Does Stephen King’s Carrie Hold Up?

Thanks to MAINGEAR for speeding up everything for us. Check out the VYBE line that’s making up the core of Matt’s new studio -- and use code CREATE for a free additional year of warranty on desktops: Join Our Patreon: This week we’re diving deep into Stephen King’s iconic novel Carrie which, as it turns out, ended up being Matt’s FIRST real horror novel EVER. We talk about why King’s writing is so easily digestible, and how Carrie feels strangely modern despite being written over 50 years ago. We pick apart the book’s uniquely fragmented structure, and how it actually kind of resembles… modern scroll-based apps? Next we dissect the iconic prom scene and figure out why it might be one of the most perfect “killer app” images ever created in fiction. But what exactly is it that makes this scene so iconic, and more importantly, how did it shape Stephen King into the horror icon he is today? From there we get into Carrie’s horrifying home life, her mother’s religious fanaticism, and why the book’s version of Margaret White is much more interesting (and far more frightening) than most adaptations. We also pick apart the various Carrie movies, including the bizarre TV adaptation, and some truly catastrophic CGI choices. We round things out with a thorough examination of the story’s astonishing moral complexity. Is Carrie’s revenge satisfying…or deeply tragic? We talk about proportional justice, why some readers celebrate the destruction at the end, and the uncomfortable trend of treating mass revenge fantasies as empowering. Big thanks to our patrons, and we’ll see you next week! You love anime. You love tea. Get 10% off your order with code CREATE at The Dragon's Treasure: Buy our T-shirts: Join our Discord to talk with artists, creators, and fans of the finer things in online life: discord.gg/vnRnr3rCzt Apple: Spotify: Google Podcasts: CREDITS: Hosts: Kevin Lieber and Matt Tabor Executive Producer: Ben Webster Editor: Spencer Vann "Created in the Unknown" theme by Basswaite: Theme by Mega Drive → Opening Animation: Kidmograph City Animation: Eric Langlay "The Create Unknown" is produced by Unknown Media. CONNECT WITH US: » Chat with us on DISCORD: »

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Does Stephen King’s Carrie Hold Up? is an episode from The Create Unknown by Unknown Media & Studio71.

This episode is 148:32 long.

This episode was published on May 15, 2026.

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