Over the many stories he wrote, one of the most common elements in Stephen KingHis works are letters that have mind powers. This element has been present in King’s writing since his first published novel, Currywas first released in 1974, with the eponymous character discovering that she has telekinetic powers. Carrie is only the first of many characters created by King whose minds possess extraordinary and supernatural abilities.
While Carrie’s mind powers lead to a great deal of suffering and destruction, Some of​​​​​​King´s other characters strive to use their unique abilities to help others and in service of the greater good. The concept of mind powers was greatly expanded in The Shiningwhich was published in 1977, as the title power is not only applied to the book, but to its sequel, Doctor SleepAnd characters in other King stories also possessed “the shine”. Of King’s many stories, there are a few that particularly stand out for their fascinating exploration of mind powers.
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10
The institute
Published in 2019
The instituteOne of King’s more recent novels, features mind powers at the center of its story. The novel follows a boy named Luke Ellis who is kidnapped and taken to a facility where he and other children with telepathic and telekinetic powers are imprisoned. Luke and the other captive children are tortured and experimented on due to their abilities and the evil intentions of the evil organization that runs the facility known as the Institute.
The novel of 2019 Has been hailed as one of King’s best stories with a cast of young characters resisting evil forces ever since itWhich is widely regarded as one of King’s best books. The institute Demonstrates how King can still tell new and exciting stories about mind powers Which does not feel like a retreat from his previous work. Although it’s an entertaining and compelling book, it doesn’t quite live up to the heights of some of his other stories involving mind powers.
9
Firestarter
Published in 1980
Instead of telepathy or telekinesis, Firestarter Takes mind powers in a more pathetic direction with Charlie McGee, a girl who has pyrokinetic abilities. Charlie having the ability to create fire with her mind is already an intriguing concept, but King takes the premise further as Charlie and her father, Andy, are hunted by a secret government agency called the Shop, who want to weaponize Charlie’s powers. Andy’s telepathic power, known as the push, is also an important part of the story.
|
Movie |
Tomatometer score |
Popcornmeter score |
|---|---|---|
|
Firestarter (1984) |
40% |
53% |
|
Firestarter (2022) |
10% |
47% |
Firestarter Wastes little time in advancing his storyMake it a book that grabs the reader’s attention from the start. It had two film adaptations, the first in 1984 with Drew Barrymore as Charlie, and the second in 2022 with Zac Efron in the role of Andy. Neither adaptation is as exciting as the original novel, which remains a suspenseful and entertaining story despite not being as nuanced as some of King’s later works.
8
Doctor Sleep
Published in 2013
Sequels that are released decades after the original story often don’t live up to their predecessors. While Doctor Sleep is not as strong as The Shining, It’s still an excellent sequel Which expands on the characters and ideas of the first book in a rewarding fashion. Danny Torrance, who is famous for the Shining in the original book, is seen as a child and as an adult in the aftermath of what he went through during his youth at the Overlook Hotel.
Doctor Sleep Explores The Shining in new and fascinating ways, not only through Danny, but through a girl with the Shining named Abra Stone. On the villain side, these abilities are expanded by a group known as the True Knot, who feed on children who possess the Shining. Doctor Sleep Mostly works well because it’s not just about DannyWith Abra and the true knot also being integral to the story and navigating a world where the Shining exists.
7
Hearts in Atlantis
Published in 1999
Hearts in Atlantis is a collection of several storieswith Low men in yellow coats Being the one that involves mind powers. The story revolves around a boy named Bobby Garfield and a man named Ted Brautigan, the latter of whom has telepathic abilities. Ted is hunted by people he refers to as “low men” wearing yellow coats, who seek him out because of his telepathic abilities, a storyline that is not fully explored until Ted reappears in The Dark Tower Series.
Hearts in Atlantis Has the added bonus of also featuring other engaging stories that don’t deal with mind powers and largely focus on life in the 1960s and the effects of the Vietnam War.
The true highlight of Low men in yellow coats Is not Ted’s powers or those hunting him because of the powers. The best element of the story is the touching relationship that forms between Ted and BobbyWhich leads to a particularly heartwarming moment. Hearts in Atlantis Has the added bonus of also featuring other engaging stories that don’t deal with mind powers and largely focus on life in the 1960s and the effects of the Vietnam War.
6
The Dead Zone
Published in 1979
The Dead Zone Tells the story of Johnny Smith, whose psychic abilities begin to develop after an ice skating accident he experienced as a child, an ability that develops much further after surviving a brutal accident as an adult that sends him into a five-year coma. Matsev. Johnny is able to see visions of the past and future When he comes into physical contact with people and objects. He uses this ability in an attempt to help others, including efforts to stop a serial killer and a ruthless politician named Greg Stillson.
