Lilja writes: In today's The Times there is an interview with King by Neil Gaiman in which we can read the following: “Right now he's writing a book called Joyland, about an amusement-park serial killer.” sounds like there is another good book in the works...I have long thought that amusement parks are scary places. I mean, there is the dark fun house. The screams from a roller-coaster nicely mask the screams from, let's say -- a knife. Once you strap in and the bar is locked down, you can't get away!
Interestingly, there really is -- was -- a theme park called Joyland. It has been out of commission since 2006. In June of 2011, Gavon Laessig at BuzzFeed wrote:
Located in Wichita, Kansas, Joyland is an amusement park that's been shuttered since 2006. Here are a bunch of creepy/beautiful images documenting nature's reclamation of the site. This is the stuff that Stephen King novels and awesome roman candle fights are born of.
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ReplyDeleteCurse you, typo!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, this sounds like an interesting concept for a novel to me. As always, I'm happy to read whatever Mr. King chooses to publish.
King has always been good at planting these epic, stylized landscapes in your mind.
ReplyDeleteI never in a million years thought I'd come across a real life Stephen King setting. The park in the video literally looks like it just emerged fresh from his imagination.
A possible living breathing Dark Tower connection in real life perhaps?
I can easily imagine Gary Sinise or Steven Weber running form some maniac with an ax. All I'd ask is that he not go the Jason or Freddy route, and the reason I say that is cause after setting the bar so high evenin his lesser works King has managed to remain free of the stereotyping and stock characterization of most horror fiction, whether on screen or television.
He should go more the Hitchcock, Robert Bloch or Richard Matheson route in this one, especially Matheson in his Gothic mode.
Does anyone else think that would seriously be cool?
ChrisC
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DeleteI live in Wichita and grew up going to Joyland as a kid! The roller coaster was everybody's favorite ride, it was one of the only original wood coasters left in the US but sadly they took it down about a year or so ago because it was considered a danger. I tried to sneak in a few years ago but got caught. They closed down due to finical issues but they couldn't reopen it after many people preformed arson there. Also fun fact, a park worker was decapitated by the roller coaster in 1998 and a 7 year old boy died after falling off the coaster in 1977. I'm only twenty but I loved the park and all the creepy things about it so I did a lot of research on it a few years ago! (also that last removed comment was mine, but it came under unknown so I changed it)
DeleteThis actually sounds pretty interesting - in King's hands, this should be a really awesome story!
ReplyDeleteI actually live down the street from Joyland. I loved this place as a kid but there has been several deaths through the years here, including the accidental beheading of a grounds men by our famous wooden roller coaster. I can't wait to read this book! I'm so proud to be in a sence, a part of the magical Steven King novel. Glad we have a creepy enough amusement park!
ReplyDeleteMy husband worked at Joyland as a teenager :)
Deletemine name is michael i have been in wichita for 24 years all my life i have a gaming clan Dark World Gaming its based off of the park as its a dark world in the park.
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ReplyDeleteI live in Wichita also. Joyland was the best place as a kid as scary as the clown at the organ was it was still the best place we had growing up! Look up joyland clown pictures there are a lot of pics. That park was very creepy but so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThe clown's name was Louie.
DeleteI loved Louie!
DeleteI used to go there as a kid, during KFDI day kids got in free. I miss it, alot of memories there.
ReplyDeleteJoyland was the happiest place in the world for me when I was a kid. They used to have school fun nights and I remember having butterflies in my stomach all day at school because I was so excited. These images bring back so many wonderful memories and break my heart all at the same time. The book is really exciting though - I love Stephen King and I can't wait to read it. I wonder if he's ever seen these pictures or heard of our Joyland. :)
ReplyDeleteThe mechanical clown playing the organ always gave me a uneasy feeling. As his head would turn from side to side, you would swear his eyes would glance directly on you. Joyland was a unending source of fun, but you always felt his eyes were watching...and that he was waiting for the right time to jump off that bench and snatch you.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKf5wsSRTs4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
ReplyDeleteImmortalizing Joyland forever in a King novel. How awesome!!
ReplyDeleteImmortalizing Joyland forever in a King novel. How awesome!!
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't read the book I probably wont but I've been to joyland many time its not scary its never meant to be scary it was a fun and awesome place to hang out with the family.
ReplyDeleteGrew up going to the real life Joyland- so sad to see it in disrepair . But perhaps it could have a new life for a movie made from the Stephen King novel. They filmed one there last year , so why not another
ReplyDeletei worked at joyland in 2006. i helped breath life back into the park after a 3 year closure. i helped rebuild the roller coaster. repaint every thing to that ugly teal and pink. i wanted so badly for joyland to come back to life as it once had been. joyland was the fondest memories i have growing up. i loved that place and would work my butt off to pay my admission to this place. whether it be mowing lawn, picking up trash, grooming the neighbor ladies dogs. i did what it took to get to go as often as possible. riding the log jam, the bumper cars, swings every thing. i dont think they had a ride i didnt love. im glad my favorite author has also decided to breath new life into the park in a new way. i believe he will do right by the park and long after we have died the park will be known.
