The book was released in 1985 after the publication of the first hardcover Bachman novel Thinner in order to introduce Bachman to fans who did not know about Stephen King‘s work under this pseudonym (little of which was still in circulation at the time). This omnibus also collected these early novels in hardcover for the first time, as they were all originally published in paperback. It opens with an introduction by King called “Why I Was Bachman”, explaining how and why he took on the persona of Richard Bachman, as well as how it was found out by the public.
The US editions of this collection and the novel Rage were allowed to go out of print by the author and publisher because of the Heath High School shooting. The remaining three novels are still in print and are published as separate books.
