Riding the Bulletis ahorrornovellaby American writerStephen King.It marked King's debut on the Internet.Simon & Schuster,with technology by SoftLock, first publishedRiding the Bulletin 2000 as the world's first mass-markete-book,available for download at $2.50. That year, the novella was nominated for theBram Stoker AwardforSuperior Achievement in Long Fictionand theInternational Horror Guild Awardfor Best Long Form. In 2002, the novella was included in King's collectionEverything's Eventual.
| Riding the Bullet | |
|---|---|
 Cover of the original e-book release | |
| Author | Stephen King |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror |
| Published in | Everything's Eventual |
| Publication type | Online |
| Media type | e-book,print (hardcover) |
| Publication date | March 14, 2000 |
Publication
editDuring the first 24 hours, over 400,000 copies ofRiding the Bulletwere downloaded, jamming SoftLock's server.[1]Some Stephen King fans waited hours for the download.[2]
With over 500,000 downloads, Stephen King seemed to pave the way for the future of publishing. The actual number of readers was unclear because the encryption caused countless computers to crash.[3]
The total financial gross of the electronic publication remains uncertain. Initially offered at $2.50 by SoftLock and then Simon & Schuster, it was later available free for download fromAmazonandBarnes & Noble.[4]
In 2009,Lonely Road Booksannounced the impending release ofRiding the Bullet: The Deluxe Special Edition Double,byStephen KingandMick Garris,[5]as an oversizedslipcasedhardcover bound in theflip bookortête-bêcheformat (like anAce Double) featuring the novellaRiding the Bullet,the original script for theeponymous 2004 filmbyMick Garris,and artwork byAlan M. ClarkandBernie Wrightson.The book was available in three editions:
- Collector's Gift Edition: limited to 3000 slipcased copies (not signed)
- Limited Edition of 500 copies (signed by Mick Garris and the artist)
- Lettered Edition of 52 copies (signed by Stephen King)
Plot summary
editAlan Parker is a student at theUniversity of Mainewho is trying to find himself. He gets a call from a neighbor in his hometown ofLewiston,telling him that his mother has been taken to the hospital after having astroke.Lacking a functioning car, Parker decides tohitchhikethe 120 miles (200 km) south to visit his mother.[6]
He ends up riding with an old man who continually tugs at his crotch in a car that stinks of urine. Eventually frightened and glad to escape the vehicle, Alan starts walking, hitchhiking his next ride. Coming upon a graveyard, he begins to explore it and notices aheadstonefor a stranger named George Staub, which reads: "Well Begun, Too Soon Done". Sure enough, the next car to pick him up is driven by George Staub, complete with blackstitchesaround his neck where his head had been sewn on after being severed and wearing a button saying, "I Rode The Bullet At Thrill Village, Laconia."[7]
During the ride, George talks to Alan about theamusement park ridehe was too scared to ride as a kid: The Bullet in Thrill Village,Laconia, New Hampshire.George tells Alan that before they reach the lights of town, Alan must choose who goes on the death ride with George: Alan or his mother. In a moment of fright, Alan saves himself and tells him: "Take her. Take my mother."
George shoves Alan out of the car. Alan reappears alone at the graveyard, wearing the "I Rode the Bullet at Thrill Village" button. He eventually reaches the hospital, where he learns that despite his guilt and the impending feeling that his mother is dead or will die any moment, she is fine.
Alan takes the button and treasures it as a good (or bad) luck charm. His mother returns to work. Alan graduates and takes care of his mother for several years, and she suffers another stroke.
One day, Alan loses the button and receives a phone call; he knows what the call is about. He finds the button underneath his mother's bed and, after a final moment of sadness, guilt, and meditation, decides to carry on. His mother's "ride" is over.
Film
editA movie adaptationof the story, starringJonathan Jackson,Barbara HersheyandDavid Arquette,was released in 2004.
Reception
editF&SF(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction) reviewerCharles de Lintpraised the novella as "a terrific story, highlighting King's gift for characterization and his sheer narrative drive."[8]
In contrast,The New York Times'Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, who read the book in both available online formats (computer download and an e-book supplied by the publisher, neither of which permitted a user to print out a copy), was more critical. He disliked reading digital content on abacklitmonitor ( "I was also restlessly aware of the unusual effort it was taking to read onscreen" ) and the book's content ( "after getting off to such a strong start, Mr. King writes himself into a corner that makes Alan's scary adventure seem something of ashaggy dog story"). He concludes:" reading 'Riding the Bullet,' I sorely missed the solidity of good old print on paper. And who knows, maybe old-fashioned print would have made Mr. King's story seem a little more substantial? "[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^De Abrew, Karl (April 24, 2000)."eBooks are Here to Stay".Adobe.com.RetrievedDecember 15,2009.
- ^"The Business of EBooks".News Hour with Jim Lehrer transcript.PBS. March 16, 2000.RetrievedDecember 15,2009.
- ^"What is Stephen King trying to prove?".New York Times Magazine.August 13, 2000.RetrievedDecember 15,2009.
- ^Ferguson, Kevin Ferguson (December 26, 2000)."For Softlock, the Rights Stuff Wasn't Good Enough".Business Week.Archived fromthe originalon April 20, 2001.RetrievedDecember 15,2009.
- ^"Riding the Bullet".Lonely Road Books.May 8, 2013.
- ^Lehmann-haupt, Christopher (March 20, 2000)."Click if You Dare: It's the Cybercrypt".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 15,2009.
- ^Lehmann-haupt, Christopher (March 20, 2000)."Click if You Dare: It's the Cybercrypt".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 15,2009.
- ^"Books to Look For".SFsite.August 2000.
- ^Lehmann-Haupt, Christopher (March 20, 2000). "BOOKS OF THE TIMES - Click if You Dare: It's the Cybercrypt".
External links
edit- Riding the Bullettitle listing at theInternet Speculative Fiction Database