Getting away from Politics... Best Stephen King books

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

Stephen King, while not a literary master, is undoubtedly one of the best crafters of fascinating fiction in the past hundred years. Even though he often repeats himself (writers as main characters, people being attacked by automobiles, father/son relationships, the dichotomy between childlike innocence and adult sin, etc), his stories never fail to keep me reading. Although he's certainly not a Don DeLillo or Kurt Vonnegut or John Updike, I think that he has nevertheless carved himself a piece in literary history (he is, after all, the best selling novelist ever).

So now, my favorite Stephen King books/stories

10) Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
9) Pet Sematary
8) The Langoliers
7) IT
6) The Mist
5) The Raft
4) The Shining
3) On Writing
2) The Dead Zone
1) The Stand

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-12-2003, 08:53 AM

1. The Stand
2. The Dark Tower Series
3. Rage
4. IT
5. Christine
6. The Dead Zone
7. The Shining
8. The Langoliers
9. The Long Walk
10. Carrie

mike_the_man · 03-12-2003, 12:17 PM

1) The Talisman (with Peter Straub)
2) The Stand
3) Skeleton Crew
4) It
5) Dark Tower series
6) The Tommyknockers
7) Pet Cemetary
8) Salem's Lot
9) The Shining
10)Needful Things

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

NOT FAIR LISTING SKELETON CREW AS ONE STORY!

I have two of the novellas from SKELETON CREW on my list

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-12-2003, 03:41 PM

I agree. I could have listed "The Bachman Books" as well as Rage and the Long Walk are from it.

dd74 · 03-12-2003, 03:54 PM

I admire anyone who's gotten through a Stephen King novel. He is a writer with incredible prowess and depth, yet the stories for some reason take so long for me to get into, I'm ashamed to say, I abandon them.

Currently, I'm reading "The Mezzanine" by Nicholson Baker. I'll tell you: after this book, one will never look at an escalator ride inside an office building the same again.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-12-2003, 03:57 PM

I've read nearly every book Sk has written. Get down on your knees and bow before me in admiration, lol.

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

"I admire anyone who's gotten through a Stephen King novel. He is a writer with incredible prowess and depth, yet the stories for some reason take so long for me to get into, I'm ashamed to say, I abandon them. "

Are you kidding? Whenever I pick up a Steven King book, I am almost immediately engrossed into the story. I finished THE DEAD ZONE about a week ago (i wanted to see what all the hoopla was about, with the new TV show), and it was one of the quickest-paced, easiest-reading books I have ever read. Ditto for THE STAND: 1300 pages that only took me a week to read... when I was 12! I read LORD OF THE RINGS for the first time about 2 years ago, and it took me a good month or so (granted, LOTR's font is much, much smaller than that of THE STAND; you could probably fit 2 pages of THE STAND onto one page of LOTR). The shorter books, like SALEMS LOT and CARRIE, grab you from the first page, and you're halfway through the book before you even know it.

If you find Steven King difficult to get into, what do you find easy?

Not poking fun, just curious.

Hockey fan · 03-12-2003, 09:21 PM

A few of my favorites:

The Stand
The Long Walk
The Ledge
The Talisman
Dolan's Cadillac
Insomnia
Dark Tower II (you guys picked the series - cheaters!-)
The Library Policeman
It
The Body (Made into the movie "Stand By Me"

Jeff

dd74 · 03-12-2003, 09:59 PM

I almost wrote some of the novelists (and poets) I follow, but then I wouldn't want to burden anyone with a list I feel would be name dropping and showing off (just my feeling is all).

Nonetheless, I do respect King (highly), and anyone who finishes one of his books. To me, it's like higher-level mathematics: I was horribly ill-equipped at grasping it, and could never figure out why. As a consequence, I remain immensely jealous of anyone who can perform it easily. Thus, mathematicians are thinkers who I most admire. But then I also admire those who follow rules, which is what mathematics is comprised of.

How does this flow into King? A strong rule of literature (as I see it), is honoring the author-reader contract where once the book is opened, the book is read all the way through. Oddly enough, this is also a rule of thumb in Hollywood. Having read countless scripts for countless potential productions, and having also talked to many others who have done the same - from agents, producers, directors all the way to assistants, my experience is every page gets read.

Like I said, this should be a literary rule, but in cases of style and theme, may not always be followed. Yes, the contract is broken (as I have with Mr. King), and I do admit my guilt in this. But I'm holding out hope to really give Mr. King my all very soon.

Bill Douglas · 03-13-2003, 12:02 AM

Oh don't mention The Long Walk. I've only just stopped having nightmares 15 years later

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-13-2003, 07:59 AM

Bill,

You gotta admit, a movie off Long Walk would be AWESOME! I know it will never get made in this day and age due to subject matter, but i think Rage would make an excellent movie as well. For those not in the know, Rage is about a kid who brings a gun to school and totally snaps. SK has said in interviews that he wished he never wrote it, but it is one of his best.

I don't understand how anyone could NOT pick up one of his books and get easily hooked. For those of you out there who are not too impressed with him, go out and buy a copy of The Stand. You will not be able to put the book down. It's about the end of the world due to a deadly virus, and the aftermath of survivors choosing the sides of God or Satan for the final last stand. Scary, graphic, Fascinating.

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

Jared,
Even the snobbiest literary critics are starting to admit their admiration for King. Nobody ever claimed that he was on-par with today's literary darlings - the Pynchons, DeLillos, Wallaces, Wolfes, and Chabons of the world - but I have read many critics claiming that King is one of their favorite novelists just because he allows you to swich off your mind and enjoy the ride. Sure, you can do that with Grisham or Clancy or Chrichton (or Koontz, if you want to stay in-genre), but there's something DIFFERENT about King. Grisham and King are both literary 'fast food,' but King's stories are so marvelously structured, and his characters are so believable and likable and sympathetic (unlike Grisham's cardboard cutouts) that King is a cut above all the other mainstream best-seller garbage.

He is, in my opinion, the best horror writer since E.A. Poe... and will go down in history as such.

And if you couldn't tell, I strongly dislike John Grisham.

dd74 · 03-13-2003, 10:17 AM

Okay, CJ and Jared, you convinced me: I'll give King another try. I'll head to the bookstore tonight and see what's what. Is "Carrie" his earliest work? And forgive me, but what is his latest work?

BTW: saw a trailer for "Dreamcatchers" last night. Looks good.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-13-2003, 10:19 AM

The Stand, you will not want to put it down.

after that maybe Christine, appeals to the gearhead in all of us.

Hockey fan · 03-13-2003, 10:27 AM

I like Carrie ok, but agree with Jared that the Stand is a good start if you look past the sheer size of the book. Skeleton Crew or Graveyard Shift might also be good if you like short stories.

Jeff

dd74 · 03-13-2003, 10:35 AM

Yeah, I'd like to read some short stories by King, too. Any reccomendations?

Hockey fan · 03-13-2003, 10:54 AM

I think Skeleton Crew or Graveyard Shift are the way to go.

Jeff

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

If you are looking for a novel, i think that THE DEAD ZONE or THE SHINING are the ways to go... THE STAND is a bit long to be an introduction to King (it is his best work, however).

As far as short stories go, I would recommend SKELETON CREW. Many of the stories in there are superb, especially THE MIST and THE RAFT.

dd74 · 03-13-2003, 02:51 PM

Thanks a lot for the reccomendations, guys.

So when's my book report due?