Remember me
One sci-fi book inspired by Stephen King is now available for free, but, unfortunately, not everyone will have access to it. With over sixty-five books written by Stephen King, it’s clear that the author isn’t creatively beholden to a single genre. Though King is best known for horror, the prolific writer has dabbled in fantasy, crime thrillers, sci-fi, and even more in his 52-year career. What’s more, some of his best work is outside the horror genre, and I say that as a horror aficionado.
Aside from his magnum opus series The Dark Tower, just look at The Stand, one of the best post-apocalyptic science fiction books of all time, and the historical time travel book 11/22/63. These brilliant novels have received onscreen adaptations, and they continue to captivate readers and writers years after their publication.
One such reader is Emmy-winning multi-hyphenate Bill Oakley, who is best-known for work on The Simpsons and Futurama. Hollywood might have made him a recognizable name, but his career expands past show biz. In 2022, Oakley’s first book, Space: 1969, was released, and it became a bestseller. The sequel, Space: 1972, came out just a few weeks ago, and it’s free to read right now.
For those who don’t want to spend money right now, the second book can be read without the first and still makes sense. The first provides some worldbuilding and backstory that enhances the story; however, it’s completely possible to dive straight into Space: 1972 and enjoy the ride.
How Stephen King Inspired Space: 1969 & Space: 1972
A rocket launches against a blue cloudy sky
Emmy-winning author Bill Oakley explores the horrifying future that could have happened if JFK survived his assassination attempt, and he comes to the conclusion that the world wouldn’t be better off. In this alternate future, he continues the space race, leading a night nurse named Nancy to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy. The second book picks up three years after the first book's events, when JFK’s space empire is destroying the space-time continuum. Once again, Nancy is pulled into action.
Based on the premise alone, it’s easy to pick up that Space: 1969 and its sequel, Space: 1972, share the same basic idea as Stephen King’s 11/22/63. The JFK assassination changed history, but what if it was prevented? What would an alternate world look like if JFK survived?
When giving his book recommendations on Audible Blog, Oakley shared that the similarities weren’t coincidental. He credits Stephen King’s 11/22/63 as one of the inspirations for his books. He wrote, "Stephen King's alternate-history masterpiece got me thinking about what an extended Kennedy presidency might actually look like—and convinced me it wouldn't necessarily be all peaches and cream. And (unlike King’s version) that it could also be hilarious."
The beauty of Oakley’s book is that the inspiration is clear, without it being derivative of Stephen King’s work. It never feels like a ripoff. He infuses the story with his own brand of humor and imagination. Had the writer tried to mimic King’s work, the books would have failed. However, Oakley didn’t try to be somebody else. Now he has one bestseller and a sequel that’s already getting great reviews and is free to read.
Space: 1972 By Bill Oakley Is Only Available Through AudibleEven though Space: 1972 is currently free, not everyone will have access to the book, as it’s only available to read as an audiobook on Audible. As of the time of writing, there is no printed version of Space: 1969 or Space: 1972, which unfortunately limits its reach.
Before anyone gets bent out of shape about me using “read” and “audiobook” in the same sentence, even Stephen King agrees that audiobooks are reading. Check out his Entertainment Weekly article about the subject, and enjoy this quote from his book On Writing, page 92: “You can even read while you’re driving, thanks to the audiobook revolution. Of the books I read each year, anywhere from six to a dozen are on tape.”
Unfortunately, not everyone can or wants to utilize this format. What’s an accessibility tool or preferred format for some is an accessibility barrier or disliked format for others. Audible had plans to roll out a captioning program, but they canceled the plans after a copyright lawsuit (via Publishing Perspectives).
Currently, audio and print are available together only to people who own the Audible and Kindle versions of books. Because there's no e-book version, this isn't available for Audible Originals, which is an unfortunate flaw in the system. In the future, I’d love to see the company add them to Audible Originals, including Space: 1972. In the meantime, the only real options to have words alongside the audio are live captioning devices or apps. Depending on the device, it might not be efficient enough, but it's a way to enjoy Bill Oakley’s Space: 1969 and Space: 1972 if you're dying to read them but can't do audiobooks.