Stephen King Online - Articles

[Duane]

I could not find the appropriate thread to post this in, so I created a new one to link to online articles pertaining to Stephen King. Below is a great, lengthy piece from the New York Times about the King family business of writers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/mag...

[Debra]

I happened across this excellent article, too. Ann posted it in another thread. It is certainly a good one! Thanks for starting this thread, Duane!

[Duane]

I have been reading this column since it started up last year. From The Guardian in the UK, writer James Smythe has been rereading and reviewing all of King's books in chronological order by publication date. Really interesting thoughts and observations if you have some free time to kill on the web.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/seri...

[Debra]

I haven't reread all King's books in order, but I have read all his books in order that have connections to the Dark Tower series. It was amazing fun.

[Linda]

Duane wrote: "I have been reading this column since it started up last year. From The Guardian in the UK, writer James Smythe has been rereading and reviewing all of King's books in chronological order by publi..."

Wow Duane, this list is the order that the journalist is reading or re-reading the books in is the same order that King wrote them?

[Duane]

Yes. He starts with Carrie if you go to the first entry and works his way forward. I found it interesting and a good refresher since I read King's older works a long time ago.

[Debra]

Someday I plan on doing the same thing, rereading all of the books in order (although I've already read several of them many times). You can see all the ways he connects novels to each other, in some cases. Like setting the story in Derry, which he has done many times... or at least referring to Derry or the same characters. Some of his novels are complete stand-alones, but many have references to each other. The connections to the Dark Tower series are the most remarkable. So many of his novels have connections to that special world. If anyone wants a Dark Tower Roadmap I found online and revised a bit for reading the books in order for the Dark Tower connections, let me know your email via private message and I'll send it to you.

Catching connections when reading King's books in order as published, or in the recommended Dark Tower order (which doesn't include ALL of SK's books) is like being part of a secret club - seeing the clues and inside jokes. I think King had fun doing that and seeing if his fans would pick it up.

[Duane]

I know what you mean about feeling like you’re in a special club when you spot connections to his other works, even non-Dark Tower related. Especially pre-Internet days when you had to discover everything on your own. True story: I was recently flipping through my old paperback copy of The Tommyknockers. This is a copy that hasn’t been read since the early 90s. In it I found a small piece of notepad paper with two specific connections written down as well as the page numbers where they could be located. I vaguely remember writing this note way back when. One of the connections referenced a character in the Tommyknockers (can’t remember the specific character) driving through Derry and seeing what they believed to be a clown standing on the side of the road. I remember reacting at the time “Holy sh*t!!! That’s Pennywise!!” or something along those lines. So cool.

[Linda]

That is very cool Duane!!

[Debra]

Yes, I love it when that happens.

Joe Hill did the same thing in NOS4A2; there are many references to his father's work throughout the book. We enjoyed pointing them out in our discussion threads.

[Duane]

I caught the references in NOS4A2, including a nod to the True Knot from the upcoming Doctor Sleep. Speaking of King and Hill, when I attend the King event in Boulder next month I plan on asking SK if there has ever been discussion with his son on a full-length novel collaboration between father and son. If I get a chance to ask a question during the Q&A.

[Linda]

I can't wait to read . Of course I am so behind on SK's novels, I have been thinking about taking next year to read a lot of his books that I have not had time to get to. Maybe I should do that reading order, that would be fun.

[Debra]

Yeah, I have a plan to one day reread them all in order.

Duane, a father/son collaboration would be awesome!

[Debra]

Actually, Almeta and I realized there has ALREADY been a collaboration on the novella called "Throttle" in Road Rage: Two Novellas and told again in graphic novel form in Road Rage.

[Duane]

King and Hill have collaborated on two shorter works. Throttle and In the Tall Grass. I was thinking along the lines of a full-length novel or if we are really lucky, a series of novels. So if I get a chance to ask a question at the Q&A in Boulder, that's what I will ask.

[Debra]

You are right! I hope you get to ask your question. I'm so envious!

[Duane]

Debra, words cannot describe how excited I am for this once in a lifetime opportunity. It's only a month away. I have my flight and hotel booked. Since I will be near the location I also plan on taking the tour of The Stanley Hotel. We ALL know the significance of that building.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stan...

[Linda]

Duane that is The Shinning's Hotel - right??

[Duane]

Linda wrote: "Duane that is The Shinning's Hotel - right??"

Yes. King's stay there was the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel. The 1997 TV mini-series of The Shining was also filmed at the location.

[Linda]

Very cool Duane! I didn't watch that mini series - did you? Your thoughts on it if you did?

[Duane]

Linda wrote: "Very cool Duane! I didn't watch that mini series - did you? Your thoughts on it if you did?"

The Shining mini-series is definitely worth checking out. King wrote the teleplay himself, so it closely follows the book unlike the Kubrick film. I'm sure you can find it on Netflix or Amazon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118460/?...

[Linda]

Thanks Duane - I will track it down and watch it.

[Debra]

I enjoyed both versions of The Shining films. The 2nd one is definitely more true to the book, as Duane noted. Creepy!

[Josée Leon]

A brilliant review by Margaret Atwood for Doctor Sleep

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/boo...

[Debra]

Wow, that was a great review, Josee. Thanks for posting it!

[Debra]

Check out some great quotes from your fav SK books here: http://www.veryfinebooks.com/Articles...

[Josée Leon]

Very cool Debra, thanks!

[Duane]

Great links everyone!

[Janice]

Found this link through the Stephen King page on Facebook:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013...

[Josée Leon]

Very interesting Janice! Now I have a few more books on my TBR. Sigh...

[Debra]

Got new books to add to the my sai-king-recommends bookshelf from that article, Janice.

The Goldfinch
The Casual Vacancy

[Janice]

I've shied away from The Casual Vacancy... as I have her latest book, The Cuckoo's Calling . I'm not sure why.

[Debra]

I have too, Janice. However, when King makes a recommendation, I'm more inclined to give a book a try. I don't always agree with him, but the most part he's pretty spot on.

[Janice]

I know! After I read that article, I'm thinking that maybe I should read them afterall. LOL!

[Debra]

That's great to hear, Amber. Thanks for your input.