Stephen King [Archive] - Echoing the Sound

frankie teardrop

02-20-2012, 10:17 AM

guilty pleasure of sorts, but i've loved the majority of his early work since middle school. favorites include:

the bachman books (the long walk and the running man especially)
the stand
christine
pet sematary
it
the dead zone
carrie

his short stories are usually excellent... especially the night shift collection and skeleton crew.

as popular opinion states, he has a bad habit of dropping the ball at the end of a few books, but definitely some great stuff along the way. i kind of fell off the wagon in the late 90s (quality dropped a bit), though cell was pretty enjoyable.

sentient02970

02-20-2012, 10:23 AM

Personally, I would recommend Bag of Bones. If I had to pick one one of his books that gave the best example of his style of writing, it would be this. The story is pretty gripping and has some good twists, and it's one of his better character pieces. Plus it's pretty fucking scary in places.
Bag Of Bones was the first books on tape I ever listened all the way through on a long trip. It was fantastic and read by King himself. As for great reading I liked The Shining and The Talisman (with Peter Straub)

theruiner

02-21-2012, 11:31 PM

Highly Psychological

02-24-2012, 09:26 PM

Im really looking forward to his new book, the Shining Sequel, set 35 years after the overlook event, Danny is now a recovering alcoholic/drug addict in his 40's. Working in the carehome in upstate New York, with elderly patients when they die.
He is informed of a gang who want Danny's supernatural powers, called THE TRIBE. They are vampire-esque. Taking the good out of people.

Sounds like a masterpiece in the making.
I dont know something about it sounds really deep, comforting, emotional, weird, sinister, trippy, and scary. I can already picture it.

Stephen King makes it look so easy. I wish i could come up with ideas and expand on them as easily as him.

carpenoctem

02-24-2012, 09:42 PM

Alright. I swore I would never read another Stephen King book (well, probably never) but here I am again. His books have been hit and miss with me, but the misses were BIG (I will never forgive him for having to trudge through the complete edition of The Stand only to find out that it NEVER GOT BETTER). But I'm a sucker for time travel so, God help me, I started 11/22/63. I'm about 40 pages in, and it's been pretty good so far. I'm definitely intrigued.

Dude it's really good. I thought it was one of his best in a long time actually. It's quite long but it held my attention a lot more than Under the Dome. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm skeptical about the Shining sequel and don't see that it even needs to happen, but if that's where his muse is leading him then who am I to argue? I'll read it for sure. I love this man. :)

Trains

02-25-2012, 07:03 AM

Alright. I swore I would never read another Stephen King book (well, probably never) but here I am again. His books have been hit and miss with me, but the misses were BIG (I will never forgive him for having to trudge through the complete edition of The Stand only to find out that it NEVER GOT BETTER). But I'm a sucker for time travel so, God help me, I started 11/22/63. I'm about 40 pages in, and it's been pretty good so far. I'm definitely intrigued.

I'm 200 pages into it and loving it. I wasn't sold on the time-travel idea, in fact I was expecting this to be a complete dud. Now I'm completely taken aback by how much I'm enjoying it, and how well written it is. The highlight so far was when I read the scenes that feature characters from IT, I felt very nostalgic and emotional revisiting that setting, I felt as if I was revisiting the person I was when I read that book.

As always, I am in utter admiration of this man.

theruiner

02-25-2012, 12:33 PM

Just hit 350 pages. It's definitely keeping my interest, but I don't think it's great. Then again, I'm not even halfway through yet, so that could certainly change. King sure loves his subplots though, doesn't he? Jeeeeesus.

I will say that his version of time travel is really cool and interesting.

Dude it's really good. I thought it was one of his best in a long time actually. It's quite long but it held my attention a lot more than Under the Dome. I hope you enjoy it!Thanks! Time will tell (ha ha ha ha ha ha)

Jinsai

02-25-2012, 03:40 PM

I really want to read a Stephen King book: which is the best place to start?

I still think IT is the best book he's written. It's pretty fucked up and genuinely disturbing, and it might go a little too far in some sections, but it's truly epic in the best way. After that, I'd probably recommend The Shining. I also think Needful Things is really underrated.

I've tried to start reading 11-22-63, and I'm not really digging it. Sure, I'm only 50 or so pages in, but the whole concept seems really ludicrous, and the delivery and presentation feels completely forced. Hopefully it picks up a bit and he finds a groove with this story.

theruiner

02-26-2012, 04:14 AM

About halfway through 11/22/63 now. I don't love it yet, but it's keeping my interest pretty good. I'm burning through a lot of it every day, and I can't seem to tear myself away from it. So...yeah. We'll see. It's not bad. At the very least, I'll probably end up thinking it's just ok. I'm enjoying it too much to think it's bad. Hopefully it'll start getting really good here soon.

theruiner

02-27-2012, 04:42 PM

Sorry for the double post.

Ok, so...622 pages in now. I'm digging it. I don't love it, but I'm enjoying it. I still can't shake the feeling that this is way longer than it needs to be, and there are many long stretches where not much happens (at least nothing too big) but the good parts are really good. And there were a couple of scenes that were very suspenseful.

theruiner

02-28-2012, 06:22 AM

Sorry. Triple post. Sorry.

So, just finished 11/22/63. It was...good. Not great, but good. On the verge of "really good" but not quite. Maybe after it sinks in a bit I'll like it more. I just finished it about five minutes ago. There may or may not have been some tears at the end. God DAMN, was that sad.

slave2thewage

03-27-2012, 10:31 AM

Yeah, I teared up at the end too. Probably my favourite book of his in the last decade or so.

Tighfield11

03-31-2012, 10:49 AM

Well looks like i have to start 11/22/63 too. I have a friend who said its good. Well now i guess its time that i borrow t from her.

Trains

04-28-2012, 05:53 AM

Anybody else reading The Wind Through The Keyhole, the new Dark Tower novel? I'm around page 100, and finding it very enjoyable. It's like meeting up with old friends after a long absence.

carpenoctem

04-28-2012, 10:11 AM

Wow, I didn't even know this was out yet. One of these days I'll really have to buckle down and read the series. In high school I read about half of the first book and all I remember is that it made my mouth feel dry.

Also, this interesting tidbit according to Wikipedia:

King's next novel is the upcoming sequel to The Shining (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(novel)) (1977), titled Dr. Sleep (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Sleep), scheduled to be published in 2013, and King is currently working on Joyland, a novel about "an amusement-park serial killer", according to an article in The Sunday Times (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sunday_Times) published on April 8, 2012.[48] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_king#cite_note-47)

I could care less about Dr. Sleep (I'll read it I'm sure, but does it NEED to happen?), but Joyland sounds awesome.

WorzelG

05-01-2012, 10:36 AM

I enjoyed this rant against tax dodgers from Stephen King

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/may/01/stephen-king-tax-the-rich?fb=native

Trains

05-09-2012, 08:05 AM

^ What a dude.

Finished reading the new Dark Tower novel, can't recommend it enough to fans of the series. There's no big revelations, but it's heartfelt and sincere enough.

Alexandros

05-10-2012, 03:59 AM

Finished reading the new Dark Tower novel, can't recommend it enough to fans of the series. There's no big revelations, but it's heartfelt and sincere enough.

I've only read through the entire series once and that was several years ago. Haven't touched it since, so there are a lot of things I don't remember. Do you think that would cause problems with my enjoyment of this book? I really don't have the willpower to go through all of the books again right now, on the whole they were an enjoyable read, even brilliant at times (especially the first three), but they could also be quite frustrating, especially in the way they became increasingly convoluted and tied to every single one of Stephen King's books.

Jinsai

05-13-2012, 11:02 PM

Anybody else reading The Wind Through The Keyhole, the new Dark Tower novel? I'm around page 100, and finding it very enjoyable. It's like meeting up with old friends after a long absence.

I just bought it and I'm about to pick it up. Avoiding spoilers at the moment, but I'm excited to revisit the Dark Tower world.

dlb

05-15-2012, 05:24 AM

I've only read through the entire series once and that was several years ago. Haven't touched it since, so there are a lot of things I don't remember. Do you think that would cause problems with my enjoyment of this book? I really don't have the willpower to go through all of the books again right now, on the whole they were an enjoyable read, even brilliant at times (especially the first three), but they could also be quite frustrating, especially in the way they became increasingly convoluted and tied to every single one of Stephen King's books.

You could always try this site and read through the synopsis of each book. That's basically what I did whenever I began to read one of the Dark Tower books as it always took me some time to get back to them so I forgot some things pretty quick.

http://darktower.wikia.com/wiki/ (http://darktower.wikia.com/wiki/Can_Calyx)

REPLICA

06-11-2012, 11:09 AM

as popular opinion states, he has a bad habit of dropping the ball at the end of a few books, but definitely some great stuff along the way. i kind of fell off the wagon in the late 90s (quality dropped a bit), though cell was pretty enjoyable.

I thought Cell was pretty good too, for a long while afterwards I was afraid of using my phone. Especially when I was walking around campus during the day and fearing all hell would break loose.

My favorites are...
The Stand
The Long Walk
Night Shift
Four Past Midnight

miss k bee

06-12-2012, 07:19 PM

Cujo is a damn fine book.

Leman Russ

07-31-2012, 10:58 AM

I got into King a few years ago when I saw Dark Tower VII on sale for $5. I thought, at the time, that it was all seven 'chapters' in one huge book, and bought it. Later realizing my mistake, I started picking up the first six chapters, and have been hooked ever since. I thought Wind Through The Keyhole was a nice little addition to the DT series.

Cell was fantastic, as were Duma Key and Lisey's Story. I loved Under The Dome (until the abysmal ending) and 11/22/63 is one of the best books I've read in years.

I've just recently started going back through more of his older stuff, and am loving all of it. I just finished Pet Semetary (really good, but not as scary as I'd been lead to believe) and am halfway through The Shining. The Stand was epic...that's really the only way to describe it.

I believe reading the DT series is the best way to start if you've not read anything of his. As almost every other novel ties into it, or in some way mentions or connects to it, the DT has made reading his other novels that much more enjoyable.

kdrcraig

07-31-2012, 11:04 AM

I believe reading the DT series is the best way to start if you've not read anything of his. As almost every other novel ties into it, or in some way mentions or connects to it, the DT has made reading his other novels that much more enjoyable.

Maybe I'll start checking out some of his other stuff then. I absolutely loved The Dark Tower series, still have to get Wind Through the Keyhole. The only one of his other books that I've read is Dreamcatcher and I loved that as well.

Leman Russ

07-31-2012, 11:12 AM

Maybe I'll start checking out some of his other stuff then. I absolutely loved The Dark Tower series, still have to get Wind Through the Keyhole. The only one of his other books that I've read is Dreamcatcher and I loved that as well.

Duma Key, 11/22/63 (neither of which are connected to DT) are two of my favorite King books. Duma Key was creepy as hell to me.

kdrcraig

07-31-2012, 09:27 PM

Thanks for the tips, I actually remember wanting to read 11//22/63 when it came out cause it sounded cool but I never got around to it.

carpenoctem

07-31-2012, 10:13 PM

Read it! It's his best in years. I love historical stuff, but the presentation is really important - I've only ever had two really good history teachers, and it was their classes that made me realize how interesting history is. King is like the most entertaining history teacher, although he does meander a lot around the middle of the book.

