Inspired by Richard Matheson's classic "Duel," "Throttle," by Joe Hill and Stephen King, is a duel of a different kind, pitting a faceless trucker against a tribe of motorcycle outlaws in the simmering Nevada desert. Their battle is fought out on twenty miles of the most lonely road in the country, a place where the only thing worse than not knowing what you're up against, is slowing down . . .
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
"They rode west from the slaughter, through the painted desert, and did not stop until they were a hundred miles away." So begins Throttle's terrifying odyssey down desolate Route 6, a long stretch of road in Nevada's empty desert. Vince, his son Race, and his pack of bikers, The Tribe, are on the run, but it's not long before the group is chased by something far more frightening and relentless than the memory of their own crimes. In Throttle, Stephen King and his son, novelist Joe Hill, have paired up to write a suspenseful novella in homage to Richard Matheson's famous "Duel," a story which also features a mysterious driver with deadly road rage. In both works, the driver is faceless, a senseless source of terror that feels almost machine-like, inhuman: King and Hill reveal only his arm hanging out of his window, "a cigarette smoldering between two fingers." Throughout, the story is enlivened with vivid illustrations, and the prose is quieter and more lyrical than we've come to expect from King, full of visual detail: the desert cliffs "striped in chalky shades of yellow and red," the "tires churning up a fog of dust that turned the blue sky white." It seems Hill may have had a strong hand in the prose, but a father-son team is definitely behind this: amid its horror, the real heart of Throttle is the complex, thorny relationship between Vince and his son. Nothing is black and white in this horror story. The reader will no doubt root for The Tribe in Throttle's battle, but as the curtain closes, everyone has blood on their hands.
--Simone Gorrindo
From AudioFile
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
67 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Stephen King never disappoints with his short stories, and this one, co-authored with his son Joe Hill, is no exception. I'm guessing this tale of bikers was somewhat inspired by his fandom of "Sons of Anarchy". As the summary reveals, it was also inspired by Richard Matheson's classic "Duel".
On the surface, there is not much to like about this group of grizzled outlaw bikers - especially after learning of their most recent "incident". It's actually hard to pull for either side - the bikers have done evil things and the trucker seems to be a cold-blooded, anonymous murderer. This is a story without heroes. But even though I could never decide whether I wanted the bikers to get away from the trucker or not, the full-throttle action kept me riveted. King and Hill managed to provide a slow reveal of character development and back-story in this otherwise high-octane narrative. Eventually, near the end of the story, I begin to care about *everyone* - even the anonymous trucker - and THAT is what makes the ending so tragic and this short story so brilliant.
On the surface, there is not much to like about this group of grizzled outlaw bikers - especially after learning of their most recent "incident". It's actually hard to pull for either side - the bikers have done evil things and the trucker seems to be a cold-blooded, anonymous murderer. This is a story without heroes. But even though I could never decide whether I wanted the bikers to get away from the trucker or not, the full-throttle action kept me riveted. King and Hill managed to provide a slow reveal of character development and back-story in this otherwise high-octane narrative. Eventually, near the end of the story, I begin to care about *everyone* - even the anonymous trucker - and THAT is what makes the ending so tragic and this short story so brilliant.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By D. Steele
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
its always about human relationships with king really, just wrapped in horror; its a good solid king story worth buying, especially for the price; even if your not a big king fan; this is a good read
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By David Dalton
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was my first Kindle Single, and when I saw who the authors were I did not waste a second in ordering "Throttle" (especially when you consider it only cost $0.99). I love Stephen King, and while I have not read any of Joe's material, I have heard of him and know that King is his father. What a combo. The subject mater was just icing on the cake for me. A biker story as a homage to Duel: Terror Stories by Richard Matheson by Richard Matheson? Who could pass this one up? I enjoyed this short story and was amazed at how much story Stephen and Joe packed into this "single".
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hate it,
This was another one chapter, I want a book with lots of chapters in it seems I keep getting one chapter stories.
Published 21 hours ago by Pat
2.0 out of 5 stars
Meh.
I didn't buy it.
Not much time to do a hell of a lot of character development in the brief span of this story, but the people seems cartoonish and mono-dimensional. Read more
Not much time to do a hell of a lot of character development in the brief span of this story, but the people seems cartoonish and mono-dimensional. Read more
Published 2 days ago by SoBeBum
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another short but sweet one
A nice page turner that kept me on my toes. I always wish his stories were longer but this one was a little short.
Published 2 days ago by Toni
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read!
Fast paced, excellent book. Read it all in one sitting, couldn't put it down! Would love to see more by this duo!
Published 3 days ago by Bruce And Penny Triplett
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great short story
I liked this story and it's twists and turns. It was a great quick read but not one of my absolute favorites. It has a raw, gritty feel and draws you in quickly. Read more
Published 3 days ago by C. Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Throttle is great
Throttle is like many books from Stephen King. Writing in collaboration with Joe Hill, one expects that the basic King template will be followed. It is and this is a great story. Read more
Published 4 days ago by David E. Greenlee
4.0 out of 5 stars
Throttle
I really enjoyed this book, even though I read it in like two hours. It is a fun, but brutal story, that ended well.
Published 15 days ago by Juggerfly
4.0 out of 5 stars
Too short
Good story,I wanted more. You really get to feel these characters.fast paced action.I would recommend this short story and look for more by the authors.
Published 16 days ago by Gail D Brenner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Throttle
Loved this!! Left me wanting more!! Stephen King never fails to satisfy. Can't wait for another new release from him!!
Published 18 days ago by christy mckiney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it!!
I guess I have been under a rock because I had no idea that Joe Hill is Mr. King 's son. Awesome story. It's about more than the murder and mayhem...it really struck a chord.
Published 18 days ago by LonghornFan
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