# Question about Stephen King's "The Stand" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957 "2001-07-10T15:09:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/1 "2001-07-10T15:09:13Z")
In The Stand, the plague that wipes out most of the human race is sometimes referred to colloquially as “Captain Trips.” King also wrote a short story, “Night Surf,” about a similar plague which is, again, referred to as “Captain Trips.” IIRC, the term pops up in a number of his works, always referring to an influenza-type plague. What the heck does “Captain Trips” mean, anyway? Why does King use this term to describe his apocalyptic superflu? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/2 "2001-07-10T15:15:55Z")
Howyadoin, IIRC, in The Stand, the “Captain Trips” name was mentioned as having come from the West Coast. I believe this is a RL pet name among Deadheads for Jerry Garcia. The connection? Maybe to the delirious state people went into before they died? Yep, it’s a WAG, but hopefully this will jog someone’s memory to provide more info. -Rav ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/3 "2001-07-10T19:52:20Z")
I believe The Stand developed from the short story. So the name carried over. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/4 "2001-07-10T20:08:54Z")
Raven- I also think it was a Jerry Garcia reference. I have the book right here, and I can look through it to see if there’s anything about that there… ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/5 "2001-07-10T20:58:32Z")
Captain Trips is not Jerry Garcia. Perhaps if you had [consulted a search engine](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&imgsafe=off&safe=off&client=googlet&q=captain+trips), you might have found [the answer](http://www.fargonebooks.com/high.html). ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/6 "2001-07-10T21:30:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bughunter \* > \*\*Captain Trips is not Jerry Garcia. > > Perhaps if you had [consulted a search engine](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&imgsafe=off&safe=off&client=googlet&q=captain+trips), you might have found [the answer](http://www.fargonebooks.com/high.html). \*\* [So](http://www.chickenhead.com/features/jerry/index2.html) [you’re](http://www.addict.com/issues/1.09/Features/Garcia/Goldberg.html) [claiming](http://www.netstoreusa.com/babooks/156/1560250909.shtml) [Garcia](http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~billpannifer/trips.htm) [was](http://www.hoboes.com/pub/Fenario/Jerry/) [not](http://members.tripod.com/~Terrapinstation2/pages/jerry.html) [known](http://archive.nandotimes.com/newsroom/nt/810millions.html) [as](http://www.angelfire.com/fl/goodbear/interview88_05_07.html) [Captain Trips](http://www.bbhc.com/garcia.htm)? I’m afraid you’re wrong. IIRC, \*\*The\_Raven[/b[ is correct: King’s characters called the virus “Captain Trips” because it sent you on, like, the _ultimate_ trip, man. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/7 "2001-07-10T22:33:54Z")
Oh, yes, one of Jerry Garcia’s nicknames is “Captain Trips,” but my intention was to state that [he was not _the_ Captain Trips](http://www.fargonebooks.com/high.html). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-the-stand/71957/8 "2001-07-11T01:43:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bughunter \* > \*\*Captain Trips is not Jerry Garcia. > > Perhaps if you had [consulted a search engine](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&imgsafe=off&safe=off&client=googlet&q=captain+trips), you might have found [the answer](http://www.fargonebooks.com/high.html). \*\* Well, actually, this link doesn’t provide any answer at all, does it? I specifically asked what the reference meansd with respect to The Stand and why King uses it. That isn’t mentioned in the link. I also sincerely doubt that the guy described in the link was actually the first person to earn the nickname “Captain Trips,” as it would seem our High Society reporter just granted him the nickname because the title sounded good. Afred M. Hubbard was not known as “Captain Trips.”