Sebek

08-01-2012, 04:58 PM

I read the Gunslinger a while back and really didn't like it much. My first time reading Stephen King. It's not that I had an issue with the story itself, but I found something about the vernacular or the way it was written to be really off-putting to me. Yet everywhere I see people praising the whole of the Dark Tower series. Is it just me? Does the writing style change after the first book? I've since given King another shot and read Under the Dome, which was enjoyable and a much easier read (aside from the ending shitting the bed).

Jinsai

08-02-2012, 01:41 AM

The Gunslinger was written when King was really young. The writing style and pacing change dramatically with The Drawing of the Three.

fillow

08-02-2012, 02:10 AM

The Gunslinger to the whole saga is kinda like The Hobbit to LOTR, both in writing and the volume.

Leman Russ

08-02-2012, 07:53 AM

The Gunslinger was written when King was really young. The writing style and pacing change dramatically with The Drawing of the Three.
I couldn't have said it better myself. It almost seems like parts I & VII were written by different authors, that's how different the styles are. You just have to remember the series has been written over decades

Senateguard33

08-08-2012, 06:53 PM

I started the Dark Tower series this year and so far, I have to admit these are some of the best books I've ever read. I just finished Wizard and Glass and started The Wind Through the Keyhole. I can't wait to see how the series unfolds!

fillow

02-07-2013, 04:57 AM

Currently reading Under the Dome. It's fucking massive. And awesome.
This is his third longest novel, behind The Stand (expanded version) and It.

Anyone who loved Needful Things (also The Stand, Storm of the Century to a smaller degree) should also love this.

elevenism

04-19-2013, 08:15 PM

I've actually read everything SK has ever written (except for 11/22/63, haven't got my grubby, obsessive paws on it yet.) Under the Dome was amazing and really proves that King's still got it.
I just finished Full Dark, No Stars, and good god, it WAS dark. i understand the title now. I'd have to say the only king books i didn't absolutely ADORE are Cell and From a Buick 8.
As far as the Gunslinger, Sebek, everyone is right in their comments. The Dark Tower series (The Gunslinger being the first one, of course,) began when SK was NINETEEN years old. The eighth book came out last year. So yes, the writing style evolves in an incredible way, as does the story.
The coolest thing to me about the Dark Tower series is that it attempts to tie MOST of king's work together into one uber-tale. Salem's Lot, It, Desperation, The regulators, the Talisman, Black House, Insomnia, The Stand, The Eyes of the Dragon etc etc...all tie in.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and for you Under the Dome fans who didn't know, check THIS SHIT http://www.underthedome.com/ out! I have a feeling it's gonna be really good, with names like Amblin Television and DreamWorks Television, as well as SK himself reportedly being involved quite a bit (although in what capacity i'm not sure.) The link also has a nifty gadget that you can use to see what your house might look like "under the dome" (via google earth or something.)

elevenism

05-19-2013, 10:13 PM

200-odd pages into 11-22-63 now. I really really wonder if he knows that he's made several nods to both the Back To The Future trilogy and a few to Quantum Leap. Not a complaint, it's a pretty good read thus far. Been awhile since I've read one of his books. I loaned this and Under The Dome from the library, so that'll give me my fill I'm sure.
Sorry for the double post, but no one else has posted. Maybe i post too damn much...idk, just sick of facebook and missed ETS.
ANYWAY...
you must have finished 11/22/63 by now. I finished it today. What'd you think?
I thought it was good, not great. Part of my beef is that ive lived most of my life in the D and King just didn't capture dallas. For instance, we don't call that area "central texas," it's North Texas. As far as Dallas being evil? i had no problem with that...cities have spirits, and Dallas' spirit is a dark one. I swear to god that dallas has been trying to kill me for years.
Under the Dome on the other hand...did you read it yet? It is one of the absolute darkest, yet most amazing, tomes into which i have ever inserted my nose. I also loved it cause it captured the current "vibe" of america. Man, that motherfucker gave me nightmares, for real, but i could NOT stop reading it. I think it took me 4 days, and that was working full time and holding down a crazy gf.

slave2thewage

08-05-2013, 07:57 AM

Excerpt from Doctor Sleep:
http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/books/info-08-2013/stephen-king-doctor-sleep-excerpt.html

Maximilian

08-05-2013, 09:14 AM

Yeh, I just wait for the book, but this will definitely be read as soon as Amazon sends it my way.

Tyson

08-24-2013, 09:17 AM

Sorry for the double post, but no one else has posted. Maybe i post too damn much...idk, just sick of facebook and missed ETS.
ANYWAY...
you must have finished 11/22/63 by now. I finished it today. What'd you think?
I thought it was good, not great. Part of my beef is that ive lived most of my life in the D and King just didn't capture dallas. For instance, we don't call that area "central texas," it's North Texas. As far as Dallas being evil? i had no problem with that...cities have spirits, and Dallas' spirit is a dark one. I swear to god that dallas has been trying to kill me for years.
Under the Dome on the other hand...did you read it yet? It is one of the absolute darkest, yet most amazing, tomes into which i have ever inserted my nose. I also loved it cause it captured the current "vibe" of america. Man, that motherfucker gave me nightmares, for real, but i could NOT stop reading it. I think it took me 4 days, and that was working full time and holding down a crazy gf.

I enjoyed 11/22/63 WAY more than Under the Dome, but I'm a sucker for time travel. That book could have been 1000 more pages and I would have gladly kept reading.

elevenism

08-26-2013, 05:26 AM

I enjoyed 11/22/63 WAY more than Under the Dome, but I'm a sucker for time travel. That book could have been 1000 more pages and I would have gladly kept reading.

i actually liked the dome better, but i LOVED 11/22/63 in retrospect. i just wish SK had done dallas a little more justice. but i love time travel as well, and the window to the past that king created was pretty awesome. the past he conjured felt more real than any other time travel story i've read or seen.
I said 11/22/63 was "good, not great." Now i think it IS great...it's funny how a book can grow on you. i still think about it.

I can't wait for dr sleep, NYRexall. I still don't know how to hyperlink names (even after having been around ETS since the ARG.) I must admit to being somewhat technically challenged...see, what happened was, i got black-out drunk in 2000 and didn't sober up until 2009 or so;). I can laugh about it now, but good god it was awful. Anyway, i hope you catch this...i'm always down to talk stephen king.

Did you guys read the Talisman and its sequel Black House? I thought he did a pretty damn good job on that, so i'm pretty excited about dr sleep.

Having read all of his books, i must say that my favorites are The Stand, then Under the Dome, then the Dark Tower series (guess im cheating, but it IS one story)

Edit: Just a thought, i could have stood 1000 more pages of the dome, the stand, AND 11/22/63. I want so badly to meet Stephen King...not for a long conversation...a book signing thing would do...just to shake the hand of the man who has so generously given me a deep, deep window into his semi-twisted, brilliant mind for the last 22 years or so

Tyson

08-26-2013, 05:56 AM

After reading 11/22/63 it immediately became my favourite King book. I actually had Under the Dome sitting on my shelf since it had come out, but never got around to it. Then 11/22/63 came out, I blazed through it and then decided to read Dome. I think maybe that's why I didn't enjoy Dome as much. Just didn't compare to 63 for me.

That said, I read The Stand ages ago, but a couple of years ago I got the uncut version, and it literally has taken me three years, and I still haven't finished it. It's good, but sometimes I just start not caring and stop reading.

What really annoys me though, is I was back home in the States in November/December 2011 (when 11/22/63 was released), and as I'm browsing Facebook I see people posting pictures of a book signing King did. Turns out there was an open book signing about three hours from me at a Wal-Mart of all places, and I missed it.

That said, here's a pic of my Stephen King stuff I took back in, I think, late 2010 when I was packing everything to put into storage when I moved. All of it, aside from paperbacks and The Shining are first editions. I've got everything post Dome in first editions too, but obviously not in the picture. Plus, a few later editions of other stuff I picked up here in Oz that I'll eventually replace with legit first editions.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc230/t3yson/430398_474346059254946_1538032198_n_zpsb81f05ef.jp g?t=1377514521

Tyson

08-26-2013, 06:11 AM

I liked it. In standard King fashion he gets to the end and it kinda falls apart. It's really good up until, if I remember right, the last couple of chapters.

Tyson

08-26-2013, 06:34 AM

Yeah. Parts of it felt like I was in a fever dream. I haven't had a book have that effect on me before or since.

Tyson

08-26-2013, 07:15 AM

Your eyes are not deceptive. My wife was with me, and, being Aussie, she had never had a York, so she got those York Pieces abominations. And the HTDA was there, because I was taking pics of my NIN collection before I boxed it up as well.

slave2thewage

09-19-2013, 10:03 AM

Is that story he did with Joe any good? It's in my ebook "to read" pile, but there's so much in there.

slave2thewage

09-23-2013, 06:24 PM

Doctor Sleep just turned up on my Kindle.

BYE INTERNET.

Edit - 3 hours in, 25%. The prose is modern King with a few throwbacks to the (iheihtieht) old school stuff. There's some nice Shining references thrown in so far, but it's a bit disjointed. Adult Danny is a bit of a douche.

Jinsai

09-26-2013, 12:34 PM

I'm not too far into Doctor Sleep, so I'm not going to jump to any judgments...

Still, I'd say that as of now, I'm not liking these characters. They seem like the sort of thing Neil Gaiman might puke up if he was bored and completely out of ideas. Also, the attempts to reconnect with Danny feel strained. It's already giving me the kind of uneasy feeling I had when I tried to get through Ira Levin's sequel to Rosemary's Baby.

Hopefully it picks up.

ChasingTheGhost

10-01-2013, 08:32 AM

When I started Doctor Sleep, I was pretty much hooked.

slave2thewage

10-01-2013, 08:40 AM

It was really good, but I thought the climax was rushed and the twist near the end was just "WHAT".

The Great Destroyer

10-01-2013, 08:41 AM

Doctor Sleep was very good. Not as good as the Shining, but a worthy successor

fillow

10-01-2013, 09:12 AM

It was really good, but I thought the climax was rushed and the twist near the end was just "WHAT".
These were my thoughts while reading Under the Dome, actually.

slave2thewage

10-01-2013, 09:23 AM

These were my thoughts while reading Under the Dome, actually.
Ugh, the Under The Dome twist was awful. This wasn't as bad as that, but still annoying. Also, Doctor Sleep has something resembling a climax but it's rushed, whereas UtD pretty much promises one and then it never arrives, in my opinion.

The Great Destroyer

10-09-2013, 06:36 PM

It was very psychological suspense. If you've read his son Joe Hill's latest novel NOS4A2, the tones of the two are very similar.

frankie teardrop

03-18-2014, 08:06 AM

yeah i prefer the uncut edition as well. sure, there's some unnecessary stuff in there, but for the most part, it enhances it for me. then again, i also read the uncut version first before trying the original edition, and i found myself missing the additions.

elevenism

03-19-2014, 06:07 AM

I LOOOOOOVED dr. sleep. but i love everything SK writes. I feel like i know him (not in the scary way where im gonna go to his house.)

And i loved how Danny is an alcoholic CNA with a supernatural powers.
I was a CNA for five years, am a sober alcoholic, and have just a touch of supernatural power.

frankie teardrop

03-20-2014, 08:36 AM

i actually wound up putting doctor sleep down... it started strong and i just lost interest after the first hundred pages or so. maybe i just wasn't in the mood and will give it another shot sometime down the line.

slave2thewage

03-23-2014, 10:53 AM

I actually spent the whole of the release day just reading Doctor Sleep. Oh, how disappointed I was.

elevenism

04-12-2014, 01:37 PM

I actually spent the whole of the release day just reading Doctor Sleep. Oh, how disappointed I was.
You didn't like Dr. Sleep? i thought it was great! but then, i'm a fanboy. I just fucking adore king's "voice."
aggroculture , have you read a King book yet?

