Am I going too fast? What to read next?

[Echo Looper]

Last winter I picked up a paperback of Salem's Lot on a whim and the rest they say, is history. Or rather CURRENT history. My new found obsession has included a rekindled love of the written word as well as a respectable collection of Stephen King hardcovers, many of them 1st editions. I've read in a years span the following in this order:

Salem's Lot
Carrie
The Shining
Night Shift (1/2 read)
Doctor Sleep
IT
The Stand
Survivor Type (short)

I've started The Dead Zone and On Writing today. I feel like I'm absorbing and getting inspired in a very positive way. I just don't want to go too fast and devour everything, leaving myself little to discover down the road. Looking at my SK bookshelf I know that should't be a big issue. But I wanted your opinions anyway.

I also wanted your opinions on where to go after The Dead Zone? After The Stand I really want to jump into the Dark Tower but I'm also thinking of going chronological (at least until Gunslinger)...

These are good problems to have. Looking at my list what are your recommendations?

Cheers! T

 

[The Nameless]

That seems about right for a normal - fast reader. The stand and it are big books, they're about 2-3 months each for me, but I am not a fast reader. Even at a quick pace, if that is all the king you've read then you''ve got a good while to go before you run out of king.

As for what next, there's no bad time to start the dark tower, although most do wish they'd held back a bit because they don't want it to end. 11/22/63 is generally accepted as king back to his classic best, and I completely agree. It is my 2nd favourite. Joyland will pass about 3 days at your pace, I loved it.

I'm not a great believer in reading things chronologicaly, I think it's limiting yourself. Authors will always go through good and bad patches, a lot of people (not the hardcore fans you find here) say king went off the boil in the late 80s - mid 90s, if you feel this way too then that's a lot of work to push through. I personally haven't read enough to judge yet.

 

[FlakeNoir]

Echo Looper, I would read Insomnia before beginning the Dark Tower series.

 

[not_nadine]

Curious as to why you think that, Flake. ?

 

[FlakeNoir]

Curious as to why you think that, Flake. ?

Just a DT connection.

 

[not_nadine]

I did not get the connection until after I read DT. I was sorta confuzzeled.

 

[Mr Nobody]

Interesting...but I've got to side with n_n. Insomnia was a struggle for me on the first attempt. I eventually tried it again and hauled my way through it, but a lot of stuff only made complete sense after I'd read the DT books, to the point where I thought that, given a do-over, I'd probably leave Insomnia until after DT.
But, to each his/her own.

Echo Looper: After The Dead Zone, I'd go back and finish Night Shift before starting out on DT. If you'd prefer to read chronologically...well, the chances are that DT1 means you probably still will be, looking at what you've read before (more or less, at any rate). You'd have to check original DT publication dates to fit them into the rest of his work, in order.

 

[GNTLGNT]

...how about the little known title...Cujo vs Trixie-a King & Koontz Canine Battle Royale?....

 

[Neesy]

Just a DT connection.

I did not get the connection until after I read DT. I was sorta confuzzeled.

I'll be the neutral party here and say you can go either way - I read Insomnia and enjoyed it very much before I had even heard of the DT series - they are both good in their own unique way.

Oh by the way - Welcome back to the SKMB Echo Looper - it sounds like your pace is just perfect for you!

 

[AchtungBaby]

Try reading Firestarter after The Dead Zone.

 

[Kurben]

I'd throw in Cujo, Dolores Calaiburne, Misery and perhaps start with another collection of shorts, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Everything eventual, just after sunset or Full Dark, No Stars are a good place to start. Or change pace a little with some novellas.., Then Differennt seasons is a good pick. When it comes to Insomnia i think it is not necessary to read that one before DT. (personally i had problems with that one but it may just be me). I do not think it is necessary to read in a chronological order. Other than the DT-series of course.

 

[doowopgirl]

Read the DT series. Then when you read the rest you'll find all the connections and continue to marvel. Don't leave out The Talisman and The Black House. More fun stuff.

 

[Rrty]

Please forgive me, I am going to go a little negative here, because I want this person to have the best possible King experience.

Do not read Insomnia. This probably means that you will. Remember, I told you not to.

Kurben said it best: Misery. Nightmares & Dreamscapes. And because you mentioned one short story from Skeleton Crew, I assume you have not read any other from that book. Therefore, read this next before delving into another novel: The Jaunt. You'll have fun with it.

Then, if I may get BASIC here, goto line 500.

500 READ THINNER

505 RETURN

Actually, is RETURN only used for a gosub? I don't know.

