The Science of Stephen King

Other reasons for rapid weight loss include gastrointestinal diseases such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Those who suffer from these conditions often experience diarrhea and malabsorption of nutrients which causes the sufferer to lose weight. Cancer, Addison’s disease, and hyperthyroidism could also be to blame which could include symptoms of fatigue, muscle loss, and increased metabolism. Doctors recommend that anyone experiencing unexplained rapid weight loss make an appointment to explore the possible reasons behind it.

Another curse in the novel Thinner is put on the character of Judge Cary Rossington with the word “lizard.” He is cursed with scaly skin and even begins to grow a tail in the film version. Do either of these conditions exist in real life? There are several skin conditions that may make the skin appear to have scales including eczema, psoriasis, and ichthyosis. Worldwide, about 20 percent of the adult population suffers from eczema while 3 percent of children have some form of the disease.9 Certain foods can trigger symptoms, including nuts and dairy as well as environmental factors such as smoke and pollen. Treatments for eczema include moisturizing, using mild soaps, and taking prescription medications. Psoriasis affects more than eight million people in the United States and can be mild, moderate, or severe. For a case to be considered severe, 10 percent or more of the body would be covered with psoriasis. Light therapy and prescription medications are used to treat the condition. People who suffer from ichthyosis, also known as fish scale disease, have a genetic disposition to either shedding their old skin cells too slowly or growing new skin cells too quickly. Ichthyosis affects 1 in 250 people in the United States. Treatments include taking salt baths, moisturizing with special creams, and taking retinoid medications. The skin condition the Judge had in the novel seemingly couldn’t be cured, though, and he perished.

The lizard-like tail and clawed hands that Judge Rossington is suffering from are two distinct features some humans are born with. Vestigial tails grow during the fifth week of the gestation period in the womb and disappear by the eighth week. If the tail doesn’t get absorbed or form into the tailbone, a protrusion resembling a tail remains. Since they serve no function, the tails are often removed shortly after birth. The longest known tail on a human belongs to Chandre Oram of India who, due to spina bifida, sports a thirteen-inch tail. Clawlike hands are also a real condition and can occur due to nerve damage, leprosy, or as a birth defect.

Duncan Hopley, the chief of police in Thinner, is given the curse of acne for his role in the death of Susanna Lemke. How common is acne? Acne is extremely common and is one of the top three most encountered dermatological conditions. The diagnosis and treatment of acne has existed since ancient Greek and Egyptian times and focused on the four humors of the body, believed to be blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. Treatments throughout the centuries ranged from natural remedies, such as honey, to changes in diet. Prayers and the balancing of the four humors were also a focus of acne treatment up until the Middle Ages. Topical creams and prescription medications became more common in the twentieth century and most acne is able to be treated using one of these methods.

Ultimately, Billy Halleck is able to reverse the curse by giving it to someone else via a “gypsy pie.” He doesn’t escape his fate, though, because instead of just passing the curse on to his wife he gave it to his daughter as well. Fittingly, the novel ends with him about to take a bite of the cursed pie and secure his demise.

CHAPTER TEN

It

There are few horror icons who exist in the cultural zeitgeist that surpass their movies and books. They are boogeymen scaring children who know only their iconic images. Michael Myers in his hockey mask, Freddy Kreuger with his knife fingers, and, of course, Pennywise the clown. With his resurgence of popularity thanks to the recent films, It (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019), Pennywise has come back with a vengeance, terrifying a new generation.

Published in 1986, and clocking in at an impressive eleven hundred pages, It is considered one of King’s masterpieces. A novel about both the trauma and deep friendships forged in childhood, It resonates with any reader who’s ever been a misfit, or simply had a deep-seated fear. The author explained how he approached such an epic novel: “I’ve written some books and [I’ve] gotten this reputation as a horror novelist, so IT will be my final exam. I’ll bring back all the monsters that I remember from my childhood … because the entity that is Pennywise focuses upon whatever that particular child fears the most.”1