Almost half a century afterStephen Kingfirst published his post-apocalyptic epicThe Stand, readers still have fair criticisms to make about the ending. Despite it being one of his masterpieces,The Standis one of manyStephen King book endings that left readers wanting more. The epic tale tells the story of the people who are left after a pandemic sweeps America, with the survivors splitting up into two camps, with those on the side of light and good trying to withstand the malevolence ofRandall Flagg, King’s embodiment of evilin a post-apocalyptic America.
When the group of travelers from Mother Abigail’s domain of Boulder on the side of good travel to Las Vegas to confront Flagg, it’s with the expectation that they will fight and defeat the demonic sorcerer or die trying in a final showdown. Instead,they never get a chance to, as Trashcan Man shows up at that moment, hauling an unstable nuclear bomb behind him. A giant, glowing hand described as the hand of God then comes down and detonates the bomb, obliterating the evil center of Las Vegas and Flagg’s reign.
The Stand’s Ending Is Criticized For Being Too Sudden & Dissatisfying
It’s A Literal Deus Ex Machina
The Standis one of Stephen King’s bona fide epics, sweeping and sprawling, andit’s exactly that epic nature that makes the ending so disappointing for so many.The problem is that even a literal nuclear explosion is not a strong enough finale for the layered chess match of good vs. evil King set up in the previous 1,000 pages. ThroughoutThe Stand, Flagg had been playing a cat-and-mouse game with the survivors in Boulder, taunting them to face him head-on, all leading up to the final last stand - hence the title of the book and its most quoted line: “The place where you made your stand never mattered. Only that you were there… and still on your feet.”
10 Best Stephen King Quotes
Stephen King knew even as a young writer that life’s greatest truths are often the simplest, and the best quotes from his books reflect that.
The irony, then, is thatThe Standdoes not have a stand in the end,instead relying on a literaldeus ex machina- or “god from the machine” - to conveniently boardwipe the threat.It feels like a cheat, cutting off the story without a final showdown against Flagg, and not even in a way that involves one of the main characters, but a supporting character off on a side quest. The resolution stripped the story of any opportunity to explore the deeper themes of good vs. evil, human nature, and bravery in the face of impossible odds. Every bit of complexity and depth thatThe Stand’s ending deserved to incorporate is obliterated in a single nuclear flash.
The Stand Is Part Of A Larger Stephen King Ending Trend
Sadly, even longtime Constant Readers will admit thatStephen King often struggles with bad book endings. Even if they’re not necessarily bad, they’re just underwhelming, wandering off the page instead of finishing strong. Perhaps that’s a testament to how good he is as a writer that he can layer his stories with so much human drama and philosophical musing thatit’s almost impossible to end his stories in ways that are worthy of the rest of the book.King’s novels are in-depth explorations of human nature as much as they are horror stories, and, as the ever-changing landscape of human nature never has an end, it’s hard to find an ending that feels fitting.
King’s novels are in-depth explorations of human nature as much as they are horror stories, and, as the ever-changing landscape of human nature never has an end, it’s hard to find an ending that feels fitting.
To that end, it’s worth pointing out thatmost of King’s strongest conclusions have come in his short stories and novellas,which almost always wrap up their stories neatly while still packing a punch. The longer a Stephen King novel goes, the more meandering it tends to become, which makes it harder to end the main plot on a high note. King has long been open about the fact he doesn’t do hard plotting or outline his novels, but just takes the story and allows it to go where it will go. Clearly, that method has worked for him, but it does mean he doesn’t always have a clear idea of where it’s going or where it will stop. While some ofStephen King’s book endings have been great, others have definitely struggled with this lack of focus.
2025’s The Stand Anthology Could Address Some Of The Biggest Issues With The Book
It Can Patch Up Some Holes
This year may offer the perfect vehicle to fix the missed opportunity withThe Stand’s ending, however.The End Of The World As We Know Itwill be a first for Stephen King, and it’s exciting. As an anthology, it will be the first time we’ve seen multiple modern horror authors come together to pen stories set in Stephen King’s world. Theanthology can fix the biggest problem withThe Stand’s endingby tying off threads that King’s book originally failed to, or even providing different perspectives on the ending itself. Even if it’s notStephen Kingwriting the stories himself, with his stamp of approval, the anthology could help fill in those gaps he never did.
