Stephen King and Peter Straub Team Up for TALISMAN sequel.

By: Denise Dumars
Date: Tuesday, December 21, 1999

'Hey, Peter, do you want to write a book together?'
That's what Stephen King said to Peter Straub at the premiere of THE GREEN MILE in New York. Big Steve is on the mend, according to Straub, his collaborator on THE TALISMAN. Straub says that King 'charged down the aisle, barreled past all the people and gave me a big hug. He's using a cane, and his energy is slowly returning. He's working on a three-part novel for television called ROSE RED.'
The sequel to THE TALISMAN is 'one step beyond the talking stage,' according to Straub. Straub is making an outline based on their discussions of the story and will send it to King around the end of the year. THE TALISMAN, published in 1984, tells the story of a boy named Jack Sawyer who is on a quest for a magical talisman. The sequel will follow Jack as an adult. According to what Straub told the Associated Press, the book will be considerably darker in tone than its predecessor, 'more horror than fantasy.'
The deal was inked by King and Straub's agent, Ralph Vicinianza, with help from Straub's primary agent David Gernert. Both Random House and Simon & Schuster bid on the book, but Random's enthusiasm won out in the end, and they were awarded the publishing rights. 'The entire process took about a week,' Straub tells Fandom. 'It was very exciting. After King reads the outline, he will make any changes, additions, or improvements that occur to him--my notes suggest a number of options--and after that, either I will push the story a little further, or we'll just jump in.'
Fans have been asking for a sequel to THE TALISMAN for years. With the deal now in place, it looks as if their hopes will be realized. The book, still officially untitled, is expected to be published in 2001.