Exploring the Depths of Salem's Lot by Stephen king

a literary analysis of the 1975 horror masterpiece by the King himself

Trigger warning: This analysis contains brief mentions of domestic abuse, violence, and sexual abuse. Please read with caution.)

“the bestiality of the night rises on tenebrous wings. The vampire’s time has come.”

- Salem's Lot, Stephen King

In this issue of Pages & Beyond, I'll be diving deep into the different facets that make Salem’s Lot such a remarkable work, and how it skillfully tackles its themes. This novel is constantly in dialogue with itself, breathing new life into old tropes and clichés. It’s so multifaceted that I had to split my analysis into sections because discussing just one aspect wouldn’t do it justice. Just as the heroes of this tale must confront the horrors that Barlow creates, I too must wrestle with the rich discussions the novel sparks.

So, let’s settle in—grab a comfy chair, wrap yourself in a blanket, and sink your teeth into one of the greatest vampire stories of modern literature.

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A Retelling of Vampire Lore

One of the most fascinating aspects of Salem’s Lot is how much it borrows from vampire mythology and folklore. It could almost be considered a retelling of classic vampire tales—one of the main sources it draws from is Dracula, as Stephen King himself acknowledges in his introduction. Yet, the novel's real strength lies not in its liberal use of vampire lore, but in how it chooses to build upon it.

The first time I read this novel, I was 15 years old and had little knowledge of its predecessors. I vaguely recognized the tropes but lacked the context to fully appreciate them. Years later, after reading many of its inspirations, I can see the intricate pieces King has woven together. Like Victor Frankenstein, he stitched together the literary "meat and bones" to create Salem's Lot. But unlike Victor, King’s creation became a masterpiece.

You might wonder how Salem's Lot accomplishes this. Let’s look at one of its biggest influences: Dracula. While Dracula focuses on the terror of an outsider invading a quaint town, Salem’s Lot offers a more complex view of the town itself. Dracula, with its subtle (or not-so-subtle) xenophobia, spends so much time exploring the mysterious invader that we never get a complete picture of the town of Carfax. The town is doomed from the start, yet we meet few of its inhabitants in depth—perhaps only Mina and Lucy.

In contrast, Salem’s Lot devotes about 60% of its pages to the town's residents, revealing them in all their vulnerability. They’re shown in their entirety—good, bad, and everything in between. Unlike Dracula, the title itself emphasizes the town rather than the monster. This focus suggests that Salem’s Lot is not just a vampire story but a story about the town as a living, breathing character.

Despite the numerous similarities between Dracula and Salem’s Lot, the latter is more than a direct retelling. Characters like Ben and Jimmy Cody even compare Matt Burke to Van Helsing, acknowledging the novel’s lineage. Yet, Salem’s Lot distinguishes itself by creating a unique space where vampire lore and the real world meet.

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Mythology Meets Real-World Horrors

One of the novel's strengths, in my humble opinion, is its respect for vampire lore. Many stories either change or ignore the mythology to fit their narratives, but not Salem’s Lot. It wants readers to know the folklore, albeit focusing more on fictional and cinematic interpretations than on the real myths. Matt Burke, the story’s Van Helsing, guides us through the vampire mythology—staking through the heart, decapitating, and more. This serves as the framework within which the characters must operate.

Why go through the trouble of establishing all this vampire lore? Isn’t the goal of any great horror story to differentiate itself from its predecessors? The answer lies in the novel’s dual exploration: by sticking to traditional vampire rules, it sets boundaries for the characters. When the story breaks these conventions, it asks a more intriguing question: what happens when a vampire enters the real world? Can the protagonists outsmart such a powerful creature? This meta-contextual dynamic sets Salem's Lot apart, making it more than just another vampire story.

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The Nature of Evil: Supernatural vs. Worldly

At its core, Salem’s Lot examines the nature of Evil which it calls capital “E” Evil versus lowercase “e” evil. It draws a distinction between supernatural horrors and the more mundane, everyday cruelties people inflict upon each other.

“The Catholic Church began to cope with a new concept as it marched into the twentieth century: evil with a small ‘e.’ With a devil that was not a red-horned monster complete with spiked tail and cloven hooves, or a serpent crawling through the garden—although that is a remarkably apt psychological image. The devil, according to the Gospel According to Freud, would be a gigantic composite id, the subconscious of all of us.” —Salem’s Lot, Stephen King

According to the novel, worldly evils are easy to understand, but they can attract the attention of supernatural forces—almost like a beacon. This lingering residue of human malice empowers entities beyond human comprehension. Yet, the supernatural evil, though simpler in nature, is harder to grasp..

These ideas are embodied in Father Callahan, who I previously hinted as the story’s most crucial character. He’s weary of the lowercase “e” evil, longing for a more tangible enemy he can believe in. But when he finally encounters it, it overwhelms him.

“The Catholic Church has been forced to reinterpret its whole approach to evil—bombers over Cambodia, the war in Ireland and the Middle East, cop-killings and ghetto riots, the billion smaller evils loosed on the world each day like a plague of gnats. It is in the process of shedding its old medicine-man skin and reemerging as a socially active, socially conscious body.” —Salem’s Lot, Stephen King

The contrast between the small-town residents’ everyday misdeeds and Barlow’s supernatural cruelty raises a chilling question: which is the greater evil? The mother who constantly hits her her child, or the vampire drains the life of the same child? The abusive husband, or the vampire that preys on the entire town? What about the good people—did they deserve their fate?

“In a way, Ben thought, it was fitting that when trouble finally came to him—great trouble—it should come in this dreamlike, darkly fantastical form. A lifetime’s existence had prepared him to deal in symbolic evils that sprang to light under the reading lamp and disappeared at dawn.” —Salem’s Lot, Stephen King

By posing these questions, Salem’s Lot elevates itself beyond a typical vampire tale, becoming a deeply philosophical work that lingers in the reader’s mind. If you had to choose, would you take your chances with Barlow, or with the cruelty that humans inflict on each other?

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Final Thoughts

Wow, this might just be the longest article I’ve ever written! I hope you all stayed with me till the end. As I mentioned at the beginning, I couldn’t ignore how thoroughly this novel explores its themes and meta-commentary. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings, and thank you for reading!