Also -- and this is just my opinion -- don't worry about reading everything from King. The entire bibliography isn't superlative, and there are some things you may want to avoid. Don't read Dreamcatcher, or Joyland. Instead, you can just focus on reading the new ones that come out. And believe me, you could probably just keep on rereading IT from this point on and be satisfied.

I am curious: which do you find the better of the two, IT or The Stand? I think the former was the more impressive of the two, and a lot more fun.

 

[blunthead]

...how about the little known title...Cujo vs Trixie-a King & Koontz Canine Battle Royale?....

...very little...

 

[FlakeNoir]

Echo Looper, read whatever you like, in any order you wish. It won't make any difference whatsoever. (aside from the DT series of course, it has an order for a reason)

The only thing I would caution you against, is not reading a story because somebody told you not to. Nobody can know what another person will like or dislike in a story--we have to find that out for ourselves.

 

[Kurben]

Echo Looper, read whatever you like, in any order you wish. It won't make any difference whatsoever. (aside from the DT series of course, it has an order for a reason)

The only thing I would caution you against, is not reading a story because somebody told you not to. Nobody can know what another person will like or dislike in a story--we have to find that out for ourselves.

Very true, Flake! I found that out here. Some that definitely aren't my faveourites (in fact a long way down the list) are others peoples faves. Thats a fairly typical trait for stephen King-books because he writes so many different kind of stories in so many different kinds of ways that the typical Stephen King-book is very difficult to define. So just go ahead with what strikes you as interesting.

 

[RandallFlagg19]

Echo Looper, read whatever you like, in any order you wish. It won't make any difference whatsoever. (aside from the DT series of course, it has an order for a reason)

The only thing I would caution you against, is not reading a story because somebody told you not to. Nobody can know what another person will like or dislike in a story--we have to find that out for ourselves.

This, very well said.

I would recommend the dark tower series in its chronological order , but I personally had fun reading a lot of SK out if its chronological order from release date.

If you don't know what you want to read next and are looking for suggestion. I recommend the dark tower series.

 

[GNTLGNT]

...very little...

 

[Rrty]

FlakeNoir and Kurben, this is very true -- people should not not-read something because someone said so.

But this is an opportunity, I think, to seek information and most efficiently approach a bibliography. If you take a look at the initial list, I -- and this is just me speaking -- find it so hard to say, yes, read everything from King, including Dreamcatcher and Insomnia. There's great writing in both of those, but if one is expecting to go from 'Salem's Lot and IT to those two in an easy manner, well it just isn't possible. There are so many stories to read in the world, I don't think it's remiss to say that some should not be read. You can listen to every song a band has recorded because it isn't much of a time investment -- but books, they are a different medium of expression altogether.

Point well taken, though, and I should say, obviously it won't be tragic if this person reads everything of King. But, boy, then I think of something like LT's Theory of Pets and I say to myself, can I honestly not steer someone away from that?

You know what, though, I will reverse myself and ask the questioner to take a challenge -- go, instead, to Insomnia. See what you think. There is good writing in it, as I've said, and King, as always, is a good storyteller, so try not to go in with any negative expectations.

 

[Kurben]

FlakeNoir and Kurben, this is very true -- people should not not-read something because someone said so.

But this is an opportunity, I think, to seek information and most efficiently approach a bibliography. If you take a look at the initial list, I -- and this is just me speaking -- find it so hard to say, yes, read everything from King, including Dreamcatcher and Insomnia. There's great writing in both of those, but if one is expecting to go from 'Salem's Lot and IT to those two in an easy manner, well it just isn't possible. There are so many stories to read in the world, I don't think it's remiss to say that some should not be read. You can listen to every song a band has recorded because it isn't much of a time investment -- but books, they are a different medium of expression altogether.

Point well taken, though, and I should say, obviously it won't be tragic if this person reads everything of King. But, boy, then I think of something like LT's Theory of Pets and I say to myself, can I honestly not steer someone away from that?

You know what, though, I will reverse myself and ask the questioner to take a challenge -- go, instead, to Insomnia. See what you think. There is good writing in it, as I've said, and King, as always, is a good storyteller, so try not to go in with any negative expectations.

Of course, Rrty, it was not a critic of you. I, for myself, had big problems with both Insomnia and Dreamcatcher but all i meant was that i have heard people here that just slipped into them and think they are great. People differ and there is no other way to get an opinion than to read for yourself. And, of course, with such a big authorship, there is always gonna be books that you feel you could have skipped. But which these books are gonns be might very well vary from each individual person.