Under the Dome

[HoopyFrood]

As is getting to be a habit, I can announce yet another new King book. This is very early news, though, as I think King is still in the process of writing (although a first draft has been completed, going by the information given) and probably won't be published until 2009 or 2010. But I'm so on the ball when it comes to King that I can bring news of it already

Apparently it is something that he's worked on before but didn't complete, as described in the article below. Hell, I won't go on about it, as all the (admittedly spare) information can be seen below.

And as always, it's great to see that he's still writing away!

Under the Dome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Under the Dome is a novel currently being written by Stephen King. It is a rewrite of a novel King attempted writing twice in the 1980s, under the titles "The Cannibals" and "Under the Dome". As King stated on his official site, these two unfinished works "were two very different attempts to utilize the same idea, which concerns itself with how people behave when they are cut off from the society they've always belonged to. Also, my memory of "The Cannibals" is that it, like "Needful Things", was a kind of social comedy. The new Under the Dome is played dead straight." King read from his new first draft at "The Three Kings" reading event that was held on April 4th, 2008 at the Library of Congress, which was broadcast by C-SPAN as part of their Book TV series on May 4th, 2008. King described the novel as "very, very long," saying "I tried [writing] this once before when I was a lot younger, and the project was just too big for me."

[biodroid]

Is this about cannibals? Sounds quite interesting, still got to read It and want to try out Duma Key. Hoopy - Is Duma Key any good? It looks interesting, I did not like Lisey's Story.

[HoopyFrood]

You didn't like Lisey's Story? Can I ask: did you manage to finish it all? Because it seems to be the trend (myself included) that the first fifty pages or so turn people away. I stopped reading for a while, but then the second time I finished the entire book and I thought it a very good, very moving book. But it is unlike other King books, I know; almost entirely character-based, with the usual supernatural or human-made horror taking a back seat for the time being.

Duma Key -- hmm, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. There were some very good moments in it, and the whole deal with Edgar's arm, especially in the first half of the book, was particularly eerie. But I think I had a problem with the supernatural threat in the book, for some reason; it just wasn't as memorable and horrifyingly appealing like his other ghosts and beasties. Anyway, I think whatever I have against this book is my own personal opinion and I certainly know that others have really enjoyed it; and as I say, there are definitely some very good parts.

IT, I definitely recommend reading, a fine book, indeed!

[Lenny]

Sounds like it could end up being a very interesting book.

One of the things I liked about The Stand was the survivors reacted to life on their own, or a life different to what they were used to - the description of Under the Dome makes me think that it'll be similar. I might look out for it, if I remember.

[biodroid]

I had about 200 pages left in Liseys Story Hoopy, it was just not doing it for me, there was nothing cohesive about the plot, all I remember is that whatever happened to her husband when he did his "trips" is that it was mentioned too late in the book, by then I already lost interest. I will probably pick it up at a seconhand shop and try it again.

[HoopyFrood]

Concerning the above comment -- a few months too late, but I'll say something anyway. I don't think the important thing about the novel is what happens when Scott goes to Boo'ya Moon. These parts are weird, and seeing as it is a King novel it's this kind of stuff we're looking for, but really I think the novel has its focus much more on the marriage of Scott and Lisey, and more the horrors of how a couple can deal with such things, and the trauma of loss and grief, rather than the horrifying things themselves.
Did you get to the part with...oh, blimey, what's his name. It's been too long. The crazy dude who's practically stalking Lisey. He is one messed up guy.


Anyway, the reason why I'm here. If anyone's following this kind of stuff (there's a few ardent Constant Readers out there, I think...) the synopsis to this story has been released on the official King website. It can be found he-ah: StephenKing.com - Recent News

Oh, and publication seems to be around November this year.

[biodroid]

Ooooohhhh, I am liking the synopsis!!! Can't wait for this one to come out

[BookStop]

That does sound pretty interesting. I like it when King's stories are horrific and this situation could lead to some quite disturbing horror.

hoopy - I think I am one of those textbbooks readers that only got 50 pages in. I still own the book so someday I'llpickit up for another try I'm sure. I thought Duma Key was alright. I'd class it as eerie perhaps, definitely strange, but not horror at all, so I too am conflicted about how I feel. It wasn't a bad story, not at all, just not compelling to me I guess.

[HoopyFrood]

Yeah, as I confessed above, it took me two tries to actually get into it. I felt it was worth persevering with, though. I guess it's just unlike other King's books, and does a lot of backtracking, which might be a little wearisome at times. But a very emotive book, that's for sure.

I also confess I haven't finished Duma Key yet (shock!) Really need to get back to it. There was something about it that wasn't engaging me like others...I think it was a lack of a tangible antagonist. The paintings were weird, and the thing about his missing arm was very strange (very eerie, like you say, Bookstop) but when it started to get to the Perse bit, I was losing interest. It seemed a little all over the place, with the old woman, the paintings, the missing arm, the weird creatures that appeared in his house and tried to drag him away etc.

I think it's more out of habit that King gets classed as Horror, but I know there are people that would class his stuff more as science fiction or fantasy (The Dark Tower is definitely more fantasy, and then there's things like Tommyknockers and From a Buick 8 which could be seen as Science Fiction). It's probably better to ignore genres sometimes and just go with how one personally feels about it!

I agree that Under the Dom sounds interesting. The idea of a dome literally coming down and cutting off an area sounds cool. And there would definitely be links to Needful Things in this case; I can see that things would be fraught, tension and paranoia building in such a situation.

[AE35Unit]

I just read about this on the Horror forum. Sounds like the Simpsons movie
Or actually like The Veils of Azloroc by Fred Saberhagen

[HoopyFrood]

Seeing as this is apparently something that King's been tinkering with since the '80s, I think The Simpsons probably stole his idea. The fiends.