The End of the World As We Know It edited by Christopher Golden (with Brian Keene) is an anthology of original short stories set in and around the world of Stephen King’s The Stand. Christopher Golden gathers 34 stories by 36 authors that explore events during, immediately after, and long after the apocalyptic superflu outbreak known as “Captain Trips.” The collection is divided into four parts—“Down with the Sickness,” “The Long Walk,” “Life Was Such a Wheel,” and “Other Worlds Than These”—each section corresponding to different phases of collapse, survival, rebuilding, and alternate or future realities.

In The End of the World As We Know It, Christopher Golden offers readers not just horror, but profound reflections on humanity: how people respond to fear, loss, isolation, and power when society falls apart. Many stories examine moral ambiguity, the fragility of hope, and the costs of rebuilding trust. For fans of The Stand, Christopher Golden’s anthology expands the original universe—introducing diverse voices, unseen perspectives, and new settings—while preserving the epic struggle between good and evil that Stephen King first imagined.