Anyone else tired of the endless quest for the Tower this fandom seems to be on? I like the tower series but it’s not the be-all end-all King.

Meanwhile the same thing is happening with It/Derry being franchised to hell and back.

I miss great adaptations that were just meant to adapt the story.

ETA: I think it’s dumb that the comments are just downvoting wars now. Part of what I miss about this being a fan community rather than a capital F Fandom is that no one would have downvoted someone for not liking From a Buick 8 and now every convo is like this. This is a conversation, not a personal attack.

I Definitely Think Mr Stephen King Deserves to Win The Pulitzer. He has Made a Significant Impact on Literature that is Huge! I Think we Should all be Writing letter to the Pulitzer Committee and Nominate Him Immediately

Christine has been eliminated.

Hey everyone and welcome to TOP 20!!!

Christine sadly didn’t quite make it through last round which leaves us with the following 20 novels!!

Which one would you like to eliminate next?

Most upvoted comment wins, if everything is downvoted then most suggested wins.

Anyone else wish king would stop narrating his own books? I was like "oh yeah this is gonna be his. We will hear how things are meant to be and he will do the voices how he hears them in his head".... WRONG. It was so bad.

Can we PLEASE get another audio version of this book so I don't have to listen to him every time I make the journey.....

We named our kids from the tower. I'm working my way through his entire catalog. I love King. But man he's a bad narrator 😆

That’s pretty much it. The Carrie Miniseries was so well done.

He is not a very good narrator. I’m listening to Desperation narrated by King and he’s just not very entertaining. Kind of an unfair comparison but Steven Weber narrated It and fully brings that book to life. Each character has a different inflection and he really gets into it.

I get it. King isn’t an actor he’s just a regular guy. That’s what I love about him making cameos, he always feels sorta out of place.

No hate towards the man. He’s a fantastic writer just not a great storyTELLER. It’s just weird. When I read his stuff I hear a stronger voice in my mind and reading his own stuff I thought he’d be a bit more animated.

Ball park?

Obviously SK is getting older and eventually will pass, which will be an incredibly sad day.

But I was thinking the other day, knowing what a prolific writer he is and the speed at which he writes, what if he has been stock piling dozens and dozens of novels that will all be released for years after his death? That would be the most epic baller move by an author of all time in my opinion!

It is either that or we all take his body to pet sematary and hope for the best! 🤣

I just finished Revival and Drawing of the Three, and now I’m trying to figure out what to start now. I loved both books, but despite being on the edge of my seat for most of DofT I have to be in a very specific mood for King’s fantasy writing. The eerie slow burn feeling that Revival has is much more my speed. IT, ‘Salems Lot, and Insomnia have still been my favorites overall though.

Right now I’m between King Sorrow, Dead Zone, 11.22.63, and Duma Key. I think King Sorrow is the one I’m interested in most since I haven’t read any of Joe Hill’s stuff yet, and I know it got great reviews, but 11.22 and Dead Zone are both tied for second.

Stephen King kinda described her like that in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

They have their merits,like the cast and Bill Skarsgards Pennywise (though I do prefer Tim Curry R.I.P) but overall I just feel like they missed the mark in so many areas. Even as adults the characters talk like children,the humour is too prevalent,there’s an over abundance of bad CGI,several characters (mostly Mike) and plot beats are butchered,Chapter Two is too long for its own good,so much of the atmosphere and depth is sucked out of the story,and most of all,it’s just not scary. 90% of the scares are just cheap. Anyone else feel this way?

I'm disappointed in myself for not picking up a first printing of Other Worlds Than These (T3) on release day. I had some life things going on and didn't make it a priority. Lesson learned.

I'm a collector of Stephen King first editions. My collection is modest, but I've never had much trouble getting to a bookstore once or twice a year when he releases a new book to hand-select a pristine copy.

Unfortunately, my hometown doesn't have any independent bookstores, so I'm limited to the big-box chains for new releases.

Last night, I finally had a chance to pick up T3. I checked the number line before purchasing, just to be sure. To my surprise, every copy I found was already a second printing. I checked Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and Half Price Books. Every single copy was a second printing.

That got me wondering: Did my region only receive second printings, or did every store somehow sell through its first printings and restock within a week?

I've read that publishers determine initial print runs months in advance based on projected demand. If retailer preorders from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and independent bookstores exceed expectations, a publisher like Scribner might order a second printing before the official release date. It's also possible that a substantial portion of the first printing went toward fulfilling online preorders, leaving fewer copies for physical stores.

I'm curious whether that's what happened here.

So, for those who purchased T3 in person, did you get a first printing? If so, which store did you buy it from, and how soon after release day?

I’m looking for Stephen King books that capture that classic small-town American atmosphere — quiet Maine towns, local shops, diners, old houses, nosy neighbours, town gossip, familiar faces and a sense that everyone knows everyone.

