A group of friends go out for their annual winter hunter trip in the woods near Derry, and get involved in an apparent alien invasion which the US army is trying to cover up.

This was quite a long book but didn't have the same epic feel as "The Stand" - maybe there weren't enough characters in it; maybe the story didn't really span enough time. Still, after a couple of disappointing reads, this one was pretty good. Not a very original story, even for King, but it was well paced and even had a reasonably good ending (unlike the stupid kind of ones in "It" and "Insomnia").

Something that stood out was how there had been a notice on a wall somewhere when the friends were kids, which said "No Bounce, No Play". This became a sort of mantra to them as they grew up. This reminded me that when I was young someone who lived in our road who was a non-native English speaker had written something on the walls near the garage, and I remember it still; it said:

 NO LITTER
 NO FIRE ON THIS WALL

This kind of incidental detail makes the story seem more realistic somehow, and is something King does well.

Worth reading, might read again (although I suspect Tommyknockers is better, and am considering re-reading that).

Completed : 12-Jul-2007