Sleeping Beauties – Stephen King (2017)

“Sleeping Beauties” by Stephen King and Owen King, published in 2017, is a genre-blending mix of horror, fantasy, and psychological thriller. In a world struck by a mysterious phenomenon, women fall into a cocoon-like sleep and do not wake up. If disturbed, they turn violent. As panic spreads, a small Appalachian town becomes the epicenter of the crisis, where a strange woman named Evie Black appears – possibly the key to the curse or its cause. The novel explores themes of gender, power, and survival in a rapidly collapsing society.

Plot Summary

The town of Dooling wakes to a world unraveling. In the early morning light, the women who drift into sleep do not wake. Cocooned in delicate yet unbreakable white tendrils, their breathing remains steady, their bodies warm, but nothing can rouse them. Doctors, husbands, fathers, and sons try everything – calling their names, shaking them, even cutting through the silky webs that encase them. That is when the horror begins. The women do not stir but react with a sudden, uncontrollable violence, tearing at flesh and bone, their eyes filled with something primal, something beyond human recognition.

At the Dooling Correctional Facility for Women, the same affliction takes hold. Inmates and guards alike succumb, their bodies becoming part of the eerie phenomenon sweeping across the world. Panic rises in the male population, who watch helplessly as their wives, daughters, and mothers slip into this unnatural slumber. Some believe it is a virus, others a supernatural curse, but one thing becomes clear – men are now alone.

The town sheriff, Lila Norcross, fights to keep order. A woman herself, she knows it is only a matter of time before she too falls into the sleep. Her husband, Dr. Clint Norcross, a psychiatrist at the prison, struggles with the scientific and ethical implications of the event. The world outside Dooling is in chaos, but within the town, something even stranger takes place. A woman appears out of nowhere, walking calmly into the madness, seemingly untouched by the affliction. She calls herself Evie Black. She is unlike anyone they have ever encountered – otherworldly, fearless, and knowing far too much.

Evie is taken into custody, locked inside the prison, but she does not resist. She watches the world around her with an amused detachment, as if she has seen it all before. Men, desperate for answers, become divided in their beliefs about her. Some think she is responsible for the sleeping sickness. Others see her as a savior, the only person who can break the spell. Among them is Frank Geary, an animal control officer with a violent streak. He sees an opportunity for dominance in the chaos and gathers a group of men who believe Evie must be forced to end the affliction – or die for it.

Inside their cocooned slumber, the women do not experience an empty void. They awaken in another place, a world both alien and strangely familiar. The streets of Dooling remain, but the men are gone. Only the women exist in this new reality, bound together in an eerie, silent understanding. Here, they are free from the struggles and dangers of their old lives. They begin to rebuild, shaping this world into something different, something without the constant shadow of fear, oppression, and violence.

Back in the waking world, the desperation among the men grows. Some remain rational, hoping for a scientific answer. Others, like Frank Geary and his growing band of followers, give in to paranoia and anger. They prepare to storm the prison, convinced that Evie is the key. Clint Norcross, knowing Evie is no ordinary woman, struggles with what to do. She speaks cryptically, as if the rules of existence itself bend around her will. She warns them all that what happens next is up to them.

As the town teeters on the edge of madness, Evie presents a choice. The sleeping women are not lost. They live, they thrive in their new world, but they must decide whether to return. If they wake, the cocoon will shatter, and they will be drawn back into a reality that has not changed. If they stay, they can build something new, a world without men, without the old wounds that history has inflicted upon them.

Some, like Jeanette Sorley, an inmate who had long suffered at the hands of men, wish to remain. Others, like Lila Norcross, feel the pull of duty, of love, of unfinished stories waiting on the other side. But it is not just their choice. The men, too, must decide what they are willing to become. Are they beasts, doomed to destroy themselves in their panic and rage? Or can they prove they are more than their worst instincts?

As the sun rises over Dooling, a war erupts at the prison. Frank Geary and his men break through the gates, demanding Evie’s life. Clint stands between them, protecting her, not out of loyalty but out of a terrible understanding – that she is not someone to be controlled. She is beyond them all. Blood spills, gunfire echoes, and in the chaos, the world trembles.

The women make their decision. Some remain in their new world, stepping away from the lives they once knew. Others, those who still believe in what they left behind, wake. Their cocoons unravel, and they draw breath once more, returning to a world forever changed. Lila Norcross opens her eyes, feeling the weight of existence pressing down on her once more.

Evie Black, her task complete, steps into the forest and disappears. Some believe she was never truly there. Others know better. The balance has shifted, the world has been tested, and what comes next is up to those who remain.

Main Characters

• Sheriff Lila Norcross – A dedicated law enforcement officer in the town of Dooling, she faces the outbreak of the mysterious sleeping sickness while confronting personal struggles.
• Dr. Clint Norcross – A psychiatrist at Dooling Correctional Facility for Women and Lila’s husband. He is drawn into the chaos as men grapple with the sudden absence of women.
• Evie Black – A mysterious and seemingly supernatural woman who remains immune to the sleep plague. She has extraordinary abilities and a cryptic agenda.
• Frank Geary – An animal control officer with violent tendencies who quickly becomes a dangerous leader among men trying to restore order.
• Jared Norcross – Lila and Clint’s teenage son, one of the few men in town who remains rational amid the growing hysteria.
• Jeanette Sorley – A prisoner in Dooling Correctional Facility who, like the other women, succumbs to the sleep but experiences a strange new world on the other side.

Theme

• Gender and Power – The novel examines the dynamics between men and women, particularly how society reacts when one gender is suddenly absent.
• Violence and Control – As men struggle to maintain order, the story delves into themes of dominance, aggression, and the fragility of civilization.
• Transformation and Rebirth – The women trapped in their sleep are transported to a new world, raising questions about renewal, choice, and societal reinvention.
• Human Nature in Crisis – The book explores how fear and uncertainty drive people to extremes, from violence to leadership to desperate hope.
• Supernatural Influence – Evie Black represents a force beyond human understanding, testing people’s morality and decision-making.

Writing Style and Tone

Stephen King and Owen King craft the novel with a cinematic and immersive narrative, blending eerie horror with sharp social commentary. Their prose is rich in character-driven storytelling, shifting between multiple perspectives to create a sprawling yet intimate portrait of a world unraveling. The writing is atmospheric, vividly describing both the apocalyptic panic of the waking world and the surreal dream-realm of the sleeping women.

The tone oscillates between tense, action-driven sequences and reflective, philosophical moments. While the novel carries the traditional horror and suspense elements typical of Stephen King’s works, Owen King’s influence brings an added depth to character psychology and introspection. The result is a compelling mix of psychological drama, supernatural mystery, and dystopian speculation.