10/22/2026
To celebrate OPLW, CEO Adele Reid shares her staff picks:
Stephen King is one of my favourite authors and his novel “The Stand,” is my all-time favourite book. As I read 2-3 books per month, that is saying something! Originally published in 1978, I have read this over 1000-page book 3 times – it is a harrowing story of a man-made pandemic that decimates the world and results in a battle of good versus evil. If you have read “The Stand,” you will know why I was absolutely thrilled to learn that King authorized and provided an introduction to the 2026 publishing of “The End of the World as We Know It.”
It is an anthology of 34 short stories as curated 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 remarkable stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand—brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that build upon King’s amazing ability to create characters and scenarios that you can never forget. If you have read “The Stand,” “The End of The World as We Know It” will resonate with you as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel. I couldn’t put it down. And if you haven’t read “The Stand” and have the stomach for King’s macabre style, I do recommend you read it first. While “The End of the World as We Know It” could be read in isolation, having read “The Stand” provides context that makes the new stories that much more powerful. Enjoy!
