Good, bad, or ugly? It feels sorta odd to be reading someone so popular, and I didn't like either "Desperation" or "The Regulators" that much, but he can write some great stuff. I just finished "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," and that was one good chunk of prose... and i won't even go into the awesomeness that is the "Gunslinger" series...

Stephen. And Good. Very good. Loved *Bag of Bones* and *On Writing*, and *Needful Things* got me writing.
Oh, and I'll argue with anyone, any time, any where, that "Strawberry Spring" is the greatest short story ever written.
Of course, he can be crap, too. Of course. Pretty bad crap, in fact. But when he's on, he's just a total genius. And the man can tell a story like it's his job.
Oh, wait. It is.

Dream

Agree with most of the above. He has some truly awesome moments, and some very off ones. He seems to write constantly. When a good story grips him, that writing is a sight to see. When he's just making himself write.. well....

But he's on a lot more than he's off. The gunslinger series is simply amazing, period. One of my favorite pieces of literature ever.

jello.
aka aron.

Do you know of any Gunslinger fansites? I wouldn't mind looking at boards/fanfics/fanart devoted to the series. Its just that good...
And I agree. I don't know how you define "literature," but I know King can tell a good story, and he's got a gift for characterization. I was walking home a few nights ago around 11:30. I started imagining how Steve would reduce my life to a few paragraphs, let the reader feel that they know me... and then kill me off in a gruesome way. He's got a gift for that...

"The Stand" had been immortalized, in my mind as THE Stephen King novel. I thought "Hearts of Atlantis" was an incredible work, as well. My biggest gripe on his work is that, I find, more case than not (well, at least as novels anyway) Stephen can NOT write a satisfying ending. "Hearts of Atlantis" was, I feel, one his finest ending to a work (can't say it was a "novel", can I? seeing as how it, in all reality is a "collection" of related short stories. Still, I feel it applies) as well as "The Green Mile" (I mean, c'mon, as great a novel as "It" really was, the ending was quite lackluster compared to the rest of this intricately layered novel). He is, however, more apt at conjuring satisfying endings in his short stories.

Stephen's "Gunslinger" series has me hooked. I can empathize with his frequent inability to "get into his Dark Tower frame of mind"... different works need different insights, outlooks; otherwise you run the risk of writing the same thing over and over... and since his "Gunslinger" series is definately the farthest departure from his larger body of work.

Stephen King, along with Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore, has become my models of fiction authors as I grew up through adolescence and have inspired me to communicate what I feel/see in the world within my own writings. Since then, other writers have creeped into the mix (William Burroughs, William Falkner, Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespere just to name another few...), but it's Neil, Alan and Stephen who prove to be the charter members and hold a place of high esteem in my (albeit ecclectic) world.

quote:

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Originally posted by fox_limbo:
(I mean, c'mon, as great a novel as "It" really was, the ending was quite lackluster compared to the rest of this intricately layered novel.

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Yeah, that 'climatic' group sex orgy between the kids in the sewer was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read. What was he thinking? I mean, I don't exactly have victorian morals, I'm all for writers exploring childrens sexuality and breaking a few taboos, but that was simply FUCKING ridiculous!

The very last page was very poetic, though

S.K. novels I remember most fondly from my teenage years: "The Stand", "Pet Sematary", "Firestarter", "The Shining" and PARTS of "It"

- Michael

I just finished the first two stories in Different Seasons ("Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" and "Apt Pupil"). Both floored me, especially the second. The guy is so damn good at characterization and building tension and all that fun stuff... and neither story contained anything supernatural. The simple fact that a young boy was interested in the Holocaust was enough to give me chills...
Also, I need to read more of his stuff. What, besides The Gunslinger books, "The Stand," and "Eyes of the Dragon" feature The Dark Man? He's a damn cool villian...

Every novel has the dark man or "the walking dude" in there somewhere...you have to look for him....sometimes he finds you...

