How good is Stephen King as a writer?

[fungi from Yuggoth]

Originally Posted by cyborg_cinema

Admittedly, he disregards plot, rather structuring stories around situation. But his situations are engaging—the key to his success. He knows how to scare the pants off people. He is productive, setting a goal of 2000 words per day. He writes a lot of formula fiction, but The Stand is a science fiction classic.

Really? I've not found King to be particularly scary; creepy, yes, but the work that I've read (not a lot, admittedly) seemed flat, relying on stock Hollywood-style suspense. I suppose the fact that so many of his novels were adapted into films has something to do with that opinion of mine, yet there's something about his style that seems awfully tacky to me. His short stories seem a bit better - I recall a decent one about a finger that kept emerging from a sinkhole to terrorize the poor protagonist - but again, few pieces really grabbed me.

[knivesout]

Well, a lot of bestseller writing (Grisham, Crichton, etc) seems tacky to me at times, but King isn't quite as facile as most of them. I think he genuinely is a good writer, a great evocator of human contexts and emotions, but very bad at self-editing or censoring. He genuinely doesn't seem to know when he's written a book that is absolutely spot on, like Salem's Lot, or one that pushes it way too far, like The Tommyknockers. In his more recent work, I like his non-horrific novel, Hearts In Atlantis a lot. Ravenus recomended it very heartily to me, and I have to say that it very clearly established that, like the little girl in the nursery rhyme, when King is good he is very, very good.

Yes, his books are very American. Like Bradbury he seems to be a master at conjuring up the feel of American life, especially of childhood. I don't think we can fault an American writer for this. If King was only less prolific, we might be able to look at a more evenly good body of work. But King isn't that interested in literary acclaim - he really is a professional storyteller, and as such it's important for him to put out product with some regularity. What's amazing is that there really is so much of enduring merit and enjoyability in his huge output.

[Green]

I like the New England feel that saturates (most of) the books of his that I've read. He's very American in a good way, I feel.

I just don't like cowboys

[knivesout]

Heh, fair enough.

[cyborg_cinema]

Stephen King makes two points—why he "distrusts" plot:

I distrust plot for two reasons: first, because our lives are largely plotless, even when you add in all our reasonable precautions and careful planning; and second, because I believe plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren't compatible. ...my basic belief about making stories is that they pretty much make themselves.—Stephen King

[Leto]

read these holidays Everything's Eventual collection of short stories (horrific and not), and it reconciliated me with King's recent works although I wasn't able to finish one of his novels since Insomnia.
For me, Stephen King at his best is the written equivalent to the guy who's sitting beside the chimney or the fire camp and tell everyone stories : some are ghost ones, some are just every day tales, but you just can sit there and listen to him (or read to him). There's no flamboyant style effects (except in his Dark tower series which i don't like), but there's a fluid river of words which get you from the start to the end of his books. Unfortunatly, he can't follow the flow anymore in his novels and the last ones are either insipid or too clumpsy to be read.

[Boaz]

I can't read the overtly scary stuff. I don't go to horror movies, when I do see a horror flick I usually have my eyes covered most of the time! I can't even watch the previews of horror movies! So my reading of King has been limited.

My first foray into his work was Eyes of the Dragon. Spoiler: I was reading the part where the evil wizard was racing up the steps to the top of the tower to murder the prince when I realized that I was all alone in the house at 2 a.m. and I was on the third floor... well, the similarities between my position and the prince's scared me spitless... so I locked the door and left the lights on until morning.

The Green Mile and Hearts in Atlantis were very well done in my opinion. The characters leapt off the pages. I was completely immersed in the stories. King deals with some themes of the divine, good vs. evil, hope, redemption, and coping with tragedy. Finally, the idea that the low men gave Bobby an itch behind his eyes was completely freaky.

Different Seasons was hit and miss. The screen adaptations of The Body and Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption were even better than King's originals.

[Green]

@cyborg (actually, @King )... I see his points, but I'd say to the first that a story with no plot usually ends up being a boring, self-indulgent waste of time (usually, I say, usually).

To the second, well I've read something that he's written before that said he never starts a piece of work until he knows exactly where he's going with it. So he's kind of contradicted himself there.

[cyborg_cinema]

Originally Posted by Green

@cyborg (actually, @King )...

...taking pock shots at my literary mentor.

