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DrVenkman posted:There's a reason more things don't just end with the characters suddenly gaining supernatural abilities out of nowhere, and that's because it betrays the fiction of what came before. Not in a 'I don't agree with this politically' way, but in an inexplicable cheating the reader way. By the same reasoning, if the character opened the window at the end and flew away then it's ok because hey, that's just where the character takes me man. I think that when other writers talk about "where the character takes them", they mean that when things happen in their book they think of how their characters will react given their background, fears, upbringing, strengths and everything else that gives them a personality, and the character's reactions drive the story further. Dr. Faustus posted:I LOVE to recommend (good) King books to people, but I need to know what you have already read, first. No point in saying The Shining or Salem's Lot if you've been there done that. I'll check out "Under the dome". That's the basis of the TV series with the same name, right? I really don't think I've read any King released after 2001, so go hog wild. Salem's lot is one of very few older SK books I haven't read, and I know it's considered one of the best so I'll check it out. I'm not generally a big fan of "fantasy" and every description I've read of the Dark Tower series has turned me off even more. imabanana posted:Duma Key, Joyland, and, if you've read the Dark Tower, The Wind Through the Keyhole is also very good. I'll check out these too if I have the opportunity! I remember 11/22/63 getting good reviews and awards, I should give it a shot.
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Dec 30, 2015 15:20
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kjetting posted:I'll check out "Under the dome". That's the basis of the TV series with the same name, right? The TV show was very, very, very loosely based on the book in that they share a title and some of the characters have the same name. The book is actually quite good.
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Dec 30, 2015 15:24
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It always seems that Stephen King adaptations are either loosely interpreted and good or faithfully adapted and terrible. Is there anything out there that breaks that mold?
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Dec 30, 2015 16:37
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Cast Iron Brick posted:It always seems that Stephen King adaptations are either loosely interpreted and good or faithfully adapted and terrible. Is there anything out there that breaks that mold? Under the Dome was loosely interpreted and bad, so there's that.
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Dec 30, 2015 16:38
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Shares hank redemption E: im not fixing it
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Dec 30, 2015 18:01
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Is it just me, or is Skeleton Crew one of King's legitimately scariest works? I don't scare easily, and King's books usually just thrill me instead of haunt me (favorite novel is Dead Zone, for instance), but some of these stories have actually creeped me out while reading them before bed. The big one is Survivor Type, but Gramma did as well with how well done the build up to the climax was. The Jaunt was good too, but the end isn't quite as bad when it's been spoiled a million ways over as it had for me. I knew what to expect with Survivor Type and it still bugged me, and Gramma came out of nowhere. Funny thing about Survivor Type, I discussed it with my parents after reading it. Both of them are retired King fans and read SC like over twenty years ago. While they don't remember a large bulk of the stories, they definitely remember the one where the guy eats himself . So to contribute further to the discussion, what are some of your personal legitimately scariest King works/moments?
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Dec 30, 2015 18:18
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facebook jihad posted:Is it just me, or is Skeleton Crew one of King's legitimately scariest works? I don't scare easily, and King's books usually just thrill me instead of haunt me (favorite novel is Dead Zone, for instance), but some of these stories have actually creeped me out while reading them before bed. The big one is Survivor Type, but Gramma did as well with how well done the build up to the climax was. The Jaunt was good too, but the end isn't quite as bad when it's been spoiled a million ways over as it had for me. I knew what to expect with Survivor Type and it still bugged me, and Gramma came out of nowhere. The Moving Finger creeps me right the gently caress out. I think that one's in Skeleton Crew also. Pet Sematary and The Mist are two others that really get to me.
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Dec 30, 2015 19:12
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I just finished "Finders Keepers" and mostly liked it. I liked "Mr. Mercedes" too. Good, not great, but definitely both were page turners and engaging enough. The supernatural "twist" in FK didn't bother so much. I guess since it wasn't a cop out resolution and was more of a side element that's setting up the next book. For a while, I was scared that Morris was going to start shooting spiders out of his eyes at the end or some poo poo. My only complaints with FK was the quickness by which the detectives and the kids put it all together. Looking forward to the third volume. Time to take a break from King for a while and tackle "Infinite Jest" now.
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Dec 30, 2015 19:15
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kjetting posted:I think that when other writers talk about "where the character takes them", they mean that when things happen in their book they think of how their characters will react given their background, fears, upbringing, strengths and everything else that gives them a personality, and the character's reactions drive the story further. But that's not how King writes. He has gone on record quite a few times saying most of his books start with a "What If?" and then he just starts writing. Then he finishes the book, shelves it for 1-3 months, and then edits it. The only book (that I'm aware of) that he wrote that was outlined and planned was Insomnia, and the reactions were largely negative, so he dropped that process in favor of the tried and true What If? method. Sources: On Writing and Bare Bones.
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Dec 30, 2015 19:25
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Cast Iron Brick posted:It always seems that Stephen King adaptations are either loosely interpreted and good or faithfully adapted and terrible. Is there anything out there that breaks that mold? Misery stuck pretty close to the book and turned out pretty fantastic.
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Dec 30, 2015 19:45
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Cast Iron Brick posted:It always seems that Stephen King adaptations are either loosely interpreted and good or faithfully adapted and terrible. Is there anything out there that breaks that mold? The Green Mile was great and it was a pretty faithful adaptation, I think.. It's been a while since I read the book but I don't there was much of it cut at all. Some bits near the end, maybe.
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Dec 30, 2015 20:02
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It makes me kind of sad that I'm apparently one of three people who liked Insomnia. 
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Dec 30, 2015 20:14
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Franchescanado posted:But that's not how King writes. He has gone on record quite a few times saying most of his books start with a "What If?" and then he just starts writing. Then he finishes the book, shelves it for 1-3 months, and then edits it. As mentioned, Insomnia was the book that finally pushed me away from reading any Stephen King for the next 15-20 years, something not even Gerald's Game or The Langoliers managed to do. In my opinion, the problem with Insomnia isn't the writing process, it's that King couldn't look at his outline for the book and recognize that it was poo poo. (And of course that it's badly written) I remember hating all the lovely fantasy mythology and that every scene description read like a movie shooting script than a novel, only lacking camera directions. I think the concept could have been an awesome book in the hands of a more skilled writer. Leavemywife posted:It makes me kind of sad that I'm apparently one of three people who liked Insomnia. It could be worse, you could be one of the two people who liked The Dark Half. I'm the other one.
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Dec 30, 2015 20:36
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kjetting posted:As mentioned, Insomnia was the book that finally pushed me away from reading any Stephen King for the next 15-20 years, something not even Gerald's Game or The Langoliers managed to do. What the gently caress, The Langoliers was so good
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Dec 30, 2015 20:52
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Khizan posted:The Green Mile was great and it was a pretty faithful adaptation, I think.. It's been a while since I read the book but I don't there was much of it cut at all. Some bits near the end, maybe. There was enough cut from the ending to keep the movie from being soul-crushing.
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Dec 30, 2015 20:52
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kjetting posted:It could be worse, you could be one of the two people who liked The Dark Half. Wassup, Dark Half buddy?
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Dec 30, 2015 21:02
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Jia posted:What the gently caress, The Langoliers was so good Really? I hated it. I don't even remember much else from four past midnight because it stood out so much. Leavemywife posted:Wassup, Dark Half buddy? 
