| "The Reploids" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror, science fiction |
| Published in | Dark Visions |
| Publication type | Anthology |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Publication date | 1988 |
"The Reploids" is a horror short story by American writer Stephen King. It was published in the 1988 book Dark Visions.
Plot summary
A mysterious man named Edward Paladin shows up in place of Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, but all is not what it seems. A subsequent investigation by detectives Richard Cheyney and Pete Jacoby finds strange items in his possession, hinting that he may not be from our reality. These include passes for the studio which are the wrong color and a bright blue one dollar bill with a picture of James Madison on it rather than one of George Washington, implying that Madison served as the first President of the United States instead of Washington in Paladin's universe.
Relationship with other works
Aberrant United States currency — changes in color and presidents — is also described by Father Callahan in the chapter "The Priest's Tale Continued (Highways in Hiding)" from The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (DT5). In DT5, such differing bills are explained as originating from different co-existing universes within the Dark Tower multiverse. President Chadbourne is mentioned in both the short story and the novel.
This can also be a reference to the multiverses seen in the novella Ur, where there have been different historical events for different time lines.
See also
- Stephen King short fiction bibliography