I think i would recommend The Green Mile, or perhaps the Talisman.
If you like a massive story though, go with the uncut version of The Stand.

elevenism

07-03-2014, 12:34 AM

Mr Mercedes is out. I can't wait to torrent the audio boo....i mean run out and buy it ;)

it's billed as a detective novel. i fucking HATED The Colorado Kid...i hope it's not like that.

decadent

09-30-2014, 05:53 AM

Aywok

09-30-2014, 09:52 PM

I am almost done with Mr Mercedes and its so underwhelming. Pretty ordinairy story and if it wasnt for Kings writting style, which is still top notch, I would have put it aside long time ago.

I'd have to agree with you on 'Mr Mercedes'. I enjoyed 'Doctor Sleep' for the most part, but haven't been completely engrossed in a King novel since '11/22/63'. Before that I can't think of a "stand-out" book since the mid-90's, personally. I did enjoy The Dark Tower additions, though I'm biased on that particular cycle.

Revival is due out in November.

The_Prowler

10-25-2014, 03:00 PM

I just finished reading the complete and unabridged version of the Stand, after telling myself I needed to for the past 20 years.

All I hear is that the original, abridged version is the way to go, but I read that one so long ago that I can't remember what all was missing from it as opposed to the unabridged version. I DO know that the storyline with Trashcan Man and The Kid was not in the original, and was my favorite part of the complete edition. I'd have loved to see where the story would have gone if The Kid had been a major character, instead of just a minor one.
The unabridged version is the only one I've ever read, and I read it twice.

elevenism

10-29-2014, 04:38 AM

I'd have to agree with you on 'Mr Mercedes'. I enjoyed 'Doctor Sleep' for the most part, but haven't been completely engrossed in a King novel since '11/22/63'. Before that I can't think of a "stand-out" book since the mid-90's, personally. I did enjoy The Dark Tower additions, though I'm biased on that particular cycle.

Revival is due out in November.

No stand out book? Under the Dome blew my fucking mind. Hell, it's just about my favorite. There are only a couple i wasn't totally in love with...Cell and From a Buick Eight. Oh yeah, and Colorado Kid. Mr. Mercedes was sub-par too...i hope he cools it with the sam spade bullshit.

But a new one in November?
Hot damn!
A new King book for me is like a new NIN album. I do NOTHING but read when they come out and they rarely take me more than a couple of days.

I can't wait.

Aywok

10-29-2014, 10:42 AM

No stand out book? Under the Dome blew my fucking mind. Hell, it's just about my favorite. There are only a couple i wasn't totally in love with...Cell and From a Buick Eight. Oh yeah, and Colorado Kid. Mr. Mercedes was sub-par too...i hope he cools it with the sam spade bullshit.

But a new one in November?
Hot damn!
A new King book for me is like a new NIN album. I do NOTHING but read when they come out and they rarely take me more than a couple of days.

I can't wait.

I did mention 'Dallas '63' as a stand-out, and I did enjoy 'Under The Dome'. I enjoy pretty much all of his books, just meant that he hasn't written something that will probably be remembered as a classic in a while, save for two books.

Also, you might already know this but there is another book (and possibly 2) that will deal with the Mr. Mercedes story. Evidentally, King has something "epic" planned for this when it's all done.

elevenism

10-30-2014, 01:58 AM

I did mention 'Dallas '63' as a stand-out, and I did enjoy 'Under The Dome'. I enjoy pretty much all of his books, just meant that he hasn't written something that will probably be remembered as a classic in a while, save for two books.

Also, you might already know this but there is another book (and possibly 2) that will deal with the Mr. Mercedes story. Evidentally, King has something "epic" planned for this when it's all done.

i feel you.
the hard boiled detective thing...i know it's special to him. at least it's still in his "voice," as someone else said.

So are you saying you think that the Dome and 63 will be remembered as classics? Under the Dome is probably the best book i've read in the past ten years. But then all of my favorite books are stephen king books. The Dome and The Dark Tower 7. my wife and i are still scheming on getting matching dark tower tattoos ("found" written in the high speech.)

I started reading stephen king because it was scary, but that's not what's kept me a constant reader all these years.
It's that fucking VOICE, that narrative voice.

allegro

10-30-2014, 05:50 AM

Here is a pretty good series / analysis of King's (third-person narrative voice) writing style:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/may/24/rereading-stephen-king-carrie

Kingisms

In every review, I'm going to look at the tropes and common stylistic touches that appear in King's novels. Carrie's obviously interesting as it was the first, and it throws up a few ideas he would repeat throughout his career. The big one in Carrie is the internal monologue. King has a habit

(habit? habits are formed, this is something innate)

of indenting brackets or dropping the italicised thoughts of his characters into his third-person narratives. (See what I did there?) It's an easy way to bypass "She thought", and actually pretty elegant. In Carrie, it's a stylistic device that's still new to him, and whereas he now uses it sparingly, here, it's everywhere. By the end of the novel, some pages are almost more internal monologue than not.

Carrie is also a relative tone-setter of a novel: the narrative is distinctly King's, covering themes he would revisit again, and to greater effect; and some of the dialogue – particularly in Carrie's conversations with her mother – is delivered in voices he would also return to in later novels (Misery, the Dark Tower series, Dolores Claiborne).

Ryan

10-30-2014, 05:57 AM

I got done with Doctor Sleep a short time ago and finished Mr Mercedes a few weeks back. Highly enjoyed them both very much.

I'm now reading Just After Sunset while I wait for Revival to come out. Finished "The Gingerbread Girl" this afternoon. Good short story.

Aywok

10-30-2014, 11:13 AM

i feel you.
the hard boiled detective thing...i know it's special to him. at least it's still in his "voice," as someone else said.

So are you saying you think that the Dome and 63 will be remembered as classics? Under the Dome is probably the best book i've read in the past ten years. But then all of my favorite books are stephen king books. The Dome and The Dark Tower 7. my wife and i are still scheming on getting matching dark tower tattoos ("found" written in the high speech.)

I started reading stephen king because it was scary, but that's not what's kept me a constant reader all these years.
It's that fucking VOICE, that narrative voice.

I do think that 'Under The Dome' will be remembered as a classic within the realm of King fans and recommendations people give on which books to read. 'Dallas '63' will be another of those, I feel, because it's about JFK. That's the only reason, and it's a horrible one, but people seem to LOVE JFK. I think it was a well-written book and can stand on its own, but that point will get overshadowed by the fact that it's "about JFK". It's a herd mentality thing; I want an iPhone because it's an iPhone. I'm sure you get where I'm going with that.

I keep forgetting about 'The Wind Through The Keyhole' for some reason. That was an excellent bridge between DT IV and V.

And yes, his "voice" keeps me a Constant Reader also.

(Edit): Got an e-mail from Cemetary Dance yesterday that the preorder for Revival with Slipcase is now up. $54.95, and the quality is excellent (I own several King Cemetary Dance editions). The quality rivals the slipcases that Grant has for the DT series.

mrselfdestruct94

10-30-2014, 11:27 AM

elevenism

10-30-2014, 12:16 PM

Am I the only one here who absolutely hated Under the Dome? I thought the book was way too long, disliked half the characters, and despised how the whole thing was resolved in the end. I'm not here to attack anyone's opinion, but I just didn't think that book was any good. He's had much better luck with his releases post-Under The Dome though. Full Dark, No Stars was a great collection of short stories, 11/22/63 had a much more intriguing concept and characters, Doctor Sleep was a good read, and Mr. Mercedes was decent. I haven't checked out The Wind Through the Keyhole yet. Anyone read it? Does it hold up to the rest of The Dark Tower series?

I'm also looking forward to Revival. I look forward to any Stephen King release, even if the final product ends up being complete trash. I consider myself a fan and at this point I'll pick up anything he releases.
no, you aren't the only one. someone else talked about hating it at some point here.
but to each his own.
see, full dark, no stars is pretty low on my list but l LOVED just after sunset.

Wind Through the Keyhole is fucking awesome and fits PERFECTLy between DT IV and V like Aywok said, and it also shows that there CAN be more stories in the dark tower world, even with the ka-tet of 19. i hope there ARE more.

what are Cemetary Dance editions?

Aywok

10-30-2014, 12:54 PM

Cemetary Dance is all about Deluxe editions, with their strong points always being the art. I happen to have this (http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/PROD/king06), which is about 400 dollars on E-bay now. They are also "famous" for giving the full novel treatment to short stories. There are several "unreleased" King stories that have only been printed by Cemetary Dance, as well. Basically, it's a speciality store that gives a shit.

Click on that link above and go to the art tab, you'll see what I mean. Of course, it's expensive, but you can count on the price increasing at least 300% once they hit E-Bay.

They're working on "The Doubleday Years" right now, with Carrie forthcoming. The 4th planned release is.... The Stand!

Ryan

10-30-2014, 07:11 PM

As you know, Revival (http://cemeterydance.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=960d36b3a3d46b3d8d2df8d53&id=589dabcb28&e=c149e5aaf7) by Stephen King will be shipping in just a few weeks, and our friends over at StephenKing.com have announced that PrepareForRevival.com (http://cemeterydance.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=960d36b3a3d46b3d8d2df8d53&id=e91ea15c49&e=c149e5aaf7) is now online. What is PrepareForRevival.com? (http://cemeterydance.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=960d36b3a3d46b3d8d2df8d53&id=c9c72384d5&e=c149e5aaf7) Here's how they describe the site:
As Revival (http://cemeterydance.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=960d36b3a3d46b3d8d2df8d53&id=d994ca5bb6&e=c149e5aaf7) is perhaps Stephen's darkest novel to date, some Constant Readers may wish to take some time to prepare for the experience of reading the story.

Prepare for Revival is intended for Stephen's fans to explore the dark side of the human condition in anticipation of reading the novel. Prepare for Revival invites you to explore and anonymously share your innermost thoughts on the major themes contained within the story.

Users can safely and securely post their experiences and feelings about Faith, Tragedy, Disillusion, Addiction, Curiosity, Obsession, Death and The Afterlife.

Once users have read the novel, fans can also post their thoughts on Revival, its plot, characters, events and the larger-than-life climax.

https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/CmlunufVgVO0vAdJWxtJNIVy0_hXr0Y3C1cLCtbnaOCmbTIeOk qb8F2c69fzCrkXbi25xV5nDf6OmCnq21g49hXS2W81Ff0qUKGS ovklA1irHQ=s0-d-e1-ft#http://cemeterydance.com/images/misc/prepare_for_revival.jpg (http://cemeterydance.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=960d36b3a3d46b3d8d2df8d53&id=447678359c&e=c149e5aaf7)

Visit PrepareForRevival.com before time runs out... (http://cemeterydance.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=960d36b3a3d46b3d8d2df8d53&id=630a297d71&e=c149e5aaf7)

mrselfdestruct94

11-03-2014, 09:04 AM

Interesting way to promote the new book. Definitely has me even more excited to read it.

Jinsai

11-06-2014, 02:04 PM

I don't get it... this website promo campaign was pretty stupid if you ask me

Ryan

11-15-2014, 07:02 AM

Finished Revival. I think they overhyped it quite a bit re: the conclusion and it being one of his scariest endings ever. Still, a solid read.

mrselfdestruct94

11-17-2014, 06:26 PM

Finished Revival. I think they overhyped it quite a bit re: the conclusion and it being one of his scariest endings ever. Still, a solid read.

