Pet Sematary, Stephen King's twelfth venture into horror fiction, encapsulates several of his signature themes: a race against time to prevent catastrophe, children with unsettling prescience, and the infiltration of everyday American life by unyielding supernatural forces. These elements converge to explore how normalcy can unravel into the paranormal.

Central to the novel is the theme of burial and resurrection, a motif with deep roots in global mythologies and horror literature. King draws a stark contrast between the biblical resurrection of Lazarus—a miracle that underscores Christ's divine power—and the sinister revival of young Gage Creed. This resurrection is not a miracle but a manifestation of the malevolent Wendigo, an ancient force that exploits Louis Creed's grief, driving him to madness.

King further enriches the narrative by referencing Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus. Much like Dr. Frankenstein, who sought to create an idyllic "new Adam" but instead unleashed a monstrous aberration, Louis Creed's actions lead to terrifying consequences. Both characters are haunted by their attempts to defy natural laws, resulting in creations that embody destruction rather than renewal.

Within the novel, the Micmac burial ground serves as a conduit for terror, with Jud Crandell equating its reanimated dead to the mindless zombies of popular culture. However, these resurrected figures are distinct, seemingly controlled by "a radio signal that was coming from somewhere else," as Jud describes it. This signal is the Wendigo's pervasive evil, compelling Gage to commit horrific acts, including the murder of Jud and the cannibalism of his own mother.

The Wendigo’s influence permeates the thoughts of Ellie, who dreams of her father’s impending death and her brother’s empty grave. Louis, ensnared by grief and desperation, becomes a pawn of this malevolent force, burying Rachel with the hope she too might return. Yet, this act only perpetuates the Wendigo's curse, as Rachel's resurrection heralds further calamity.

King's Pet Sematary thus weaves a chilling narrative, where the interplay of resurrection and malevolent forces dismantles the fabric of a seemingly ordinary family. The novel serves as a potent reminder of the perils of tampering with life and death, leaving readers to ponder the consequences of such transgressions.