The Dark Half is a horror thriller novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 1989. The novel was adapted into a feature film of the same name in 1993.
After thirteen years of international best-seller stardom with his works of violent crime fiction, author George Stark is officially declared dead---revealed by a national magazine to have been killed at the hands of the man who created him: the once well-regarded but now obscure writer Thad Beaumont. Thad's even gone as far to start a mock burial of his wildly successful pseudonym, complete with tombstone and the epitaph "Not a Very Nice Guy." Although on the surface it seems that Thad can finally concentrate on his own novels, there's a certain unease at the prospect of leaving George Stark behind. But that's nothing compared to the horror about to descend upon Thad's life. There are the vicious, out-of-control nightmares, for starters. And how is he able to explain the fact that everyone connected to George Stark's untimely demise is now meeting a brutal end of their own in a pattern of homicidal savagery...and why each blood-soaked crime scene has Thad's fingerprints all over it? Thad Beaumont may have once believed that George Stark was running out of things to say, but he's going to find out just how wrong he is...
Victims[]
Prologue[]
- Thad Beaumont’s Unborn Twin Brother - Absorbed by Thad Beaumont in utero off-page, remains shown. Revived as George Stark.
- Total - 1
Fool's Stuffing[]
- Unnamed Man - Committed suicide by hanging himself off-page, mentioned.
- Homer Gamache - Beaten to death by George Stark with his own prosthetic arm off-page, body shown.
- Frederick Clawson - Castrated and tongue cut out by George Stark off-page, body shown.
- Miriam Cowley - Throat slit by George Stark with a straight razor.
- Michael “Mike” Donaldson - Forehead, hand, and nape slashed with a straight razor, skull bashed against a wall, and throat slit by George Stark with the same razor.
- Officer “Cautious” - Shot twice in the head by George Stark with a .45 revolver.
- Officer “Extremely” - Shot twice in the head by George Stark with a .45 revolver.
- Phyllis Myers - Shot in the eye by George Stark with a .45 revolver.
- Two Unnamed Technicians - Killed in an explosion caused by George Stark.
- Rick Cowley - Killed in an explosion caused by George Stark.
- Total - 11
Stark Takes Charge[]
- Unnamed Doorman - Killed by George Stark off-page, mentioned.
- State Trooper Tom Chatterton - Eyeball sliced open and throat slit by George Stark with a straight razor.
- State Trooper Jack Eddings - Scrotum sliced open, hand slashed, and throat slit by George Stark with a straight razor.
- Total - 3
The Coming of the Psychopomps[]
- Sparrow - Sliced in half by George Stark with a straight razor.
- At Least 12 Sparrows - Crushed by George Stark.
- George Stark - Eaten alive, ripped apart, and taken to Hell by a legion of sparrows on the command of Thad Beaumont.
- Total - 14
Epilogue[]
- None
Deaths[]
- Total - 29
- 16 Humans
- 12 Men
- 2 Women
- 2 Victims of Unknown Gender
- 13 Animals
- All Sparrows
- 16 Humans
Kill Counts[]
- George Stark - 26 (Deceased)
- Thaddeus "Thad" Beaumont - 2 (Alive)