Stephen King Mistakes and errors in his books

On page 24 (the New York/Albany chapter, subchapter 7) Charlie tells Andy that she didn't empty all the pay phones of money, because she was afraid that the bag she was carrying would break. But later, on page 81 (the Longmont, Virginia: The Shop chapter, subchapter 7), Orville Jamieson tells Cap that all of the pay phones have been emptied. And even later, on page 244 (The Blackout chapter) Andy remembers that incident and he remembers that Charlie emptied all of the pay phones.
When they get to the cabin, Andy tucks Charlie in and then goes out on the porch with a knock of "mule-kick." After he finishes the mule-kick, he goes to bed. The next section tells the story of how Vicky was killed and Charlie was kidnapped. At the end of that recollection of Andy's, he is blaming himself, then thinks, "Oh s*** why are you doing this to yourself?", stands up, pours the mule-kick over the porch rail, and goes to bed. But he was already in bed! (Error found by Lisa Escamillo)
Page 172: it says "Not long after Christmas, Charlie caught a cold and snuffled and coughed her way through to early April, when it finally cleared up for good.", but on page 199 it says "On March 27, Andy McGee abruptly decided that they could stay in Tashmore no longer." The problem is that if this is being told from Andy's point of view, then they had already been captured before her cold went away, on March 27, so how would he know that it had cleared up? (Error found by Lisa Escamillo)
On page 238 (the The Blackout chapter, subchapter 8) Patrick Hockstetter had Gray eyes, but on page 264 (the Small Fires, Big Brother chapter, subchapter 3) he has blue eyes.
On page 281 (the Small Fires, Big Brother chapter, subchapter 13) it says that the alpha waves on Charlie's EEG rose. Then it says that these high spikes of alpha waves were the hallmark of high concentration and the brain's signature of imagination. Incorrect as Alpha waves are not the hallmark of high concentration but more indicative that a person is slightly drowsy.
Bradford Hyuck tells Patrick Hockstetter about the CAT tests (the Endgame chapter, subchapter 2) which should measure Charlie's caloric burn. A CAT scanner is used to show the construction of the brain, it can not be used to measure a persons caloric burn!

Part 2, Chap 9, Subchap 9, it states the standpipe holds 1750 thousand gallons of water. In Dreamcatcher Chap 16, Subchap 6 says that the Derry Standpipe holds 700 thousand gallons of water, but when it fails in Chap 16, Subchap 8, it dumps 750 thousand gallons down the hill
King refers to the new '45rpm sized CD's" in Chapter 3, subchapter 4, when in fact they are quite different in size - a 45 is 7" in diameter, while a CD is just under 5". 2 1/4" is quite a different in size in my opinion.
Chapter 3, Subchapter 1 says the day of bath when Stan Uris dies is 28th of May 1985, but later in the same subchapter the date changes to 27th of May 1985, then back to the 28th.
Chapter 3, subchapter 6 says that Bill knelt before Audra, but later, on the next page, it says that she rose and went to him. And when she reached him it says that she put a hand on his shoulder and turned him towards her, as if he had been turned away from her all the time.
In Chapter 4, subchapter 8, Ben says that a haiku poem must consist of seventeen syllables. That is true, but what Ben forgets to mention is that these seventeen syllables must be divided, so that the three line long poem contains 5, 7 and 5 syllables. It is clear that he didn't know this, because if you count how many syllables there are in those three lines, you will see that there are 6, 6 and 5. (Thanks to Dena for a correction to this error)
Chapter 6, Subchapter 5 describes the time when Mike Hanlon and his father get their truck going. They get to the end of their road, and the Rhulan farm is one way and the Bowers in the other way. This means that the Hanlon farm is in the middle.
In Chapter 8, subchapter 1, when Richard Tozier enters Derry, he remembers Rhulan Farms, then Bowers farm, then Hanlon Place. Now the Bowers place is in the middle!
In Chapter 7, subchapter 2 Ben says that he doesn't know who Stan Uris is. Eddie tells him that Stan is their age but he started school a year later than them, because he was sick a lot the year he should have started. But in subchapter 5 Ben recognises Stan as the kid who was in his class, when he was in second grade. He should have been in First grade when Ben was in Second grade.
In chapter 10, subchapter 5 Mike shows the others some scars that he has on his chest. These scars should ostensibly have been made by the werewolf they met in the house on Niebolt Street. But in Chapter 18, subchapter 9 the werewolf doesn't touch Mike. The only one it touches, more gravely, is Ben, whom it slashes.