kjetting fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Dec 30, 2015 |
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Dec 30, 2015 21:06
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I loved The Dark Half because the bad guy was so seriously loving ruthless. Straight-razor through the scrotum?!? FFFFFF!!! That is the only novel in my entire life that I opened one evening, read every single page without a break, and closed it in the morning with the sun up. It was an early Christmas gift and I literally did not move from my bed once I started reading until I finished it the following morning. I was riveted. I may have told this story already, but my introduction to King worked this way: My mom was and remains in some kinda book club. She gets a shipment of books every month. I don't know if she gets to pick and choose or not, because I know she doesn't read S.K. I was maye 13 or 14, in junior High, still happily reading loving Piers Anthony (Jesus) when she held out two books and asked me if I wanted them. The two hardcovers were Pet Sematary and Night Shift. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I said, "Sure!" I figured if I could handle some of the over-the-top poo poo in Bio of A Space Tyrant and Cthon then I could handle some silly horror stuff. gently caress me. Night Shift: I read it in bed at night when I was supposed to be going to sleep for school the next day. I put a towel under my bedroom door so my folks wouldn't see light when they went to bed after the news. As stupid as it was, I was severely disturbed by "The Mangler." I'll never forget that one line, "'A demon called up in conjunction with the hand of glory could eat a stack of Bibles for breakfast." Other highlights for me were "I Am The Doorway," "The Boogeyman" (even though it made no sense), "Gray Matter," "Children of The Corn," and honorable mentions to "The Ledge (he had the lady's head in a bag!!!) and "Night Surf." I thoroughly enjoyed the rest, too, especially "Trucks." Then I started in on Pet Sematary. Tender young me was not ready for that poo poo. I have an extremely vivid memory: Sitting in mom's easy chair in the living room with the book on my lap, engrossed in the horrible trainwreck that's taking place page after page. It's afternoon, after school, and I'm alone in our big new house. Dad didn't get home until 5:30 and mom got home even later, so I had from about 3 until Dad came home to either go hang with friends or watch TV alone or whatever. I'm reading this book. Suddenly the hair stands up on my arms and I am certain, 100% convinced, that if I turn my head to the right and look into the kitchen, Gage will be standing there in his burial suit (remember, this is before the movie made it silly). The suit with the moss on the shoulder. Partially decomposed. Ready to murder me or worse. Eventually I did look, and I then kept on reading; but that moment will always haunt me. I devoured King's already long bibliography at that point, and picked up Peter Straub and Clive Barker along the way. I never touched another Piers Anthony book again. Skeleton Crew was definitely a highlight, and "The Mist" was the hardest to deal with, although "The Jaunt" comes right after.
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Dec 30, 2015 21:14
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Leavemywife posted:It makes me kind of sad that I'm apparently one of three people who liked Insomnia. I like Insomnia. 
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Dec 30, 2015 21:24
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Insomnia was the first King I read, I also liked it. Especially compared to the mountainous pile of shite that was Rose Madder.
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Dec 30, 2015 22:40
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Insomnia was horribly dull. Psychically guided characters in a race against time to defeat a huge evil in an endless drawn out climaxsnooooorrrrreeee.... The problem was not plotting but the basic premise and the fact the characters are forgettable and the story and pacing were predictable. Salem's Lot is compelling and exciting because we know and care about the characters and we value their lives. Ben fighting for the life of his lover and his friends is so much more gruelling and powerful than Insomnia bloke trying to defeat huge world-shattering evil. We care about the three/four characters in The Shining because we see the dynamic and learn about their lives and their motivations are human and understandable, even if the catalyst is supernatural. It isn't a matter of pacing or plotting per se (though a lot of King's later novels suffer in those areas), it is about King forgetting that it is characters and human situations in extreme situations that really compel us. The "What if...?" premise works best when King deals with very limited situations and limited numbers of characters and limits (or at least defines) magic in a very restricted way. That is why Misery, Salems Lot, The Shining, Dead Zone, The Mist, Pet Semetary, Carrie are such great books. We hang on and feel invested and really squirm because we like (or at least believe) the characters and we trust that an author deus ex machina isn't going to gyp us in the last few pages. It isn't a question of stakes. If the stakes are as low as the life of one character (or even their well being) that can still be enough. I know a lot of SK readers itt break along low/high supernatural lines and I'm on the low supernatural side but I'll say that The Stand, Christine, Tommyknockers and It are really fun reads. By the way, Firestarter doesn't get discussed much itt. It does sort of involve magic (pyrokinesis (actually "telepyrosis", but that sounds like a skin condition) at such a level that it is effectively magic) but we really care about the characters. I think King kind of pushes Charlie's powers too far but nonetheless it is a good novel. On the subject of editing, did anyone else pick up the weird editing of Dr Sleep? It felt like it was 70-80% of a 2nd draft. Normally I would say that would improve a late SK novel but I think it just made the novel feel incomplete - not that I want that material put back. You just know there was a lot more stuff about the cat and there must have a been a long, supernatural hospital scene between Danny and poet lady. Danny enters hospital for the meeting then cut to Danny exiting? I don't think so. There was 20 pages there. Actually, I don't care. I thought that it was crud and and every page that was cut simply got me to the end of the book faster, which was a blessing. I am just curious as to whether anyone else noticed the editing. Josef K. Sourdust fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Dec 30, 2015 |
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Dec 30, 2015 22:57
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Cast Iron Brick posted:It always seems that Stephen King adaptations are either loosely interpreted and good or faithfully adapted and terrible. Is there anything out there that breaks that mold? Stand By Me, Dolores Claiborne, The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption come to mind without Googling. Christine, Cujo, Salem's Lot, Carrie and The Mist were rather faithful to the material and none of them are horrible. The Mist changed the ending pretty drastically so its faithfulness to the source rests on how much that matters. Then there's Misery, Secret Window and 1408 are all close to the book as well and I enjoyed all those movies. The Dead Zone was good.
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Dec 30, 2015 23:15
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ConfusedUs posted:The Moving Finger creeps me right the gently caress out. I think that one's in Skeleton Crew also.  Nightmares & Dreamscapes
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Dec 30, 2015 23:41
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Josef K. Sourdust posted:By the way, Firestarter doesn't get discussed much itt. Rose Madder had its problems but I re-read it for the first time this month and it's really not terrible. The ex-husband bad-guy is scary as poo poo and so is the world inside the painting. I was really rooting for Rosie Real and the touch at the end with the fox and the tree was pretty sophisticated. I think that book, like Lisey's Story, gets too much of a bad rap. (Rep?)
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Dec 31, 2015 00:12
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Dr. Faustus posted:Rose Madder...I think that book, like Lisey's Story, gets too much of a bad rap. (Rep?) Agreed. Gerald's Game and Cujo fall into this category. Cujo, in particular, is fantastic. One of the few King books I've read twice (The Stand, The Shining, IT).
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Dec 31, 2015 01:16
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BiggerBoat posted:Cujo, in particular, is fantastic. One of the few King books I've read twice.... Cujo is, without doubt, fantastic.
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Dec 31, 2015 01:33
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The backstory in IT was really scary to me because there wasn't much supernatural about it. It was just extremely visceral and brutal. Particularly the union busters, the Air Force base fire and the gangster shoot-out. Pennywise was always there but you felt like he was secondary. Just a pusher.
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Dec 31, 2015 01:35
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facebook jihad posted:Is it just me, or is Skeleton Crew one of King's legitimately scariest works? There's very drat little I consider "scary"...for stuff like the Jaunt and Survivor Type, I'd use the word "unnerving" instead. That being said, I consider Pet Sematary one of the few legitimately scary things I've ever read or seen, as it induces a weird existential dread. Strip all the supernatural stuff from PS, and it would still be dreadful. Khizan posted:The Green Mile was great and it was a pretty faithful adaptation, I think.. It's been a while since I read the book but I don't there was much of it cut at all. Some bits near the end, maybe. The movie dispensed with virtually the entire framing device (which wasn't necessary for the movie anyway), but otherwise was faithful. My introduction was my mom handing me her copy of The Talisman when I was 12. I said I could never read it because it was so long, she more or less dared me to try. A month or two later I was done, she handed me her copy of The Stand, and that's all she wrote. 20+ years later, Wolf at the Sunlight Home is one of my favorite things I've ever read.
