If you are a constant reader of Stephen King, you likely have your own pick for his most spine-tingling tale and scariest movie moments. But if you ask the master of horror himself, he singles out Pet Sematary as his most terrifying creation. What’s intriguing is that this deeply personal and almost unpublished book holds a special place of dread in the author’s heart. So, sit back, and let’s delve into the depths of what may be Stephen King’s most intimate and darkest narrative—Pet Sematary.
Pet Sematary Is Based On A Dark & Personal True Story
In 1978 the Salem’s Lot writer and his family settled in the quaint town of Orrington after he had secured a position as a writer-in-residence at the University of Maine. Their rental home was a charming house by the river, featuring an unexpected amenity—a pet cemetery nestled in the backyard, complete with a crooked homemade sign that read, in children’s scratchy scrawl: Pet Sematary.
A fortuitous moment occurred when the horror writer’s daughter’s beloved cat Smucky died, and it found its final resting place in this peculiar cemetery. In 2019 King recounted to Entertainment Weekly that on the night of Smucky’s interment, an unsettling incident unfolded. He explained:
That night, after we buried it, we heard her out in the garage. She was jumping up and down on those popper things that they wrap fragile stuff in. She was shouting, ‘God can’t have my cat. That cat is my cat!… Let him have his own cat.’ And I put all that in the book, and yeah, we were in the field, and there really was a busy road there [when Owen wandered too close]. Everything in the book up to the point of the supernatural stuff is true.
This foundation in reality, provided an unsettling and authentic backdrop for the unfolding story, ultimately contributing to the author’s personal unease with the tale.
A Book Too Scary To Publish
Stephen set out to write the book right after he heard his daughter tragically yelling at God for taking her pet. Though he says he had “the greatest time” writing the book, after it was finished, he had his doubts. He continued:
And I read it over, and I said to myself, ‘This is awful. This is really fucking terrible.’ Not that it was badly written, necessarily. But all that stuff about the death of kids. It was close to me, because my kids lived on that road.
The book’s manuscript lay dormant in a drawer for years until Stephen King faced a contractual dispute with his former publisher, Doubleday, in the late ’70s—a crucial phase in his burgeoning career. He and his wife, Tabitha, had previously signed an agreement called the Author Investment Plan with Doubleday, promising an annual stipend of $50,000—a substantial sum for budding authors.
However, after a rift with Doubleday, ultimately leading to their separation, the Carrie creator was obligated to deliver another book to fulfill his contractual commitments. It was at this point that his lawyer and agent, Arthur B. Green, intervened with a solution, as King recounted:
He [Green] said, ‘You’ll have to give them another book, and make it part of the agreement that they can publish the book under their bullshit terms. But they have to break the investment fund.’
And the rest is, as they say, history. The book became a fan favorite, eventually leading to the 1989 film adaptation–which is still to this day one of the best horror movies to address grief.
A Reflection of Real-Life Fears
What truly sets Pet Sematary apart, and what still haunts Stephen King to this day, is its deeply personal and visceral connection to his own fears. The novel delves into the unthinkable—a child’s death and resurrection—a premise that he found and still finds so distressing. He told the EW:
I listened to it last year when I was down here in Florida walking on the beach with the dog. Michael C. Hall [of Dexter and Six Feet Under] did the audiobook. I was curious about it. You know, I hadn’t been near it in 20, 25 years. So I listened to it, and thought, ‘My God, this is just awful. It’s just as dark as can be.’
While the horror maestro may reign as the King of Macabre, his self-assessment of his work can be quite subjective. Despite his reservations about Pet Sematary, it stands as a beloved fan favorite and my personal pick for his most disturbing book. This enduring popularity likely explains the ongoing stream of remakes and prequels, even though Mary Lambert’s 1989 adaptation, in my opinion, remains one of the best horror movies ever made.
Pet Sematary Bloodlines is now available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. Make sure to check out our 2023 movie release schedule to see what other upcoming horror movies are headed your way.