the United States. Straub and King had talked multiple times before about collaborating to write a book, but nothing ever surfaced until years after King returned stateside, when the Straubs also moved to the United States. According to King, after Straub moved, "the talk got serious," and they began collaborating. Their literary friendship continued after The Talisman was published; in 1999 they began working on the sequel, Black House (2001), which deals with Jack Sawyer as an adult. A third and final book in the Jack Sawyer series was planned. Locations The Territories When Jack "flips," he finds himself in a parallel world, which is physically smaller than the world from which he comes. Throughout the course of the novel, Jack uses the size differential as a method to travel quickly across the country. The eastern region, corresponding to the Eastern Seaboard, is the most densely populated and is governed under a feudal system headed by the Queen. The central regions, roughly corresponding to the American plains, are a grain growing area known as "the Outposts." Beyond them the western region of the Territories is a destroyed area known as "the Blasted Lands" (analogous to the American Southwest – primarily New Mexico, where the atomic bomb was tested). It apparently was wrecked by radioactivity and has dangerous mutants and occasional fireballs. Alhambra Hotel Where Jack begins his quest and meets Speedy Parker. It is a decaying building on the New Hampshire coast, at the end of the novel deserted except for Jack's mother. Its parallel in the Territories is the summer palace of the dying queen. Another location near the hotel is Arcadia Funworld, a decrepit theme park that Speedy works at. The Alhambra was also a notable location in King's novel The Tommyknockers. Oatley Tap A bar in the fictional western New York town of the same name. The owner, Smokey, holds Jack as a virtual slave. Jack despises him for this mistreatment. Also working with Jack is Smokey’s girlfriend Lori, and another unnamed worker. Near the end of the novel the Oatley Tap bursts into flames after a grill explodes, killing Smokey and Lori and burning down the town. Elroy, a quadrupedal animal, arrives in Oatley to capture Jack but is unsuccessful after attempting to kill the boy inside the Oatley tunnel. Elroy is later killed by Jack in the fight at the training camp after they leave