I actually really enjoyed the ending. Scary? No. Unsettling? Absolutely. It definitely sticks with you, at least it did for me. Reminded me of something you'd read out of a Lovecraft story.

As for Revival overall: I think it's one of King's strongest novels to date, especially over the last ten years. The first hundred pages are incredibly strong and I was sucked in completely. Both characters were interesting, and I loved The Terrible Sermon. The middle of the book lags and I found myself growing disinterested, but the last act more than makes up for any dull moments

Ryan

11-17-2014, 07:08 PM

King loves his Lovecraft!

fillow

11-18-2014, 07:48 AM

I'm currently deep into Duma Key.

Will there ever be a Stephen King book where one of the main characters isn't hooked to a retro radio station?
At least there are less acne-faced teenagers now in his stories.

elevenism

11-19-2014, 07:50 AM

I am 4 chapters into Revival...actually, my wife and i both are...we are doing audiobooks lately to "read" together.

We are both loving it so far...the religious questions, the "god is electricity" vibe (which is something we have both considered,) and especially the way it is written as a chronicle of memories.
Really digging the nostalgia of those first pangs of lust and love.
allegro , re: your post above from 10-30, i appreciate your intellect and verbosity, as always.

allegro

11-19-2014, 08:41 AM

allegro , re: your post above from 10-30, i appreciate your intellect and verbosity, as always.
Oh I didn't write that; that's a quote, dude, heh. ;-)

slave2thewage

11-21-2014, 03:02 PM

I've started the extended Dark Tower read (see here (http://thetruthinsidethelie.blogspot.ie/2012/04/the-dark-tower-suggested-reading-order_2128.html) for details). It's quite an undertaking.

Jinsai

11-21-2014, 05:53 PM

I've started the extended Dark Tower read (see here (http://thetruthinsidethelie.blogspot.ie/2012/04/the-dark-tower-suggested-reading-order_2128.html) for details). It's quite an undertaking.

Seems a little over the top, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be better to just read the indirectly related novels and then go into the Dark Tower in order (with maybe Wind Through the Keyhole after part IV)? Some of the relevance of these books is pretty minimal... it pretty much comes down to a quick mention in some instances.

And as much as I love Stephen King, Eyes of the Dragon is some really bad fantasy. He was definitely out of his element there.

HiphopHead

11-21-2014, 06:14 PM

I enjoyed 'The Shining'. Never seen the movie.
Currently hammering through 'Misery'

elevenism

12-01-2014, 02:46 PM

elevenism

12-01-2014, 02:47 PM

I actually really enjoyed the ending. Scary? No. Unsettling? Absolutely. It definitely sticks with you, at least it did for me. Reminded me of something you'd read out of a Lovecraft story.

definitely. I listened to it on audio and my jaw literally dropped during the ending.
and i thought lovecraft too.
slave2thewage , yeah, what Jinsai said.
BUT...there's damn sure nothing wrong with reading all those books.
They are all fucking excellent (except from a buick 8, but that's just my opinion.)

Pillfred

12-01-2014, 08:44 PM

Im sure this has been touched on here at some point but as i recently came across a copy of Road Rage i guess i have. It got me thinking about how much i really like the stuff he did under Bachman. After reading the intro he added to the version i have i can see how the slight difference in mindset from which he was writing from affected the style of those stories. I had read a fair bit of King due to my mom being a fan but save for Salems Lot which I'm fond of, in part as its a good Vampire tale, the Bachman Books rank among some of my favorites by him, Rage and The Long Walk being probably me two favorites. Though as I'm currently lacking any readings I'll probably revisit road work here tomorrow.

elevenism

12-16-2014, 09:04 PM

So Joyland was fucking great. I read it in one sitting...kind of a heartfelt green mile-ish vibe.

Ryan

01-30-2015, 09:57 PM

Plot and US and UK cover art revealed for Finders Keepers. Also a new short story compilation out in 2015:

>>

Simon & Schuster has released the plot for Finders Keepers, King's next book about Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson that's released on June 2, 2015.

“Wake up, genius.” So begins King’s instantly riveting story about a vengeful reader. The genius is John Rothstein, a Salinger-like icon who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn’t published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books, but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising. Morris kills Rothstein and empties his safe of cash, yes, but the real treasure is a trove of notebooks containing at least one more Gold novel.

Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is locked away for another crime. Decades later, a boy named Pete Sauberg finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he’s released from prison after thirty-five years.

Not since Misery has King played with the notion of a reader whose obsession with a writer gets dangerous. Finders Keepers is spectacular, heart-pounding suspense, but it is also King writing about how literature shapes a life—for good, for bad, forever.

>>

Looks like Finders Keepers might have an interesting ending... Here are two comments about it from the moderator on King's board given as an answer to the question if the book is very much like Misery (since that book was mentioned in the description).

No. I can't say too much without giving away more of the plot but you won't feel like it's a rehash of Misery.

What I will say is that I do want to reread this one as there have been edits since the first draft. I still get goosebumps every time I think about the ending so am glad that part hasn't been changed from what Steve told me when I asked.

http://www.liljas-library.com/img/other/image.jpg

http://www.liljas-library.com/img/other/finderskeepers_mini.jpg

Ryan

01-30-2015, 09:58 PM

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
Posted: November 7, 2014, 15:27:46

Here is another new interview with King about Revival. In it he also mentions Finders Keepers and The Bazaar of Bad Dreams; a collection with

King is already looking ahead to next year, with Finders Keepers (the sequel to Mr. Mercedes) out in June.

And in the fall of 2015 there will be a new collection of stories called The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, which'll collect about 20 short tales. It should be a pretty fat book.

>>

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
The next collection from King now has a title; The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. It will be released on November 30, 2015 and contain about 20 short tales. No titles of the tales has been released yet.

Something with his son Owen
King has stated that he is working on something with his son Owen. No more info has been release.

One more story about Stu & Fran from The Stand
King has stated that there’s one more story about Stu and Fran that needs to be told. King hasn’t written this one yet though.

There's one Stand story that still needs to be told, although it's not a long one. I happen to know that when [Stand characters] Stu Redman and Frannie Goldsmith headed back to New England (with their baby), Frannie fell into a dry well. That's all I know. I'd have to write the story to find out what happens.

One more Dark Tower book
King has stated that he’d like to revisit The Dark Tower series and possibly write one more book about The Fall of Gilead.

In the not too distant future, King says he'd like to revisit his seminal Dark Tower series and possibly write one more addition to his fantasy epic.

"The one thing that is missing in the books is The Fall of Gilead," he says.

"But I'd like to go back to all of them and revise the whole series because it’s really one book. I’m delighted people loved them, but I think of those books as a rough first draft of a very long novel. I’d like to go back and rewrite 'em all."

mrselfdestruct94

01-30-2015, 10:19 PM

The US cover for Finders Keepers looks cool. I wasn't a big fan of Mr. Mercedes. It was okay, I found the antagonist to be the most interesting part of the whole book, although his whole plan that kicked off the third act was a little over the top. Much more interested in reading his latest short stories.

mrselfdestruct94

06-29-2015, 03:29 PM

Anyone read Finders Keepers yet? I thought it was average. Once again, the antagonist was the most interesting part of the whole novel. The rest of the story wasn't very engaging and I think Hodges and his team are just boring. Assuming anyone still frequents this thread, I can't recommend picking it up. I'm not trying to piss off any diehard King fans, but I think it's ironic he's given James Patterson shit when stuff like Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers kind of reads like a Patterson detective novel (minus a new chapter every three pages). That is to say, a relatively strong villain and a thin plot stretched into a couple hundred pages with a strong urge to put the book down whenever the dull heroes are out and about trying to solve the mystery or dealing with their personal lives.

I'm still looking forward to The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. It'll be cool to have some more short stories, and there's an audio book coming out tomorrow called Drunken Fireworks I'll probably check out.

elevenism

07-06-2015, 07:17 AM

Drunken Fireworks was great.
The guy reading it was hilarious.

I have a question for hardcore stephen king fans.

Has anyone cracked the high speech alphabet?
It's based on a font called Hoefler ornaments...something like that.

On another forum, people are talking about getting tattoos, and they think that just typing a phrase with that font makes it "high speech."

BUT...if you look at the letter from Roland's mother in wind through the keyhole, the letters don't match up that way.

Also, the visual representation of "unfound" doesn't even have enough letters for it to be a letter for letter code.

My wife and i both want Dark Tower tattoos, and since our anniversary is coming up, we thought it would be cool to have them match or be related.
And so, i SURE would like to know that alphabet, in case we want phrases in "high speech."

I can't find it ANYWHERE on the internet.

EDIT: OKAY @Ryan (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=67) @MrSelfDestruct (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=4548)94
@Jinsai (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=272)

somebody help me here.

thankee-sai

Ryan

07-09-2015, 04:58 PM

I've been thinking about this for the past couple of days: what would you name a Stephen King short story collection?

I came up with "There Are No Happy Endings".

Ryan

07-13-2015, 09:40 PM

We need replies motherfuckers.
elevenism - in response to your question, I dunno lol

elevenism

07-14-2015, 02:24 PM

lolz Ryan .

hell yes. we do need replies. i figured one thingout though. the unfound symbol has five letters, right? and the first and fourth are the same. so, that is the symbole for "un."

i laugh at these poor fuckers who realized that the alphabet has BASED on this hoefler ornaments font and ran out and got tattoos in "high speech."

They should have noticed that "unfound" has five letters when written in high speech, so it's NOT a "one to one: code.

In reply to your post, Ryan, i would go with Mourning Light. There was Just After Sunset, then Full Dark No Stars, so i would continue in that vein.

Ryan

11-10-2015, 10:55 PM

Picked up The Bazaar of Bad Dreams a few days ago. Check out the UK/international version of the cover, it's very colourful.

elevenism

11-27-2015, 03:17 PM

Picked up The Bazaar of Bad Dreams a few days ago. Check out the UK/international version of the cover, it's very colourful.
me too.
good god i fucking love SK

kaiouti12

11-28-2015, 08:30 AM

I really want to read his first book RAGE, but I think it was originally banned. I tried asking for a shipped copy but no copies were available.

elevenism

11-28-2015, 10:07 AM

I really want to read his first book RAGE, but I think it was originally banned. I tried asking for a shipped copy but no copies were available.
From what i read, it was never actually banned per se.
It was purposely allowed to fall out of print (by King) because of it's subject matter- a school shooting-and the fact that it has been connected to at least 2 real life shootings or would-be shootings, and was possibly connected to a third and fourth incident. In some instances, no one was harmed, but in another, 7 were killed.

By the way, it wasn't king's first novel, just his first as Bachman.
It was predated by Carrie, 'Salem's Lot and The Shining.

It looks like it's really hard to find, but i found you a used paperback copy here (http://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-bachman-books_stephen-king_richard-bachman/247826/#isbn=0452257743). It's an omnibus that also includes The Long Walk, Road Work, and the Running Man. That's four novels in one tome for $7 dollars and 12 cents, with free shipping to the USA for orders over $10.

The website, thriftreads.com is fucking GREAT btw. Used to, a ridiculous amount of the books were 1 cent and $3.99 for shipping.
Now they seem to run closer to $3-$4, but like i said, free shipping on orders over $10.
This is a great way to flesh out SK titles missing from your collection ( Jinsai , Ryan , mrselfdestruct94 , slave2thewage )
You can even get deals like that on hardcovers.
But if you want it kaiouti12 , you might want to get it ordered!
I don't think there are many floating around, and it's the holiday season.

