Influences
Castle Rock is influenced by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, who created a series of fictional small towns in New England called Arkham, Dunwich, Innsmouth and Kingsport. King has mimicked this idea of Lovecraft's with the towns of Jerusalem's Lot, Castle Rock, Derry, and – to a lesser extent – Little Tall Island and Haven. King has openly admitted being a great fan of Lovecraft, calling him the "20th century's dark and baroque prince".
Castle Rock may be based on King's home town of Durham, and Lisbon Falls, Maine, where he attended high school. Durham was the home of a 19th Century millenarian sect known as The Kingdom whose home, "Shiloh", was an imposing wooden complex on a hill, capped by a huge crown. The central portion of the Shiloh complex still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A town called Castle Hill exists in Aroostook County.
Read more about this topic: Castle Rock (Stephen King)
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