ship in the foreground - that the gulls in the distance are flying upside-down.

Of course, this would all amount to little more than a collection of pretty pictures without the binding strength of George Beahm's essays. Beahm, a Stephen King expert who perfected the companion-book genre with The Stephen King companion before going on to write The Stephen King Story and many other must-haves - is at his most compelling here. He manages to convey his fascination and excitement for the subject in every essay, and pass that onto the reader. The exclusive interviews, especially the one with Bernie Wrightson, are illuminating.

Books about King are legion, and there are many terrific volumes out there which rise above the chaff. There are only a handful, though, that are absolute musts for King fans. Knowing Darkness is beyond a doubt one of the absolute musts, not just for King fans, but for anyone interested in art and illustration. With such a wealth of material to cover - from mass-produced cover art, to limited-edition illustration, to interpretive pieces - it's an achievement that a project like Knowing Darkness was even attempted. That it is executed so beautifully, then, is phenomenal.

PS - An earlier review states that the slipcase basically exploded when he took it out of the box. The slipcase I have is sturdy and exceptionally well-designed. Not only does it look beautiful (with illustrations from Desperation and The Stand on either side), but it's constructed just fine. I'm not sure if that other reviewer's product was manhandled in shipping, but mine is just fine.

-Kevin Quigley is the webmaster of Charnel House, a premiere Stephen King website ([...]), and author of the book Chart Of Darkness, a book about Stephen King on the bestseller charts.

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! Will likely be the centerpiece of your book collection. This book is made of the highest quality materials ever assembled into making a book. The book has 32 fold outs which I think could be a record in the publishing industry. The colors of the art literally jump off the page when you look at the art contained within this book! I have never seen so much care go into a book before! The deluxe limited edition is a one of a kind book that is well worth the price. You simply will not own a more elaborate book. Get one before they are gone forever!!

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. I am a professional illustrator and book designer...and this book is a treasure in my professional opinion. As a fan of a lot of the artists in the book and, of course, of Mr. King...i commend Centipede on this momentous tome. There aren't enough positive adjectives for it. WELL DONE!!!