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The Eerie Foreshadowing of the Rise of Post-Truth, Alt-Right Politics in Stephen King's The Dead Zone (1979)

  • Published In: Pennsylvania Literary Journal (2151-3066), 2024, v. 16, n. 3. P. 224 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Moser, Keith 3 of 3

Abstract

This article takes advantage of the postmodern framework developed by Jean Baudrillard and Guy Debord to reflect upon the advent of post-truth, Alt-Right politics in Stephen King's The Dead Zone. A superficial reading of his fiction, or a limited focus on the cinematic adaptations of his work itself, ignores the lucid insights that King offers about American culture. The Dead Zone is a quintessential example of King's ability to provide sneak peeks into the future based on the present trajectory. During a time period in which very few authors were aware of the perils of hyperreality, King cautions us to not believe the simulacral promises of post-truth politicians. King foresaw the spectacular "crumbling" of the political establishment that is now on full display with the emergence of Donald Trump and the post-truth MAGA movement that he represents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Pennsylvania Literary Journal (2151-3066). 2024/09, Vol. 16, Issue 3, p224
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Psychology
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:2151-3066
  • Accession Number:181932554
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Pennsylvania Literary Journal (2151-3066) is the property of Pennsylvania Literary Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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