ReplyDeleteI loved Joyland so much! I tried to help restore it by donating quite a bit of money to a restoring Joyland fund a couple years ago but it never happened.
DeleteI had a good friend in high school named Mike King who worked there in 1980 and caught a guy named Michael Sales and two buddies jumping the back fence. They stabbed him to death in the parking lot. I hope they are still in jail. I hope his folks don't hear about this book...
ReplyDeleteI hope they take all the photo's from Joyland and rebuild it as a set for the movie.
ReplyDeleteI grew up going to the amusement park in fact my first job ever was at the cotton candy stand and I even closed down the skating rink that night that it burned down. I have a lot of fond memories of this place and it's sad to see it in the shape that it's in now I wish I could have shared this with my kids but hopefully my favorite author can bring some life back into the park with his book. As for the claim of the organ it always creeped me out as if it was watching everybody just waiting to make his move I truly do miss this place
ReplyDeleteJoyland was so much fun. I miss the roller coaster....and the clown.... The creepy organ playing clown
ReplyDeleteI grew up and live in Wichita. My family and I went to Joyland for many years. My sister and I loved the whacky shack and the roller coaster! However, the creepy clown who played the organ still gives me nightmares!!! I love Stephen King and am very excited for this novel!
ReplyDeleteThis book was published June 4, 2013. Old news but yes, Joyland was fun. I went there many times as a child.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Jeff Fichter I live in Wichita KS grew up here as a teenager in high school I work at joyland in the game department it was fun working there a lot of perks. I wish my son could of experienced it I'm 45 now there are a lot of story's from everyone that work there we was like family. they park was open for many years but ran into money problems it was sad to see it close.
ReplyDeleteI am from Wichita and remember JoyLand from my childhood. Interesting that King would choose Joyland since Wichita is home to one of the most notorious serial killers, the BTK. King also chose BTK as a base for his story 'The Good Wife'.
ReplyDeleteNow if mr king would buy out joyland and rebuild it that would be nice!
ReplyDeleteIt is sad, want has become of Joyland. I loved going there! I also worked there when I was 14, along with my mom and my sister.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad, want has become of Joyland. I loved going there! I also worked there when I was 14, along with my mom and my sister.
ReplyDeleteA bunch of people wanted to rebuild Joyland but it sits in one of the worst area's of town. He could combine Joyland with BTK. Now that is some scary Wichita stuff! The German fest they had in the park every year was a lot of fun...back when giant mugs of beer and dancing was fun!
ReplyDeleteJoyland was truly awesome--so sad we can't share it with our grandchildren. Does anyone remember Kiddieland out on east Harry? Had some really happy times there, too.
ReplyDeleteBook is about a fictional amusement park in North Carolina. It's a great book but it's not about Wichita in any way, shape or form other than the name of the amusement park.
ReplyDeleteThe pig trash can about took my hand off. I really had fun at the swim pool also going on the days that when you got off a ride you could get a 45 record. so much fun
ReplyDeleteI grew up going there. We rode that coaster 50 times in a row on a dare. Used to sneak into the spook house. Those bumper cars were wicked. Get red licorice from the wild west town store.
ReplyDeleteI worked there for two years as a kid in high school. I ran every ride except the farris wheel...Stan Nelson (the owner) would not let me run it because I had a problem loading people on it correctly in order to keep the wheel balanced! This video brings back so many memories. Miss all the friends that worked there...too many years have gone by. I was there from the spring of 1967 thru the fall of 1968. I had heard that Stan was trying to sell it years ago...he was old, time had caught up with him and he was unable to manage the park. Giles Margers was the grounds boss when I was there...he too has since passed away. Every once in a while we will drive by the park, or what is left of it, and the memories flood back. Good times. It's a shame life today isn't what it once was, where you could drop your kids off at a big amusement park and not have to worry that anything will happen to them. Yep, good times!
ReplyDeleteSo very true. Everytime you drive by you can not but help to remember what it was like when you worked there. I was there in early 2000's
DeleteI used to work at the Joyland in Wichita Kansas it wasa great place to work buta very interesting park. I would love to read this book. I would even be willing to give him some interesting things that happened there whilei worked there if he would like.
ReplyDeleteGrew up in going to Joyland in Wichita, KS and couldn't help but wonderbif anybody else remembeted the pool and 100ft high dive?
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool to see.! I live up the road from Joyland and worked their as my first job! I use to operate rides and games . I miss those days
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