The Stephen King Thread - Part 1

[DeGenerate10]

I'm close to a fifth of the way into Mr. Mercedes. Really enjoying it.

 

[:eek:]

Mr Mercedes First In A Trilogy!

Posted: June 11, 2014, 08:17:31
Section: Book » Finders Keepers

BIG News Today! King announced on Twitter yesterday that Mr. Mercedes is the first novel in a trilogy about Hodges, Jerome and Holly. They will all return in the book Finders Keepers next year. No word on when the third book is scheduled or what its title will be.

​

 

[:eek:]

King Did NOT Spoil Mr. Mercedes

Posted: June 11, 2014, 09:03:29
Section: Book » Finders Keepers

Before those of you that hasn’t yet read (or finished) Mr. Mercedes think King spoiled the book for you, check out this comment from King.

Also, Finders Keepers is already finished, at least in an early version.

 

[DeGenerate10]

Has anyone else finished Mr. Mercedes yet?

 

[:eek:]

Mr Mercedes, Finders Keepers & A Collection

Posted: June 13, 2014, 18:22:47
Sections: Book » Mr. Mercedes (The Bill Hodges Trilogy #1), Book » Finders Keepers (The Bill Hodges Trilogy #2), Book » New Collection
King just posted this letter about Mr Mercedes, Finders keepers (out next spring) and a possible collection next fall.

Dear Constant Reader,

Mr. Mercedes is the first volume of a projected trilogy concerning Bill Hodges, his friends…and his enemies. The second volume, Finders Keepers, is finished (in first draft, at least) and will be published in the first half of 2015, perhaps followed by a book of new stories in the fall (or not). Anyway, these three novels seem to revolve around the City Center Massacre that opens Mr. Mercedes. Because of that, I wanted to post a complete list of those killed and injured in Brady Hartsfield’s attack. Some of these unfortunates have other parts to play. As always, I’m glad you’re along for the ride, but be warned: there are some sharp turns ahead, and I’m a really crazy driver.

Stephen King

Read the full message here.

 

[Piper Maru]

Stephen King vs Edgar Allen Poe

[YT]56R3hU-fWZY[/YT]

 

[:eek:]

King on Revival

Posted: June 19, 2014, 12:15:45
Section: Book » Revival

"It’s too scary. I don’t even want to think about that book anymore. It’s a nasty, dark piece of work. That’s all I can tell you."

 

[:eek:]

Bad Little Kid In New Collection

Posted: June 26, 2014, 11:00:57
Section: Book » Bad Little Kid

A lot of fans has been waiting for Bad Little Kid to be published in English. So far it’s only been released in German and French but now the moderator of King’s message board has confirmed that it will be included in the new collection out in the fall of 2015.

I don't know about Afterlife but have been able to confirm that because it will be a fall release, "Bad Little Kid" will be part of the new collection. There was an exclusive for the French and German publishers for that but it will expire in June 2015.


And...


If I can find the other thread where this was asked, I'll post it there as well but some of you had asked about whether "Bad Little Kid" would be included. I've asked Steve and we've confirmed that the exclusive which France and Germany had will expire in June 2015 so it will be able to be included since the collection won't be out until the autumn of 2015. As of now, the plan is to include it.

 

[redhawk23]

Revival plot description from Amazon

A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It’s a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.

 

[Batman jr.]

So, after a few years of not reading fiction at all, I'm getting back in.

Is Doctor Sleep any good? t:

 

[jonathancrane]

It's one of the best books King has written in the past fourteen years. It's as good as the books he wrote in the seventies (and reads like one of them.)

 

[Batman jr.]

It's one of the best books King has written in the past fourteen years. It's as good as the books he wrote in the seventies (and reads like one of them.)

Thanks

 

[:eek:]

New Story: That Bus Is Another World

Posted: June 30, 2014, 08:36:22

King's upcoming story in Esquire Magazine is called That Bus Is Another World.

http://stephenking1sts.com/afraid-big-bad-adaptation/

 

[titansupes]

I have Night Shift and The Shining on their way to me, and I'm currently reading On Writing, since it was given to me ages ago (I presume at the same time Misery was).

