Carrie
In Carrie Stephen King seems to have trouble deciding if a neighboring city to
Chamberlain should be called Westover or Andover.
- Carrie goes to Westover to buy material for her end-of-season dance gown. But later,
when Frieda asks her where she has bought her gown Carrie says that she has made it
herself and that she has bought the material for it in Andover.
- According to the first message from the New England press bureau fire engines from
Westover, Motton and Lewiston comes to Chamberlain to help extinguish the fire. Sheriff
Doyle is quoted for saying that the only fire engines that made themself useful during the
fire was two old fire engines from Westover. In the third message from the New England
press bureau the journalist talks to a fire inspector from Andover. So where did he come
from?
- Carrie's death certificate comes from the Andover hospital.
'Salem's Lot
- In 'Salem's Lot in subchapter 3 of chapter 7 Stephen King writes about Matt visiting
Del's bar. Whilst in that bar Del pours out a glass of draught beer to Matt. But later on
when Matt talks to Mike, it says that Matt poured himself a glass of beer out of a bottle
he never bought.
- In subchapter 2 of chapter 11 Cody tells Matt that next time he has him anesthetized he
will remove his tongue and half of his frontal lobe (singular). Everyone knows that all
humans have two frontal lobes and not one.
The Shining
- In The Shining Stephen King can't decide which car was Jack and Wendy's first. In
chapter 6 it says that their first car was a five year old Buick. But in chapter 32 he
writes that Jack traded his Honda in on a Saab shortly after he met Wendy. So that would
mean that their first car was a Saab.
- There is another car-error. When Jack drives with his family up to Overlook, it says,
when he stops at a vantage point, that he stepped on the emergency-brake. The trouble is,
that no Volkswagen has ever had an emergency-brake. Mercedes had, though, but that is
another story.
The Dead Zone
In The Dead Zone there is one simple, but very embarrassing error.
- The boy, that Stillson uses as a shield, is, when we meet him the first time, called
Sean, then a bit later he is called Tommy, and finally at the Congressional Investigation
he is called Matt Robeson.
Nightshift
- In Grey Matter, in Nightshift, it says that Richie would be by
Henry's Nite-Owl once a day, to pick up a case of that days cheapest beer. But a few pages
later it says that Timmy brought back a case of Golden light, as always.
- In Trucks in Nightshift it says that the trucks drove around
patrolling outside the diner with their lights turned on. But on the next page it says
that the lights popped up in unison.
- In Sometimes They Come Back in Nightshift Vinnie asks Jim how
his brother is and as a reaction to that question, it says that Jim felt his bladder
loosen. And after that happened he goes in to the classroom to teach!!!
- In I Know What You Need also in Nightshift, there is an
embarrassing anachronism when Stephen King, in the beginning, writes that Elizabeth's
junior year ended. But later, when approximately the first quarter of the second year has
passed, Alice talks to Elizabeth. And Alice says, that if she should have been jealous at
Elizabeth or her dates, she would have moved out two years ago.
Cujo
- In Cujo Stephen King writes that Vic and Roger had agreed that Vic should pick up Roger
half past five in the morning. But about 30 pages later Vic tells Donna that Roger and
himself has agreed that he should pick Roger up at six in the morning.
- Stephen King also describes Donna's eyes as being grey, but later he describes them as
being blue.
Different Seasons
- In the beginning of Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, in Different
Seasons, the reader is told that the prisons coveralls doesn't have pockets, except for
the ones used by those working in the garage. But later on, after Andy has escaped, Red
tries to figure out how Andy got rid of all the dirt from the tunnel. He ends up
concluding that Andy must have made a pair of extra
pockets in each trouser leg and filled them with the dirt. And then when he walked around
in the prison yard he would open them with strings he had concealed in his trouser
pockets. Which pockets?
- There is an error in The Body, also from Different Seasons.
Chris shows Gordon his fathers gun and tells him that it isn't loaded, but Gordon
discovers that it is, when he pulls the trigger. Chris finds that immensely funny and
shortly afterwards he tells Vern and Teddie about what happened, while Gordon stands
beside them. But later, when they are trekking through the woods, Gordon wonders if Chris
has told the others about the incident with the gun or if it still is their secret.
- The error in The Breathing Method: David tells the reader that
the first Christmas story he heard at 249 was the one Gerard Tozeman told, but a few pages
before he mentions that he is listening to Peter Andrews telling his Christmas story.
