Stephen King's shifting style

[H-O-W-L]

I concur with the rest of the thread; I really like IT but it is definitely overwritten in the first half. The second half is so much smoother and flows well IMO. I've not read much else King (just chunks of other books) but I think it's a good book.

A big problem with IT though is that it was written in a compartmentalized manner over several years, in a state of flux, and he sobered up when writing the latter half of that book, so the first half is just insane drunken six-pack-and-eight-lines shit, absolutely dripping with substance overwriting. I've had my own issues with booze-when-writing and while I'm not even a fraction as good as King I can definitely notice a similar too-many-words issue when under the influence compared to off.

I think IT is worth wading through though because some of the less-notable chapters, the interstitial stuff, is really good. I still get chills (even typing this!) thinking about the chapter where Ben sees IT on a frozen lake. King really captured that "overcast days that last forever" vibe you have when you're a kid.

[bgmnts]

Definitely read King's shorter works, I'd recommend.

[iamcoop]

I liked Needful Things too.

I agree. It's one of my favourite King books and it's almost never mentioned when people are appraising his career.

[Shaky]

Never really got on with the novels, but his short story collections are horror essentials. When he's good he's gooooood. Survivor Type from Skeleton Key is something which pops into my head with horrible regularity.

[kalowski]

Never really got on with the novels, but his short story collections are horror essentials. When he's good he's gooooood. Survivor Type from Skeleton Key is something which pops into my head with horrible regularity.

That was the "they taste just like lady fingers" wasn't it. Stuck in my head for 30 years.

[Shaky]

That was the "they taste just like lady fingers" wasn't it. Stuck in my head for 30 years.

That's the one. Takes a nasty idea and gallops to an even more horrific conclusion. Such a palpable, claustrophic feeling of dread. Fine piece of writing.

[Gambrinus]

That was the "they taste just like lady fingers" wasn't it. Stuck in my head for 30 years.

It took me about 30 years to realise that was okra and not an actual woman's fingers.

[frajer]

Never really got on with the novels, but his short story collections are horror essentials. When he's good he's gooooood. Survivor Type from Skeleton Key is something which pops into my head with horrible regularity.

Great call. Another shout for Skeleton Key, specifically The Jaunt. Read it at about age 12 and have never ever been able to shake the horror of it. Magnificent stuff.

[bgmnts]

Never really got on with the novels, but his short story collections are horror essentials. When he's good he's gooooood. Survivor Type from Skeleton Key is something which pops into my head with horrible regularity.

I'd say just his short stories in general, Running Man, Shawshank, The Body and the Long Walk aren't really horror stories, but are all great.

It's weird for me that he is known as a horror author when most of his best work for me isn't horror.

[QDRPHNC]

I always loved The Breathing Method, especially the framing device of the strange gentlemen's club with the library of books by unknown authors and the odd noises from the rooms upstairs. It's like The Shining in miniature.

A film version was announced a few years ago, but since then there's been nothing.

[QDRPHNC]

Also has it been mentioned yet that King is an absolute legend when it comes to student and no-budget filmmakers, he has a program where you can secure the rights (temporarily) to one of his short stories for $1. Frank Darabont did this when he was younger.

[pigamus]

Both the book and film of Dolores Claiborne are excellent.

[Critcho]

My favourite was Hearts in Atlantis. The first story of that is quite important to the Dark Tower plot (as well as Black House), but otherwise it's just a collection of loosely connected short stories, most of which lack any kind of supernatural element. It's a really touching, warmly human book and lacking the often stodgy writing that pollutes a lot of his books.

It's a long time since I read it but I was surprised by this one as well, I thought it was one of the best of his more 'literary' efforts. I could've lived without the Dark Tower connections because like you said it's not a supernatural book at heart, so tying this Our Friends In The North-style character drama in with an epic fantasy saga feels a little out of place.

Sometimes I think King throws in supernatural/horror aspects out of habit when they're not always needed. Different Seasons was my introduction to King, that one's almost all 'real life' and still one of my favourites.

[SweetPomPom]

He's a great ideas man but really can't land an ending to save his life. Sticking a manuscript in a draw for 6 months and then letting your wife edit it can't help.

