Stephen King Fans? Anyone?

[Astrum]

My favorite author. i love to discuss his works with others.

one thing that is getting on my nerves is how people say it is just typical commercialistic moneymaking talentless shit. he is an excellent writer, and the typical "horror" books people know him for asre good. but i hate how people think he is just an unoriginal "horror" writer

he has come up with some really great original stuff.

i.e., the dark tower books, the stand, insomnia, etc.

 

[derek]

If - for a second - we grant that he is orginal, his prose still remains turgid. That's where my criticisms lie.

I think cliched attempts at writing him off are mainly from the horror-underground fearful that they may indeed enjoy something Joe-Public can pick up and enjoy too.

I quite enjoyed Dreamcatcher, but it needed to be edited WAY better. Everything else I've picked up (many years ago, now) lead me to wandering around the most boring, tiresome narratives, page after page. IMHO, better writers exist in the genre - and I'm not even a horror afficionado.

 

[Astrum]

i think dreamcatcher is one of his best.

 

[Sickman]

I can read most Stephen King novels 6 or 7 times and still find them enjoyable. My favorites would be Needful Things, It, The Stand, The Shining, The Green Mile, and Pet Sematary. My only complaint would be that sometimes his books get a little too over-the-top near the end. I like Desperation, but I wish King could have just left it as a crazy, psychotic cop rather than some monster living in a cave that takes over human beings. And I love the book It, but I honestly think a killer clown is more frightening than the real monster that existed beneath the clown costume. And Rose Madder was the biggest disappointment for me. I thought the book was very entertaining and realistic up until the point Rose walks through her painting and into another world. Most of his ideas ARE over-the-top, which makes them fun, but sometimes the ideas are just too silly. And yet, I found Christine to be very entertaining and somehow not too over-the-top.

 

[Vacant_Planets]

Yes, big fan here.

 

[Astrum]

I can read most Stephen King novels 6 or 7 times and still find them enjoyable. My favorites would be Needful Things, It, The Stand, The Shining, The Green Mile, and Pet Sematary. My only complaint would be that sometimes his books get a little too over-the-top near the end. I like Desperation, but I wish King could have just left it as a crazy, psychotic cop rather than some monster living in a cave that takes over human beings. And I love the book It, but I honestly think a killer clown is more frightening than the real monster that existed beneath the clown costume. And Rose Madder was the biggest disappointment for me. I thought the book was very entertaining and realistic up until the point Rose walks through her painting and into another world. Most of his ideas ARE over-the-top, which makes them fun, but sometimes the ideas are just too silly. And yet, I found Christine to be very entertaining and somehow not too over-the-top.

i agree with most that is said here, besides the fact that desperation sucks. i have complained about his near-the-end-crap-itis. it can be a little rediculous.

did you read the dark tower books?

 

[ivry91]

Not a big hardcore fan here. but i loved reading the shining when i was around the age of 14. and that got me into reading all of he's stuff.

 

[Sickman]

i agree with most that is said here, besides the fact that desperation sucks. i have complained about his near-the-end-crap-itis. it can be a little rediculous.

did you read the dark tower books?

No, I've read most of his books, but I've stayed away from this series for some reason. Isn't it more fantasy than actual horror? For whatever reason, it just never really interested me.

Ever read Dean Koontz? Being fan of the genre, I read a couple of his books and I couldn't believe how corny they were. The ones I read are just so predictable. Watchers had potenial, but you just knew the lonely woman would end up with the suicidal guy and they'd live happily ever after with the genius dog. Stephen King, on the other hand, has no problem having a cute little kid get demolished by a speeding 18-wheeler right in front of his parents. After reading King, Dean Koontz books are just lame and sappy for the most part.

 

[1,000 Watts]

I like Dreamcatcher, definately one of my favorites.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

King rules. My favorite writer, along with Fitzgerald.

 

[Astrum]

but anyway....

No, I've read most of his books, but I've stayed away from this series for some reason. Isn't it more fantasy than actual horror? For whatever reason, it just never really interested me.

it does have fantasy elements, but it is truly imposible to catogorize. i would say it is action/adveture/fantasy/romance/horror/sci fi. it is truly original, and very entertaining, especially for those who have read his other books, because most of them make an appearance somewhere along the line. hell, king himself is a character later in the series.

 

[1,000 Watts]

Sounds like Rick speaking there Mike.....

 

[Astrum]

haha do i sound like rick online?

does this sound more like me?

you are a fucking idiot......LALALALA?

 

[1,000 Watts]

Actually yes. But the word structure is definately Rick...

 

[Spydaman_69_2001]

I just finished Pet Sematary. Fucking great book.

 

[stormy]

He is and has been One my Favorite wrighters ( I only read King, anne rice and dean koontz ) He is extreamly talented! I love his Books Desperation, rose matter, Bag Of Bones, IT and soooo many more he has a way to bring all his charicters to life its almost as if ur not reading it but there Yourself

Also i really enjoyed his stuff that made it to t.v Kingdom hosbital and ellen rimboer were pretty good

 

[Astrum]

i like how he gets into his characters and makes them individual and like real people. they have very realistic personalities

 

[Chickenbitch]

I've loved Kings books since I read Carrie years ago. I think my favorites are the gunslinger series which I still need to read the last 3 books in the series, and the book of his that creeped me out the most was Geralds Games, its quite disturbing. I'm way behind on any of his new books though because I've been reading alot of R.A. Salvators stuff lately

 

[Astrum]

stick with the dark tower (or gunslinger series whatever). the series did take him 30 years to write (obviously with breaks in between) and his writing styles change every 2 or three books, that would be about 10 years or so in between lol.

but they are great books, and a true epic.

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

I've pretty much purchased all of his books up to around 1993 or so. After that they got a bit mild, IMO.

But his earlier work is downright mesmorizing. His string of classic novels rivals anyone elses around. The Stand, If, Pet Cemetary, Salem's Lot, etc. are beyond legendary. The only prob would be that some of them are a bit long (if that is a problem for some).

Easier King reading in length would be his two classic short story books, Night Shift and Skeleton Crew. Great stuff on those.