Oh, btw, of course Thriftbooks.com sells more than Stephen King.

Jinsai

11-28-2015, 12:43 PM

Huh, didn't know The Bachman Books was out of print... I have a copy around here somewhere

elevenism

12-07-2015, 06:38 PM

So i'm having a lot of fun finding all the 19's hidden in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

A whole shitload of numbers in the stories (dates, license plates, room numbers, etc.) add up to 19.

What's confounding is that some of them don't, but i can't help trying all of them.

How are you guys liking it btw? I LOVE these fucking stories. Ryan ?

Ryan

12-07-2015, 07:17 PM

I'm about to start The Dune.

elevenism

12-09-2015, 05:45 PM

Ryan i'm on The Little Green God of Agony (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Little_Green_God_of_Agony&action=edit&redlink=1)

Ryan

12-09-2015, 08:30 PM

I found that the second and third ones weren't really horrific at all. More black humour.

elevenism

12-11-2015, 03:08 PM

I found that the second and third ones weren't really horrific at all. More black humour.
oh, yeah, no doubt. but i don't mind that. In fact, The Dark Tower books are more Lord of the Rings than Lovecraft, d'you know what i mean?

I think he's a fucking modern day mark twain, honestly, but with a dark twist.

BTW, i just got Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers in the mail like an hour ago. :)

And it looks like the dark tower movies/tv series are happening. Good god i hope they don;t fuck it up.
They can change it around all they like as LONG AS the original magical tone is still there, and it doesn;t suck balls.

Edit: also in the mail i just got It, Talisman, Black House, The Stand, The Shining, and The Green Mile for my wife for her birthday.
She is a stephen king convert and read all 8 of the dark tower books as soon as i told her about them.
She;s also read like Under the Dome and Rose Madder, but i think that's it.
I'm jealous.
I wish i could unread all of SKs books so i could read them again.

mrselfdestruct94

12-11-2015, 04:18 PM

elevenism

12-11-2015, 04:41 PM

Really enjoyed The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Favorites were Bad Little Kid, The Dune, Drunken Fireworks, The Little Green God of Agony, Morality, and Blockade Billy. I wasn't a fan of either poems or Ur, but the rest of the stories are enjoyable and it's a strong collection.
no Ur? i fucking LOVED it.
Bad Little Kid was awesome too. I still gotta read that bus is in another world, obits, and summer thunder.
oh, and the poems.
i also really loved Herman Wouk is Still Alive. mrselfdestruct94 , did you find all the 19's?

mrselfdestruct94

12-12-2015, 09:12 AM

no Ur? i fucking LOVED it.
Bad Little Kid was awesome too. I still gotta read that bus is in another world, obits, and summer thunder.
oh, and the poems.
i also really loved Herman Wouk is Still Alive. @mrselfdestruct94 (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=3514) , did you find all the 19's?

I wasn't a fan of Ur because it felt like product placement (Amazon specifically hired him to write the story to promote the Kindle device), and I thought the story lost its momentum after he'd introduced his student and co-worker to the special Kindle. I actually did not look for any of the Dark Tower references, albeit the ending to Ur wasn't exactly subtle, lol. I usually go back after the first read of his books and see if I can spot any references. I'll certainly try to find all the 19's when I go back to some of the stories.

Jinsai

12-12-2015, 02:19 PM

gotta love that Stephen King just posted on Facebook that it doesn't matter what race the actor is who plays Roland, just "that he takes care of his ka-tet."

And in response, the mobs of morons are still shouting about it, and even saying things like "anyone who thinks this is ok is not a real King fan." Uh, you mean the people who agree with what the author just said aren't real fans of the author? Jesus, no wonder SK hates interacting with his fans.

elevenism

12-12-2015, 10:20 PM

Jinsai , for me, as long as it's fucking GOOD. that's fine. It doesn't have to be the same as the books either, because that would be fucking impossible (todash, Susannah's birth, Dogans, etc."

I'm thrilled that it's happening. But it better not suck like Under the Dome.

fillow

12-13-2015, 02:32 AM

There's no way The Dark Tower can be adapted to screen successfully. It can't possibly have the ratings big enough to secure big budget and a several-season-long run

elevenism

12-14-2015, 03:46 AM

There's no way The Dark Tower can be adapted to screen successfully. It can't possibly have the ratings big enough to secure big budget and a several-season-long run

C'mon fillow , you've got to BELIEVE!!!!

Jinsai

12-14-2015, 04:30 AM

mrselfdestruct94

12-14-2015, 12:05 PM

Give me 200 million dollars and I'd make sure the Dark Tower got made right.

Won't happen, because I'm not a movie producer, but it seems plausible. Every now and again you get surprised.

For some reason I have some hope here because they got the guy who made the original adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" to helm it. For some reason I can't put my finger on, that seems perfect, and I say thankee-sai"

If I were an eccentric millionaire with a boatload of cash and no concept of financial responsibility, you would have your 200 million, sir!

I never liked the idea of having a series of movies and a television series at the same time. I would actually prefer a TV series because there would be more time to delve into the world, and since we're seeing many, many examples of modern television shows surpassing most films with virtually identical cinematic qualities, I can see it being entirely possible. Each season would encompass a book similar to Game of Thrones, and they wouldn't have to deviate from the source material too much because the books have already reached their conclusion. Couple that with the numerous short stories, the graphic novel adaptations, and the recent eighth book, and the idea of a Dark Tower television series radiates potential.

That said, it would absolutely kick ass to see Stephen King's world brought to life on the big screen, and I think if they could find a directer in the vein of Peter Jackson (a young filmmaker who is passionate about the material, is a fan of the books, and is still trying to cement their legacy) we will hopefully get a collection of films that do the source material justice.

And while we're on the topic of casting with the recent Idris Elba rumor: Who would be a good choice to play Stephen King?

Jinsai

12-18-2015, 03:55 PM

And while we're on the topic of casting with the recent Idris Elba rumor: Who would be a good choice to play Stephen King?

It might be kind of weird, but it would also be pretty interesting if they cast his son to play a young Stephen King. He kind of looks like him too

mrselfdestruct94

12-19-2015, 09:39 AM

It might be kind of weird, but it would also be pretty interesting if they cast his son to play a young Stephen King. He kind of looks like him too

That would be a cool idea. Joe Hill could probably pull it off, assuming he has the acting chops. He certainly has the writing chops, and it'd be fun if they dropped hints of his work into the Dark Tower movies or TV show the same way King makes nods to his son's work in his recent books.

fillow

12-19-2015, 10:09 AM

Can't King play himself though? I don't recall if his age (as of 2004) had any relevance to the plot but I think it didn't.

Jinsai

12-19-2015, 10:15 PM

Can't King play himself though? I don't recall if his age (as of 2004) had any relevance to the plot but I think it didn't.

It's been a while, but I remember the first time they visit Stephen King in the Dark Tower, he's a young aspiring writer, and they remark on how he drinks and smokes too much.

elevenism

12-30-2015, 10:50 PM

So are you guys digging Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers?

I just got them recently.

In my mind i've cast mandy patinkin (from criminal minds and homeland) as Hodges.

Ryan

12-30-2015, 11:00 PM

elevenism

04-02-2016, 02:41 AM

I dug Mr Mercedes. I bought Finders Keepers but haven't read it yet. I think I can't be bothered with it because Brady Hartfield doesn't return until End Of Watch and I just want to skip it and read that, haha
Ryan did you read finders keepers yet?
i liked it BETTER than Mr M, and Brady is in there a little bit

Ryan

04-02-2016, 03:26 AM

Ryan did you read finders keepers yet?
i liked it BETTER than Mr M, and Brady is in there a little bit

Not yet, I'm still slowly getting through The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

Just finished Herman Wouk Is Still Alive, just started Blockade Billy.

Ryan

04-16-2016, 01:49 AM

I finished reading TBOBD but skipped Blockade Billy because that baseball stuff doesn't really interest me.

Really loved Drunken Fireworks. And Summer Thunder was depressing as all hell.

decadent

04-16-2016, 03:26 AM

Little Bad Kid was almost vintage King, the rest not so much.

elevenism

04-16-2016, 05:03 PM

I finished reading TBOBD but skipped Blockade Billy because that baseball stuff doesn't really interest me.

Really loved Drunken Fireworks. And Summer Thunder was depressing as all hell.

man there was a version of Drunken Fireworks released with this northeastern american humorist reading it and doing the voices. It was fucking HILARIOUS. Since you just read it, you probably don't want to hear it again right away, but i HIGHLY suggest listening to it on down the line.

I also suggest reading Blockade Billy, because even though it is baseball themed, it's still PURE stephen king.
decadent , you didn't like the collection then? i see it as king trying some new directions, definitely, but good GOD i loved it, as i love everything he's ever written.
The only king i didn't love was Cell and From a Buick 8.

elevenism

04-16-2016, 05:15 PM

so what do you guys think of Idris Elba cast as roland?
I think it's kind of cool, although my wife and i REALLY wanted Viggo Mortenson.

Elba just MIGHT be great, though.

Oh, and hey, did you guys like 11.22.63? It was a Hulu original mini-series, and while it wasn't faithful to the book, it was pretty damn good.

One more thing: does anyone need a paperback copy of finders keepers? i will send it to you for the cost of shipping. I thought i had lost my hardback with 50 pages left to go, so i bought the paperback and read it. But last night i found the hardcover.
@Jinsai (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=272) @mrselfdestruct94 (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=3514) @Ryan (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=67) @miss k bee (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=1038) @decadent (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=651) @fillow (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=348) @onthewall2983 (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=389) @frankie teardrop (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=889) @NYRexall (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=911) @The_Prowler (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=3152) @slave2thewage (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=89) @aggroculture (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=318) @Pillfred (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=393) @tommygunn (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=1026) @Aywok (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=4846)

if you are in the us and want it, just paypal me $4. And if you are on hard times, just send me $1 or $2. If you are having a REALLY hard time financially and want the book, fuck it, i'll cover the shipping. And that goes for any ets folk-i just mentioned most of the people who have posted in this thread, but i'm not doing this all day ;)

Pillfred

04-17-2016, 02:22 PM

I can see Idris doing just fine he's got the right look about him and he's a good actor. I haven't watched the Kennedy show yet but it's on my dl list.

fillow

04-17-2016, 03:43 PM

Do people in America in general know the date of JFK shooting? Whenever I think or talk about 11.22.63, I always just call it 'that JFK book'

hellospaceboy

04-17-2016, 05:35 PM

implanted_microchip

04-17-2016, 06:03 PM

Any and all concerns I have with TDT movie have zero to do with the casting choices so far that all seem great. Who's directing, who's writing, what order are the books being adapted, how much are they going to try and cram into one film, how are you going to handle how much of the series relies on other books, etc. That worries me more than anything. Most of Wolves of the Calla would need to be changed dramatically because of Doctor Doom, 'Salem's Lot and that Harry Potter thing in it. King's self-insertion worked in the book but would feel incredibly dumb in a movie. Things like that.

The biggest thing for me is that within the first thirty seconds I want to see Elba walking through the desert and reaching down for a canteen or something and the camera following his hand, panning over his body and going across the Horn of Eld secure at his hip. That's all it's going to take to either make me feel like I'm in good hands and not complain about most narrative changes or make me terrified and far more critical of the overall thing.

