Stephen King

[Evan3]

I too love Stephen King and have noticed that I am not alone in thinking that Gerald's Game was awful ( I also did not like Pet Cemmetary). In fact, the Dead Zone helped to bring my current girlfriend and I together.

Ah Stephen King : Matchmaker.

[JohnL]

I like many of his books, although I haven't read any of his more recent books. I think my favorite short story by him was his sequel to Salem's Lot, with the vampires luring people out into the snow.

Robert McCammon reminds me a lot of King. His novel Swan Song is like a different version of The Stand.

[Cullen]

I know.  See, I was talking "Everything's Eventual" the story, and not Everything's Eventual the book.  Which was why I used quotes instead of underlined it.  Sorry for the confusion; I should have been clearer.
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[Susan]

Overall King is so-so - I think he's at his best when he either writes the short stories (except nightmares and dreamscapes) or less horror ones, because when I get through his stories he tends to lead to a really irritating climax as if he has to pull one hell of a scary rabbit out of the hat and often it's not necessary. I would have liked "The stand" better if not for the way it ended, I got annoyed with how Rose Madder turned from a book about spousal abuse to a monster story and don't get me started on how ridiculous "dreamcatcher" was.

"NIGHT SHIFT" is my favorite and the pages are so worn the book is barely held together. "the little girl who loved tom gordon" was also a good read. And was I the only one who enjoyed "Insomnia"? :-)

The only thing I don't get are the dark towers releases - i couldn't even get through any of these books, they just didn't hold my interest whatsoever.

[jmc]

Yeah, I don't like the Dark Tower books either.

[Cullen]

I liked Insomnia; it's just not one of my faves.
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[Evan3]

King also has a good range and incorporates many different things into his stories. Often, his stories have supernatural events that almost seem secondary to the real character problems.

Look at the Shining. The main character is a struggling parent, hoping to keep his family together and a recovering alcohalic. Already you feel sad for the guy and then he starts getting harassed by the dem0nic hotel, making his plight even more tragic.


Also he does not always write horror, bbut compelling dramas and such as seen through The Green Mile and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.

One of my favorite short Stephen King stories was one about a disembodied finger who tortures this guy to the brink of insanity. Anyone who can make a finger scary is quite impressive.

[Dave:Blackeye15]

I've read: The Stand, Cujo, Cycle of the Werewolf, Midnight Run (I think this is the title it has the novella of "Langoliras"), Pet Cemetary, Long Walk, The Body, The Running Man, and Needful Things.  I think all of them were at LEAST cool.

-the first rule of fat club-

[Dave:Blackeye15]

Oh yeah I forgot about Shining, pretty cool I thought.

-the first rule of fat club-