Tracing The Trails Of The King : Cycle Of The Werewolf
“Something inhuman has come to Tarker’s Mills, as unseen as the full moon riding the night sky high above. It is the Werewolf, and there is no more reason for its coming now than there would be for the arrival of cancer, or a psychotic with murder on his mind, or a killer tornado”
-Stephen King, Cycle Of The Werewolf
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Cycle Of The Werewolf is a fun, quick read from Stephen King in 
a format that was newer for him at the time. The book is split into twelve parts, each representing a month out of the year as a werewolf assaults the population of a small town. Each story in the book is also accompanied by an illustration.
The idea was originally for a calendar, focusing more on the artwork. King would write a short vignette for each month but he ultimately found the length requirements too restrictive so the project became a short book with the artwork included alongside the text.
This book (in my opinion) was somewhat of a throwback to his earlier work in that the main character is a child, forced to be the one to stand firm and battle the monster terrorizing his town. The story flips back and forth between the killings and his investigation to try and find out who in the town could be the werewolf.
I remember seeing people carrying this book around the hallways when I was in junior high. There are a few pictures that stand out, even from that long ago. The memories are so vivid that when I opened to some of the pictures I immediately had a sense of familiarity and recognition, even to the point of remembering the specific classroom I was sitting in as I glimpsed the picture originally. The art has a wonderful feel of the classic B horror movies that I also loved as a kid, hard hitting and impactful. Despite all of this, I never actually read the book until I read it as a part of this project.
Critics seem to call out the book for its short length which I can’t help but find ironic considering how many people have also taken King to task for the exact opposite, suggesting that he must be getting paid by the page or by the word. However, I see this more along the lines of a novella and graphic novel hybrid. Yes, the story itself is on the short side but it’s also incredibly efficient and effective. The artwork is fantastic and in my mind, is what drives the price tag of the book higher than some people would likely want to spend on a fairly short book.
I’m not going to suggest that this was the most amazing, mind altering book I have ever read in my life and as far as werewolves go, I wouldn’t say that he goes anywhere that hasn’t been done before. It’s a fairly middle-of-the-road, safe story but the addition of the artwork makes the whole experience worthwhile in my opinion. If someone were to be looking for an introduction into King’s universe of storytelling, I wouldn’t suggest starting with this book as I don’t really see much in this that lends the “King” voice to the concept. I think that the ones who are most likely to enjoy this are readers who are already fans of King. People of roughly my age bracket who have similar memories of this book from their childhood are the ones who will most likely enjoy this along with a side helping of nostalgia.
Personally, my opinion is that King was experimenting with new storytelling devices. It’s unfortunate that authors who develop a strong following for something often can have the door slammed on them so severely whenever they try and step out of the box and do anything different. King himself has discussed his frustration at feeling like he was held captive by the expectations of the fans.
Personally, I think it would be pretty cool if King were to take pen to paper and write a really gritty, dark werewolf novel. I’d be fascinated to see his take on the franchise and the mythology, along the same lines that Salem’s Lot was sort of his take on Bram Stoker. I doubt it would ever happen but Cycle Of The Werewolf still stands as a nice, enjoyable offering
My name is Chad Clark, and I am proud to be a Constant Reader.