To me TDT is so incredible because of the entire journey around it literature-wise, not just the journey in those seven books themselves. It being King's magnum opus, it being the literal center of the multiverse of his fiction, the series being the literary equivalent to the Tower itself, the way that you'd read a random novel of his and suddenly spot different references and connections and tie it all back in your head to the series, the way that so much of the series involves bring in elements of his other work -- all of that makes it feel like this genius, organic sort of artifact of a story that makes being a Stephen King fan obsessive in a way. I remember having some "guide to the Stephen King universe" book growing up and that being this fantastic reference point that went out of its way to show how literally no story he had told in a novel couldn't somehow be connected back to the series, and it was fantastic. it was the DC or Marvel comics of literature in a sense to me. It was his own Lovecraftian thing, realizing that the monster from It was even more terrifying and had even bigger implications, that kind of thing.

Absolutely zero of any of that can translate on screen in any meaningful way that has any similar impact. So at best I'm hoping for a visually stunning epic of a series that tells the basic story and tells it well with lots of weirdness and grit beneath it's fingernails but I don't expect anything close to the book series that moved me and made me an obsessive King junkie for years and I don't expect it to be the amazing force of nature those books were at all.

Ryan

04-17-2016, 10:23 PM

kleiner352, you were that kid at school who was given a 3 page essay and you wrote 30 pages, aren't you? ;)

fillow

04-18-2016, 02:43 AM

I'm confused, are we getting a movie or a series? (TDT)

implanted_microchip

04-18-2016, 06:27 AM

@kleiner352 (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=4417), you were that kid at school who was given a 3 page essay and you wrote 30 pages, aren't you? ;)
Maximum word counts were my enemy

Khrz

04-18-2016, 06:39 AM

Not really. It's not like 9/11/01 where everybody gets it, I would be surprised if 1 out of 10 people know the JFK date...

On the other hand, we'll see if the average citizen of 2061 remembers the twin towers at all...

blake

04-18-2016, 12:50 PM

Do people in America in general know the date of JFK shooting? Whenever I think or talk about 11.22.63, I always just call it 'that JFK book'

Not really. It's not like 9/11/01 where everybody gets it, I would be surprised if 1 out of 10 people know the JFK date...

On the other hand, we'll see if the average citizen of 2061 remembers the twin towers at all...

Right. The number of those who remember or know the 11/22/63 date rises dramatically if the people you're asking are old enough. My dad says that every generation has 1 or 2 dates during their lives when events happened that you will always remember. And not just the date, but where you were and what you were doing. For us, it's 9/11/01. Even though I was only 4, I clearly remember first hearing about it. For those old enough to be living then, JFK's assassination is one of those moments. My grandfather told of when he first heard about Pearl Harbor. Disasters or traumatic events imprint strongly in the memory if you're living through them. Reading about them in a history book, not as much.

Ryan

04-18-2016, 09:24 PM

elevenism - I'm starting Finders Keepers tonight.

elevenism

04-21-2016, 08:56 PM

@elevenism (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=2475) - I'm starting Finders Keepers tonight.
you know, i finally figured out what i don't like about those books, and that's that a lot of it is in present tense.

but FK has a lot that's in past tense, and it reads more like the rest of his work.

The parts with Brady seem like SK is revving up for an epic finale to the trilogy.

onthewall2983

08-13-2016, 11:22 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRL3d0K-adw

fillow

08-25-2016, 04:45 PM

Recently finished Dr Sleep.
Boy, that was a lazy book. I'm trying hard to remember, but I don't think there was ever a SK book where main characters resolved their conflict with evil forces so goddamn easy. Not one casualty, mutilation or any spilled blood whatsoever, a goddamn walk in the park.

On the other hand, I'd like him to write another sequel where adult Abra turns evil and fucks shit up

elevenism

12-15-2016, 09:21 AM

So End of Watch went hard as FUCK.
@Ryan (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=67) did you read it yet?

Hey check this out-words you can make from Hartsfield-

Farts. Lies. Lie. Die. Dies. (Fart)Shield.
Rat. Deal. Dare. Lard. Dire. Drift. Ash. Filth. Hate. Dirt.
etc.

Ryan

12-27-2016, 03:57 PM

Haven't read it yet but I will soon. Does it leave room for a fourth?

allegate

12-27-2016, 04:32 PM

Goodness no.

elevenism

12-28-2016, 10:10 AM

yeah Ryan :) . Not exactly. So you are an SK fan too allegate ? :)

allegate

12-28-2016, 10:27 AM

elevenism

12-28-2016, 11:34 AM

I've been a Constant Reader for decades now.

When I saw this thread on the top of the page I - thinking of what 2016 has wrought thus far - assumed he had died so was relieved it was just a question about a book.
i, too, am
a constant reader. i have read ALL of it. i fucking love his "voice."
And he better be writing, fast.

Stephen King books are one of my greatest joys in life, ever since i read Skeleton Crew when i was FIVE.

Jon

04-16-2017, 08:30 PM

I love stuff like this...

https://i0.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/king-flowchart.jpg

elevenism

11-03-2017, 08:18 PM

So have any of you guys read Sleeping Beauties, the collaboration SK did with his son Owen? allegate ?

Space Suicide

11-03-2017, 08:37 PM

So have any of you guys read Sleeping Beauties, the collaboration SK did with his son Owen? @allegate (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=1739) ?

I just bought it from Barnes & Noble for 60% off with lots of sales and coupon vouchers. I'll read it sometime soon. It's thick.

Some more meandering,

As a "noob" I've wanted and have been intrigued by his books for a long time but never much actually attempted to read them. I enjoy to read but a lot of his books as fat as fuck and those take me forever and I'm poor at keeping up, even if a book is THAT good. I have always enjoyed his film adaptations as well as his original works for the screen such as Creepshow. After seeing IT I said fuck it and decided to delve into his bibliography. I've been snatching up his books left and right every week during lunch hour from B&N. 8.99 a book isn't bad. I'm getting quite a big catalog and am starting to thrust forward with actually reading what I'm buying. I have bought a lot of books the past 2 months...

The Dark Tower Series (Currently own I-V)
Dreamcatcher
The Tommyknockers
The Shining
Doctor Sleep
Under the Dome
IT
Cujo
Four Past Midnight
Skeleton Crew
Different Seasons
The Bizarre of Bad Dreams
11/22/63
Sleeping Beauties
Pet Semetary
The Green Mile (currently starting to read this one!)

Dandelo

11-03-2017, 08:44 PM

So have any of you guys read Sleeping Beauties, the collaboration SK did with his son Owen? allegate ?

Its's in my "to read" pile.I read Double Feature by Owen and can barely remember it, though I do remember it being okay.
I've fallen behind with King a bit. Still have Gwendy's Button Box to read, too.

elevenism

11-04-2017, 02:29 AM

I am reading Sleeping Beauties now.
@Space Suicide (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=532) , that's fucking awesome. You won't be disappointed.

If you have a hard time getting into long books, Four Past Midnight and Different Seasons are both collections of 4 novellas. Different Seasons has Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me (The Body,) and Apt Pupil. And Four Past Midnight has The Langoliers and Secret Window. And there are also more short story collections: Night Shift, Everything's Eventual, Just After Sunset, and Nightmares and Dreamscapes, among others.

Stephen King books are just flat out my favorite fucking thing in the world, period.

chuckrh

11-04-2017, 02:46 AM

Shadaloo

11-04-2017, 08:32 PM

I just spent the last three or four months reading the whole DT series, stopping briefly to re-read IT.

I just finished Book 7.

I need to lie down.

allegate

11-06-2017, 10:42 AM

Man, I've got such a backlog of books right now it's crazy. It's on there but finding time to read is tough with a kid in middle school. Every damn night it's something, I swear.

dedevoce

12-06-2018, 06:15 PM

Interesting note and great timing :)

https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1070060659084279808

Jinsai

12-06-2018, 11:09 PM

finished The Outsider... wow does that book start off strong and then quickly turns into complete garbage.

It's almost like the first half and second half were written by completely different people.

klyrish

12-07-2018, 06:29 AM

I just bought it from Barnes & Noble for 60% off with lots of sales and coupon vouchers. I'll read it sometime soon. It's thick.

Some more meandering,

As a "noob" I've wanted and have been intrigued by his books for a long time but never much actually attempted to read them. I enjoy to read but a lot of his books as fat as fuck and those take me forever and I'm poor at keeping up, even if a book is THAT good. I have always enjoyed his film adaptations as well as his original works for the screen such as Creepshow. After seeing IT I said fuck it and decided to delve into his bibliography. I've been snatching up his books left and right every week during lunch hour from B&N. 8.99 a book isn't bad. I'm getting quite a big catalog and am starting to thrust forward with actually reading what I'm buying. I have bought a lot of books the past 2 months...

The Dark Tower Series (Currently own I-V)
Dreamcatcher
The Tommyknockers
The Shining
Doctor Sleep
Under the Dome
IT
Cujo
Four Past Midnight
Skeleton Crew
Different Seasons
The Bizarre of Bad Dreams
11/22/63
Sleeping Beauties
Pet Semetary
The Green Mile (currently starting to read this one!)

If you haven't already started the Dark Tower, try to read as many of his other books first--especially IT and The Stand--because of how many references there are to past works. It's not necessary, but there'll be a lot of subtle comments/nods that will make The Dark Tower that much more satisfying and enjoyable having the history of his worlds in the back of your mind.

Jon

03-17-2019, 12:34 PM

I just realized that the first printings for the Plume paperbacks are the only ones with raised lettering, and they have alternate coloring:

https://i.imgur.com/BEV8WnT.jpg

elevenism

09-23-2019, 03:06 PM

The Institute, so far, is fucking great. I'm 60% through it.

Also, I'm glad that there aren't 19s hidden every fucking where, like there were in the Mr Mercedes trilogy- like, every fucking phrase has 19 letters in those books, and my OCD forced me to find every time it happened.

It's quite a bit better than The Outsider, I'd say.

Leviathant

10-07-2019, 08:33 PM

When I'm feeling down, I lick excrement from my dog's anus.

Whoa there @kattieTW (https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=7228) , why do you work for a convicted sex predator? Is onemomentessay.com (https://www.nsopw.gov/) touching you in inappropriate places?

elevenism

09-18-2020, 09:24 PM

Hey, so

Did you guys know that Stephen King put out a new four Novella collection?

It's called "If It Bleeds." The first two stories are PRETTY goddamn abstract to me, kind of like some of his subtler short stories.

The third one is basically the fifth part of the Bill Hodges trilogy, and it's honestly a whole hell of a lot like Outsider, but it's leaner, of course, and works a LOT better.

I'm just getting to the fourth one.

It occurred to me last night that this is like, my 83rd SK book, which is fucking NUTS. I've read everything but those Cemetery Dance limited edition things, like cycle of the werewolf.

allegate

09-18-2020, 11:09 PM

wait wait wait...what was the fourth part in the Bill Hodges trilogy?

Erneuert

09-19-2020, 04:19 AM

Erneuert

09-19-2020, 04:21 AM

wait wait wait...what was the fourth part in the Bill Hodges trilogy?

