Do you think that Stephen King is a good writer?

[dave]

The Stand was very entertaining. I liked 11/22/63. Stephen King needs to channel his inner-John Grisham though and tighten up his editing. Not every song on the album has to be 11 minutes long. You're writing popcorn novels, remember that.

[SethMode]

The Stand was very entertaining. I liked 11/22/63. Stephen King needs to channel his inner-John Grisham though and tighten up his editing. Not every song on the album has to be 11 minutes long. You're writing popcorn novels, remember that.

I dislike that notion. While I agree that at times King can be a bit verbose, I think that he writes much more than "popcorn novels".

Dave being Dave.

[mgoblue2290]

Eh, I think a lot of writers have said "fuck conventional rules" and a lot of them have been lambasted for it (I would consider King to be one of them in a lot of ways).

Thats the point though. Its a risk and obviously Hemingway's style resonated very well with readers then and now. I can understand why some don't like him though.

[SethMode]

Thats the point though. Its a risk and obviously Hemingway's style resonated very well with readers then and now. I can understand why some don't like him though.

Fair point, and didn't mean to say otherwise, I just didn't find his stories very interesting (although I will agree his style is much more "readable" than many other "literary authors"). Although, I think a lot more people claim to have read Hemingway than have actually read him (I'd argue the same amount of people claim to read literary fiction).

[JayDizzle]

I've read portions of a work a while back, mostly short stories/collections (Night Shift, Four Past Midnight, Different Seasons, Skeleton Crew to name a few) and The Dark Tower series up through The Drawing of the Three.

I also learned a valuable lesson in what not to do when sharing King's work to an Oratory Class during a semester.

"Survivor Type" is not for the squeamish as I saw when somebody puked mid-way.

But to answer the thread's question, I do think he's a good writer in that he writes what I'd like to read and it helps that others dig his stuff too enough to make movies and TV adaptations out of his work.

It's why I appreciate Maximum Overdrive when it was originally Trucks.

[mgoblue2290]

Sort of off topic, but can some of you just read a bunch of books by the same author? I don't mean a continuing series like with George Martin, but separate books by one guy.

[wingsfan77]

I just finished reading the first book in the "Dark Tower" series and I enjoyed it even though it was kind of confusing because there wasn't much backstory to explain what was going on and the characters. Apparently it gets better so I'm gonna read the second book sometime soon.

[SethMode]

Sort of off topic, but can some of you just read a bunch of books by the same author? I don't mean a continuing series like with George Martin, but separate books by one guy.

Do you mean will I or have I? Not trying to sound like a dick, just clarifying. I assume you meant the former, and I've read a fair amount of King, a good amount of Palahniuk and other than classic authors I think that that's it. Those are probably the only two popular guys that I keep coming back to (I honestly do like how King ties his universes together, particularly in 11/22/63).

[mgoblue2290]

I meant when people will just knock out Tom Clancy book after book, or King, Koontz, etc. I can't do that, I have to mix up the types of books I read.

[SethMode]

I meant when people will just knock out Tom Clancy book after book, or King, Koontz, etc. I can't do that, I have to mix up the types of books I read.

Ah, there I definitely agree with you. I even have to mix it up when you are talking a series like GRRM's.

[dave]

I dislike that notion. While I agree that at times King can be a bit verbose, I think that he writes much more than "popcorn novels".

Dave being Dave.

Not Dave being Dave.

Be honest, the Sandman thing took more pages than it needed to take in The Stand.

I like Stephen King. Prefer his non-horror books, but I like him.

I just don't think most books need to be 1,100 pages. You can write tighter, IMO.

11/22/63 could have been edited way tighter ... and I felt how he handled the main dude going back to today could have been handled better. That's just me.

[Atom1]

The Stand is one of my favorite books.

The Stand is a great story. If you like it, I think you
also might like Robert McCammon's "Swan Song"

[Houston]

I meant when people will just knock out Tom Clancy book after book, or King, Koontz, etc. I can't do that, I have to mix up the types of books I read.

Animal Farm was my favorite book in high school, and not too long ago I read 1984 which I loved. So I figured ok, might as well continue with George Orwell.

I'll be the guy who tries to fool people in thinking I know alot about books just because I've read every one by a particular author.

[riley420]

Not Dave being Dave.

Be honest, the Sandman thing took more pages than it needed to take in The Stand.

I like Stephen King. Prefer his non-horror books, but I like him.

I just don't think most books need to be 1,100 pages. You can write tighter, IMO.

11/22/63 could have been edited way tighter ... and I felt how he handled the main dude going back to today could have been handled better. That's just me.

When I first read The Stand in 7th grade, it was a very, very edited version. Like half of what the book is now. They re-released The Stand in the early 90's to it's current length. There was some really good stuff that was cut, but also some not so good.

That said, King is my favorite author, and has been ever since I picked up Skeleton Crew when I was 10. The Jaunt was my favorite, but The Mist made me hunger for more. The Mist is King at his best....and worst. He has a large problem finishing stories....

For example: Cell, Under the Dome, The Long Walk, The Stand, and of course The Dark Tower.

I have read each of the Dark Towers at least twice. I've read the first four over a dozen times. I almost cried when I had heard he almost died, simply for the fact that I may never reach the end of such an amazing journey. Do yourself a favor. Don't read the epilogue. It completely ruined a 25 year journey for me....so disappointing.

[dave]

Is Under the Dome good? I might read that.