The End Times (by Benjamin Percy and Stephen King)

allfictionhorror
Written by Natalie

The facilitator of my Constant Reader book club shared exciting news with the group. Independent publisher Bad Hand Books and author Benjamin Percy are collaborating with Stephen King to publish a monthly newspaper called The End Times. This post-apocalyptic newspaper is set during the time of King’s The Stand and offers a unique reading experience. Our facilitator discovered this intriguing initiative through a Forbes article, which you can read here.

Intrigued by the concept, I visited the Bad Hand Books website to learn more about the year-long program. For $35, readers can receive a physical copy of the monthly newspaper delivered to their doorstep. Alternatively, for $15, a digital copy is sent to their email. Since I’m not confident in the reliability of USPS, I opted for the digital version.

On November 19th, my first issue arrived promptly in my inbox, and I couldn’t wait to read it. The layout was well-designed, just like a traditional newspaper, and the content was captivating. I’m thrilled that I signed up for this unique reading experience.

Update · October 25, 2026

The year of monthly digital installments has now come to a close. After receiving all twelve issues, I’m glad I signed up.

It was a quiet pleasure to open an email each month and step back into the world of The Stand. I haven’t revisited the novel in a long time, so returning to that landscape through this smaller, more intimate window felt both familiar and new. The newspaper format suited the material; the short pieces, community notices, and local color accumulated into something larger than any single installment. I enjoyed every issue.

I especially liked the entertaining comics and the humorous personalities that appeared throughout. The creative ways community members prepared food and worked together resourcefully added warmth and texture, showing how people adapted and looked out for one another. At the same time, the intensity built with each issue as Mary Poole provided updates on the unseen threat to their existence. That slow accumulation of unease gave the project real momentum.

One of the ongoing delights was knowing Stephen King was contributing under the byline of Claudia Inez Bachman—Richard Bachman’s widow. It added a small, sly layer of fun each time her columns appeared.

I’ve preordered the hardcover collected edition, The End Times: Volume One, which is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2027. As a digital subscriber I received a discount on the book, a nice thank-you for following the project in real time. The final monthly issue closed on a satisfying note with no major cliffhangers, which I appreciated. If the story ends here, it ends cleanly. I’m still curious whether Bad Hand Books and Benjamin Percy will continue the newspaper for another year, but either way the twelve issues stand on their own.

For anyone who loves The Stand or simply enjoys experimental storytelling, the collected volume looks like a worthwhile way to experience the whole thing at once—especially with the additional material that won’t appear in the original monthly editions.

Feel free to explore my reviews of other Stephen King books below.

The Stand
By King, Stephen
Buy on Amazon
 

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Natalie
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