From a Buick 8 - Stephen King (2002) - Summary at Celsius 233

From a Buick 8 by Stephen King, published in 2002, is a supernatural horror novel that delves into the mysteries of an otherworldly car stored in a Pennsylvania State Police barracks. Through alternating timelines, the novel follows a group of state troopers as they try to unravel the car’s eerie secrets while grappling with fate, loss, and the unknown.

Plot Summary

In the quiet town of Statler, Pennsylvania, the barracks of the State Police Troop D sits near an old, abandoned gas station, a place where the past lingers like a shadow. It is there, in Shed B, that something unnatural rests beneath a heavy tarp – a 1954 Buick Roadmaster, perfectly preserved, as if time itself cannot touch it. The troopers know it isn’t just a car. They have seen what it does. They have seen what it takes. But they have never fully understood what it is.

Ned Wilcox is just eighteen when he first notices the shed. He has been spending time at the barracks ever since his father, Trooper Curtis Wilcox, was killed by a drunk driver during a routine traffic stop. The men and women of Troop D have taken him in, given him work, let him belong. But there are things they do not talk about. Things his father never mentioned.

One summer afternoon, while cleaning windows, Ned glimpses the Buick through the dusty glass. The tarp has slid off on its own, revealing the sleek midnight-blue body, the chrome grille that looks like a sneering mouth. It gleams like something new, untouched by time, untouched by dust. And when he asks about it, Sergeant Sandy Dearborn knows the time has come.

The Buick had appeared out of nowhere more than twenty years before, rolling into the gas station on a humid July morning. The man who drove it was strange – tall, pale, dressed too warmly for summer in a long black trench coat. He spoke in a thick, wet voice, as though something inside his throat was broken. He filled the tank with gas, stepped around the side of the station, and never returned.

Brad Roach, the young attendant on duty, waited. Minutes stretched into an hour, then longer. He checked the restroom. Empty. He walked around the back of the station, looking toward the swollen banks of Redfern Stream. No footprints in the mud. No sign of the man. Just the Buick, sitting there in the sun.

By the time Troopers Ennis Rafferty and Curtis Wilcox arrived, it was clear – the driver had vanished without a trace. The Buick was impounded, taken to Shed B at Troop D, where it sat, waiting. And then, strange things began to happen.

The Buick was not quite right. Its details were off in ways the mind could not immediately grasp. The dashboard was too smooth, almost unfinished, as if whoever made it had never seen a real dashboard before. The steering wheel was too large, the radio buttons fake, the engine nothing but an empty black space that defied logic. It never rusted, never gathered dust, never changed. But it was not lifeless.

Light would pulse from inside the Buick, a cold, purple-blue glow spilling out through the gaps in the doors and the grille. It came unexpectedly, without warning, and when it faded, something would be left behind – things that did not belong to this world. Unrecognizable creatures, wet and squirming, their bodies half-formed, their eyes blind and useless. Some died instantly. Others lived just long enough to writhe on the cement floor before the troopers put them out of their misery.

Then, there were the disappearances.

Trooper Ennis Rafferty had been the first. One evening, in the early years of the Buick’s captivity, he stepped inside Shed B alone. The others heard a sound – a snap, a rush of air, and then silence. When they opened the door, he was gone. No blood, no struggle. Just the Buick, sitting there, its grille grinning, the smell of ozone thick in the air.

They had searched, of course. For weeks, for months. But deep down, they knew. Ennis was not coming back.

Years passed, and the Buick remained. The troopers accepted it as one might accept a wound that never quite heals. They watched it, studied it, feared it. Some, like Curtis Wilcox, tried to understand it, taking meticulous notes, tracking the patterns of its pulses, trying to make sense of the creatures it birthed. But understanding never came. The Buick was not a machine. It did not run, did not function, did not seem built for travel. It was something else, something pretending.

