‘Materialists’ and the Top Five Movie Love Triangles. Plus: ‘The Life of Chuck,’ With Mike Flanagan.

The Dark Tower is the seventh and final book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. It follows Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger of Mid-World, as he completes his quest to reach the Dark Tower, a structure that is the nexus of all universes. Roland's world is crumbling, with time and space distorted, and he must navigate through various dimensions and confront his enemies, including the Man in Black and the Crimson King. The book concludes with Roland reaching the tower, only to find that his journey is cyclical, and he is transported back to the beginning of the series. The story blends elements of dark fantasy, science fiction, horror, and Western genres, and is a culmination of King's multiverse, linking many of his other works[1][3][5].

The story follows Jessie and Gerald Burlingame, who travel to their secluded lake house in western Maine for a romantic getaway. During a sexual game, Gerald dies of a heart attack, leaving Jessie handcuffed to the bed. Trapped and alone, Jessie must confront her painful memories and the voices in her mind while trying to find a way to escape. The novel explores themes of survival, psychological trauma, and the inner struggles of its protagonist.

Pet Sematary, written by Stephen King, is a horror novel that delves into the darker aspects of human nature, exploring themes of grief, loss, and the consequences of tampering with the natural order of life and death. The story follows Dr. Louis Creed, who moves his family from Chicago to Ludlow, Maine, where he takes a job as the director of the University of Maine's campus health service. After their cat, Church, is killed by a truck, Louis's elderly neighbor, Jud Crandall, introduces him to an ancient Indian burial ground behind the 'pet sematary' where local children bury their pets. Despite warnings, Louis buries Church there, and the cat returns to life but is fundamentally different. The novel takes a darker turn when Louis's young son Gage is killed by a truck, and Louis considers using the burial ground to bring him back, despite the dire consequences that have been hinted at through the story of Timmy Baterman. The book is a profound exploration of the human fear of death and the devastating repercussions of attempting to defy it.

Doctor Sleep is a 2013 horror novel by Stephen King, serving as the sequel to his 1977 novel 'The Shining'. The story follows Danny Torrance, now an adult, who is haunted by the ghosts of the Overlook Hotel. Danny, who has suppressed his psychic abilities through alcoholism, eventually finds redemption through Alcoholics Anonymous and uses his powers to comfort dying patients, earning him the nickname 'Doctor Sleep'. He must protect a young girl named Abra Stone, who possesses even stronger psychic abilities, from the True Knot, a cult that preys on children with 'the shining' to remain immortal. The novel explores themes of addiction, redemption, and the struggle against supernatural forces.

Hearts in Atlantis is a collection of five interconnected stories by Stephen King, published in 1999. The book delves into the lives of characters whose experiences are intertwined across several decades, particularly during the Vietnam War era. The stories follow characters such as Bobby Garfield, a young boy whose life is influenced by a mysterious lodger named Ted, and college students Pete Riley and Skip, who navigate the pressures of academic life and the looming threat of the draft. The narratives explore themes of friendship, love, loss, and the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War on the characters and their generation[1][3][5].