The Dead Zone

About “The Dead Zone”

The Dead Zone is a science fiction thriller novel by Stephen King, published in 1979. The story follows Johnny Smith, who wakes from a five-year coma with clairvoyant and precognitive abilities triggered by touch. He refers to blocked memories as being trapped in a damaged part of his brain, called "the dead zone." The novel also follows a serial killer in Castle Rock and a politician named Greg Stillson, both of whom Johnny must confront. The book was King's first to rank among the year's best-selling novels in the U.S. and was nominated for the Locus Award in 1980. It introduced the fictional town of Castle Rock, later featured in other King works. The novel was adapted into a 1983 film and a television series.