Stephen King has revealed he “never liked” Black Sabbath in a recent Reddit AMA to promote The Long Walk, an adaptation of his novel.
The film is set in a dystopian United States, ruled by a totalitarian regime, and focuses on a group of young men who enter an annual walking contest in which they must maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour or be killed, with the remaining walker declared the winner.
In an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit, the author was asked what playlist he would have for the fictional walk. He replied with two selections, one reflecting his taste at the time of the novel’s publishing (1979) and his tastes now.
“Back then I would have picked ‘Get Together,’ by the Youngbloods, ‘Eve of Destruction,’ by Barry Maguire (sic), ‘Carol,’ by the Rolling Stones, ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues,’ by (Bob) Dylan, maybe ‘Summertime Blues,’ by Eddie Cochran, ‘Rock and Roll is Here to Stay,’ by Danny and the Juniors.”
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He continued: “Now I’d load my playlist with AC/DC, Rancid, Metallica, Stones, (Bruce) Springsteen. Not Black Sabbath, I never liked them.”
Music has often featured in King’s books as a cultural indicator for the period in which they are set. In turn, his work has inspired several artists, including ‘Ride The Lightning’ by Metallica (the title is a phrase from King’s book The Stand) and ‘Pet Sematary’ by Ramones, which borrowed its title from the author’s 1983 novel.
Several Stephen King adaptations have been scheduled for 2025, with The Long Walk in UK cinemas September 12, and a new version of The Running Man arriving in November. The Life Of Chuck, based on a short story by King, is now playing in cinemas, while The Monkey came out in February.
Recently, the writer described President Donald Trump’s second term in office as a “horror story”, and called for his impeachment.
