let's have another stephen king thread...

[petitfiloser]

he's the greatest

I just CBA with Under The Dome. Some gratuitously unpleasant and gory stuff at the beginning, and too many characters for me to engage with. I don't mind a bit of gore, but it came too early and felt overdone. I lost interest and gave up after about 150 pages.

Did enjoy the 1963 one, though. I like SK best when he's not too weird (eg Green Mile), and think he's often at his best in the short story/novella genre. Loved the DT series although I wasn't expecting to, not being much into 'fantasy', but it was ... different.

There are a couple of SKs on my shelves that I haven't read. Black House and Eyes Of The Dragon. Charity shop buys.

I love Stephen King, and have read almost all his books!

I like when he writes about authors- like in "The Dark Half" and "misery"- always wonder if he's imagined these things happening to him. His mind must be a seriously strange place.

A couple of my favourites haven't been mentioned- Needful Things and Desperation. Actually, desperation wasn't the best story, but that cop at the start really set the hairs on the back of my neck going!

The Stand was awesome, but the mental images of people dead in their cars in the tunnels always comes back to me whenever there is a new swine-flu/ bird-flu scare, and I live in terror of "The Plague"- it all just seems too possible

I think Needful Things is one of the very worst things he has ever written - that and Dreamcatcher.

I agree with Remus re Needful Things & Dreamcatcher, also never really liked Gerald's Game or Cujo.

Loved Firestarter, Eyes of the Dragon, The Stand, Green Mile and some of his short story collections. Recently reread The Long Walk, Thinner is also good but one that doesn't seem to get mentioned very often.

Am very of anyone starting the Dark Tower series but have yet to read the latest one. I think it was Remus who said to start the 2nd one even if you don't get into the first and again I agree (not sucking up, promise ). There was a huge amount of time between him writing the first & second, and the difference is noticeable.

Actually, just thinking, I love loads more than I've listed, probably too many to mention

Does any one rate Thinner? I quite enjoyed the movie of that and might add it to my to-read list. Thoroughly enjoying The Green Mile at the minute!

The Stand is my favourite and agree with however said up thread that the Cell is just a reworking of the Stand. Didn't enjoy Cell at all. I have just finished reading 63 which I really liked.
I was very sad when I finished reading the Dark Tower series and am looking forward to reading his new one. I agree that the dark Tower is amazing, so many twists and turns. Sad because it had finished not becauseI didn't like i the ending was very surprising.
Hearts in Atlantis is also one of my favs as is the Green Mile
Does anyone know if the Dark Tower is still being made for TV? I am a little bit in love with Roland and would love to see him being played by Johnny Depp

hmm ok I will have to give the Dark Tower a go since so many people rate it.

juneybean Yes I quite liked Thinner. It's kind of similar to that short story where the guy quits smoking... I forget which book that's in.

Just finished the Long Walk and liked it, on to Roadwork now. Am not getting anything else done this BH weekend!!

OK, so I'm the only one who likes - I mean really likes - Duma Key then?

yep
I think that was very soon after his accident, and I think you can really tell

I liked Duma Key more than Lisey's Story, but still not up to his usual standard.

HermionE, I think the one where the guy quits smoking is in Nightmares & Dreamscapes. That's probably my favourite collection of his short stories

You see, that's what I like about Duma Key - the depiction of someone recovering from traumatic brain injury. He doesn't gloss over it, and it's a topic worth writing about (can you tell I've worked in the field for too long? I'm in mental health research).

I really like the way he writes about art too, and the ghosts are just plain scary. I didn't like Lisey's story first time round, but really liked it on a second reading.

Other favourites of mine are Bag of Bones, Insomnia, Under the Dome. I also liked 11.22.63.

And am I also the only one who likes the Dead Zone? And Firestarter?

I love his early stuff like Firestarter and Dead Zone too. Love Bag Of Bones, Insomnia and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Black House, Eye of the Dragon
Hell, I like them all

That bit with the tin opener in 'Lisey's Story' still haunts me. Ugh.

I think 'The Long Walk' is the only one of his I have never re-read - must track down a copy.

Nooooooooooooo to Johnny Depp as Roland. Much as I adore him as Captain Jack (can take or leave him in anything else) he is far too trite. Whoever plays Roland needs to spare and edgy and lean and a bit ravaged looking.

This is my current favourite Roland-look. I may have over-thought it all a bit though.

I agree with you, Remus - no to Johnny Depp as Roland. Can't think of any current known actor who could do him, though...

Actually I'm thinking no to filming the Dark Tower at all, I want to keep it all in my head.

Are the Dark Tower books an awful lot like The Talisman? I know there is a bit of cross over there. I only ask because I don't really like fantasy and have never managed to get more than halfway through the Talisman before losing the will to live.

No, they are not really like The Talisman.

Another potential Roland? But I think no, actually. He's too fixed in my head as Aragorn and he's a bit too clean cut.

Sean Beam :o

Hated Rose Madder and Insomnia, should prob give Firestarter another go.

Loved Salem's Lot, Misery, and The Green Mile is one of my favourite books of all time.

Lisey's Story and Cell okay. Loved Different Seasons with the short stories.

I found Rose Madder very disturbing because of the DV component - my DH could not finish it for that reason. King clearly has strong feelings about some things, women's rights being one of them, and he doesn't hold back when writing about them.

I love Stephen King, especially love it when he links different charge terms. I've just finished reading Rose Madder and started reading The Regulators, got so excited when I recognised Cynthia (one of the charecters from Rose Madder) in the new book, it's like seeing an old friend

I loved RM and Regulators is good so gar though I am only about 50 pages in.

I started the Dark Tower but gave up on it as I'm not a huge fan of Sci fi I prefer a good horror.

Agree that Stand is his best but I loved Dark Half too. which other writers do you like? Dean Koontz is another of my favourites, especially Intensity I could not put that book down and remember walking to the train station reading the last 20 pages or so on the way good job I cAnt drive

especially when he links different charecters not "change terms" stupid iPhone

Another SK fan here. The Stand is still my absolute favourite. I've just gone back to the older books for the first time in many years, and I'd forgotten how good they are. Started with the Shining, Dead Zone, Salems Lot and now I'm halfway through Firestarter (tho not quite so keen on this one).

I felt he lost his way a bit with Gerald's Game, Liseys Story, Rose Madder and Dolores Claibourne, but I did enjoy Hearts in Atlantis and the Regulators , which I read back to back.

Under the Dome and Full Dark No Stars feel like a return to the older stuff, tho there is a telling difference between the pre- and post-accident works :(.

oooh. not read Under the Dome, as had become so disillusioned with everything after the last Dark Tower novel.

I find myself going back to Eyes of the Dragon and The Talisman most often.

I do love his recurring characters and the way he dips in and out of various parallel universes.

On Writing gave me one of the best reading lists/introductions to writers ever, including Ray Bradbury, and King's short stories are truly great.

Might wander back over for a bit of the Dome.