Stephen King Announces ‘The Shining’ Sequel Release Date

If you’re a Stephen King fan, you probably knew that the acclaimed writer has been working on a follow-up to his 1977 novel The Shining. If you didn’t know, now you do, and you’ll soon know the sequel’s title and release date, announced by the Master of Suspense himself.

Stephen King’s Shining-sequel, titled Doctor Sleep, will be released to a bookstore and tablet near you on September 24, 2013, according to an announcement posted by the author to his website this morning.

The novel’s progenitor, The Shining, was published in 1977, serving as the inspiration for the Stanley Kubrick film of the same name starring Jack Nicholson. Though the film frequently finds itself on various “scariest” lists, and is renowned throughout pop culture for its intense visuals and influence on the horror genre, King was actually less than impressed by the adaptation, saying:

“What’s basically wrong with Kubrick’s version of The Shining is that it’s a film by a man who thinks too much and feels too little; and that’s why, for all its virtuoso effects, it never gets you by the throat and hangs on the way real horror should,” even going so far at one point to say that Kubrick’s film was the only adaptation of one of his books that he can “remember hating.”

The book was later adapted into a TV miniseries in 1997. King was reportedly more amenable to this version.

Doctor Sleep will reportedly follow Danny Torrance, the son and major character from the original novel, into his adulthood. “Danny is a hospice worker who uses his powers to help ill patients to pass away without pain. Unfortunately, he runs afoul of a gang of wandering psychic vampires who feed on people’s energy,” reports i09.

King previewed Doctor Sleep at George Mason University on September 23, 2011. Here’s a video of the reading:

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Are you excited for Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining?