Gavin Bollard
 
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Stephen King


Discovering Stephen King

Believe it or not, Stephen King was my first "adult" author (other than short-stories) after reading picture books.  That's right, I skipped the entire children's section of our local library, other than the myths and legends bit and started on Stephen King when I found a copy of 'Salem's Lot (aged 11).  Having missed the premiere of the TV series (my parents thought I was too young), I still managed to get access to the story.

I believe that Stephen King's work has three major phases (plus a fantasy streak which runs through all of them).  

Phase 1: Blood and Thunder: This phase took us through Stephen King's most gutsy books (Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, all the way to Christine and Pet Sematary).  To  this day, it still remains my favourite phase.  Some of Stephen King's later books, such as IT, fit into this phase even though technically, they were written after it had ended.

Phase 2: Reality and Violence: Here, Stephen King was writing as Richard Bachman.  Even when he stopped writing "As" Richard Bachman, it was still Richard Bachman writing.  Not only do the Bachman books and Thinner belong here, but so does Misery, Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne  and Needful Things.  The books in this phase are more violent and rely slightly less on supernatural elements.  The key to the horror in these books is often the human factor.  Cell 

Phase 3: Art and Abstract: This is Stephen King's current phase and it's very abstract and quite difficult to get into.  I'm not sure if the Green Mile fits into this phase or if it's reserved only for books since his accident.  Certainly Lisey's Story and Duma Key are Phase 3 but I think that most of Everything's Eventual and From a Buick 8 does too.

The Fantasy Streak: The fantasy streak has always been there and it's not simply limited to the Dark Tower Series and Eyes of the Dragon.  There is also the Talisman, Insomnia, Hearts in Atlantis and The Stand.  Some of Stephen King's books, like Rose Madder straddle the fantasy streak and a phase (in that case Phase 2).

One last thing.  If you like Stephen King, why not try reading something by his son, (writing as Joe Hill).  I've just finished The Heart Shaped Box and it reads almost exactly like a Richard Bachman novel.

Some good Stephen King related sites


The Top Three

Selected Bibliography (Just the ones I've read)

  • Bag of Bones
  • Carrie
  • Cell
  • Christine
  • Cujo
  • Cycle of the Werewolf
  • Danse Macabre
  • Desperation
  • Different Seasons
  • Dolores Claiborne
  • Duma Key
  • Everything's Eventual
  • Firestarter
  • Four Past Midnight
  • From a Buick 8
  • Gerald's Game
  • Hearts in Atlantis
  • Insomnia
  • IT
  • Lisey's Story
  • Misery
  • Needful Things
  • Night Shift
  • Nightmares & Dreamscapes (stories)
  • Pet Sematary
  • Rage
  • Road Work (Richard Bachman)
  • Rose Madder
  • Salem's Lot
  • Skeleton Crew
  • Storm of the Century
  • The Dark Half
  • The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
  • The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three
  • The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands
  • The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
  • The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla
  • The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
  • The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower
  • The Dead Zone
  • The Eyes of the Dragon
  • The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
  • The Green Mile
  • The Long Walk (Richard Bachman)
  • The Regulators (Richard Bachman)
  • The Running Man (Richard Bachman)
  • The Shining
  • The Stand (Cut and Uncut versions)
  • The Talisman (written with Peter Straub)
  • The Tommyknockers
  • Thinner (Richard Bachman)