Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King: Summary & Reviews

There’s something magnetic about a father-son writing duo tackling a story about a world without women. Stephen King and his son Owen King delivered exactly that with Sleeping Beauties, a 702-page novel published on September 26, 2017, that imagines a mysterious sleeping sickness spreading across the globe (Stephen King official site). The result is a polarizing, ambitious book that bridges King’s classic horror with a more modern, collaborative sensibility.

Publication date: September 26, 2017 ·
Authors: Stephen King and Owen King ·
Pages: 702 (hardcover) ·
Genre: Fantasy, Horror ·
ISBN: 978-1501163401 ·
Average rating: 3.57 / 5 (Goodreads)

Here are the core details of the book at a glance:

What is the book ‘Sleeping Beauties’ about?

What is the story of Sleeping Beauties?

The novel opens in a small Appalachian town in West Virginia, where the primary employer is a women’s prison (Stephen King official site (author’s description)). A mysterious plague causes women around the world to fall asleep; when they do, they become wrapped in a cocoon-like gauze. If anyone tries to wake them, they turn feral and violently dangerous. One woman, Evie, is immune to the sleeping sickness, and her presence becomes the focal point of the struggle between the terrified men left behind and the few women who remain awake.

Who are the main characters in Sleeping Beauties?

• Evie – the immune woman whose origin and purpose drive the plot.
• Lila Norcross – a prison administrator who becomes a key player after the outbreak.
• Clint Norcross – a psychiatrist and Lila’s husband, trying to understand the science behind the sickness.
• Frank Geary – a local drug dealer who leads the men’s desperate response.

What is the setting of Sleeping Beauties?

The story is set in the fictional town of Dooling, West Virginia, described as “future-real” and near enough that it might be now (Stephen King official site (author’s description)). The women’s prison serves as a microcosm where the collapse of society plays out in confined spaces.

The implication: The setting is a deliberate choice—a prison in a small town strips away distractions and forces the characters to confront the gender divide head-on. The Kings aren’t just writing a horror story; they’re writing a social thought experiment.

Is Sleeping Beauties a good book?

What are the critical reviews of Sleeping Beauties?

The novel received mixed reviews. The New York Times called it “sluggish” and said many characters felt redundant (The New York Times (major newspaper book review)). The Guardian, on the other hand, described it as an “entertaining allegorical drama” (The Guardian (UK newspaper review)). On Goodreads, the book holds a 3.57/5 rating—lower than many of Stephen King’s solo works (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

What are the pros and cons of Sleeping Beauties?

How does Sleeping Beauties compare to other Stephen King novels?

To see where Sleeping Beauties stands, here’s a comparison with three of King’s most famous works:

The pattern: Sleeping Beauties is the most collaborative and thematically focused on gender, but it falls short of King’s solo works in reader ratings. The ambitious premise may have been better served by a tighter edit.

Are there any adaptations of Sleeping Beauties?

Is there a Sleeping Beauties movie?

No film adaptation has been released as of 2025 (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

Is there a Sleeping Beauties TV series?

A television adaptation was announced in 2019 by Anonymous Content, but no production has materialized (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

Is there a Sleeping Beauties graphic novel?

A graphic novel adaptation, co-written by Stephen King and Owen King with art by various illustrators, was published in 2021 by IDW Publishing (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

For fans of speculative fiction adaptations, you might also enjoy Into the Spider-Verse: Cast, Plot, Streaming & Sequel Updates—a different kind of multiverse story.

What this means: The lack of a live-action adaptation is surprising given the visual potential of the cocoon imagery. The graphic novel fills that gap, but a TV series could still breathe new life into the property.

What is Stephen King’s darkest novel?

What is Stephen King’s saddest book?

Many readers and critics point to Pet Sematary as King’s darkest novel. King himself has called it his scariest book (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)). Others nominate The Shining, It, and The Dark Half for their bleakness.

What is Stephen King’s most controversial book?

The Shining is often cited as his most controversial due to its portrayal of alcoholism and domestic violence (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

What is the least liked Stephen King book?

Among the least liked are The Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher—both of which King himself has expressed regret for writing (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

The catch: “darkest” is subjective. But Pet Sematary consistently tops the list because its horror comes from a place of parental grief, making it emotionally devastating.

What is Stephen King’s disability?

What health issues has Stephen King faced?

Stephen King was hit by a van in 1999 while walking near his home in Maine. He suffered severe injuries including a collapsed lung, multiple fractures, and a damaged hip (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)).

How did Stephen King’s accident affect his writing?

King has said the accident changed his perspective on mortality and made him more prolific. His memoir On Writing details his recovery and his struggle with alcoholism (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)).

Does Stephen King have a disability?

He has chronic pain from the accident and uses a cane, but he has stated he does not consider himself disabled. However, he has acknowledged mobility issues that affect his daily life (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)).

Why this matters: King’s physical struggles have influenced his writing—characters in later novels often deal with pain, addiction, and recovery in ways that feel more personal.

What is Stephen King’s favorite book of all time?

What book does Stephen King regret writing?

King has expressed regret for writing The Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher, calling them “not good” (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)).

What book did Stephen King remove from publication?

King removed Rage from publication after it was linked to school shootings. It is now out of print and considered rare (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)).

What is the rarest Stephen King book?

The rarest is The Plant, a self-published serial novel that King released in installments in the 2000s. Only three parts were completed before he abandoned the project (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)).

For readers interested in apocalyptic themes, see End of the World: Bible, Science, and 2030 Predictions—a different kind of end-times scenario.

The pattern: King’s favorite book is The Lord of the Rings (Wikipedia (encyclopedia entry)), which he has cited as a major influence. His regrets and removals show an author who is conscious of his legacy and the real-world impact of his stories.

Timeline of Sleeping Beauties

Confirmed facts vs. Uncertainty

Quotes about Sleeping Beauties

“The novel is set in a small Appalachian town whose primary employer is a women’s prison – a world that is future-real and near enough that it might be now.”

– Stephen King official site (author’s description)

“A blood-splattered pleasure.”

– Tennessee State University LibGuides (library catalog)

“An entertaining allegorical drama.”

– The Guardian (UK newspaper review)

“Sluggish… many characters felt redundant.”

– The New York Times (major newspaper book review)

Sleeping Beauties is a bold experiment in co-authorship that delivers a thought-provoking premise but struggles under its own weight. For Stephen King fans, it’s a curious addendum to his legacy—a father-son handoff that doesn’t quite match the master’s solo hits. For readers new to King, it’s a mixed bag: a 700-page slog that rewards patience with moments of genuine insight. The trade-off is clear: if you value ambitious themes over tight execution, this is worth your time. If you prefer King at his tightest, skip to Pet Sematary.

Frequently asked questions