I think he meant fourth.

fillow

09-19-2020, 05:07 AM

I think he meant fourth.
No, The Outsider is the 4th

Erneuert

09-19-2020, 06:20 AM

No, The Outsider is the 4th

Oh yeah it is too. That totally slipped my mind.

allegate

09-19-2020, 10:27 AM

really? I am way off my SK game. I haven't read anything past the trilogy, like any of his books. I have them, just haven't read them. I should read them all for October, spooky month that it is.

elevenism

09-19-2020, 11:03 AM

really? I am way off my SK game. I haven't read anything past the trilogy, like any of his books. I have them, just haven't read them. I should read them all for October, spooky month that it is. I was just thinking: the last like, stunningly great King book I read, was Revival. I'm talking old school, classic, stands up with the best of his work great.
The Bill Hodges trilogy was pretty damn good, but not great. Oh, and the other thing he did this past decade that really took me to another world was Joyland.

I hope he's got at least a few more like, mind blowing door stoppers, to lay on the Constant Readers among us.

BRoswell

09-19-2020, 11:07 AM

elevenism

09-19-2020, 11:23 AM

There's also this. I can't fucking BELIEVE they're putting this out during an actual pandemic.
I hope they nail it, though. I never thought the 94 version quite did it justice, and I hope this is AT LEAST twelve episode.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hO49HF9f9A

elevenism

05-11-2021, 05:59 AM

So has anyone read Later?

I was leery of the last one he did for this "Hard Boiled Crime" company, because I thought it was going to be like, well, The Colorado Kid, which baffled me. But, Joyland was just a great, short SK book.

So we've got one that's weak, and a great one, in my opinion. I hope the new one is great, too. The man isn't going to be around forever.

versusreality

06-13-2021, 06:09 AM

Lisey's Story on Apple TV+ is what really drew me in to King's world. I've seen The Shining, Creepshow, bits and pieces of It...but never really paid much attention. I recall my dad reading some of his books when I was a kid.

Anyway, Lisey's story made me immediately go out and buy two books: The Shining (since I was familiar with the film and could compare) and The Outsider. I'm not the biggest reader by any means. I can't even recall the last time I bought a fiction book. Plus, I'm bogged down with end of year stuff as a teacher and a condensed semester with two courses in grad school.

I finished The Shining in 6 days. Holy shit, did I love it. Never have I been drawn in to a writing style like King's. I was HOOKED. I read for hours at a time. Never in my life have I done that. Never. In my opinion, the book is far better than the film (a great film but I'm not a fan of how they derived from the book...but I get it)

Started The Outsider last night. Love it so far.

Went to pick up two more books yesterday: Skeleton Crew (thought it'd be cool to read some short stories) and Salem's Lot (I have only seen one clip of the film version)

wizfan

06-13-2021, 11:09 AM

I've read Carrie and Christine and love them both. Also, I've read Heart-Shaped Box (where Trent has a "cameo"!) by Joe Hill, before finding out that he's SK's son. The book made a lot more sense after that, and I won't spoil why.

allegate

06-14-2021, 10:47 AM

Rereading Stephen King (https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/rereading-stephen-king)

This is a series of articles written by someone I know from a former forum. He also writes books - some of them pretty good - but I digress. They're interesting little essays on 33 books (it did have to end eventually) that King wrote so if you've a moment to spare check a couple out.

versusreality

06-15-2021, 03:55 AM

awesome link...thank you.

last night, I realized....oh crap, let me check ebay for deals on books. I don't care if they're used or not. you can find some great deals for lots with multiple books that would cost the price of one new book!

I got two lots for about $20 each:
-The Stand
-Pet Semetery
-Different Seasons
-Nightmares & Dreamscapes
-Full Dark, No Stars

Lot 2:
-Dreamcatcher
-Revival
-Under the Dome
-It

I'm set for the year!

Jinsai

06-15-2021, 08:53 AM

versusreality the biggest recommendation I can give is that you start reading The Dark Tower as you go through the other books. The first book, The Gunslinger, is something you just kinda have to suffer through, but the rest is just incredible... and it sets up this crazy mythology with all of his other books. It's really his masterpiece.

Also, I'd probably say IT is my favorite horror novel. None of the movie adaptations really "get it" at all, and are sort of awful representations really, though the first part of the recent movie was a nifty thing.

If I were to throw out one more really earnest recommendation, Needful Things is incredible. It's also insanely dark, and one of the only books that's made me cry. As in, it really reduced me into a sobbing mess. It's amazing.

versusreality

06-15-2021, 07:42 PM

Thank you. My idea is to read the entire Dark Tower in 2022, starting in January. Added Needful Things to my wish list!

elevenism

06-17-2021, 07:57 AM

Thank you. My idea is to read the entire Dark Tower in 2022, starting in January. Added Needful Things to my wish list!

As I've stated before on this board, there is NOTHING that makes me happier than a new SK book: no movie, no tv show, no video game, and VERY few big life events.

I read Skeleton Crew when I was fucking five years old, lol. My parents were impressed that I was reading it, though, and decided to let me finish.
In 1991, at eleven, I read Needful Things, and The Wastelands (the third dark tower book,) and I experienced something like you're experiencing now. I'd found my favorite writer of all time. It's just his VOICE- his narrative voice. I don't know how else to explain it. Ever since then, since 91, I've anxiously awaited and devoured every SK novel, short story collection, and novella collection.
I also backtracked and read everything from the seventies and eighties that I might have missed.

I am SO happy for you: you're going to find treasure after treasure. SO fucking many of them are masterpieces, and, even with books like The Outsider, when I say it's one of his WORST, that damn sure doesn't mean it's BAD: rather, it's just not one of the best.
They're ALL fucking great.

I wish I could unread them, and be where you are, now.

Edit: oh, and, if you like Outsider, you REALLY need to read the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, wherein Holly is an apprentice to an older detective, and then, after that, the epnymous novella in "If It Bleeds."

Outsider is basically part four in a five part series.

allegate

06-17-2021, 10:27 AM

The best part of the Dark Tower movie was the pre-production photos where the movie was a sequel to the book series with the "last time around" phrase used over the Horn of Eld.

https://thepopculturestudio.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/thehornofeld.jpg?w=770

linking because it's a spoiler if you haven't read the books.

Jinsai

06-17-2021, 12:01 PM

They're ALL fucking great.

From a Buick 8 was NOT anywhere near great, and there's a couple other moments where he put out stuff that almost felt like it was ghost-written. He's so prolific, you gotta admit there's some garbage in there.

elevenism

06-17-2021, 12:50 PM

From a Buick 8 was NOT anywhere near great, and there's a couple other moments where he put out stuff that almost felt like it was ghost-written. He's so prolific, you gotta admit there's some garbage in there.

From a Buick 8 was alright. Bad for King, along with Cell, Outsider, and Colorado Kid.

Yeah, calling them all great is slightly hyperbolic, but, even the few I don't love were more disappointing than bad.
They weren't HORRIBLE.

They just weren't as good as they should have been.

There's a vibe and cool memory for Buick 8 in my mind, and I'm glad I read it: I can at least say that.

versusreality

06-17-2021, 02:11 PM

As I've stated before on this board, there is NOTHING that makes me happier than a new SK book: no movie, no tv show, no video game, and VERY few big life events.

I read Skeleton Crew when I was fucking five years old, lol. My parents were impressed that I was reading it, though, and decided to let me finish.
In 1991, at eleven, I read Needful Things, and The Wastelands (the third dark tower book,) and I experienced something like you're experiencing now. I'd found my favorite writer of all time. It's just his VOICE- his narrative voice. I don't know how else to explain it. Ever since then, since 91, I've anxiously awaited and devoured every SK novel, short story collection, and novella collection.
I also backtracked and read everything from the seventies and eighties that I might have missed.

I am SO happy for you: you're going to find treasure after treasure. SO fucking many of them are masterpieces, and, even with books like The Outsider, when I say it's one of his WORST, that damn sure doesn't mean it's BAD: rather, it's just not one of the best.
They're ALL fucking great.

I wish I could unread them, and be where you are, now.

Edit: oh, and, if you like Outsider, you REALLY need to read the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, wherein Holly is an apprentice to an older detective, and then, after that, the epnymous novella in "If It Bleeds."

Outsider is basically part four in a five part series.

That is awesome, you were hooked young. I wish I was too, but I am glad I found him now and have what feels like an endless trove of greatness to sort through. I know for a fact I am going to collect pretty much every thing he's ever written too. I mean, I am DOWN the rabbit hole, watching interviews and speeches on youtube, following him on twitter now lol.

Part of me wanted to start reading his works in chronological order...but obviously, I'm jumping around. Once I finish the Outsider, I think I'll go with the Skeleton Crew. As a middle school teacher, we do a lot of short stories/excerpts, so I really am curious about reading short stories from King. Ah I can't wait!!

Oh, and he's got a new book coming out in August!

Jinsai

06-17-2021, 02:32 PM

Buick 8 was BAD! That was terrible and I suffered through it... it was like 10 hours of my life, and it sucked!
But yeah, in general, the rest of it's not a bad call... and Christine and Carrie are the two moments i'm gonna say the movie was better

And I thought Cell was fun.

fillow

06-17-2021, 03:21 PM

Weird, I liked Buick. I also read it on a long road trip with TGWTDT score constantly playing in the headphones when it was new. Good times. Maybe it helped.

The one SK book I hated was Doctor Sleep (fight me)

versusreality

06-17-2021, 07:43 PM

hey everyone...regarding The Dark Tower...thinking of jumping on this, what do you think?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224421128600?hash=item34408aa998:g:ceQAAOSwzyFgc22 b

Jinsai

06-17-2021, 09:02 PM

hey everyone...regarding The Dark Tower...thinking of jumping on this, what do you think?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224421128600?hash=item34408aa998:g:ceQAAOSwzyFgc22 b

Buy it... it's worth it. Enjoy the trip. It's intense.

and yeah, fillow, I didn't even finish Doctor Sleep.

elevenism

06-18-2021, 03:15 AM

hey everyone...regarding The Dark Tower...thinking of jumping on this, what do you think?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224421128600?hash=item34408aa998:g:ceQAAOSwzyFgc22 bI think you could get them cheaper on a site like thriftbooks. But if you don't wanna hunt around for them individually, well, then, hell yeah.

versusreality

06-18-2021, 04:33 AM

I think you could get them cheaper on a site like thriftbooks. But if you don't wanna hunt around for them individually, well, then, hell yeah.

Yeah, I kinda wanna just get them in one shot. They average out to about $8 a piece and look to be in pretty damn fine condition too! Plus, I'd pay more for shipping if I bought individually.

Pulling the trigger on this later this morning, very excited...thanks!!

elevenism

06-18-2021, 09:35 AM

Yeah, I kinda wanna just get them in one shot. They average out to about $8 a piece and look to be in pretty damn fine condition too! Plus, I'd pay more for shipping if I bought individually.

Pulling the trigger on this later this morning, very excited...thanks!!

One thing that will blow your mind about the Dark Tower is how it connects SO many of the books: everything from Salem's Lot, to The Stand, to The Talisman, and It, connect to it.

The Dark Tower is kind of like the Stephen King Multiverse.

I really am SO happy for you. These worlds he creates... at best, it's like, they're VERY real.
When his books come out, I usually just read them straight through. I remember reading Under the Dome all night in bed with my then gf, using my cell phone as a light and not sleeping, even though I had to work in the morning, for a couple of nights. :p

versusreality

06-18-2021, 10:59 AM

Dude, it's such an awesome feeling to know I'm JUST starting out but am already hooked on all things SK. My girlfriend, who does NOT like horror (books or films) has heard me constantly talking about the books and she said "I'd actually like to read The Shining" .
Can't wait to loan it to her.
There's so many layers to that book...a haunted hotel, sure, but the constant inner battle of fighting addiction, the perspective of an abused child (who happens to be psychic) , a mother and wife fighting for her dignity...a family that truly loves each other falling apart over time...
See, I can go on and on, and go on much longer when blabbering to my gf :p I avoid all spoilers when talking to her though, including what I said above. I want her to be TOTALLY surprised. Especially because she hasn't seen the film (and has no intention to) .

