Stephen King as a witness for the DOJ at the publication of the merger proceedings

Stephen King didn’t just write “The Stand” — he’s in the process of taking it to federal court on behalf of the Justice Department.

The famous horror novelist is said to be the government’s key witness in a lawsuit to decide whether Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster can legally merge.

The DOJ sued to block the $2.2 billion merger, which it said would give one company an outsized role in deciding which books to publish in the United States.

The government says the proposed merger would likely leave readers with fewer book options to choose from — not to mention the limited advances paid to America’s most notable authors, including King, who wrote other killer classics like “Carrie” and “The Shining” wrote. and has worked with Simon & Schuster.

“Evidence will show that the proposed merger would likely result in authors of likely best-selling books receiving reduced advances, meaning authors who spend years working on their manuscripts will be paid less for their efforts,” the attorneys for the book wrote Ministry of Justice in a preliminary procedure.

King is scheduled to testify before the Justice Department on Tuesday.

Other industry executives, including top agents, are also expected to comment on the process.

The defense has claimed that the proposed merger would make the book industry more competitive – and would actually benefit readers and book authors.

A combined company could offer more attractive advances and a more robust marketing effort for authors, the defense said.

The trial before Judge Florence Pan is expected to last about three weeks.

With mail wires