Rare Stephen King works destroyed in Maine bookstore flood

Stephen King may be the Master of Horror, but one of his fans is dealing with horror of a new kind. A Bangor, Maine, bookstore owner lost several of King’s rare manuscripts and books after a burst pipe flooded his store’s basement, the Bangor Daily News reports.

Gerald Winters, the owner of Gerald Winters & Son bookstore, was horrified to learn that 90% of his store’s inventory was destroyed in the flood, including some manuscripts of King’s novels. Also damaged were several rare books by the author.

Winters isn’t an ordinary King fan. He’s been collecting rare editions of the author’s work for almost 20 years, and he moved his bookstore to Bangor because it’s home to one of King’s residences.

King told the Bangor Daily News that he sympathized with Winters.

“I’m horrified. As a book lover, my heart goes out to him,” King said. “I will eventually reach out and see if I can help in any way.”

The news wasn’t all bad for Winters, however, the Boston Globe reports.

Some of the original manuscripts Winters had collected survived the flood, thanks to storage in watertight boxes. The undamaged manuscripts include “Creepshow,” “The Plant” and “The Eyes of the Dragon.”

King reiterated to the Globe that he intends to help Winters get back on his feet.

“I’m hoping others in the book community will do the same,” King added. “He’s a nice man. Many collectors are pushy, but he’s not that way.”