The -Scare the shit outta you- Stephen King or the -Evolved- Stephen King

[The Shadow]

Which do you prefer?

There was the Stephen King (SK from now on) who wrote classics like The Shining, It, Cujo, Gerald's Game, Misery, and Rose Madder , and then there is this new SK who writes novels like Dreamcatcher, A Buick 8, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, Hearts in Atlantis, and The Green Mile .

I have read all of the above except for Hearts , but I remain torn. I loved his novels of terror, yet his new work speaks to me to, and perhaps in a more profound way.

Of course he also has done non-horror when he was king of the genre, The Dark Tower series and The Stand come to mind.

Well?

[docholiday_13]

I think the old King was King (ha!). All my faves are from his early years (It, The Talisman, The Shining). I really liked The Green Mile. Wasn't too hot on Tom Gordan. Couldn't even finish Insomnia. The last great book I've read of his was Desperation. Doesn't bother me though. His classics are immensely rereadable.

[RogueSpear]

I think he was much better with books such as The Stand, The Shining, and The Tommynockers.

I'm not a very big fan of his newer stuff however. I wasn't able to get through Insomnia or Dreamcatcher and The Regulators was terrible.

The only new books of King's that I really liked were Desperation and Bag of Bones.

I'm glad that he has decided to retire now instead of just shelling out retreads of all his previous books. He will, however, always remain my favorite author.

[Dark Minister]

I agree that Desperation was probably his last great book, I am currently reading Dreamcatcher, I have about 70 pages left, and I think it is pretty good too. A lot of good gore moments and likeable characters make it interesting. I think that his best is Christine, and his worst is without a doubt a tie between The Tommyknockers and Bag of Bones. I have tried so many times to read both of these, but always lose interest and quit after reading about 50 pages or so. Give Dreamcatcher a try, it is slow at first but it picks up and gets a lot better, trust me :)

[Jason Voorhees]

Both. I love his work, be it new or old.

[Heavenley]

I'm leaning more towards his older work like the shining, cujo, pet cematary, carrie etc. Those are classics IMO. His newer work is pretty good too but not as good as the earlier books. One of my fave's from his newer work is ''The girl who loved Tom Gordon'' I thoroughly enjoyed that one.

[dh1989]

I think King's best novel is Bag Of Bones. So I guess I fancy the evolved King. I also enjoy The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and Dreamcacther, so evolved King is best. I was not a fan of Everythings Eventual though.

[Grebdron]

The only books of his I cannot force myself to read are the Dark Tower books. Hearts in Atlantis, while a terrible movie, was a very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed both The Regulators and Desperation. All of his old stuff is very good. Insomnia and Dreamcatchers are both very good.

But The Stand is a modern masterpiece. A fantastic piece of writing.

[Inglorious]

What are (some of) King's scariest books?

And what is this I hear about LT's Favorite Pets or something along those lines?

[drdash]

i would say the old SK. i think the last great book he wrote was needful things. i really like all the others but he hasn't been freaky for awhile now. now if i want a scary read i'll go to bentley little or douglas clegg.

ciao
drdash

[Doug Branches]

Just bought The Stand today, the 1000 page version.

[quoth_the_raven]

I like new and old King to be honest. I've read a lot of his stuff and the only thing I've disliked was Geralds Games, which can only ever be described as "a steaming shite pile".

[poopontheshoes7]

The King books I have read are: IT, Salems Lot, Pet Sematary, Dreamcather, Christine, The Shinning, The Stand, regulators, Desparation, Cujo, The Long Walk, Misery, and Rose Madder

im reading Carrie as we speak.

But I have to say, next ti IT my favorite has to be The Long Walk. this book is amazing. how king comes up wit this stuff is beyond me. The charector are so difforent form each other you never get bored. the story also gets under you skin and has a underlining paronoia that is truly scary.

[poopontheshoes7]

ah shit! Try not to notice my horrible spelling in my last post.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Why, that's some horrible spelling in your last post! :D

Anyway, I go for whichever wrote "The Talisman"

[Greenaway]

I still consider his abilities as a serious and dramatic storyteller more varying than as a horror writer. He is not the biggest talent this world has ever seen, but at least with drama it is possible for him to develop his style. I always considered his early publishings as too predictable in terms of writing and story; if you have read one of them, you have read them all. And even when this, at least partially, still applies with his latest work, there might be something good coming from this guy.

[chinton]

Im kind of torn. I love the old King. I really love not the fact they were scary but the fact there was something always running under the surface. For example The Shining is a metaphor for alchoholism and domestic abuse. Not that he hasnt lost his ability to do deep writing but its more spotty nowadays for me. For example I thought both Bag of Bones and especially Hearts In Atlantis were brilliant. Yet I wasnt into Desperation or Tom Gordon


Still King will always be the King for me

[Nice Marmot]

Love Stephen King. However, I think he has always been pretty crappy at ENDING his stories, even the strongetst ones. We get page after page of awesome character development, horror, etc. & then get a lame ending that he seemed to pull out of his a$$ at the last minute.

My favorites are IT & The Stand. EPIC books; lame endings. Bag of Bones proved he still has that old magic. VERY lame ending.

I am a Dark Tower addict & am dreading to find out how he ends it. I don't have my hopes up.

Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE reading King's stuff!!!!

[FilmThreat5]

.

[tvmorbid]

Definatly the older King, I'm reading IT at the moment and it feels soooooo good to actually being abit apprehensive about reading a page, know what I mean? Saying that though I loved Despereration, whats the story with The Regulators btw? I heard it was the same basic story as Depseration but different :confused:

[tvmorbid]

WOW! Just passed a car boot sale type thing and found the first 4 books of The Dark Tower series in a box-set for £10! And they're all new ones with the foreword by the author and everything! What a find:D

[darchangel]

Originally posted by Mr. Peanut
What are (some of) King's scariest books?

And what is this I hear about LT's Favorite Pets or something along those lines?

"LT's Theory of Pets" is a short story in King's latest collection book "Everything's Eventual".


I enjoyed the story, but if you want one from that book that will scare the living shit out of you (IMO), read "Lunch at Gotham Cafe"

"eeeeeeee..."



Rockin' Like Dokken

~darchangel~

[tvmorbid]

What would anyone say the WIERDEST Stephen King story? I'd probably go for that one with the finger in 'Nightmares and Dreamscapes'

[chinton]

for me that would go to Chattery Teeth or the Rock and Roll Hell episode.