A new science fiction series is based on a book that served as the inspiration behind Stephen King books and short stories have received big and small screen adaptations, The Stand is among the most adapted works in the horror author's bibliography.
In the past, two attempts have been made to bring The Stand to the small screen — one in 1994 and the other in 2020. Unfortunately, despite having talented actors on their rosters and being helmed by established showrunners, the two shows have failed to leave their mark. MGM+'s new sci-fi show is now adapting a book cited as one of the biggest inspirations for The Stand. However, strangely, despite having a similar post-apocalyptic setting as the Stephen King story, the sci-fi series is almost like an antithesis to The Stand.
Earth Abides, Which Inspired Stephen King's The Stand, Now Has A TV Adaptation
Stephen King Cited Earth Abides As One Of The Inspirations Behind The Stand
In his non-fiction book, Danse Macabre, Stephen King wrote about The Stand and the inspirations behind it. A few lines in the book mention that George R. Stewart's novel Earth Abides inspired the story and setting of The Stand in several ways. In the book, Stephen King recounts that while reading up "about an accidental CBW spill in Utah," he could not help but think about George R. Stewart's Earth Abides. As a result, one day, he started typing a book with a similar setup, where "the world comes to an end, but everybody in the SLA is somehow immune."
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Earth Abides was not the sole inspiration for the Stephen King novel. For instance, the King of Horror also planned The Stand to be like an epic saga like The Lord of the Rings with a modern American setting. Patty Hearst's real-life case was also a source of inspiration for the book.
Jimi Hendrix's song "Third Stone from the Sun" is also inspired by Earth Abides.
However, as The Stand's post-apocalyptic setting suggests, Earth Abides was a significant influence on the Stephen King novel, particularly in the exploration of the collapse of civilization after a catastrophic event. However, barring the early story setups and survival themes, Earth Abides follows a significantly different story.
George R. Stewart's Earth Abides Is An Anti-Thesis Of Stephen King's The Stand
The Book's Post-Apocalyptic Explorations Are The Opposite
Earth Abides and The Stand are only similar when it comes to their post-apocalyptic settings. In both, a deadly pandemic only leaves a few surviving humans behind. However, while the Stephen King story presents a dramatic moral confrontation between good and evil, Earth Abides takes an introspective look at societal collapse instead of featuring a conflict between two groups. Like most post-apocalyptic narratives, Earth Abides has a fair share of disturbing and deeply distressing moments. However, it does not fall into the horror genre like Stephen King's The Stand.
...despite serving as an inspiration for Stephen King's The Stand, Earth Abides presents a more realistic and psychological exploration of an apocalypse's aftermath.
It seems more concerned with the philosophical implications of a world-ending event and how, in the long run, it could encourage humanity to return to their primal methods instead of rebuilding their lost civilization. Unlike The Stand, Earth Abides also has no supernatural elements as it focuses more on walking through the gradual decay and rebuilding of society rather than being driven by immediate crisis. All in all, despite serving as an inspiration for Stephen King's The Stand, Earth Abides presents a more realistic and psychological exploration of an apocalypse's aftermath.
How Earth Abides Compares To The Stand & Other Post-Apocalyptic Dramas
Earth Abides Feels More Grounded Than Other Post-Apocalyptic Movies & Shows
Unlike most post-apocalyptic movies and shows, Earth Abides is not concerned with humanity's war against supernatural beings. Its storyline does not even pit one group of humans against the others. Instead, it presents itself as an anti-historical drama, where its timeline almost goes backward as the main character observes his fellow survivors returning to a more primitive state of existence. Despite his efforts to push humanity towards progress, the main character is forced to grapple with a gradual transformation that chips away at the structures humans created over time.
Since the original Earth Abides novel also features many outdated ideas and references, it would be intriguing to see how the show will bring these elements into its relatively modern setting. Given how the real world has recently experienced a global pandemic, Earth Abides' drama may also feel more relevant and relatable to the times. However, only time will tell whether Earth Abides will be as epic as Stephen King's The Stand or fall short of reaching its potential like many ambitious post-apocalyptic shows.
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Earth Abides
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2024-00-00
In this post-apocalyptic series, survivor Isherwood "Ish" Williams navigates the desolate remnants of civilization after a mysterious illness decimates humanity. Despite his initial instincts for seclusion, Ish faces the challenge of rebuilding society and fostering community in a world that has drastically changed.
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The Stand is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel by Stephen King, first published in 1978. The story revolves around the aftermath of a deadly pandemic, with survivors aligning under either good or evil forces, led by Mother Abagail and Randall Flagg, respectively. The novel has been adapted into two miniseries (1994, 2020), comics, and has inspired songs. The novel is widely acclaimed and remains one of King’s most significant works.