I'm pretty sure he wasn't in "Desperation" or "The Regulators," though he seemed a perfect fit for "Desperation"...
I hope he shows up in the "Dead Zone" TV show, which i'm currently enjoying a ton. Nothing better then a precog on E... (this ep, anyway)....

He shows up a lot.. but those few pretty much cover it for him being a major player.

jello.
aka aron.

A co-worker of mine gave me a copy of The Girl Who Knew Too Much right before I left. I don't know anything about it, but I'll probably read it this weekend, and post my opinion on Monday.

quote:

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Originally posted by glassprisoner:
A co-worker of mine gave me a copy of The Girl Who Knew Too Much right before I left. I don't know anything about it, but I'll probably read it this weekend, and post my opinion on Monday.

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I think you mean The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon?

quote:

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Also, I need to read more of his stuff. What, besides The Gunslinger books, "The Stand," and "Eyes of the Dragon" feature The Dark Man? He's a damn cool villian...

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I happen to like the Walkin' Dude too. Here is a list of where he...I mean I... mean Flagg appeared:

The Dark Tower Saga
Eyes of the Dragon
The Stand
Black House
Insomnia

He wasn't in The Dead Zone novel. He was hinted at and some think he briefly appeared in Gerald's Game, Rose Madder.

Others have thought him to be an incarnation in Storm of the Century and Needful Things. Similar bad guys, not quite Randall Flagg, though.

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Robin Williams is the Dark Man?!?!?!?
Oh, you mean Insomnia the book, not the movie. My bad.
:P

I have all of Kings books, and have read most of them. I'ld have to say that the Dark Tower series is my favorite. I also like Desperation, mostly because it takes place in Nevada, which is just as weird as King portrays it. I also enjoyed On Writing.

I can't say I really liked Desperation, but I haven't really been to Nevada. Let me put it his way-- the scariest part of the book was the beggining, because the thought of being in the South and being pulled over by a cop while in a car with New York plates is one of the scariest things I can imagine. I'll stay up here in New England with the rest of his books, thank you...
Though I wonder why he hasn't mentioned Stratford, CT in any of his "autobiographical" stuff-- didn't he grow up there? Its a hellhole, or at least it is now-- i used to have adventures in polluted streams and such.
My parents are sorta considering Bangor, where King lives, as a place to move to... i don't think we'll do it. If you've seen one good New England town you've seen them all, and i think we need to be closer to Boston...
Oh, and i finished "The Body" today. One of my favorite novelas ever, basically. I'm curious as to the story behind Caste Rock-- is it real, is it based on a real town, and whats it have to do with the ubiquitous production studio?

Stephen King is truly a master...His Dark Tower series is truly amazing (a major reason why I ever began writing fiction)...For me personally, other standouts include:
The Stand
The Talisman & Black House
The Dark Half
The Green Mile books
Although I haven't read the short stories, The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me (based on The Body) were awesome movies.
Haven't read Eyes of the Dragon yet...Keep meaning too, but unfortunately my reading list keeps getting longer as free time keeps getting shorter...Did manage to read both Desperation and The Regulators when they were released...I thought it was pretty cool how the two interlaced without being connected in any tangible way.

"Keep chasing the dragon and eventually you will catch it." - quote the wraVyn

Buy "Different Seasons." You get "The Body," "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," "Apt Pupil" (which was made into a medicore movie with Ian McKellen which i still want to see) and another story i haven't read yet... all good....

IIRC Castle Rock is not a real town. Much like Lakeside in AG, it is an amalgam of many towns in Maine that King has traveled through and lived in. The film company has some tie to King, but I can't recall offhand what it was and their site doesn't say anything about it one way or the other.

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jello.
aka aron.

Actually, at the beggining of "The Dead Zone" (the novel) there's a note that says Castle Rock isn't real... but IMHO, it really dosen't matter. Almost all small New England towns look the same, and the names are pretty irrelevent...

Up until a few years ago, I had read almost everything he had written (only lacked Talisman). But then there was that one year where he put out three books in like a 9 month period (Rose Madder was one.. don't remember the others) and I fell behind. Still havn't caught up..

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jello.
aka aron.