The Stand by Stephen King, first published in 1978 by Doubleday, is a sprawling post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel widely regarded as one of King’s greatest works. The original edition spans around 823 pages and presents a world decimated by a weaponized strain of influenza—”Project Blue”—that wipes out over 99% of the population.
As civilization collapses, the survivors are mystically drawn into two opposing camps: one led by the kindly, prophetic Mother Abagail, and the other by the demonic Randall Flagg, a recurring figure in King’s multiverse. The novel becomes a struggle between good and evil as a band of ordinary people must choose sides and confront their own moral boundaries in a devastated American landscape.
The 1978 original edition differs significantly from the later 1990 “Complete & Uncut” edition, which restored roughly 400 pages of material King had to remove due to publisher constraints. The original features a tighter narrative and a more concise character arc, though many fans consider both versions essential reading.