Dark Tower
In the Dark Tower books there are the following errors:
- In The Gunslinger (The Way Station, ch. II) Roland's father is called Roland the elder.
But in The Wastelands (Chap. VI, subch. 10) Roland calls himself Roland, son of Steven,
when he talks to Blaine.
- In The Gunslinger (The Slow Mutants) Roland tries to look in a newspaper which he found
in the lap of a mummified trainman. But in The Drawing of the three Roland sees, whilst
looking through Eddie's eyes, men who are reading papers covered with letters and
pictures. It is strange that he doesn't recognize these things as newspapers, when he
himself tried to look at one in The Gunslinger.
- In The Gunslinger Roland sees, when he goes through Tull, three women wearing slacks.
(The Gunslinger, Ch. V), But in The Drawing of the Three he is shocked when he, through
Eddie's eyes, sees a stewardess wearing trousers. (The Prisoner ch. Ch. 1, subch. 6)
- In The Drawing of the Three, in the beginning of the Detta and Odetta chapter, Stephen
King quotes the Austrian psychoanalyst Alfred Adler (1870-1937). Adler is quoted for
saying that schizophrenia and split personality is the same thing. But nowadays we all
know better, except Stephen King, and that's a bit sad, come to think of it.
- In the beginning of The Drawing of the Three (The Prisoner ch. Ch. 1, subch. 9) Eddie
calls his boss Emilio Balazar, but later on (The Prisoner ch. Ch. 4, subch. 7) and
throughout the rest of the book he calls him Enrico Balazar.
- Yet another naming error has turned up, this one begins in The Drawing of the Three and
ends in The Wastelands. In The Drawing Eddie's sister is called Selina, but in The
Wastelands she is called Gloria.
Pet Sematary
In Pet Sematary there is an error in chapter 22. After burying Church it says that Jud
only grabbed the pick and walked off, while Louis took the shovel. But on the following
page it says that Louis handed Jud his pick. A pick that he didn't carry!
The Cycle of the
Werewolf
- In The Cycle of the Werewolf Stephen King changes the werewolf's eye color. In the
January chapter it says that it's yellow eyes gleamed. But from the July chapter and
throughout the rest of the book, the werewolf's eyes are green.
- Interesting detail: If you look at Berni Wrightson's pictures of the werewolf you can
see that he has colored the werewolf's eyes green on all the pictures.
- There is a second error - well almost.. In the September chapter it says that Elmer went
for his rifle. But after shaking his wife of him he takes his gun instead. I know a rifle
is a gun, but it's not that clear.
It
- In IT in chapter 10, subch. 5 Mike shows the others some scars that he has on his chest.
These scars should ostensibly have been made by the werewolf they met in the house on
Niebolt Street. But in ch. 18, subch. 9 the werewolf doesn't touch Mike. The only one it
touches, more gravely, is Ben, whom it slashes.
- In IT he writes in the beginning of Chapter 16: Eddie's bad break that Eddie felt pain
race up his left arm. But later on in that chapter he writes that Henry broke Eddie's
right arm.
- In Part 5 of the book Mike remembers that Henry and his gang chased them down into the
sewer on the 14th of August. But later, when they are trying to get out of the maze like
sewer it says that it was the 10th of August.
Misery
In Misery there are several errors.
- In chapter 22. And since I don't want break any copyright laws by beginning to quote the
better part of a page I will encourage you to get the book and then read the two sections
that starts with the words: " His other deductions..." and ends with the words:
" ..and the same). " When you have read these two sections you are equipped with
the knowledge to understand what it is I am talking about below.
So lets get started: From the words: " Because of his research.. " and until the
word " psychosis " this is what is wrong: The neurosis conception was introduced
by Sigmund Freud, as an important part of the theory about the psychosexual development.
Since then this theory and also the neurosis conception has been subject to dissociation
and is therefore not being used anymore.
From the words: Although a borderline.. and until aggressive cheerfulness, this is what is
wrong: Abnormal variations in a persons mood is not seen as a symptom for borderline
disorder. This variation in a persons mood, from depression to "aggressive"
cheerfulness, can be found with people suffering from bipolar manic-depression.
-And as the last thing: From: The puffed and.. and the rest of the quoted, this is what is
wrong: This part can quite possibly be a correct reference to the borderline disorder, as
it was set forth by psychoanalysts like Kohut and Ainsworth. As mentioned above this
psychoanalyzation was later rejected. If not anything else then Stephen King can at least
be accused of being anachronistic.
