Ben Mears

Ben is the main character. He is tall, black-haired, lanky, and agile-looking, with what the author describes as "finely-drawn features." He is a fairly popular and well-recognized writer, and he is used to giving out his autograph to his fans. He lives with his Aunt Cindy in 'Salem's Lot for four years as a child after his father dies and his mother has a nervous breakdown. While he is in 'Salem's Lot, a group of boys talks him into going into the Marsten House as part of his initiation into their group. Once inside the house, he encounters the ghost of Hubert Marsten, and this memory haunts him for many years. As a young adult, he is something of an activist and participates in peace marches and protests. Although he is not at fault in the motorcycle crash in which his wife, Miranda, dies in 1973, he still...