Comments on: Cultural Name Dropping in Stephen King’s Under the Dome

By: Curt Jewell

Curt Jewell — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:56:00 +0000

There are also references to Jack Reacher. He is the MP major created by Lee child.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:51:43 +0000

There are two bands called Stalag 17.
One from Bologna Italy, the other an anarcho-punk band from Belfast.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:28:27 +0000

He didn’t get the Stalag thing right. The punk band was Stalag 13 not Stalag 17. They originated in Oxnard and I went to quite a few of their gigs.

By: Nina

Nina — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:58:21 +0000

There were also two references to Dr Gregory House, from House MD.

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:35:29 +0000

The language, serious business.

By: Gil

Gil — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:35:43 +0000

I bet this list is ten times better than the book. Stephen King is a bad writer. A great storyteller? Maybe. But he writes like he hates the language.

By: DrMabuse

DrMabuse — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:31:33 +0000

Thanks, Shane. Fixed. Sorry, typed that sucker in a hurry.

By: Shane

Shane — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:58:22 +0000

It’s “Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

By: Levi Stahl

Levi Stahl — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:17:49 +0000

There’s also a reference to (or unattributed quote from?) “The Waste Land,” if I’m remembering correctly, though I didn’t note it and thus can’t offer more detailed information.

For what it’s worth, I thought the repeated references to the James McMurtry song were one of the weakest aspects of the book. King went to that well too many times, and each time he did, I found myself thinking, “Really? This song really swept the whole town the previous summer? I grew up in a small town, and I just don’t see it.”