The story that unfolds in The Dead Zone is more character-driven than plot-driven. Johnny has no aspirations to be a hero and is a down-to-earth, mild-mannered individual who grapples with the psychic abilities he possesses, while also struggling to move forward after unexpectedly losing the five years of his life that he spent . In a coma. In many ways, his powers are more of a curse than a blessing, though they do prove useful in unmasking evil people, with Stillson being a particularly memorable and realistically realistic villain.
5
The Dark Tower
Published in 2004
The Dark Tower is its own series, with the mind powers being particularly prominent in the aptly titled final installment The Dark Tower. This is partly due to Roland Deschain and his Ka-Tet encountering a group of telepaths known as the Breakers. They are forced by agents of the Crimson King to use their powers to weaken the beams supporting the Dark Tower. The breakers consist of several familiar characters, including Hearts in Atlantis‘ Ted Brautigan and Shamie RoseWhich was first published earlier in the series during Wizard and glass.
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In addition to the breakers, the last Dark Tower The book features Jake Chambers, who has a psychic power known as The Touch, along with the conniving Randall Flagg and the monstrous Mordred Deshayne, who each have their own telepathic abilities. The Dark Tower And his ending is not about the powers, but they play a role in the shocking, emotional and rewarding way that the series comes. It’s a bold ending that recontextualizes the entire series.
4
Curry
Published in 1974
Despite the death and destruction that Carrie White unleashes, King’s first published novel also paints a distressing picture of a young woman horribly mistreated by her family and her peers. Between her religious fanatic mother, who locks her in the closet, to the friends who pour pig’s blood on her at the prom, It’s not hard to see why Carrie finally snaps and retaliates against her community. As brutal as her retaliation is, there is also a sense of justice in it.
Carrie is written not only from the perspective of the eponymous character, but also features news reports, journals and letters. This gives a wider scope to fully understand what Carrie’s telekinetic powers are to her, how it feels to unleash them against others, and the perspective of those who experience or hear about the powers first hand. in many ways, Curry Set the standard for the evolution of mind powers in King’s future stories.
3
it
Published in 1986
it is one of King’s scariest stories, with few characters as terrifying as the demonic entity that often appears in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The closet-shifting Pennywise has many powers, including the ability to read the minds of his victims, and to use their deepest fears against them. The novel moves back and forth between two time periods, first when Pennywise preys on the main characters when they are children, and refers to again 27 years later.
On over 1,000 pages, it provides ample opportunities to allow the reader to get to know the various members of the Losers Club as children and as adults. it is a haunting exploration of fear itselfWhich is made more palpable by the worrying about Pennywise feeds on the fears of his victims. The primary setting, Derry, Maine, is also done, with its dark history and ability to bury traumatic events as a vital element of the story and the overarching themes.
2
The stone
Published in 1978
The stone Has a wide cast of characters in his story that sees its post-apocalyptic survivors split into two camps, one led by good, and the other by evil. the leaders of the camps, Mother Abagail Freemantle and Randall Flagg both possess unique mental powers. Mother Abagail has telepathic abilities that help her reach the survivors who seek to rebuild a proper civilization, with her telepathic message to draw them to Boulder, Colorado, where they establish a democratic society known as the Boulder Free Zone.
While mind powers are not the focus of The stoneThey are an important feature in King’s epic tale of good versus evil.
Randall Flagg, a villain who appears under various guises in many of King’s stories, is telepathic and can use his mind to negatively influence other characters. Just as Mother Abigail uses her powers to draw well-intentioned people to her, Flagg uses his powers to draw more immoral and corrupt people to him And the more sinister society he builds in Las Vegas. While mind powers are not the focus of The stoneThey are an important feature in King’s epic tale of good versus evil.
1
The Shining
Published in 1977
When it comes to mind powers, none of King’s novels do it better The Shining. This is partly due to a matter of precedent, as while it is not the first story to have such powers, it may be the most influential, as many of King’s later characters have the Shining or an ability with a different name which is essentially the same thing. As for The Shining novel yourself This is one of King’s most chilling stories while delving into the depths of Jack Torrance’s mind.
From Danny and Dick Halloran with The Shining to the ghosts of the Overlook Hotel, history is filled with supernatural elements. at the same time, The Shining is grounded by its exploration of addiction, alcoholismAnd the impact they have on the families of those consumed by these struggles. Even when compared to the classic The Shining Film directed by Stanley Kubrick, the book is even superior, and proves to be Stephen Kings best story with mind powers.