Stephen King’s never been a one-hit wonder, we all know that. The author’s traversed everything from vampire fiction to epic fantasy quests and more, marking him as one of the most prolific writers who’s ever lived. And now The Stand, one of his biggest and best works, is getting an expansion with the new short story anthology The End of The World as We Know It, for which FANGORIA is excited to reveal the cover.
Originally published in 1978, The Stand is King’s longest work to date, set in a post-apocalyptic earth in which humans divide themselves into fantastical factions after a pandemic wipes the planet clean of what we once knew as civilization. (A bit on the nose now, but isn’t that King for you?) The End of the World as We Know It is the first time King has authorized a return to the world of the novel, with the anthology featuring short stories set during and after the events of the novel, a set of “brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.”
The anthology features a massive number of contributors, including (deep breath, phew) Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus, Poppy Z. Brite, Somer Canon, C. Robert Cargill, Nat Cassidy, V. Castro, Richard Chizmar, S. A. Cosby, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, Meg Gardiner, Gabino Iglesias, Jonathan Janz, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Josh Malerman, Ronald Malfi, Usman T. Malik, Premee Mohamed, Cynthia Pelayo, Hailey Piper, David J. Schow, Alex Segura, Bryan Smith, Paul Tremblay, Catherynne M. Valente, Bev Vincent, Catriona Ward, Chuck Wendig, Wrath James White, and Rio Youers.
The anthology will also feature an introduction by King himself, as well as a foreword and afterword written by editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene, respectively. It won’t be available for readers until August of next year, but don’t worry — that gives you plenty of time to reread King’s thousand-page epic in the meantime.
The End of the World as We Know It will be released on August 19, 2025, and is available for pre-order now. Check out the cover down below:
