Books Thread

[Cole Younger]

As a huge Stephen King fan, I am not sure how I skipped over the Dark Tower series... no spoilers, but there is some sort of continuation of "The Stand" going on... an amazing King tale!

Dang dude I'm not sure how you did that either. Lol.

To answer your question, yes, at least to an extent. Our old friend Randall Flag shows up as a central character and there are other more subtle parallels with The Stand. But also, be on the look out for a reappearance of a central character from 'Salem's Lot who plays a major role in this series. salem's lot ties with The Stand as my number one favorite King book. I've read it all the way through three times and gone back and read certain parts too many times to count. If you like that book you will get to catch up with one of the characters from it.

The Dark Tower series was a lot of fun. I won't ruin any of it for you but the quality drops off significantly at a certain point in my opinion and I just kept going because at that point I had so much time invested that I had to find out how it all played out.

If you enjoy this series, check out a King short stories collection entitled Everything's Eventual. There is a story in that book called The Little Sisters of Elluria. It's part of Roland's travels that is not included in any of the Dark Tower books and the best part is, there are no spoilers where the larger story is concerned.

[Zip City]

Insomnia is also directly tied into the Dark Tower Series.

Basically, a little bit of nearly every book is in there somewhere

[Flea]

As a huge Stephen King fan, I am not sure how I skipped over the Dark Tower series... no spoilers, but there is some sort of continuation of "The Stand" going on... an amazing King tale!

Dang dude I'm not sure how you did that either. Lol.

To answer your question, yes, at least to an extent. Our old friend Randall Flag shows up as a central character and there are other more subtle parallels with The Stand. But also, be on the look out for a reappearance of a central character from 'Salem's Lot who plays a major role in this series. salem's lot ties with The Stand as my number one favorite King book. I've read it all the way through three times and gone back and read certain parts too many times to count. If you like that book you will get to catch up with one of the characters from it.

The Dark Tower series was a lot of fun. I won't ruin any of it for you but the quality drops off significantly at a certain point in my opinion and I just kept going because at that point I had so much time invested that I had to find out how it all played out.

If you enjoy this series, check out a King short stories collection entitled Everything's Eventual. There is a story in that book called The Little Sisters of Elluria. It's part of Roland's travels that is not included in any of the Dark Tower books and the best part is, there are no spoilers where the larger story is concerned.

It would not be inappropriate to insert The Wind Through The Keyhole between Wizard & Glass and Wolves Of The Calla

[Smitty]

Big King fan here as well, and I haven't tackled the Dark Tower series yet.

Right now I'm alternating between Roadwork and Just After Sunset.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

It would not be inappropriate to insert The Wind Through The Keyhole between Wizard & Glass and Wolves Of The Calla

[phungi]

As a huge Stephen King fan, I am not sure how I skipped over the Dark Tower series... no spoilers, but there is some sort of continuation of "The Stand" going on... an amazing King tale!

Dang dude I'm not sure how you did that either. Lol.

By way of back-story, I had read Books 1-3, but King wrote in the preface to Book 4 that he took nearly 8 years to write it (91-97)... somehow, life got in the way...

It would not be inappropriate to insert The Wind Through The Keyhole between Wizard & Glass and Wolves Of The Calla

I am currently on Wolves of the Calla, and wonder if I should back-track to The Wind Through the Keyhole... there seems to be a drop-off from Wizard & Glass to Wolves Of The Calla

[Zip City]

I hated Wizard and Glass

[phungi]

I hated Wizard and Glass

I loved the Susan back-story, but not the fast-forward via the Wiz...

[Zip City]

I hated Wizard and Glass

I loved the Susan back-story, but not the fast-forward via the Wiz...

I hate when mysterious characters are overexplained

[beantownbubba]

Recently

I've just started reading Lonesome Dove

I eagerly await your thoughts and reactions.

[Cole Younger]

I hated Wizard and Glass

I swear Zip, you're my opposite number, you're like Bizzaro Cole. Wizard and Glass was my favorite. It was much more of a western than the others and I love westerns.

You're right, phungi. I haven't read Wind Throughthe Keyhole. It came out several years after I had finished the series. I'll read it at some point but you are correct about the drop off from Wizzard and Glass to Wolves. I actually enjoyed Wolves but there is definitely a drop off. And if you noticed that drop off, boy howdy, buckle up for a Song of Susanna.

[Cole Younger]

Big King fan here as well, and I haven't tackled the Dark Tower series yet.

Right now I'm alternating between Roadwork and Just After Sunset.

Oh man Roadwork is great. Just After Sunset is pretty good but to me he blew that one away soon after with Full Dark No Stars.

For any King fan that has yet to read it, I recommend Gerald's Game. If I described the premise you would probably think it sounded boring. It isn't.

[Flea]

For any King fan that has yet to read it, I recommend Gerald's Game. If I described the premise you would probably think it sounded boring. It isn't.

Perhaps I'll check that one out. It's one of his few that I've skipped, precisely because it DOES sound boring.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

I was a massive King fan up to the Talisman, last one I read, but then lost interest for a reason I don't recall. Huge Stand fan. Wrote him in high school because (A) I wanted to write and asked for advice, and (B) I wanted to ask about the Dark Tower, which was then listed in the list of other works he had written but was nowhere in existence. To my surprise, I got a response in a matter of days, part-typed but mostly hand-written with advice on writing and also included copies of articles about writing. He mentioned Dark Tower but I don't recall what he said. This exchange had to be no later than 81 or 82 and may have been in 80. I have his correspondence somewhere but it would take a Herculean effort to locate it. The signature alone made it a prized possession

So, long story short, where should I pick up on his work after the Talisman (which I know I read but all I recall about it was that it didn't do much for me)?

[Zip City]

I say read them in the order he wrote them. That way you won't miss any cross-references with other stories (of which there are many)

[Zip City]

I hated Wizard and Glass

I swear Zip, you're my opposite number, you're like Bizzaro Cole. Wizard and Glass was my favorite. It was much more of a western than the others and I love westerns.

You're right, phungi. I haven't read Wind Throughthe Keyhole. It came out several years after I had finished the series. I'll read it at some point but you are correct about the drop off from Wizzard and Glass to Wolves. I actually enjoyed Wolves but there is definitely a drop off. And if you noticed that drop off, boy howdy, buckle up for a Song of Susanna.

Ha, here comes more. I think Song of Susanna was a huge uptick from Wolves.

Here's how I view the series:

The Gunslinger - A great novella where not much happens but it sets up the universe
Drawing of the Three - Really great, gets into the meat of the stories and characters
The Wastelands - Story continues to grow and accelerate
Wizard and Glass - King struggles mightily with writers block, so decides to write Roland's back story rather than struggle forward with the story. Writes a book that over explains a cool, mysterious character, while not moving the overall story forward even an inch.
Wolves of the Calla - Still has writers block, so essentially writes a side story that involves the characters and world, but again, doesn't move the overall story forward
Song of Susanna - King gets his mojo back, finds a pathway to the end, and the story gathers steam again
The Dark Tower - King wraps up the story as well as one can after seven books and several decades.

In between Wizard and Tower, King explores/alludes to the Dark Tower universe in several other short stories and books along the way

~Fin~

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

speaking of The Stand, I saw a "Trashcan Man" reference in some Trump article on Gawker last night!

[beantownbubba]

Hey I have a great idea for a horror book: A band of Steven King fans plot to take over a book thread on the internet and ...

[Cole Younger]

Hey I have a great idea for a horror book: A band of Steven King fans plot to take over a book thread on the internet and ...

Ha. It didn't take much for it to be a takeover. Before we started nobody had posted here in a couple of weeks. One mans take over is another's resuscitation. Or something.

[211poundsofpork]

"bumpety- bumpty bump..."

