Firestarter (novel)
A girl with pyrokinesis flees a government agency.
Stephen King's 1980 novel Firestarter blends science fiction and horror, centering on young Charlie McGee, whose pyrokinesis attracts a ruthless government agency. Two excerpts appeared in Omni magazine before the book hit the New York Times bestseller list on August 24, 1980. It earned nominations for the British Fantasy, Locus Poll, and Balrog Awards. The story was adapted into a 1984 film, a 2002 miniseries, and a 2022 remake. King dedicated the book to Shirley Jackson.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Stephen King
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Horror thriller; Science fiction
- Publisher
- Viking Press
- Released
- September 29, 1980
- Format
- Print (Hardcover)
- Pages
- 426
Facts from the source article.
Plot summary
Andrew and Charlene McGee, a father and daughter, are pursued by a government agency called The Shop. During college, Andy participated in a Shop experiment with a drug known as Lot 6, which gave him a telepathic mind control ability he calls the push, and gave his future wife Vicky minor telekinetic powers. Their daughter Charlie develops a powerful pyrokinetic ability. Andy uses the push to track Charlie and incapacitate Shop agents at a rest stop. They flee through Albany and are briefly taken in by farmer Irv Manders near Hastings Glen, New York. Shop agents track them to the Manders farm, where Charlie unleashes her power, incinerating the farm and killing several agents. The pair then takes refuge in a cabin in Tashmore, Vermont, that once belonged to Andy's grandfather.
Adaptations
Firestarter was adapted into a 1984 film directed by Mark L. Lester, starring Drew Barrymore as Charlie, David Keith as Andy, and George C. Scott as Rainbird. A TV miniseries sequel, Firestarter: Rekindled, aired in 2002 on the Sci-Fi Channel, with Marguerite Moreau as an adult Charlie and Malcolm McDowell as Rainbird. A second film adaptation, produced by Blumhouse Productions, was released on May 13, 2022.
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