I might as well do this before someone else does. This is the official Stephen King thread. I feel the need to list some of my favorites in no particular order, and they are as follows:
"Carrey" "FireStarter" "Dreamcatcher" "IT" "Cujo" "The Storm of the Century"
All of them were very well written and very good late night reading.
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quote:Originally posted by Mr. Mike: I might as well do this before someone else does. This is the official Stephen King thread. I fell the need to list some of my favorites in no particular order, and they are as follows:
"Carrey" "FireStarter" "Dreamcatcher" "IT" "Cujo" "The Storm of the Century"
All of them were very well written and very good late night reading.
Scariest? No way, come and join me in the "Clive Barker" wing. Bring yer own meat-hooks.
Posts: 406 | Location: The fifth level | Registered: 05 December 2004
I enjoy King's dramatic short stories more than his horror which always seemed a bit cheesy to me. "The Body" of course is excellent but also "The Longest Walk" <-- dont think thats the name of it (about participants in a race where if people slow down theyre shot) is also worth checking out.
I remember liking his short stories that were collected in a few volumes when I was in middle school. Several of those stories ended up being made into TERRIBLE movies (The Mangler, Sometimes They Come Back, The Lawnmower Man) but I recall the stories themselves to be quite good. "Night Shift" and "Skeleton Crew" were the ones I read, I think...
Posts: 3875 | Location: ATL, GA | Registered: 25 May 2004
I tend to think King is at his best with short fiction. I liked both of the collections pE mentions as well as all of the Bachman short novels.
The novels are more problematic for me in that I don't think there's a one of them I've read outside of Carrie, The Shining, and Misery that couldn't use a serious edit. I have to admit, I've not read any of his novels since The Dark Half.
I'm surprised at the degree to which King is underrated as a science fiction author. When it comes to horror, I find him too derivative of Lovecraft and Bloch to enjoy his work fully, though I appreciate the fact that he enthusiastically acknowledges their influence in his work.
For that matter, King is an enthusiastic supporter of young writers and thoughtful commentator on the horror genre. If you've not read his non-fiction, Danse Macabre in particular, it's well worth your time.
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Posts: 1584 | Location: Bloomington, IN | Registered: 23 May 2004
It's a non-fiction collection of essays on the horror genre in film, television, radio, and literature. If memory serves, it's quite informal, which I found quite enjoyable, though I believe it grew out of a course he taught at a Maine college in the late 70s.
Sort of an old-fashioned blog in its own way.
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Posts: 1584 | Location: Bloomington, IN | Registered: 23 May 2004
I enjoy reading some of his books (Misery I thought was particularly good) but there's also shite like Salems Lot (the ending was crap). Secret Window, Secret Garden was also rather good. Some books of his that were made into movies that I like are The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me and The Shining (have yet to read these). I don't find his stories that scary, just entertaining.
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Posts: 16 | Location: hell | Registered: 04 April 2005
I liked Dreamcatcher a lot (even though that horrible movie almost ruined it for me) and Bag of Bones was ok. Im thinking of reading IT next, or maybe The Shining
Posts: 607 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 18 October 2005
Hi all - I'm new to posting here, although I visit the site a lot. But I saw this thread and couldn't pass it up.
I think that King, while super-popular, is underrated as a writer. I've read every piece of fiction he's published, and I don't know that I've encountered a better storyteller.
How scary he is depends on the book, and my interest in the horror aspect of his writing has waned as I've grown older. But how he tells his stories... he's hard to beat.
oh, and his metaphors can be out of this world, too.
Posts: 11 | Location: montana | Registered: 05 January 2006
The Shining is the best book I think I've ever read. I was gutted when I got to the end, which didn't take long cos I couldn't put the dammed thing down. I've never seen the film though, thats maybe why I enjoted it so much. Dreamcatcher book was so much better than the film. Has anyone seen the shining? If so should I watch it or do you think it will spoil the book!
I've never seen the film though, thats maybe why I enjoted it so much. Dreamcatcher book was so much better than the film. Has anyone seen the shining? If so should I watch it or do you think it will spoil the book!
Yeah, i love the film, but everyone says there are parts that are different between the book and the Kubrick version. If you want, there's a Stephen King version, but it's like a 4 hour miniseries or something.
Things I hated from the Dreamcatcher movie: The two actors who played duddits (they both sucked and its not how I pictured him at all) The scene when Mister Grey appears Some of the dialogue sounded much better in the book and most of all...The Ending, mostly because they changed it.
Posts: 607 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 18 October 2005
I’m afraid I am going to have to go agent the groove on this one. I have read a large body of his work and I cant say I was particularly impressed, I’m not saying he’s bad, he’s just has a better talent for fantasy and drama than horror. As far a horror goes, the master of the classic, gothic horror tale would have to be H.P. Lovecraft without a doubt [sorry Poe]. Of the more contemporary horror I would have to agree that Clive Barker has quite a panache for horror, in a often abstract manor as is very evident in the books of blood [namely dread and the midnight meat train] and the hellbound heart …need I say more [that’s hellrazer for those of you don’t know]. All and all he’s a solid writer, but the fact of the matter is he puts out too much work to have it all be very solid stories.