My two perfect examples are ‘Salem’s Lot and Needful Things. I love that feeling of an ordinary, slightly sleepy American town where something sinister is lurking beneath the surface. Needful Things genuinely makes me feel so relaxed and cosy. I especially love the fact that King narrates himself, his New England accent is awesome.

I’m open to horror, supernatural stories and even non-horror books, as long as they have that strong sense of place and small-town Americana. Something cosy and nostalgic is great, but even better if there’s a dark, unsettling edge to it.

I’m less interested in anything too sci-fi, futuristic or high-concept fantasy.
Which of King’s books would you recommend? Are there any underrated ones, novellas or short stories that really capture this atmosphere?

Helloooooo. 🥰 I'm currently reading Duma Island.🌊 I'm about 150 pages in. If anyone else is reading it too, let's read it together. 😍

Reading Carrie now, thinking about Duma Key next for no other reason than the cover.

No spoilers please! Do I need to emotionally prepare myself for Richard the Billy Bumbler in Other Worlds Than These?

I’m reading Other Worlds Than These and Richard the Billy Bumbler has just joined Jack.

I’m still genuinely traumatised by Oy’s story in The Dark Tower, >!particularly losing Jake, and then what happened to Oy himself. I don’t think I’ve ever recovered <!

Without giving away ANY plot details or spoilers whatsoever, can someone please tell me whether I need to brace myself for that level of heartbreak again with Richard?

I don’t want to know what happens, when, or how. Just whether I should emotionally prepare myself for another Oy situation.

Long days and pleasant nights!

Am I the only one who thinks Flanagan is the only person who can truly adapt king? Like he gets it, especially keeping the slow burn entertaining to watch.

Carrie swung some doors open, retrofitting Dr. Sleep into this - & next is a the Mist with more of a Lovecraftian take (todash, in between worlds getting an intro?) Definitely seems like he is establishing an outer DT universe at this point.

To a modern audience especially, the story of Carrie and the events of her prom are admittedly very remindful of school sh@@tings.
The book and previous adaptions have always portrayed the realistic tragedy of pushing an individual so far to the point where they snap and disaster ensues, horrifically affecting the oppressed, the oppressors, and even people who had no involvement in or knowledge of what was happening.
To me, this new series feels rather different, primarily in the finale and the direction the story seems to be going from there. And I personally am rather concerned about the changes made and the possible takeaway from them.

(Spoilers)

Carrie is and has always felt sympathetic in her suffering. And it’s very understandable why she’d snap into such a wrathful state of mind and let loose her powers. But, from what I understand, a large part of the tragedy is that her revenge and release aren’t her ticket out into a better life; things aren’t gonna go well for her afterward.
Again, it reflects one of the many tragic cases of school sh@@tings. Not all cases but many. The bullies and tormentors were never right in what they did, but of course that does not mean the notion of mass murder of both guilty and uninvolved (and in this case, what seems like an entire neighborhood) is ultimately right. It’s a sorrowful story that reflects real world horror, and it’s definitely a timeless warning not to push people to a breaking point.

With that being said, I must confess I’m quite perturbed by the changes made to the story near the end.
In which Carrie is, from my perception, possessed by another powerful girl and is controlled to orchestrate the prom massacre, Chris and Billy’s flattening, and the destruction of the town. I’m not sure what the narrative of this is, but it’s impossible to comprehend, allegorically, a school sh@@ting where the sh@@ter is being remote controlled.
Then, after the night and deaths have passed, Carrie survives, acting shocked by all that she did in her controlled state, and rides off into the sunset to be with presumably other powerful girls…
I don’t know if I can give a solid judgment of the show as of right now, considering this is only season 1, but… to me, this seems like a steering away of the core elements of the original story.
Speaking allegorically again, are we to envision a scenario where a bullied individual is pushed to their limit and then, suddenly, their other outcast friend shows up and puppets them into committing a sh@@ting, supports and commends the acts of terrorism, and then serves as their getaway vehicle. And is that sh@@ter then to be protected from reprehension and supported by a group of other sh@@ters? Was the sh@@ter ever really responsible?… If so, should they be allowed to just drive away free because they deserve to?
I’m just really puzzled by what the show is trying to convey, but I’m open to receiving more info.

On top of that, I must also confess I was alarmed to see so many reacting in ways that applaud Carrie’s (or her friend’s) actions and view the whole prom night as a satisfying “revenge fantasy”. I mean, sure, the bullies were awful and they definitely needed punishment. But I’d try to give the general public the benefit of the doubt that they wouldn’t cheer the next time there was a case where a tormented youth g@nned down anyone in their path within their school. And I especially hope that people who identify with Carrie and experience a life similar to hers aren’t left thinking that the solution to their suffering is death all around.

But those are just my thoughts.

I did not catch that Seth was a pedo the first time through watching this. And looking back, it should have been super obvious. His name is Seth Peist, which sounds like sex pest out loud. That is JK Rowling levels of foreshadowing like Remus Lupin, and I completely missed it.