Jinsai

06-18-2021, 11:34 AM

those are good versions too, with the illustrations. I don't understand why they ever published any of the Dark Tower without illustrations.

And yeah, The Shining is a good crossover recommendation for people who aren't into horror. It's just undeniably great, and not too intense really. The Shining is like King in PG-13 mode, but it's a masterpiece. By comparison, stuff like IT and Needful Things are super hard-R rated. My grandfather gave me a copy of Needful Things when I was 12... and clearly he did not read it. The first time I read that book I was wayyyyyyyy too young for it.

elevenism

06-18-2021, 11:43 AM

those are good versions too, with the illustrations. I don't understand why they ever published any of the Dark Tower without illustrations.

We've got some of those illustrations cut out and hanging on the inside of our bedroom door.

My wife is a fanatic, too. We actually call our marriage An-Tet, ( which refers to an intimate, honest and open bond in the ritual High Speech language of Mid World.)
We write An-Tet and put the symbols on anniversary cards and gifts and such.

We're kind of nerds.
@versusreality (https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=6336) I haven't read the shining in forever, but I can still "see" that fucking mask on the elevator floor. That stuck in my head forever. And that's what I mean about the worlds seeming real. I don't think that was in the movie, but I can SEE it, you know?

Jinsai

06-18-2021, 11:49 AM

I don't think the mask was in either of the film adaptations... I know it wasn't in the Kubrick one

elevenism

06-18-2021, 12:42 PM

I don't think the mask was in either of the film adaptations... I know it wasn't in the Kubrick oneThat mask still lives in my head.

versusreality

06-18-2021, 03:20 PM

elevenism

06-18-2021, 03:47 PM

Ohhh yes...that mask!! Etched into my head too!

While I was out today, my gf and I went to a local book store. I haven't purchased anything from there in quite some time and wanted to support them. Lo and behold, they had a pretty decent King selection! Picked up The Green Mile, not knowing ANYTHING about the movie except that people seem to like it. I just love the versatility in King's writing. He is NOT just the "horror guy" or whatever pigeonhole he gets put into.

One thing that I LOVED about the Greed Mile is that it was originally released in six parts, like a Dickensian thing. You read one sixth of it, and then waited like a month for the next sixth to come out.
And they were fairly cheap, being short paperbacks.
It was pretty damn cool. It was also FRUSTRATING, as I usually binge read books that aren't insanely complicated like Pynchon or Wallace.
But, it was awesome at the same time, looking forward to the next installment.

It's one of my favorite King books, and one of the only REALLY good film adaptations, btw.

On King not being just "the horror guy," that's absolutely true. I think that The Dark Tower has as much in common with Lord of the Rings as it does with traditional horror.

versusreality

06-19-2021, 06:00 AM

awesome!

I pre-ordered his new book coming out in August, Billy Summers. I'm really excited, as this of course will be my first time buying a King book at release!

I plan to read it when it comes out too.

300 pages into The Outsider. Loving it, and even though some say it's not his best, this one will always have a place in my heart as it's the 2nd King book I read...I know they made a TV show of it, which I haven't seen (I'll watch it after I'm done with the book) , but with this book, I am using my total imagination, no reference points so to speak like I had when I read The Shining. For that reason alone, it's special to me. After the Outsider, Salem's Lot and The Green Mile will be my July reads.

Sept: Pet Semetary
I'm saving It for the month of October (just seems to be the perfect book to read in the month of October).
The Stand for November (with a lot of days off from work in November, I may be able to knock it out in a month) .
December: The Skeleton Crew and Different Seasons (short stories/novella month for me)
January- The Dark Tower saga begins!

I'm going to constantly collect in the meantime. I love how I now have literally YEARS worth of reading material!!

Jinsai

06-19-2021, 09:47 AM

elevenism

06-19-2021, 02:49 PM

Green Mile is amazing, and it was really fun to read it the way it was originally released, in an episodic format that was supposed to be a tribute to Charles Dickens, in how Great Expectations (I think?) was released originally in segments in some newspaper.

People like it, and the movie... but this is one of those cases where the book is WAY better than the movie.
I adored the Dickensian release; I mentioned it above.

But, with that movie? I mean, man, they REALLY nailed it. It's hard to compare books and movies: it's apples and oranges. The book is almost ALWAYS "better than the movie."
But, can you name a better King adaptation?

Shawshank, MAYBE. But, that was a novella.

Oh, and I don't agree regarding Christine or Carrie. They're both great movies and great books, but I can't say the movies are BETTER.

versusreality

06-19-2021, 04:21 PM

elevenism

06-19-2021, 08:59 PM

Here's a hot take...I just finished watching Doctor Sleep. I obviously haven't read the book yet, but I actually enjoyed it more than The Shining film. It certainly made me want to read the book and see how (in particular, Act 3) many differences there are. I very much enjoyed the story line. Abra kicks ass!

That's a VERY hot take :p

BUT, I'll concede that Kubrick's Shining was VERY different from King's, while Doctor Sleep was relatively faithful.

versusreality

06-20-2021, 11:45 AM

Well, looks like I'll have a shot to read Doctor Sleep sooner than later. Just won a lot of Doctor Sleep (paperback) , and hardcovers of Cell, Needful Things, and Hearts in Atlantis for $20 total :)

And with Billy Hodges being mentioned so much as I'm reading The Outsider..I thought I heard that name before...so ended up using an amazon discount I had to buy the trilogy.

Ok, I'm DONE shopping for the summer. Thankfully, I live such a simple life that buying books isn't an issue, especially with great deals like that.
Now off to get a new bookshelf....

versusreality

08-05-2021, 05:41 PM

Ok so I lied with my last post (which felt like last week but was over a month ago...where does the time go.. ) I have still been collecting. Right now, I count only 8 books I don't own yet. I've also decided to go for a complete mid-late 90's signet "colored bottoms/spines" collection because they look great on the shelf (I know these aren't popular as many deem the cover art ugly, especially compared to older editions) . Oh, and that's the other thing, I've decided to get paperbacks only. Meaning, I own more than one copy of some books (one in hardcover, one in paperback ) ...and once I decided to go for that color collection, I already owned some other versions of the books there too, so I have two printings of some of the paperbacks as well. Again, thank goodness for super cheap lots on ebay or 0.99 finds.

Books I've read since my last post:
Salem's Lot- (loved this one! )
The Green Mile (made me cry multiple times...never experienced that while reading a book..such a good book )
Carrie (enjoyed the book more than the movie)
The Long Walk (this one fucked me up. so good. one of my favorites so far)
If It Bleeds (enjoyed this one. Holly is a favorite character )
Cell (really enjoyed this one!! )
Just After Sunset (I enjoyed some stories more than others, cool to read short stories for a change)

Currently reading: Billy Summers (70 pages in and LOVING it so far. very different from what we're "used" to so to speak)
I actually purchased Summers on my Kindle Paperwhite and...I forgot how much I love reading on this thing (haven't used it in a couple years) . Makes me wonder if I'll read some more of his books on it too.

Summers is a page turner, I am hooked. Can't wait to dig back into it later tonight.

currently watching: Mr. Mercedes. Up to season 3. Can't wait to read the trilogy.

elevenism

08-05-2021, 07:32 PM

So @versusreality (https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=6336) : big ups. I liked Just After Sunset, but I preferred Everything's Eventual and Nightmares and Dreamscapes. The only King "Collection" I didn't LOVE was Full Dark, No Stars, wherein it seemed like he wanted to prove that he could still write horrific, awful pieces, and...yeah, he could. It was especially rough. :p edit: I LIKED it, but, good GOD. Some of it approaches Hellbound Heart (Barker) territory.

Salem's Lot, believe it or not, is IMPERATIVE to fully appreciating the meta insanity of The Dark Tower, so it's good that you read that one! Trust me: you won't BELIEVE how it ties in to TDT.

In all honesty, I cried reading The Green Mile, too. And then, when the movie came out, I saw it by myself and cried again.

As for me, I read half of Later, (the new one he did for the little Hard Case Crime paperback imprint,) and I'm about to read the other half.
It's a detective story, but it ALSO references and is related to one of the GREAT sk classics. I won't spoil it for anyone. I'll just say that it's very exciting when a certain familiar phrase from early eighties King comes into play.

versusreality

08-05-2021, 07:55 PM

elevenism I'm really looking forward to reading Joyland & Later. Heck, I'm looking forward to reading everything I HAVEN'T read yet. It's cool that Salem's Lot is connected to TDT. I know I had a "to read" list a few posts back and I haven't exactly followed it, been choosing books at random, but I am still dedicating TDT to 2022 starting in January.

I'm grateful to have so much free time this summer. It's my first summer in 5 years where I haven't worked summer school or been in grad school. I spend hours a day reading, it's great. King has taken over my life this summer, and I love it!

Anyone else pick up Billy Summers yet? I haven't seen any horror related aspects of the book (perhaps yet? if at all? we'll see ) , but, that's perfectly fine with me. It's so well written and seems very concise. Perhaps this is what I have seen some youtubers "argue" about in videos or comments sections, that his new works don't "ramble" as much as his older stuff.
I am so invested in the character and well...ok, I won't say anything else.

elevenism

08-05-2021, 08:49 PM

@elevenism (https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=2475) I'm really looking forward to reading Joyland & Later. Heck, I'm looking forward to reading everything I HAVEN'T read yet. It's cool that Salem's Lot is connected to TDT. I know I had a "to read" list a few posts back and I haven't exactly followed it, been choosing books at random, but I am still dedicating TDT to 2022 starting in January.

I'm grateful to have so much free time this summer. It's my first summer in 5 years where I haven't worked summer school or been in grad school. I spend hours a day reading, it's great. King has taken over my life this summer, and I love it!

Anyone else pick up Billy Summers yet? I haven't seen any horror related aspects of the book (perhaps yet? if at all? we'll see ) , but, that's perfectly fine with me. It's so well written and seems very concise. Perhaps this is what I have seen some youtubers "argue" about in videos or comments sections, that his new works don't "ramble" as much as his older stuff.
I am so invested in the character and well...ok, I won't say anything else.

Salem's Lot isn't just SORT of connected to TDT. It's one of the MAIN connections. That's probably the most important tie-in, imho. I'd say Insomnia comes in at a fairly distant second place.

And, no, I've NOT picked up Billy Summers yet: I forgot it was out!

I'll grab the digital version here shortly!

chuckrh

08-06-2021, 03:45 AM

I picked up Billy Summers. Next up on the reading list.

Erneuert

09-21-2021, 08:29 AM

Happy birthday you sexy fucker! (Posting the same thing for The Fragile in the NIN section now).

Jinsai

09-21-2021, 08:41 AM

I missed this discussion earlier, but yeah… if there is one book that is directly tied to The Dark Tower it’s Salems’ Lot. I wouldn’t say it’s required reading before diving into TDT, but it’s the biggest tie-in by far. A lot of the other books (with the tower keyhole on them) have cameos or plot points that run alongside stuff, and the whole thing oozes suggestions to read deeper and find Easter eggs… but, to avoid spoiler territory, I’d just say that Salems’ Lot is the most vital part of the expanded universe narrative