Every Stephen King Story Set in Castle Rock

One of Stephen King's most famous creations is the not so quiet small town of Castle Rock, Maine, and here's all the stories he's set there. It's well-known that the reason King sets so many of his stories in Maine is that it's where he's from. A common piece of writing advice is to "write what you know," and while some now disagree with that old adage, King has certainly taken it to heart. Not only do most of his books include Maine, but many also star characters that happen to be successful (or sometimes struggling) writers.

While King has invented several fictional Maine towns during his writing career, the one he's fallen back on most often is easily Castle Rock. Other commonly used fictional Maine locales by King include Derry, best known as the setting for IT, and Jerusalem's Lot, best known as the setting for Salem's Lot. People often talk about how King has built a universe of his own in the literary realm, and that goes just as much for places as it does people and things.

Castle Rock is the most prolific fictional King location, and without further ado, here's a rundown of every story at least partially set there. There's some disagreement among fans as to what officially counts as a Castle Rock story, but every story mentioned below has at least one strong tie to Castle Rock, even if it isn't the story's primary setting.

The Dead Zone

King's 1979 novel The Dead Zone, centered on a coma patient named Johnny Smith that awakens with touch-based psychic powers, holds the distinction of being Castle Rock's literary debut. Johnny is enlisted by Castle Rock sheriff George Bannerman to help catch a brutal serial killer operating in the town, which turns out to be another cop named Frank Dodd.

Cujo

The story of Cujo, King's 1981 novel about a rabid St. Bernard with an appetite for murder, is set entirely within Castle Rock. In fact, Donna Trenton and her son Tad only recently moved to town, which clearly was a mistake in hindsight. Notably, Tad doesn't survive the book, something sure to catch people who saw the movie first off guard.

The Body (aka Stand by Me)

The Body, King's coming of age novella released as part of the Different Seasons collection and later adapted into the movie Stand by Me, is set entirely within Castle Rock's confines as well. A rare King story without any supernatural elements, The Body sees four childhood friends embark on a mission to see a real-life dead body.

Uncle Otto's Truck

Originally published in a 1983 issue of Yankee Magazine, Uncle Otto's Truck was later included in the 1985 King story collection Skeleton Crew. Set in Castle Rock, the plot concerns two business partners who create a successful lumber company. When one partner kills the other for selfish reasons, ghostly revenge occurs.

Mrs. Todd's Shortcut

First published in a 1984 issue of Redbook Magazine, and also collected in Skeleton Crew, Mrs. Todd's Shortcut is another short story set within Castle Rock. It sees an old woman obsessed with finding shortcuts seemingly discovering a wormhole to another dimension, and managing to get younger every trip she makes.

The Dark Half

King's 1989 novel The Dark Half was inspired by the reveal that he had been writing under the Richard Bachman pen name. The plot focuses on author Thad Beaumont, who somehow manifests a murderous alter ego named George Stark. The Dark Half is mainly set in Ludlow, but includes Castle Rock as a sub-setting, and reveals more of the town's history.

The Sun Dog

Released as part of 1990's Four Past Midnight collection, The Sun Dog sees a young man named Kevin receive a polaroid camera for his birthday, only to discover that all the pictures it takes turn into images of an evil black dog advancing closer each time. For help, Kevin turns to slimy Castle Rock businessman Pop Merrill.

Needful Things

King's 1991 novel Needful Things is set entirely within Castle Rock, and was at the time billed as the final Castle Rock story. The titular shop opens in the town, owned and operated by the mysterious Leland Gaunt, who turns out to be a literal devil. Gaunt sells goods at extremely cheap prices, provided the recipient will do him a ghastly favor.

It Grows on You

It Grows on You was originally published in 1973, but it wasn't until being collected in the 1993 book Nightmares & Dreamscapes that the story's setting was changed from Harlow, Maine to Castle Rock. The plot concerns a house in the town that grows and expands on its own, seemingly every time dark events occur within its walls.

Premium Harmony

Stephen King Bone Church from The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

Originally published in a 2009 issue of The New Yorker, Premium Harmony was later collected in the 2015 book The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Set in a Castle Rock that never truly recovered from the events of Needful Things, the story centers on a man whose wife and dog die the same day, producing a disturbingly unemotional reaction.

Gwendy's Button Box

A 2017 novella co-written by King and Richard Chizmar, Gwendy's Button Box is set in 1974 Castle Rock, and focuses on the titular 12-year-old girl. One day, at the top of a local landmark called the Suicide Stairs, Gwendy encounters a man dressed in black named Richard Farris. They "palaver," and he gives her a box with buttons inside.

Elevation

Elevation, published in 2018, is a novel centered on Castle Rock resident Scott Carey, who battles an unexplained illness that causes him to lose large amounts of weight in a short amount of time. Scott also tries to assist a pair of lesbian business owners with their struggle against the disapproval of town residents.