Undisputed “King of Horror” Gifted Alan Wake’s Opening Lines for Merely a Dollar

Alan Wake is iconic in the horror genre. Remedy Interactive’s classic horror title comes from a long line of fan-adored franchises, boasting the likes of Max Payne. The ominous opening lines of the game, as narrated by writer Alan Wake himself, still send a shiver down the spine of anyone who played the game. Fans can be elated to know their favorite nightmare also got some backing from another horror-fiction legend: Stephen King!

Ahead of the launch of Alan Wake, 2, Remedy director Sam Lake revealed that horror’s most popular writer was generous enough to lend his quotes to the devs for merely a dollar.

Alan Wake gave players the creeps in a King-esque way

Alan Wake begins with Wake, a writer, driving through the countryside. Players can hear the protagonist mention Stephen King at the very beginning, “Stephen King once wrote that ‘Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear.” For those who have played the game, it would make total sense because of the surreal spook that follows.

In a lot of ways, Alan Wake’s nightmare is like the supernatural horror style King is known for. Throughout the game, Alan Wake nods in acknowledgment to not only Stephen King but to other major influences including Twin Peaks and HP Lovecraft. Being a fan of King, Lake says he “desperately” wanted the game to start with a quote from the horror master himself. Lake revealed that King was incredibly supportive and lent a helping hand in an unexpected manner.

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Stephen King charged an unbelievable sum for Alan Wake’s opening quote

“Creating the original Alan Wake, I really, really desperately wanted a quote from him to start it off,”, Sam Lake was heard saying. Lake also revealed when approached, Stephen King was also enthusiastic about the prospects of the game. To show further support, King let Remedy use a quote from one of his articles from 2008.

The undisputed king of horror stories gifted his own quotes to Remedy for a mere $1, Lake told the fans.

In the article titled “Why Hollywood can’t do horror,” King wrote the same lines later used as the opening quotes for Alan Wake. In the article, King discusses why catering to mass audiences results in failing to grip the true sense of horror.

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