The End of the World As We Know It, Christopher Golden
The End of the World As We Know It, Christopher Golden
2 Rating(s)
List: $39.99 | Sale: $28.00
Club: $19.99

The End of the World As We Know It
New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand

Bestseller

Author: Christopher Golden, Brian Keene

Narrator: Sean Patrick Hopkins, Adenrele Ojo

Unabridged: 27 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/19/2025


Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
USA TODAY BESTSELLER
LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER
THE WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER

An original short story anthology based on master storyteller Stephen King’s #1 New York Times bestselling classic The Stand!

Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered Stephen King’s seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unraveling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel—generations of writers have been impacted by its dark yet ultimately hopeful vision of the end and new beginning of civilization, and its stunning array of characters.

Now for the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, The End of the World As We Know It features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand—brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.

Featuring an introduction by Stephen King, a foreword by Christopher Golden, and an afterword by Brian Keene. Contributors include 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.

About Christopher Golden

Christopher Golden is the New York Times bestselling author of such novels as The House of Last ResortAll HallowsRoad of Bones, and the Stoker Award-winning Ararat, among many others. Golden cocreated (with Mike Mignola) the fan-favorite comic book series Baltimore and Joe Golem: Occult Detective. He has also written and co-written comic books, video games, screenplays, and the online animated series Ghosts of Albion (with Amber Benson). His work has been nominated for the British Fantasy Award, the Eisner Award, and multiple Shirley Jackson Awards. He has been nominated eleven times in eight different categories for the Bram Stoker Award, and has won twice. In 2023, Golden and Amber Benson cowrote and codirected the Audible Original podcast Slayers: A Buffyverse Story. Please visit him at ChristopherGolden.com.

About Brian Keene

Brian Keene is the bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of over forty books—mostly horror, fantasy, science-fiction, and nonfiction—as well as over two-hundred short stories and dozens of comic books and graphic novels for Marvel, DC, and others. His first novel, 2003’s The Rising, is often credited with renewing pop culture’s interest in zombies. He also served as the showrunner for Silverwood: The Door. From 2015 to 2020, he hosted the immensely popular award-winning podcast The Horror Show with Brian Keene. He also serves on the board of directors for the Scares That Care 501c charity organization, which has to date raised over $650,000 for sick children, burn victims, and women battling breast cancer. The father of two sons and one stepdaughter, he lives in rural Pennsylvania with his wife, author Mary SanGiovanni. The two co-own Vortex Books & Comics—a genre specific brick-and-mortar bookstore.

About Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Never Flinch, the short story collection You Like It Darker (a New York Times Book Review top ten horror book of 2024), Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Becky on August 19, 2025

Starred review in the June 2025 issue of Library Journal. Interview with Keene and Golden is here: [URL not allowed] Three Words The Describe This book: expands the world of a classic, diverse (in every way) TOC, immersive Draft Review: Award winning authors, Golden and Keene, pre......more

Goodreads review by Beth Morvant on July 21, 2025

Worth the read, just make sure to read The Stand first 😜 My favorite story was Nat Cassidy’s, followed by C Robert Cargill’s. If you read it, let me know your thoughts on the mermaid story 😅......more

Goodreads review by Paula on January 25, 2025

This is a must-read for fans of Stephen King's novel, The Stand. The book is broken into parts, the first one taking place as the plague (or Captain Trips) is taking place; the second covering the journeys of characters to Vegas or Nebraska. The third covers the aftermath and the fourth explores wha......more

Goodreads review by Dave on August 17, 2025

Despite not being much of a fan of The Stand, I enjoyed this collection plenty and burned through the 34 stories gathered here. As I do with The Stand itself, I most enjoyed the tales here that were set as the plague was hitting, seeing the world collapse in a blur of violence of mucus. There are a d......more

Goodreads review by Janereads10 on August 19, 2025

I couldn't put down this compilation of short stories set in The Stand universe. Golden and Keene have assembled an impressive roster of writers who each bring their own flavor while maintaining that distinctive apocalyptic dread that I love from King's original work. Throughout my reading, I felt R......more