There's a massive quality drop off, post road accident - Dark Tower really suffers and the end is worse than The Stand. Not read anything after the time travel JFK thing - there's just too much middle of road.
Last good one I read was the one that started with the guy running over the queue for jobs but turning that into a trilogy was a massive stretch.

[badaids]

All I know is they Salem's Lot is still fucking terrifying. 

[Mister Six]

He's a great ideas man but really can't land an ending to save his life.

That's not true, or at least not all the time. The Institute's ending was grand, for example.

[Virgo76]

Loved the short stories in The Night Shift.
Loved Salem's Lot. I also think Christine is a much underrated one.
What are his 21st century books like? I've read 16 books by him. This would normally sound like a lot until you realise he's WRITTEN NEARLY 90 BOOKS!
I've read nothing more recent than Hearts of Atlantis and On Writing.
Dreamcatcher is shit (it is literally full of shit!) I abandoned it.

[Wezzo]

I tend to share the thread consensus that shorter King is often better. Of the past decade, I really enjoyed both Revival and Billy Summers, which are both "normal" novel length. Joyland and Later from Hard Case Crime both wonderful too. Elevation is interesting, practically a novella (120-odd pages) and a fascinating premise.

[Mister Six]

Revival's well written, but it's basically just a grossly inflated short story. I wouldn't recommend. It should have been about the length of Elevation (which I rather liked) at most.

[bgmnts]

I've just noticed all of King's best work was written when he was fucked up on coke and booze.

Unsure how I feel about that to be honest.

I know for horror purists that Carrie and Salem's Lot are probably the peak of King's work but I suppose I prefer his non pure horrors.

[surreal]

Never really got on with the novels, but his short story collections are horror essentials. When he's good he's gooooood. Survivor Type from Skeleton Key is something which pops into my head with horrible regularity.

I've mentioned before that I have enjoyed a few of the "evening with" talks and QAs with King that are on YouTube, he's an entertaining speaker.  One of his stories is about researching Survivor Type by asking a local doctor how much of themselves someone could eat before dying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_PBqSPNTfg&t=1051s

[Virgo76]

I've just noticed all of King's best work was written when he was fucked up on coke and booze.

Unsure how I feel about that to be honest.

I know for horror purists that Carrie and Salem's Lot are probably the peak of King's work but I suppose I prefer his non pure horrors.

I don't think Carrie is that good actually. The film did it a service.
Apparently King has no memory of writing Cujo at all. Totally blotto.
I was actually really enjoying The Green Mile until the introduction of the supernatural element ruined it for me.

[surreal]

Apparently King has no memory of writing Cujo at all. Totally blotto.

I thought that was The Tommyknockers?  He certainly remembers getting the idea for Cujo: 17:10

[Virgo76]

I thought that was The Tommyknockers?  He certainly remembers getting the idea for Cujo: 17:10

I checked in On Writing.
He does remember writing Tommyknockers but was in a very bad state e.g. Constant nosebleeds etc
He "barely remembers" writing Cujo.

[non capisco]

How did the likes of Stephen King and Bowie do it? Actually creating cohesive art whilst on so much coke they blacked out? If I'd have been up all night chucking fat rails up my beak whilst writing a book my first thought the next morning probably wouldn't have been "Can't wait to publish and send that out into the world!"

[bgmnts]

Never done coke but have been round people on coke and it's the only drug that seems like it'd be conducive to any form of productivity.

[Artie Fufkin]

Salem's Lot is just brilliant, as is his short story N, from Just After Sunset.
Will always have a soft spot for The Stand.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

I vaguely recall the TV adaption of Salem's Lot in the early 80s.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

Tommyknockers is deranged. One of the most written-on-drugs books ever.

[Dave The Triffids]

I do tend to get bored with King's overblown works.  Of his slightly leaner stuff, Misery, The Shining and Salem's Lot reign supreme, I reckon.  Of his modern stuff, The Mr Mercedes trilogy is fantastic and I really enjoyed Billy Summers.

My favourites are his short stories though.  "Dolan's Cadillac" is like a thunderous opening track from a favourite album - it's superb.

"The Jaunt" has stuck with me for years - absolutely terrifying.

"The Last Rung on the Ladder" is heartbreaking.