Desperation
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Desperation is the absence of hope and not knowing what to do in a difficult situation.
Desperation is the title of a horror novel by Stephen King. It was published in 1996 at the same time as its "mirror" novel, The Regulators.
Desperation is the story of several people travelling through Nevada who all get arrested for one reason or another (all of which are unjustified) by Collie Entragian, the deputy of the fictional ghost town of Desperation. The travellers, rather than truly being arrested are instead kidnapped by Entragian. On top of this, the deputy acts quite abnormally, and seems to have a supernatural ability to control desert animals. As a result, the travellers are forced to try to find a way to escape Entragian and the town. This is done with the help of David Carver, a young boy who is able to speak to God.
Due to David's interaction with God, the novel contains a philosophical depth on the subject of religion. While David is trying to escape Desperation along with the other travellers, he is often faced with situations where he must question his faith.
Desperation was released simultaneously with the novel The Regulators (published by King under the name Richard Bachman). The two novels share many similarities, most notably the cast of characters. The original hardcover versions of the novels had artwork on the cover that connected when the two books were placed side by side.
A miniseries version, written by King and directed by Mick Garris, starring Annabeth Gish, Steven Weber and Tom Skerritt, will air in July 2005.