- In the end of chapter 23 Annie places the Royal on the board that she has made for the
wheelchair. But 2 pages later it says that it stood on the bureau.
- When Annie places Paul in front of the window he is glad that he has the possibility of
looking at something new instead of the room. And when he thinks of the things in the room
that he has been looking at for weeks he recalls the rooms blue wallpaper. But earlier,
when Annie comes into the room, to clean up the soup in the corner of the room it says
that she scrubbed on the plaster to make the stain disappear. Although it can be deducted
that Stephen King meant to have the rooms walls covered with wallpaper, because later,
when Paul burns his fake book he notices that some of the burning paper has set the
wallpaper on fire. ( Chapter III, subchapter 43 )
The Dark Half
- In The Dark Half Stephen King writes about how Delta-waves are characterizing for
REM-sleep.That is not true!
Delta-waves characterize Stage 4-sleep. And Stage 4-sleep is either when a person is in
deep sleep or unconscious. In Stage 4-sleep the brain oscillates between 1 and 4 hertz. So
in Stage 4-sleep REM-sleep can not occur. Stage 4-sleep is when a person either walks in
his sleep, talks in his sleep or have night terrors. REM-sleep does instead occur in what
is called Stage 5-sleep. In that stage the brain has an increased neuronal activity and
the brain waves produced there looks much like Beta-waves. And Beta-waves are the waves
that the brain shows when it is awake.
Then the brain produces Beta-waves the brain oscillates between 12 and 24 hertz. And when
that happens in a persons sleep, then it indicates that he is dreaming, i.e. he is
REM-sleeping.
In Insomnia Ralph and the pharmacist discuss' approximately the same
things, but their own lack of knowledge in to the subject can here be used as an excuse
for the wrong informations.
- Way before the below mentioned, and surely already read, errors there is another error.
This error concerns the second communique (771), in chapter 26. Like the other communique
in that chapter (234), the sender has written his name at the top of the letter and at the
bottom of the letter. The problem is, that the sender of communique 771 at the top of the
letter calls himself Gareth but at the bottom of the letter he calls himself Garfield.
The Stand - Uncut
Version
- In the "uncut" version of The Stand some confusion arises around chapter 54 in
the part that comes after the passage with the transcript from The Permanent Freezone
Committee.
If you examine the last part of that passage carefully you will see that Fran mentions
that she is very tired and want to go to bed. But in the next passage it seems as if Fran
and Stu has chosen to forget all about Fran's tiredness and instead travel to The Boulder
County Courthouse where Stu is to start working as a Sheriff. Why couldn't they wait 'till
the next day?
- Since we are talking about the next day, can anyone tell me whatever happened to the
20th of August? The meeting took place on the 19th of August and the next time a date is
mentioned is the day Harold Lauder goes to work with the Burial Committee and that day is
the 21st of August. You could deduce that it was Stephen King's meaning to write that Fran
and Stu went over to the Boulder County Courthouse on the 20th of August. But then, if
they went on the 20th, why did they have to do it at night? What happened during the day
that was so much more interesting, that they didn't have the time to go over there?
This place, and a few other places, shows very clearly where Stephen King decided to cut
passages out of the book, when he had to publish it the first time. The other places that
I mentioned above and which seem to cluster around chapter 54, 55 and 56, are the
following:
- In chapter 55 Fran tells Stu that she haven't said a word about him becoming a sheriff
since the 25th of August. But later it says that Harold woke on the 22nd of August.
Interesting!
- In chapter 56 Nadine goes over to Joe/Leo who is sitting in an armchair. Whilst looking
at him, she notices how his old scars and bruises have gone. But she has already noticed
this once! In chapter 53 she makes the same observations about Joe/Leo's scars.
- In chapter 56 On the bottom of one page it says that it was the morning of the 24th of
August and it furthermore says that she had spend the previous two nights at Harold's, but
she sat outside his house and waited for him on the 21st. A quick re-count will show that
she had actually spend three nights at Harold's.
- Stu Redman is supposed to be from a town 110 miles away from Houston. On the key chain
that he attaches to Kojak's collar, his phone number starts with area code 713. Even at
the first publishing of The Stand (though the error is in both versions), a town 110 miles
from Houston in any direction would have the area code 409. The 713 area code is
teensy-tiny, covering only the Houston metro area. It's even been reduced since The Stand,
since they added a new 281 area code. It looks a lot like an archery target, with 713 as
the bull's eye, 281 around that, and 409 around the whole thing.
