“On September 15, 1981, a boy named Jack Sawyer stood where water and land meet, with his hands in his jeans pockets, gazing at the rhythmic waves of the Atlantic. He was twelve years old and tall for his age. The gentle sea breeze pushed his long brown hair back from his clear forehead. He stood there, lost in the confused and painful emotions that had overwhelmed him for the past three months. Order and normality had disappeared from Jack's world. Life now seemed fluid and uncontrollable, like the water stirring before him. They went from place to place – he because his mother forced him; but what forced her? His mother was running, running.” From whom or what is she trying to escape? From death... Young Jack decides to save her. He seeks a talisman in a parallel world full of dangers and lies, in a kingdom of innocents and monsters, where the flame of life can easily be extinguished, in the eternal battle between good and evil. The talisman is a unique work of fantasy and horror, managing to draw the reader into a dark, mythical world. They said about the book: “Unprecedented... It gives you goosebumps.” –The Washington Post “Classic... rare and intoxicating... a survival journey that rivals the greatest adventure stories ever written.” –New York Daily News “One of the creepiest and most impressive thrillers... a novel reminiscent of a horror roller coaster, filled with astonishingly vivid characters. When you read it, it's like being hit by electricity. You may feel the need to put it down for a while, but ultimately you won't be able to.” –Daily Mail “The ultimate fiction from two masters of the genre.” –Independent Stephen King is one of the most important authors of our time. He has written over 50 novels, 200 short stories, and essays, with sales exceeding 350,000,000 copies. His works, many of which have been made into movies or series, include Salem's Lot, It, The Stand, The Dark Tower epic, The Shining, The Green Mile, Misery, Hearts in Atlantis, The Institute, The Outsider, Elevation, Sleeping Beauties (co-written with his son, Owen King). He has been honored with the Bram Stoker and Locus awards by the British, American, and International Horror Writers Association, the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and the National Medal of Arts of the USA, while in 2016 he was honored by the Library of Congress for his body of work and in 2018 he was awarded the prestigious PEN literary award. Also, The Outsider and The Institute won first place in the Goodreads Choice Awards, in the mystery and thriller category, in 2018 and 2019 respectively, while If It Bleeds was nominated in the horror category in 2020. King lives in Bangor, Maine with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. Peter Straub is one of the greatest authors of fantasy and horror books, having written dozens of books. His works have become New York Times bestsellers and he has been awarded the Bram Stoker Award, World Fantasy Award, and International Horror Guild Award.