Stephen King called him [Sturgeon] "one of the greatest writers of science fiction and fantasy who ever lived." It seems like King's style is at least influenced by Theodore Sturgeon, and specifically this novel. If you haven't read Sturgeon's short story "Need" first published in the collection "Beyond" in 1960, take a minute and find a copy. The story has an uncanny resemblance to Needful Things. It is literally a template for the King novel. Has anyone else read Sturgeon?