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Atrinati
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quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Cai:
Personally I feel that both of them have totally different languistic styles, sensibilities and personalities, both writing-wise and reality-wise, so I don't really think they are comparable. Like the old saying, it's like comparing apples and oranges. Stephen is primarily a horror writer and Neil is a fantasy/SF/mythology writer, and they are very good in their respective genres. I think the reason why Neil may be the favored one is because fantasy books are typically easier to appreciate than horror fiction. But if you look closely, Stephen is a great writer himself. And he's American too, which probably explains why Neil has a better grasp of the English language. On the other hand, Stephen has a wider range, I think; Neil's novels basically follow a certain set pattern which is that the main character finds his life messed up at the beginning and from then on tries to pick up the pieces.

Stephen's CELL, I thought was absolutely brilliant.


How does being American have anything to do with one's grasp of the English language?


_______


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Posts: 118 | Registered: February 25, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Quoth
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I agree. It is like comparing apples and oranges. I love AG, I love the Dark Tower series. Roland of Gilead is one of my all time favourite characters. But that list would also include Shadow... and Sam Vimes...
I don't really want to compare writers I like. I think they are all great in their own ways. That's why I like them.


" 'A lovers' spat',(...)'Boy meets girl, girl wants boy dead. An everyday story really.'" - D. Gemmell
 
Posts: 160 | Location: Still here | Registered: May 21, 2002Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
jackh
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Originally posted by The Lord of Nothings:
Oh, and I'm sure "he's read by lots of people becuase he's popular" is some sort of logical phallacy, though at this point its true. It just sounds weird if you think about it...


Phreudian slip?

But still, I'm sure that a lot of people do only read Stephen King because he has become so popular. Not the cause of his original success, obviously, but I guess these things do reach a certain critical mass and then just keep rolling.

The thing with Stephen King is, he's capable of putting really unsettling, disturbing notions down on paper, things that will get inside your head, but a lot of the stories are just forgettable. Also, he has a huge body of work which makes it a lot easier for someone to pick him up and start reading. Thing is though, a lot of that body of work is just, well, meh. It seems like he gets lazy a lot of the time. Family guy did a sketch about it.

King: My next novel will be about a young couple, alone in a cabin in the woods, who get attacked by... (looks around) a table lamp! Grrr, yaar!

Publisher: You're not even trying anymore are you?

K: (Thrusting with table lamp) Yaar! Aaargh!

P: *Sigh* When can I have the draft?
 
Posts: 7 | Registered: May 28, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Mw/NNrules
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Two of my favorite authors.
I'll state right now that I've read more King. And that does lead my vote in that direction.
Before I begin fully explaining my opinion, I'd like to point out that they seem to respect each other. King wrote an intro to At Worlds' End. It appears twice in The Sandman. Complementary, I guess.
I can't completely get through American Gods, I just seem to click with King better. It is one of my favorite novels, and I'm currently looking at The Dark Tower series. King strikes me as a more experienced writer. He's made a lot of good stuff, and not just horror. Different Seasons has almost none, yet is still a great collection. King as a "trash horror" writer is a stereotype from overly literary critics, and people who haven't read him. People with egos big enough to ignore quality in favor of going with what they can call their own.
But they're both excellent. They've both shown a great love for reading, and appreciate a lot of the same things.


"It may be those who do most, dream most." - Stephen Leacock
 
Posts: 59 | Location: Where ever you're not. | Registered: November 26, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Mw/NNrules
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Originally posted by Mw/NNrules:
Stephen King and Neil Gaiman appreciate a lot of the same things.

Such as Lovecraft. King has referenced him many a time, and Lovecraft claims to have been inspired by him in the case of A Tale of Two Cities from The Sandman. And they've both used Dave McKean for illustrations (for King's case, he did illustrations for Wizard and Glass).


"It may be those who do most, dream most." - Stephen Leacock
 
Posts: 59 | Location: Where ever you're not. | Registered: November 26, 2007Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
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