Inside and Outside Evil: Attachment Crisis and Occultism in Carrie, The Shining, and Doctor Sleep

King coins the terms “inside evil” and “outside evil” to delineate his dark aesthetics. “Outside” evil refers to the threats of malicious spirits or creatures. “Inside evil” can be linked to modernity's attachment crisis, where the prevalence of “hot” and “cold” evils entice agents to develop dark personalities or to invest in occultism. King's characters are wont to fight demons inside and devils outside, while goodness remains vague. King's multiverse frequently ends with the restoration of poetic justice and moral order. Nevertheless, the return of social equilibrium is not about the triumph of good. There is hope because evil in King tends to self-destruct.