Chapter 6, subchapter 3 states that Beverly's 'father' was in fact her stepfather, but later on in Chapter 11, subchapter 3 we find that he is her real father when she speaks about his DNA giving her some traits.
Chapter 11, subchapter 1 finds the librarian Carole Danner calling Ben by name without being introduced. It is possible that she recognised him, but later, in Chapter 11, subchapter 5, Mike tells Bill that Carole had told him that a man had been at the library. Mike says that he had made her describe him, but why, when she knew his name?
In the beginning of Chapter 16 Eddie felt pain race up his left arm, caused by the break to that arm as a child. But later on in that chapter he writes that Henry broke Eddie's right arm.
Chapter 17, subchapter 3 says that there were two bedrooms in the house Henry and his father lived in. But on Chapter 19, subchapter 8 it says that Henry and his father slept in the same bedroom.
In Part 5 of the book Mike remembers that Henry and his gang chased them down into the sewer on the 14th of August. But later, when they are trying to get out of the maze like sewer it says that it was the 10th of August.
In Chapter 8, subchapter 3 it says that Richie was a Methodist, but on page 919 it says that he was a Catholic.
In Derry: The Second Interlude Mike Hanlon's father says that Mike has told him that Henry Bowers is the biggest bully at Mike's school. Interesting when Mike went to the Neibolt Street Church School, while Henry Bowers went to the Derry Elementary School. Mike Hanlon writes that he went to the Derry Elementary in the beginning of the book (Derry: the first Interlude), but Mike went to Neibolt Street Church School
On page 780 (Chapter 17, subchapter 3) it says that Rena Davenport had been courting Butch Bowers with baked beans for 8 years. When we learn of this, in 1958, Henry is 12 (Chapter 4, subchapter 2). A bit before that, (Chapter 13, subchapter 3), we learn that Henry's mother left Butch and Henry when he was 11. Then that would mean that Rena had been courting Butch, even while his wife was around. (This error was discovered by Stephanie Robinson via B_Hansen)
According to the information given on page 611 (Derry: The Third Interlude) Aloysius Nell should live in a nursing home. But later on page 1026 (Chapter 22, subchapter 6), it says that he died at home. (This error was discovered by Justin Zimmerman via B_Hansen)
Derry: The Third Interlude says, in March 1985, that Norbert Keene is 85 years old. But Chapter 21, subchapter 8 says, at the top of the page, that Norbert Keene is in his nineties, this time it is May 1985. Later, on the middle of the same page, Norbert thinks that he'll turn 96 next time.
Chapter 21, subchapter 6 sees Stan scaring away the attacking bird by saying that he believes in the scarlet tanager and he continues by saying that he hasn't seen one. But earlier in Chapter 9, subchapter 10 he sees such a bird by the birdbath at Memorial Park.
Chapter 10, subchapter 1 says that Richard's Alley had become some strange hybrid called a "mini-mall". But Chapter 23, subchapter 3 says that Richard's Alley was filled up with yellow bricks as the Brian X Dowd Professional Building came crashing down.
On page 457 ( Ch. 10, subch. 1 ) Bill notices that The Shoeboat and Bailley's Lunch wasn't there anymore. Nevertheless Harold Gardener watches on page 1050 ( Ch. 23, subch. 3 ) those two buildings collapse. (This error was discovered by Justin Zimmerman via B_Hansen)
On page 479 (Chapter 10, subchapter 4) Mike says that there were seven members in The Bradley Gang, but on page 614 (Derry: The Third Interlude) it says that there were eight members in The Bradley Gang. (This error was discovered by Justin Zimmerman via B_Hansen)
Chapter 21, subchapter 10 says that at 6.19 a.m. the Kissing Bridge was struck by lightning and was blown to pieces. But Chapter 23, subchapter 3 says that after the Paul Bunyan statue was blown up at 10 a.m. the large head of the plastic axe went through the roof of the Kissing Bridge!

