What It Is: Continuity is the maintenance of detail over several different narratives. In essence, continuity is whenever two or more books are consistent about the same places, characters or subjects. An example of this: IT, Dreamcatcher, Insomnia and 11/22/63 are all set in Derry, Maine. In Dreamcatcher, graffiti is seen on a wall that reads Pennywise lives! a clear reference to Pennywise the Clown from IT. What It Means: It would be quite possible to write an entire essay on the continuity in Stephen King's novels. The world is so vast and interconnected that it would require an immense amount of analysis to complete (largely owing to King's insane levels of productivity). In essence, King's continuity is self-sustaining. By maintaining continuity, King heightens the strange, surreal quality of each individual novel. A reference to Pennywise in Dreamcatcher reminds the reader that quite literally anything can happen in King's world, and evokes a sense of dread. This also rewards fans for reading many of King's books. Not only that, but it encourages multiple readings, as some continuity references may not initially be clear (or may only become clear once someone has gone away and read something else).