- In the first version of The Stand Harold's candy bars were called Paydays. But when the
book was published someone pointed out to Stephen King that the (original) Paydays weren't
chocolate coated, so in the paperback version Stephen King changed it to Milky Ways.
Later, when the uncut version was published he used the Payday candy bars again because
they were on the market in 1990.
Four Past Midnight
- In The Langoliers, in Four Past Midnight, Stephen King writes that Brian noticed that
Albert took, among other things, a book of matches out of his pockets. 2 Pages later he
writes that Albert set fire to all of the matches. But later still Bethany lights a
cigarette with one of Albert's matches, the matches that Albert burned on earlier!
Needful Things
- In Needful Things Stephen King shows us all that he doesn't know anything about
computers. In chap. 7, subch. 5 Alan tells Polly that the last time his son Al was home it
was because he needed to talk to his friend Jimmy Catlin. Al wanted him to help him get
some of his choicest programs to run on the new Commodore 64. When Stephen King began
writing Needful Things it was 1988, and already then was a C-64 a very old
computer.
- You will ahve have noticed, if you had read Cujothat in Cujo it says that Evelyn
Chalmers died on the 30th of June 1980. But in Needful Things it says that she died in
1981 ( P.I: Chap. 2, subch. 1 ).
Insomnia
- The catfish in Insomnia is described as having scales. But catfish (both kind) have skin
and not scales like other fish.
Rose Madder
- The street that Rosie lives on is called Trenton Street, but the second time it is
mentioned in the book it is called Tremont Street.
The Green Mile
- In The Green Mile in book 6 he describes how Percy (still wearing his straitjacket, bear
in mind!) puts a hand up to his lips to cover them after Paul has removed the tape that
covered his mouth. Stephen King has corrected this error in the collector edition of The
Green Mile.
Desperation
In Desperation, there are a few errors.
- The first one concerns the Eat Em and Smile - album. Stephen King is making a mistake,
when he says that the album is a Van Halen album, when it in fact is a David Lee Roth
album, produced shortly after he left the group. In theory, this error could be explained
as being an error made solely by Peter Jackson and not by Stephen King, because of a lack
of knowledge concerning the origin of the album
- In Part I: Ch. 1, subch. 2 in the book Mary Jackson's hair is described as being short.
But throughout the rest of the book it is described as being long.
- In Part I: Ch. 5, subch. 2 where David visits Brian at the hospital he notices that
Brian lies with his eyes open. But later when Brian's mother phones him to tell him that
Brian is awake, it sounds as if it is a sensation, that Brian has opened his eyes. Brian's
mother is confused by this and so is Brian's doctor Dr. Waslewski, when he sees Brian open
his eyes.
- In Part II: Ch. 3, subch. 5 it says that one of the Kamikaze-vultures shattered the
passenger window in the truck, so it became milky. But in Part II: Ch. 4, subch. 2 Steve
looks out through that same window when he tries to find a place to park the truck. Later
in Part V: Ch.1, subch. 1 it says that Steve looked into the mirror outside the passenger
window, which would be impossible.
- Stephen King seems to be unable to keep track of how many people he has brought together
in the old cinema. Although there are eight people in the cinema, he continue to write
that there are only seven.
The Regulators
In The Regulators there is the following mistakes:
- In chapter 7 it says that Johnny put the major Pike figurine in the trouser pocket in
which he didn't carry the strange bullet. But in chapter 5, subch. 3 it says that Johnny
put the bullet in his right shirt pocket.
Dark Visions
In Dark Visions, Reploids there is the following mistake:
- In the first few pages, Detective Cheyney is called Dave Cheyney, for the the rest of
the story he is referred to as Richard Cheyney.
Rage
The following errors have been found in Rage (Not strictly a King book, but I think we
can allow it ;-)
- While talking about Dick Cables car, Dick Keene says "Four-barreled carb, overhead
cam, fuel injection". It's a bit hard to have BOTH a carburetter AND
fuel injection.
- Jerry Moeller was called Larry Moeller in Chapter 25. The 2 names are only 2 lines
apart.
- In chapter 11 Vance is called Pete Vance (In the quote saying that he had a heart
attack), but on the charge sheet in chapter 32 he is called John Downes Vance.
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