[Maddy]

Well first I must say to each his own. I have outgrown Orson Scott Card, of which I read the Ender series and 7th Son, and Pastwatch.

King is one you love or hate and I think that goes for individual books too. I tried to read the Gunslinger series several years back and trudged through the first book and got a chapter into The Drawing of the Three and got sick of the story. Doors appearing at random on a beach ARGH! I picked the book up again a few months back and by the time I got halfway through the 2nd book I couldnt believe I ever put it down. If anyone out there hasn't read this series and likes fantasy I recommend you start with the 4th book. I think it is the best, unless book 7 is a phenomenon, and doesn't hurt the story to start with it, considering it shows you Roland, the Gunslinger's past.

Ive read The Stand, Storm of the Century, Green Mile, Dream Catcher, The Talisman, The girl who loved Tom Gordon, and now most of the Dark Tower series. The girl who loved tom gordon was the least interesting but Dream Catcher I enjoyed. Don't waste your time with the movie! That was a big steaming pile!

I think that those of you who like King might agree that if you give the man 50 pages you wont regret it. I know some of you have said that you can't get past the 2nd page but if you dont you have not given the man enough of your time, in my opinion.

Those of you who didnt like The Stand have me flabbergasted! I am shocked because i thoroughly enjoyed it. I guess it does start a little slow but once it gets going I thought it was great!

Hope those of you who don't care for King will give him 50 pages to grab you. If he isn't your man then I guess he is just not someone you will enjoy. I wonder who you do like though...Dan Brown? Mr. 2-3 days of miraculous discoveries!

[weaveworld]

Originally Posted by Lament Du Lamia

Yes, the Stand is what it was called. Though - i lied. I liked ... the title is Eyes of the Dragon, or in the Eyes of the Dragon. something along those lines - its been a while. the point is it is one i liked.

Right first time, it was 'eyes of the dragon', what a great book, I really enjoyed it and the whole story idea.

[wildbill333]

I think stephen king is an awsome writer. I really liked dream catcher . anyone out there agree with me?

[genisis2]

Originally Posted by wildbill333

I think stephen king is an awsome writer. I really liked dream catcher . anyone out there agree with me?

I agree SK is a good writer and there are many novels of his that Ive enjoyed sooooooo
dont hate me on this for disagreeing but I thought that was one of his worst stories along with a Buick 8. Just an opinion.

[Prefx]

I think Stephen King is one of the best "in-your-face" authors out there. No, he does not use language like Peake did, but that's the whole perspective of his books. His books aren't meant to be fashioned with similies and metaphors and beautiful figurative language, the few exceptions coming from his Dark Tower Series.

I'm surprised nobody (or at least, by my quick glance) has mentioned The Dead Zone. His play on characters, namely Johnny, Sarah, and Gregory was well done.

I loved The Dark Tower for its unique take on an epic. As you read in one of his introductions, King was influenced by Tolkien just like a lot of us are/were. He wanted to make his own epic, his own grand stage. However, he didn't want to rewrite Tolkien. I can't say that there hasn't been another great epic done in a western and contemporary and industrial backdrop, but I sure as heck haven't found one.

The Green Mile was a touching story. The movie brought me to tears, and the book came dang close. The Shining was good, as was It and Hearts in Atlantis.

I think you have to have a certain taste for simple prose, in-your-face-plots (though the Dark Tower Series is an exception to that, and pleasantly so), scratches of symbolism (Blood in Carry, such as when she reaches her first period), and realistic characterization. After all, some people are turned off by Peake. My father is a fantasy-devour, and a James Patterson fan (to give you an idea as to what prose he prefers), yet when I gave him the Gormenghast novels, he handed them back the following day and said his quits.

It all depends on what you like.

[argenianpoet]

In my opinion, Stephen King is one of the best writers in the world, because his voice is so familiar, and the text reads with poetic ease. In fact, I learned to write from this man; so I have a lot to thank him for in the sense of layout and style. However, I had to put his books down several years ago; ever since he came out with Rose Madder, because people said that my writing sounded like him, and I didn't want that--I wanted my own voice. And since I have kept track with his themes, but not read his books, although I have been tempted here lately, especially since he published The Cell. I must say that The Cell is very similar to my stories and that is scary considering we are dipping out of the same well I haven't been reading his books. All in all, he's the best in my opinion, but that's just my opinion.