Crimsonbob
Super Freak
Salem's Lot is my fav but i love em all tbh.
Favorite Stephen King?
- Thread starter Darklord Dave
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Kibishii
Super Freak
I have only read The Stand, Running Man, and the first of the Dark Tower.
Running Man- meh
Gunslinger- VERY overrated (I didn't finish the book)
The Stand- scared the hell out of me...
Running Man- meh
Gunslinger- VERY overrated (I didn't finish the book)
The Stand- scared the hell out of me...
Dark Passenger
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It isn't typical a typical King book. I enjoyed the first four books in the Dark Tower Series. Then the damn thing just gets too weird.
Agent0028
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I've never read anything by King. I'm intrigued, but I'm a huge chicken____. The Dark Tower appeals most to me, but I know it ties in alot of his other books, so I feel like I should read more of his work to get the full enjoyment of it. Of course reading it and not getting the full picture is probably better than not at all which is where I pretty much stand now. 
**16k**
Super Freak
Love them all, but The Stand and It are probably my favorite ones!
devilof76
Super Freak
Reading It was a definitive point in my childhood. The town I grew up in bears a disturbing resemblance to Derry.
If you read Salem's Lot, The Talisman, Black House, It and The Stand, I think you'd have all you need. Those books would be a better place to start than The Dark Tower, and they'd amplify the experience ten fold once you got to it.
I've never read anything by King. I'm intrigued, but I'm a huge chicken____. The Dark Tower appeals most to me, but I know it ties in alot of his other books, so I feel like I should read more of his work to get the full enjoyment of it. Of course reading it and not getting the full picture is probably better than not at all which is where I pretty much stand now.
If you read Salem's Lot, The Talisman, Black House, It and The Stand, I think you'd have all you need. Those books would be a better place to start than The Dark Tower, and they'd amplify the experience ten fold once you got to it.
ProgMatinee
circlesendwheretheybegin
IMO King is overrated. Much like George Lucas, his ideas can often be better than the execution. The Stand, It and Needful Things are my favorites from him, but some of the actual literature is base, simplistic, obvious, boring, extremely trite, juvenile, and frankly not that well written.
Haven't even had as much as an itch to read any of his novels since I was a sophomore in high school.
That said, I would welcome a well executed IT or The Stand feature film.
Funnily, despite my knowing how bad his writing is, I admit the stories had a lot of impact on me. Of course I was 12-15 when I read them all, anything would have had the same impact, probably.
I honestly would feel bad for anyone over say 18 who read his books and found them to be very good.
Haven't even had as much as an itch to read any of his novels since I was a sophomore in high school.
That said, I would welcome a well executed IT or The Stand feature film.
Funnily, despite my knowing how bad his writing is, I admit the stories had a lot of impact on me. Of course I was 12-15 when I read them all, anything would have had the same impact, probably.
I honestly would feel bad for anyone over say 18 who read his books and found them to be very good.
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Agent0028
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Sometimes people only need a book to entertain them to consider it very good. Not everyone reads books for literary value.
Thanks for the book recommendations, Devil. I'll check those out...once I can go a few nights without sleep if need be.
Thanks for the book recommendations, Devil. I'll check those out...once I can go a few nights without sleep if need be.
ProgMatinee
circlesendwheretheybegin
By contrast someone like JK Rowling can write books for children but adults of any reading level could be completely enthralled and actually enriched via the high quality narrative and ease of literature without being stagnate, redundant, or dull.
Just the way she would describe a character's appearance vs the way King would is completely night and day.
Just the way she would describe a character's appearance vs the way King would is completely night and day.
Darth Cruel
Super Freak
Of the very few people whose autographs I would like to have...Stephen King is at the top of the list. A signed copy of a first printing of "The Stand" would be my treasure from his work.
I am not certain that I could pick a story that I find to be best between "It", "The Stand", and "The Shining". But just the same, I would take "The Stand" as my favorite. But only because it is the longest of those stories and if I were trapped and had to chose one of them to keep me company, it would be the longest one.
I am not certain that I could pick a story that I find to be best between "It", "The Stand", and "The Shining". But just the same, I would take "The Stand" as my favorite. But only because it is the longest of those stories and if I were trapped and had to chose one of them to keep me company, it would be the longest one.
devilof76
Super Freak
He's definitely a paperback writer. It's pulp, but it's great as that. Rowling bores me to tears, so if her style is superior, it's not worth a whole lot to me. King's early stuff like Salem's Lot, The Dead Zone, Cujo, the Bachman Books, were all written with intense atmosphere that few modern writers have matched.
Dark Passenger
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Can't forget Insomnia. Huge part in the Dark Tower series.
devilof76
Super Freak
I never read it. I'll keep it in mind for when I re-read the first six books. It's been so long that I don't want to finish the seventh without a complete refresher.
Jen
KurJen - Kurgan Mod
I read a ton of King throughout junior high and high school. Every year for Christmas my dad would get me his latest book. I stopped reading around the time Bag of Bones came out...I think that was the last one I read. Haven't kept up with anything after that.
As far as favorites go....there are many good ones...It would be near the top as would The Stand. I really liked Misery as well as Cujo. That one was so much better than the movie and I think I liked it because the book gave you the dog's perspective and the confusion he had after he became rapid. The Shining is another great one.... I don't think I can pick just one.
As far as favorites go....there are many good ones...It would be near the top as would The Stand. I really liked Misery as well as Cujo. That one was so much better than the movie and I think I liked it because the book gave you the dog's perspective and the confusion he had after he became rapid. The Shining is another great one.... I don't think I can pick just one.
devilof76
Super Freak
I tried reading Cujo when I was 8. My mom took it away from me when I started repeating language that should have stayed in the book. 
Here's a list of his work relevant to The Dark Tower. I still stand by my list as the most significant ones. Everything else seems pretty tangential (though Insomnia seems like it's major).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King_works_related_to_The_Dark_Tower_series
Here's a list of his work relevant to The Dark Tower. I still stand by my list as the most significant ones. Everything else seems pretty tangential (though Insomnia seems like it's major).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King_works_related_to_The_Dark_Tower_series
galactiboy
OT Preferist
Same here, to me the Stand is just about as good as it gets. I've read it a few times and loved the unabridged version.
Eyes of the Dragon is up there as it was the first King book (and really novel) I ever read.
Glad I was able to help with that, even though it turned into a bit of a cluster ____
Well I disagree pretty strongly here. I've read a lot in my days--from works of philosophy, poetry, literature, and academia that experts consider to be classics, to childrens' books that I read to my daughter and comic books from the 1960s (which were aimed at a young audience), and whatever's in-between. I never really read much King at all until a few years ago. Since doing so, I've been quite surprised at how good the writing actually is, as I had assumed that he would be sub-par until I actually gave him a shot. To each their own, but I think that King's stories are quite good because his writing is so good. Sometimes the apparent simplicity is deceptive, as there is more going on under the surface. Of course, you could list more "sophisticated" fare, that more explicitly tackles complex subjects. But that doesn't mean that King's writing isn't sophisticated, smart, and well done. He just doesn't show off. Some of his work is better than others, and he's had down periods such as the latter Dark Tower books, but I think he's a modern American master.
Think of the analogy of those self indulgent, overrated progressive rockers to. . .oh, wait. Nevermind
turtlesforever
Super Freak
I have to go with IT as number 1. I just bought the audiobook in itunes and is 40 plus hours. second time thoroug it. what a story! then I would have to say The mist, salems lot
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