11/22/63

Okay, this might seem like a bit of a strange choice to be included in a list of best “ripped from the headlines” crime novels, but it really isn’t. I mean, the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, is probably the most famous big news headline of our times. 

I was totally blown away by King’s brilliant concept of using that legendary date in history to write this fascinating thriller about what “might have been” if someone could somehow go back in time and stop it from ever happening.

Like the other four books on… show more.

I consider myself a big Stephen King fan, and sometimes that means a long read. At over 800 pages, this book makes use of the space to dive into the history of the 1950s and 1960s, and the events leading up to the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr., as the main character tries to prevent this tragic moment in time by reliving the same couple years over and over.

Full of alternate realities, time resets, and explorations of fate on a global and individual level, I would recommend this book to fans of King and those who have… show more.

First of all, I think Stephen King is a terrific writer and, strangely, I seem to enjoy his non-horror books the most. 

11/22/63 has some key elements that drew my attention: time travel, an ordinary guy, and an alternate reality. The protagonist, Jake Epping, suddenly discovers a portal through time. With this newfound ability, he takes it upon himself to change history in what he believes will be for the best. And to do this, he becomes determined to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

I loved the detail into which King delves, and the time Jake takes to… show more.

Stephen King has written one of the longest—over 800 pages—and best thought out time travel novels.

When Jake Epping discovers a portal back to 1958, he realizes he can travel back and forth from the past to the present and whenever he returns to the past it will always be the same day in 1958. At first, he tries to change events that affect people he knows, but eventually he realizes if he stays in the past long enough, he can prevent the Kennedy assassination.

He believes the future will then be better, including the Vietnam War being prevented. After… show more.

Deftly blending sci-fi with historical fiction, 11/22/63 is arguably one of King’s best works.

The novel tells the story of a diner owner who has become obsessed with President John F. Kennedy and his assassination, and the young teacher who becomes ensnared in his delusional and impossible plan: to go back in time and stop Lee Harvey Oswald from killing him.

At times touching, at times devastating, and often scary, 11/22/63 is a wholly unique novel.

This is my favourite Stephen King book. It’s just a lot of fun, a book that I couldn’t wait to pick up and continue reading. It’s more fantasy than his usual horror. It’s not just the time travel component that intrigues; it’s revisiting that unique time in America’s history. King makes you experience it for yourself. And then, once he has your complete attention, he takes you along for a gripping ride as Jake Epping tries to save the 35th President of the United States.  

November 22, 1963, a day that forever changed the course of history. Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher who has a chance to go back in time and prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Unlike any other King novel, this one leaves out much of the gore, but none of the excitement and intricate storylines. King is a master of character development and plot. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good time-travel story with a twist.

This book does a time travel back to the late 50s and early 60s. Jake finds himself being able to ‘reset’ each travel back in time, to alter history and save lives, or let a situation be as is—unaltered. In King’s style, he paints vivid pictures of good and bad characters who influence the hero’s decisions to often watch life unfold, or try and make a change for the best.

King’s work has had a tremendous impact on me—showing me how to be fearless as a writer. 11/22/63 is my favorite of his books and a masterpiece of speculative fiction. Take the premise: stopping JFK’s assassination. Talk about a hook! It doesn’t stop there. He whips you hither and yon as you journey through the past, reliving the America of a bygone era, as you race to the date. A time portal, a love story, Lee Harvey Oswald, and a cast of unforgettable characters collide in this mind-bender.

What I loved about this is the way King, an acknowledged master of horror who is equally at home with SF thrillers, takes two long-standing tropes of time travel – that “the universe” will resist any attempt to change the course of time; and the law of unintended consequences that will trip up the unwary time traveler – and gives them a unique twist. Once again the time travel element has a limitation which both helps and hinders the protagonist as the stakes ratchet up throughout the story in ways I found both thrilling and entertaining, but the story is… show more.