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The Dead Zone

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The Dead Zone

Written by: Stephen King
Narrated by: James Franco
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About this listen

Never before on audio! A number-one national best seller about a man who wakes up from a five-year coma able to see people's futures and the terrible fate awaiting mankind in The Dead Zone - a "compulsive page-turner" (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Johnny Smith awakens from a five-year coma after his car accident and discovers that he can see people's futures and pasts when he touches them. Many consider his talent a gift; Johnny feels cursed. His fiancée married another man during his coma, and people clamor for him to solve their problems.

When Johnny has a disturbing vision after he shakes the hand of an ambitious and amoral politician, he must decide if he should take drastic action to change the future. The Dead Zone is a "faultlessly paced...continuously engrossing" (Los Angeles Times) novel of second sight.

©1979 Stephen King (P)2016 Simon & Schuster
Genre Fiction Horror Supernatural Suspense Tie-in Scary Paranormal Fiction Royalty King
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What the critics say

"Originally published in 1979, this title is finally available for the first time as an audiobook, with actor James Franco narrating... Franco's impressive acting talent is on full display. As the troubled Johnny, he narrates with restraint and melancholy. As Stillson - an amoral businessman who cons his way towards the presidency - Franco oozes menace." ( AudioFile)

Featured Article: Stephen King’s 32 Best Audiobooks: The Definitive List

Stephen King is one of the most prolific authors of all time. He has published 61 novels, more than 200 short stories, and six nonfiction books—and he shows no sign of stopping. With such an extensive portfolio, choosing one audiobook can be daunting. We’ve compiled a list of the 32 best Stephen King audiobooks to make the choice easier. Whether you’re looking to get stuck into one of his creepy, classic stories or a sci-fi novella, you’ll find a title on this list that will get your heart racing.

What listeners say about The Dead Zone

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Original Story

The Dead Zone is an original and well created story. Protagonist John Smith was very likable and relatable. I felt my heart going out to him many times throughout the book and his hardships. I wish there was more to Bannerman/Dodd story and I feel like the supernatural explanation of "The Dead Zone" was left unexplained but hey, that's Stephen King for you.

James Franco did a fantastic job with this novel. His voice acting was perfect for ever role he dove into and I really hope he does more books in the future; specifically more Stephen King books.

Overall I thought narrator James Franco and protagonist John Smith made this a great read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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The dead zone

As always, the book is better than the movie. I am not a fan of science fiction, but this was more. A very interesting story. I have one more Stephen King book to read and I will do so.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great performance from Franco

I really enjoyed the style in which this story was read. The story itself was okay, not my favourite King but I have not been able to get through the paperback after a couple of tries and I am glad I finally was able to know how it ended.

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Good listen

The book was quite good and the boys work was on point and extremely well done. Would definitely recommend a listen.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Exemplary King. "Adequate" Narration

Don't get this audiobook looking for allegory or symbolism. There is no clever metaphorical commentary on the human condition in 'The Dead Zone'. This book is about a guy who wakes up from a coma with psychic powers who reluctantly admits he has them and uses them to fight evil. It's a simple story crafted to provide straight-up entertainment - but it's brilliant at it.
(*Please Note: the book is far from superficial.. there are well-thought-out discussions and numerous scenes with emotional depth.. but the book mainly delivers on a singular goal: providing a diverting experience).
The plot is captivating & fairly straightforward, the setting is immersive, and the pacing is relentless. This is a legitimate page-turner.
This book was the first of King's books to top the New York Times Best-Seller list - and written early enough in his career that the author wasn't overimpressed with his own success. He simply wrote honestly with intelligence and imagination. Prepare to lose yourself in one of Stephen King's best works.

The narration is decent but unspectacular. Actor James Franco does a nice job reading the book.. clearly, with emotiveness, and with impressive voice-acting (the portrayal of the villainous Congressman Greg Stillman is genuinely chilling).. but he whispers somewhat, his tone is too mechanical, and his pacing is plodding (I had to speed playback to 1.20X to get a comfortable reading rate).

If you can convince yourself to relax and simply enjoy a quality distraction, this is a 9.5 star book. Relatively weak narration brings this recording down to 8.5 stars out of 10. But I can easily recommend this audiobook.

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Great book. Classic King

Amazing boom. I kept wondering what Johnny would have saw if he shook Trumps hand....

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Franco does a great job

I was pleasantly surprised by how well Franco did as a voice actor. The story is very good but not amazing, mid-tier king in my opinion but still, very good, worth the buy!

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Interesting Concept

This was my first Stephan King book and I had trouble trying to follow what the plot was. it just seemed like an endless telling of someone's life. But I did enjoy it and James Franco did an amazing job reading. I loved he did different voices for different characters.

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Franco makes this great!!

James franco...amazing job here
I felt that the story lagged here and there after he came out of the coma but still overall quite good

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woo

James Franco voice made it an easy listen and intresting. The different accents for the characters was great.

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