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Dec 31, 2015 04:26
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Is there anyone besides Joe Hill putting out short story collections like King's old ones? I am not hopeful because I know it's a mostly dead format (at least compared to 30+ years ago), but I'd enjoy reading anything even half as interesting as Skeleton Crew and Night Shift. I think part of what was great is that King was able to move between horror, sci-fi, etc. in those collections so you really never had an idea of what was coming next.
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Dec 31, 2015 05:12
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imabanana posted:Is there anyone besides Joe Hill putting out short story collections like King's old ones? I am not hopeful because I know it's a mostly dead format (at least compared to 30+ years ago), but I'd enjoy reading anything even half as interesting as Skeleton Crew and Night Shift. Stephen Graham Jones might scratch that itch for you. And Nocturnes by John Connolly.
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Dec 31, 2015 05:23
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Cast Iron Brick posted:It always seems that Stephen King adaptations are either loosely interpreted and good or faithfully adapted and terrible. Is there anything out there that breaks that mold? IT was pretty close, the changes were cuts for time, and getting rid of that child sexuality it has some backlash because the special effects and the fight at the climax aren't really up to depicting the cosmic clash of the forces of good and evil depicted in the book, and being an ensemble some of the characters were uneven, but its pretty good over all. Tim Curry was perfect as Pennywise.
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Dec 31, 2015 16:14
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Cast Iron Brick posted:It always seems that Stephen King adaptations are either loosely interpreted and good or faithfully adapted and terrible. Is there anything out there that breaks that mold? UncleMonkey fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Jan 1, 2016 |
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Jan 1, 2016 04:09
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UncleMonkey posted:What about Apt Pupil? I feel like it was pretty faithful and really good and it gets overlooked a lot.
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Jan 1, 2016 21:51
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Josef K. Sourdust posted:Insomnia was horribly dull. Psychically guided characters in a race against time to defeat a huge evil in an endless drawn out climaxsnooooorrrrreeee.... Sounds more like you can't identify with older people. The conflict in Insomnia is identical to the one in Salem's Lot, or IT, or Carrie, in that it's a couple of characters fighting social-forces-made-tangible in order to derive a greater sense of meaning from their life. Of course, it is a fantasy novel rather than a horror one.
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Jan 3, 2016 04:42
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Effectronica posted:Sounds more like you can't identify with older people. The conflict in Insomnia is identical to the one in Salem's Lot, or IT, or Carrie, in that it's a couple of characters fighting social-forces-made-tangible in order to derive a greater sense of meaning from their life. Of course, it is a fantasy novel rather than a horror one. Yeah, that's the feeling I got from it too. I enjoyed Insomnia a lot and don't really get the "it's dull" thing. It has its down parts and as usual the confrontation with the Crimson King is pretty lame, but it's up there with my favorite King books.
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Jan 3, 2016 15:14
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I know your comment wasn't aimed at me, but I have no problem identifying with old characters when they're well written.
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Jan 3, 2016 19:36
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kjetting posted:I know your comment wasn't aimed at me, but I have no problem identifying with old characters when they're well written. Ralph Roberts is as well-written as Jack Torrance. Prove me wrong, ahaha.
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Jan 3, 2016 19:57
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Insomnia is a lazy Sunday kind of a book with how slow it can be and its depiction of everyday life.
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Jan 3, 2016 20:20
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oldpainless posted:Insomnia is a lazy Sunday kind of a book with how slow it can be and its depiction of everyday life. That's a very apt description.
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Jan 3, 2016 21:40
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Was Insomnia the one where dudes had little balloons over their heads and projected auras, or am i thinking of a Dean Koontz novel? Either way, that was my problem with Insomnia; it read exactly like a second rate Dean Koontz novel. The fact that I can't recall who wrote it only reinforces this. Having an old guy as the protagonist was the least of that novel's issues.
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Jan 4, 2016 02:22
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