“I was listening to myself. But inside them, people speak a different language.” For Barton Dawes, the end is near. The extension of Highway 748 will annihilate his very existence. It will not only pass over the dry cleaner where he earns his living but will also demolish the house he lives in.

Suddenly, in Bart's mind, something happens for which the heartless bureaucrats could not possibly be prepared: a complete short circuit of the neural connections that prevents an ordinary, peace-loving person from turning to violence. Thus, while the relentless “wheels of progress” – and a demolition crew – continue their work in his neighborhood, he is determined not to surrender anything without a fight.

In fact, he is more than ready to spark an explosive confrontation with the forces of Law that have mobilized against him.

“Stephen King knows very well how to hypnotize the reader – whatever name he uses.” –Chicago Sun-Times

Stephen King is one of the most significant writers of our time. He has written over 50 novels, 200 short stories, and essays, with sales exceeding 350,000,000 copies. His works, many of which have been adapted into films or series, include Carrie, It, Salem's Lot, The Dark Half, Skeleton Crew, the Dark Tower epic, The Shining, The Green Mile, Misery, Stand by Me, Hearts in Atlantis, The Dome.

He has been honored with the Bram Stoker and Locus awards, from the British, American, and International Horror Writers Associations, with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and with the National Medal of Arts of the USA, while in 2016 he was honored by the Library of Congress for his Entire Body of Work.