plain madness

Baron Munchausen · #1 June 24th, 2002, 06:04 AM

Actually, I think I just answered that question. But if the hint is too vague let me say that I don't think you should waste any money actually buying a Stephen King book to find out. Check one at the library. Unfortunately, he's very popular and lots of libraries will have some of his books.

Gandalph · #2 June 24th, 2002, 06:12 AM

So, who is your suspense writer of choice. I like Dean Koontz and have read most of his works. He has a way of immersing and involving his readers IMHO.

Baron Munchausen · #3 June 24th, 2002, 06:21 AM

Suspense? I don't read it.

The closest thing I have any interest in is 'mystery' stories but even there I'm old school, as in Sherlock Holmes. Modern stuff is generally stupid and sensationalistic. The only fiction I read with any regularity is Scifi and Fantasy.

The current crop of "SE IV Fiction" on these Boards is quite interesting if a bit simplistic. Of course that's not surprising given the venue.

With thought some of it might be developed into pretty decent stories, though.

geoschmo · #4 June 24th, 2002, 06:33 AM

Well, I can't really speak for King's body of work as a whole. I read The Stand and enjoyed it very much, although I have never read anything else he wrote. I read The Stand not because I like Stephen King, but because I enjoy dark, apocylyptic stories.

The Stand miniseries was not very good, although it had some moments. I just don't think the book could be translated to the screen. I also saw the Langoliers, and that was pretty close to aweful. Four hours long, and just hideous. It might have made a halfway decent 30 minute Twilight Zone episode. You might have even got a 2 hour movie out of it if you stretched it. I have no idea why they tried to drag it out into a miniseries. No suspense in that one at all. And the special effects were even bad by TV standards.

Geoschmo

Jmenschenfresser · #5 June 24th, 2002, 06:53 AM

Don't bother with the great beast of sarcasm Baron...oddly enough, I know of no one who buys King's books, but somehow they have one to lend to you.

Read several, including The Stand (all from the library

).

King's biggest flaw as a writer, or creator of stories, are his endings. There are other faults, but that's the worst.

Come on--a kiddie sex scene in IT to find the correct path in the sewers? The hand of God in the Stand igniting the A-bomb? (being that the endings suck, I can't see how these spoil the them for anyone). It's like he tries to cross a metaphysical ending with a hollywood shootem-up ending....and ends up with lameness in excess.

Right now, I'm reading a stack of Philip Dick novels. When I get to the end of them, I think, "That was pretty good," having at that very moment forgotten that the first 150 pages of it, bored me half to sleep. Like enjoying the flavor of a bite of food only after you've swallowed it. Odd.

dogscoff · #6 June 24th, 2002, 10:01 AM

Stephen King: I agree with Jmen. The endings suck. I liked the whole "rebuilding civilisation" theme in "the Stand", though- I think that would make a cool 4X game: imagine a game where you have to fortify office buildings against bandits and mutants, raid supermarkets and hardware stores for supplies and weapons... It would be very cool. Also enjoyed the Dead Zone, but it's soooo long since I Last read it.

Molly Ringworld... My teenage years missed the 80s, thank god (born '76) but I will confess to really enjoying the film "sixteen candles", which by all rights should be one of the worst films ever made, but somehow entertains me massively every time I see it.
Maybe it's because they only ever show it late at night and I'm generally drunk by then...

geoschmo · #7 June 25th, 2002, 01:01 AM

I was old enough to see sixteen candles when it first came out, but not quite old enough to "get" it. Watched it later and liked it, but Miss Molly struck me as being the worst actress in a pretty good movie. In fact that could be said about a lot of her movies.

Geoschmo