Though probably more commonly remembered as the 2007 movie, The Mist was originally a novella by Stephen King published in 1980 as part of the Dark Forces anthology. David Drayton, an artist by trade, is trapped with his son Billy, neighbor Brent Norton, and a collection of eclectic folk within a supermarket as a mysterious and hostile wall of mist envelopes the outside world.
King’s later writings are notorious for well-written characters and worlds that feel lived in. Some of that is already clearly at work as the notions of communal camaraderie break down between the stranded cast and the reader is forced to observe with bated breath as some rise with kindness, bravery, and rationality, whilst others descend into various forms of madness. None are properly safe, either within the supermarket or outside of it, from the variety of threats. I found it interesting that the main human antagonist is a basic “Crazed Old Witch” character, and it made me realize that this archetype is becoming rarer in modern stories. The old lady or gramps who experiences visions, brews their own cures for erectile dysfunction, and knows the “truth” behind the “great disaster” that happened some odd years ago. I won’t go too much into depth here for the sake of not spoiling the turn of events exactly as they unfold. Whether the decreasing presence of this archetype in modern literature is a good thing or not, I am unsure, but it was strangely refreshing to see such a common trope given life here.
An interesting thought experiment for any writer: How would you arm and barricade an unexpected location? A supermarket is ideal considering the serious detriment of its massive front-windows—truly an awful place to find oneself in during the apocalypse. Unfortunately, Costco, at least as we commonly know, was not really around in rural Maine at that point. Having each detail in mind allows the writer to better elucidate how the defenses could fail, and when they do, what then are the repercussions.
The ending is where the film beats out the original story. This seems to be a common complaint for King’s stories. I don’t always agree as novels like It, Duma Key, 11/22/63, Misery, or Fairy Tale ended brilliantly. Unfortunately, The Mist ends a bit more abruptly than I would have preferred.
— Story Spoilers Ahead —
Did you pay attention to that last line? Did you even care? I usually don’t, but I’ve known plenty of people who get monstrously angry at unexpectedly coming across spoilers. Anyway, maybe there was no further way to develop the story without stretching it into novel length, but I’m personally not all too fond of the reader-has-discovered-this-entire-story-as-a-left-behind-manuscript trope. Frankly, I can’t be absolutely certain how common it is in horror, but I’ve seen it enough to come to the opinion it’s usually not the best ending. The movie fares far better here.
— Film Spoilers Ahead —
The classic ending of the father killing the son in an act of desperation only for the military to arrive moments later invokes such palpable dread, irony, and closure that it eclipses nearly anything King himself could have come up with. I still think about that ending sometimes. Maybe the timing is a bit too ludicrous, but the emotional impact still renders it cruel in the best way.
— All Spoilers Over —
Ultimately, the story is an easy read that is well-worth anyone’s time. The nauseating descriptions of the Mist’s denizens, the exploration of the characters and their mental states, and the logical progression of the tale and the decisions made in that supermarket keep the reader gripped throughout.
Consensus: Check it out. 👍
Honorary out of context quote:
“They must have felt a bit like those German scientists who tried to impregnate Jewish women with the sperm of German shepherds.”
The Inky Hearth 