[phungi]

I was a massive King fan up to the Talisman, last one I read, but then lost interest for a reason I don't recall. Huge Stand fan. Wrote him in high school because (A) I wanted to write and asked for advice, and (B) I wanted to ask about the Dark Tower, which was then listed in the list of other works he had written but was nowhere in existence. To my surprise, I got a response in a matter of days, part-typed but mostly hand-written with advice on writing and also included copies of articles about writing. He mentioned Dark Tower but I don't recall what he said. This exchange had to be no later than 81 or 82 and may have been in 80. I have his correspondence somewhere but it would take a Herculean effort to locate it. The signature alone made it a prized possession

So, long story short, where should I pick up on his work after the Talisman (which I know I read but all I recall about it was that it didn't do much for me)?

11/22/63 is among King's best works, and I highly recommend reading it... I have introduced many people to King through this book.

Dr. Sleep is a follow-up to The Shining, answering the questions "what is the shining" and "what ever happened to Danny Torrence".

Then there are: From A Buick 8, Duma Key, Cell, the Mr. Mercedes series...

[Tequila Cowboy]

I love how King writes but more often than not don't like what he writes about. The Shining, The Running Man, The Green Mile, Bag of Bones, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and 11/22/63 are all favorites but just about everything else I've read I've hated. I should get around to The Dark Tower series at some point but haven't as of yet. Oh, On Writing is fantastic as well. I've read it several times over the years.

[Duke Silver]

I love how King writes but more often than not don't like what he writes about. The Shining, The Running Man, The Green Mile, Bag of Bones, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and 11/22/63 are all favorites but just about everything else I've read I've hated. I should get around to The Dark Tower series at some point but haven't as of yet. Oh, On Writing is fantastic as well. I've read it several times over the years.

I'm the opposite. I love most of his premises but have hated how he writes pretty much since he came back from his "retirement." On Writing is great, though. I go back to it several times a year.

[Flea]

Since we are kvetching now, my primary complaint about King's writing, particularly in his later works, is that he relies far too often on a deus ex machina to resolve all of the dangling plot strands that he has created.

[Zip City]

Since we are kvetching now, my primary complaint about King's writing, particularly in his later works, is that he relies far too often on a deus ex machina to resolve all of the dangling plot strands that he has created.

Under the Dome being the worst culprit

[Cole Younger]

Since we are kvetching now, my primary complaint about King's writing, particularly in his later works, is that he relies far too often on a deus ex machina to resolve all of the dangling plot strands that he has created.

I guess we are all just giving bubba the finger now and as much as I hate to participate...

I love King's style of writing. Particularly when he's writing what he knows which is regular small town folks. It gets even better when he uses Maine as the setting because he's speaking his native language. There have been times I have been reading some of those early novels that I've thought to myself, "this could almost be taking place in Georgia." A lot of it feels the same and feels familiar. And it should. Small town country folks in Maine aren't all that much different from us when you get right down to it.

I know this is low hanging fruit but my biggest gripe about his writing is he just never really has figured out how to end a novel. He has a much higher batting average with his short stories.

On Writing is good. I enjoyed Danse Macabre a lot as well. I think anyone who enjoys zon Writing would enjoy it too.

Under The Dome was actually pretty good. Surprisingly good in fact. But he would have done better if he had just never even explained where the dome came from. It's really irrelevant anyway. My wife got into the TV series they made it into. I watched a little of it but it was so ridiculous (as most TV is to me) I didn't get far.

I'm enjoying the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. He has kind of made a little comeback with those stories. His latest books have mostly just been ok to me with Under The Dome being one of the best and Lisey's Story being a few hours of my life that I'll never get back. If you like King, do yourself a favor and avoid it like the plague.

[Zip City]

I read Lisey's Story but couldn't begin to tell you what it was about

[Clams]

Recently

I've just started reading Lonesome Dove

I eagerly await your thoughts and reactions.

Me too. I'm about a third of the way through. Blue Duck just made his first appearance.

[brett27295]

I love almost everything Stephen King has ever written with just a few exceptions. The Stand & It are in the top 5 novels I've ever read...and I've read a lot of books the last few decades. Wirh that being said the first time I finished It (I've read it 3-4 times) I almost screamed out "fuck you King" about the ending. I still think the ending is beyond stupid. That said I love the rest of the book so much I can overlook it.

[StormandStatic]