 

[DeGenerate10]

I started listening to Joyland yesterday. I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm looking forward to seeing if the ghost in the horror house plays a bigger role in the book.

 

[:eek:]

Mr Mercedes To Be A 10-episode TV series

Posted: July 15, 2014, 01:50:38
Section: TV » Mr Mercedes
The Moderator on King's official board revealed that Mr Mercedes will be turned into a 10-episode TV series with Jack Bender on the production team.

 

[Marvolo]

King on Revival

Posted: June 19, 2014, 12:15:45
Section: Book » Revival

"It’s too scary. I don’t even want to think about that book anymore. It’s a nasty, dark piece of work. That’s all I can tell you."

Revival plot description from Amazon

This sounds fantastic! Can't wait to read it!

I just started Doctor Sleep in earnest and have read the first 100 pages so far. It wasn't wowing me at first, but then King blindsided me with the

Spoiler

9/11 bit.

This sums up my reaction:

 

[DeGenerate10]

Has anyone read the Dead Zone?

 

[Sawyer]

You know it.

 

[jonathancrane]

Good stuff.

 

[GremlinZilla89]

What do you guys think are King's most underrated works? I honestly love or like MOST of his output. Of course, I don't love everything, but some of his more forgotten or dismissed books I find to be great and not deserving of their poor treatment. I honestly can't choose a definitive top 3 as I feel so many of his works are under-appreciated.

There are the only books of his I've outright did not like or felt disappointed in: Cujo, Tommyknockers, Cell, Black House, Full Dark No Stars, Just After Sunset, Insomnia, Blockade Billy and The Colorado Kid. All either "meh" and "bleh" to me.

But as far as underrated goes? Oh-ho boy! The Regulators, Lisey's Story, From a Buick 8 (an almost tender King. Engagingly nostalgic), Delores Claiborne (a flat out masterpiece actually. One of his best), Needful Things, Duma Key, Christine (not disliked, but oddly overlooked), The Dark Tower 7, Road Work, Needful Things, Blaze, Gerald's Game, Dreamcatcher and The Running Man.

Some of these belong on the list of his most beloved work. I think Duma Key, Christine, Delores Claiborne and Needful Things especially deserve to stand tall with IT, The Stand, Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary etc...they're that good.

And just for kicks, what do you think is his most overrated book? For me it's The Shining. It pains me to say that because it's almost always ranked by professionals and fans as one of his absolute best and it's easily his most iconic book for the laymen, but the actual horror of it never, ever felt well executed to me. The only scary part in the the woman in the bathroom. The hedge animals make me roll my eyes more than anything. Everything to do with the characters is aces, but the actual horror plot does ZERO for me. It almost feel obligatory.

I think Doctor Sleep is actually far better.

 

[DeGenerate10]

For the King books that I've read I think that The Long Walk is the most underrated of the bunch.

 

[Marvolo]

Just finished Doctor Sleep. What a great story, and great sequel to The Shining. I wouldn't mind seeing Dan and Abra again at some point down the road. There was a lot that I loved, but I have to mention one in particular.

Spoiler

Jack helping Dan beat Rose about brought me to tears. I've always felt bad for Jack and what happened. It was nice to see him get one more chance to be a proper father and help his son, and for Dan to get to see his father again without his addiction and rage.

Not sure what I'm going to read next. I might finally get to work on It. Tho I need to finish the Stand at some point. And Night Shift is on my Kindle unfinished. So many books to read. So hard to decide.

 

[OcStat]

I finished Insomnia today, little different book from the others I've read from him, just two, It and The Shining. Had it's moments though, kept me turning pages.

 

[Marvolo]

Decided to read Bag of Bones and to finish The Stand Uncut. I have a copy of the original version of The Stand on its way in the mail. Im gonna read it with the Uncut version so I can compare the two.