Garraty is number 47, but in chapter 2 it says that Ewing is number 9. So if Ewing is number 9 and Garraty is number 47, there must be about 38 people, whose surnames starts with F. I find that highly unlikely, don't you? (This error was discovered by Stephanie Robinson)
On page 150 (Chapter 1) it says that Garraty's father took him to a Long Walk, when he was 10. But later, on page 220 (Chapter 7), it says that the Squads came and took his father 11 years ago, and he hasn't seen him since, he says. Garraty is 16 when the story takes place, so if his father had been taken away 11 years ago, how was it then possible for Garraty's father to take Garraty to a Long Walk, when Garraty was 10, when he himself had been missing, since Garraty was five? (This error was discovered by Stephanie Robinson)
On page 207 (Chapter 6), it says that Jan had long blonde hair, but on page 178-179 (Chapter 4), she has long dark hair. (This error was discovered by Stephanie Robinson)
Chapter 13 (about 9 pages in) Garraty is talking to McVries and mentions that 12 walkers took advantage of the April 31st drop out day. Have a quick look at any calendar...
In Chapter 17 King writes "Stebbins opened his mouth and with shocking abruptness he threw up the crackers and peanut butter he had eaten, almost whole and seeminly untouched by digestive juices. He staggered, and for only the second time since the Walk began, he was warned." Actually this was his Third Warning. The first was in Chapter 1 just after the race started he took a warning to see where the limits were. Second warning Chaptter 10 (about 4 pages from the end of the chapter) Garraty told him to get away from him and he dropped back quickly and got a warning. Third warning Chapt 17 when he vomited. (Found by Joseph Argo a long while ago, but just confirmed - Thanks)

In Part 1 chapter 22. From the words: " Because of his research" and until the word "psychosis" this is what is wrong: The neurosis conception was introduced by Sigmund Freud, as an important part of the theory about the psychosexual development. Since then this theory and also the neurosis conception has been subject to dissociation and is therefore not being used any more.
In Part 1 chapter 22. From the words: "Although a borderline" and until "aggressive cheerfulness", this is what is wrong: Abnormal variations in a persons mood is not seen as a symptom for borderline disorder. This variation in a persons mood, from depression to "aggressive" cheerfulness, can be found with people suffering from bipolar manic-depression.
In Part 1 chapter 22. From: "The puffed and" and the rest of the paragraph, this is what is wrong: This part can quite possibly be a correct reference to the borderline disorder, as it was set forth by psychoanalysts like Kohut and Ainsworth. As mentioned above this psychoanalyzation was later rejected. If not anything else then Stephen King can at least be accused of being anachronistic.
In the end of Part 1 chapter 23 Annie places the Royal on the board that she has made for the wheelchair. But 2 pages later it says that it stood on the bureau.
When Annie places Paul in front of the window he is glad that he has the possibility of looking at something new instead of the room. And when he thinks of the things in the room that he has been looking at for weeks he recalls the rooms blue wallpaper in Part 1, chapter 28 . But earlier in Part 1, chapter 10, when Annie comes into the room, to clean up the soup in the corner of the room it says that she scrubbed on the plaster to make the stain disappear. Although it can be deducted that Stephen King meant to have the rooms walls covered with wallpaper, because later in Part 3, subchapter 43, when Paul burns his fake book he notices that some of the burning paper has set the wallpaper on fire.
In Part 2, chapter 2 Paul pretends that he is coughing but is actually smiling, and Annie hits him on the back. On the next page it says that Annie sat on the bed, while Paul sat in his wheelchair in other end of the room. But Annie placed the pages on the night table besides Paul. So he either had to be lying in bed or he'd have to be parked besides the night table, NOT at the other end of the room.
Paul is in error in Part 2, chapter 18 when he said that it had been a year before Annie and Ralph had bought the house. In fact they had married on the 2nd January 1979, and bought the house in March 1979 - only 2 months later.
Annie tells Paul that the drug Novril that she is using for his pain relief is Codeine based, and that she has not stolen any morphine based drugs from the Hospital (Part 2, chapter 21). Codeine is made from Opium and has the same properties as Morphine, but is weaker. Since Morphine is also made from Opium, it can be concluded that Codeine is 'sort of' Morphine Based.
In Part 3, Chapter 33 two news reporters come to see Annie and interview her about the missing policeman. She walks out with a shotgun full of "double-ought buck", fires a warning shot, and then when she re-enters the house she magically has a rifle, not a shotgun. (This error was found by Allen, Thanks)
Annie's character is said to be deeply depressed. If this was her only problem then she would NOT have harmed herself.
In Part 1, chapter 23 Annie comes in with the Royal typewriter. The typewriter is described as having glass panels set into its sides. But in Part 3, chapter 42 it says that the typewriter had gray sides.