Curtis Wilcox was the one who hung the thermometer on the beam above the car. The temperature inside Shed B never matched the air outside. It remained steady, unnatural, as if the Buick existed in a place of its own.

And then Curtis died, not by the Buick, but by something far more mundane – a careless drunk, a truck stop, a moment of bad luck. The troopers grieved. They buried him, carried on, kept the secret. And now, years later, his son was asking questions.

Sandy Dearborn tells Ned everything, piece by piece, the way Curtis once told it to him. He takes him to Shed B, lets him see the Buick up close. It is not safe, not really, but Ned has a right to know. His father had known.

Ned stares at the car, runs his fingers along the sleek, cold metal. He does not understand it, but he knows it is wrong. He feels it. Something waiting, something watching.

And then, the light comes.

The troopers rush in to find Ned standing in the glow, his eyes wide. Something has come through again, something small and shriveled, twitching on the ground. They put it down quickly. Ned says nothing. But later, after the light has faded, after the Buick has gone quiet, he looks at Sandy and asks if they will ever destroy it.

Sandy shakes his head. They have talked about it, thought about it. But the Buick is not of this world. It is a doorway, not a car. It is something that should not be, but is. And some things, no matter how much a person might want them gone, cannot be undone.

Ned leaves for college that fall, taking with him the weight of everything he has learned. He does not speak of the Buick again. But the troopers remain, keeping watch over the thing in Shed B, knowing that one day, it will pulse again. And maybe, next time, it will take something else.

Maybe, next time, it will take one of them.

Main Characters

Ned Wilcox – A teenager struggling with the sudden death of his father. His curiosity leads him to uncover the dark history of the mysterious Buick 8.
Curtis Wilcox – Ned’s father, a dedicated state trooper killed in a senseless accident. His fascination with the Buick plays a major role in the story.
Sandy Dearborn – A seasoned officer and the book’s primary narrator. He reluctantly shares the history of the Buick with Ned.
Shirley Pasternak – A police dispatcher who forms a close bond with Ned and teaches him about law enforcement.
Arky Arkanian – The barracks’ custodian, a kind and loyal presence who helps maintain the station and its secrets.
Tony Schoondist – A former sergeant who was among the first to study the Buick and its terrifying nature.
The Buick 8 – More than just a car, this vehicle is an unknowable entity that defies the laws of reality, spawning bizarre and disturbing phenomena.

Theme

The Unknown and the Unexplainable – The Buick 8 symbolizes forces beyond human comprehension, challenging the characters’ need for understanding.
Grief and Coping with Loss – Ned’s journey reflects the struggle of dealing with unexpected death and searching for meaning in tragedy.
Duty and Tradition – The Pennsylvania State Troopers uphold their responsibilities, even when faced with something they cannot control.
Fate vs. Free Will – The novel questions whether events unfold due to chance or a deeper, cosmic design.
Storytelling as Memory – The book emphasizes how oral storytelling preserves history, shaping how we perceive the past.

Writing Style and Tone

Stephen King employs a conversational and reflective narrative, often shifting between past and present perspectives. His writing is immersive, with rich character development and a slow-burning sense of dread. The tone is melancholic yet compelling, blending realism with supernatural horror. The dialogue feels authentic, with King capturing the camaraderie of law enforcement officers while weaving in eerie, atmospheric tension.

We hope this summary has sparked your interest and would appreciate you following Celsius 233 on social media:

There’s a treasure trove of other fascinating book summaries waiting for you. Check out our collection of stories that inspire, thrill, and provoke thought, just like this one by checking out the Book Shelf or the Library

Remember, while our summaries capture the essence, they can never replace the full experience of reading the book. If this summary intrigued you, consider diving into the complete story – buy the book and immerse yourself in the author’s original work.

If you want to request a book summary, click here.

When Saurabh is not working/watching football/reading books/traveling, you can reach him via Twitter/X, LinkedIn, or Threads

Restart reading!