A chilling horror novel by Stephen King, first published in 1996. Widely regarded as one of King's most disturbing and ambitious works, Desperation blends supernatural horror, psychological suspense, survival, and dark fantasy into an unforgettable story.

On a lonely highway in the Nevada desert, several strangers—including a family, a bestselling novelist, a hitchhiker, and an elderly couple—are stopped by the seemingly polite sheriff of the abandoned mining town of Desperation. Their relief quickly turns to terror when they realize the sheriff is violently insane and imprisoning innocent travelers for reasons he cannot explain.

The captives soon discover that an ancient supernatural force has been unleashed from a long-sealed mine outside the town. The entity, known as Tak, possesses human beings and animals alike, twisting them into instruments of unimaginable cruelty. Trapped in an isolated ghost town with no hope of outside help, the survivors must rely on courage, faith, and one another to confront an evil that has existed for centuries.

As the battle for survival intensifies, the novel explores profound themes of faith, free will, sacrifice, grief, and the nature of good and evil. King's vivid characters, relentless pacing, and oppressive atmosphere make Desperation one of his most emotionally resonant and terrifying novels.

Closely connected in theme and mythology to The Regulators (published simultaneously under King's pseudonym Richard Bachman), Desperation offers a darker, more supernatural take on similar characters and concepts, though each novel stands on its own.