I'm only 5. Mommy won't let me read Stephen King books yet. Although I do like his pop-up book. 
Does age reflect interest in Stephen King?
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I'm among the oldest of the members here (I'm 70) but I've been interested (addicted?) in King since he began writing. My interest has not waned.
John
John
I agree. I think it's only natural for an author to write for an audience that is close to their own age. SK has a big advantage in this area because he has so many books. I think almost everyone can find a certain era of Stephen King that they will like.
I speak only for myself but i have been a fan since i was 14 (i'm 50 now) and havent been disappointed except for occasional books. I admit i was a tad disapointed in Tommyknockers but every author goes off the rail now and then. Kings books are one of the few things that links me to my young teenaged me.
I'm starting to get up there in age. Who's Stephen King, again? 
sK was disappointed in Tommyknockers, too.
Taking the other side of the argument, I will say, as Bobledrew implied, that King's readership may have dropped off as time has gone on simply because if you look at King as a brand and a business, probably some natural statistical principles apply to the progression of his career as they would to anything else similar -- there must be some natural plateauing and decay that occurs as the model moves into the future. There's more competition in the marketplace, bookstores have failed and are pivoting (anyone who has visited a Barnes & Noble recently knows what I am talking about), and because of the newly established, and the nascent, digital distribution technologies, there are more choices than ever before for entertainment. Zeitgeists are probably born faster than they were in the past; they probably die on a quicker schedule, too.
This goes viral, that goes viral, this and that don't...is it any wonder than an author who started his rise in the dark ages of the old economies might find his readership less than what it was? Music is, of course, a good analogue. Remember when it was unthinkable that anyone would not be able to name all four Beatles? Go up to a young person now and ask them the name of three. Or two. Miley Cyrus was mentioned in the thread -- unless her music grows with her fans, she may lose many of them. Actually, she will lose many anyhow, because that's just the way it works.
I just watched a movie last night called Project Almanac. If King wanted to tap into the millennial market, he would write stuff like that (either in book or celluloid form, complete with a youthful cast). He doesn't want to, which is fine. But like skimom says, imagine it was Lisey's Story instead of Carrie that you read as your first book. I doubt many younger folk right now are discovering King as their first author (unless there are any stats Ms. Mod knows about, but I doubt she may, or if she does, she may not be able to say). As time moves on, the next generation always looks to the stuff that came before it as antiquity and to be explored later (if at all). Right now, young adult materials seem to rule the land. Commercial thrillers like The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc., are selling; so are self-published tomes like 50 Shades of Grey.
It's just a different landscape. King could absolutely capture the imaginations of the younger set if he calculated a bit more, but he doesn't seem to want to do that. He could create a horror franchise like The Conjuring if he wanted to. He could do an HBO Tales-From-the-Crypt-type series and gather new readers (assuming of course he wrote books with concepts central to the new readers' interests). That doesn't interest him, and that is perfectly fine by me. He still is a media mogul (Under the Dome, etc.).
I'm not saying my analysis is correct, by the way. This is just how it seems to me. I look forward, actually, to seeing how Finders Keepers does; I think the first sales numbers should be out Friday.
By the way, on the Bill Hodges Trilogy -- did anyone think, as I did, that maybe King created a trilogy at the behest of his agents, etc., as a way of maybe fighting the natural sales decline in a mature business? Book series, it would seem to me, are like movie franchises, and might be easier to build brand equity with than it might be with one-shot novels. Just a thought.
This goes viral, that goes viral, this and that don't...is it any wonder than an author who started his rise in the dark ages of the old economies might find his readership less than what it was? Music is, of course, a good analogue. Remember when it was unthinkable that anyone would not be able to name all four Beatles? Go up to a young person now and ask them the name of three. Or two. Miley Cyrus was mentioned in the thread -- unless her music grows with her fans, she may lose many of them. Actually, she will lose many anyhow, because that's just the way it works.
I just watched a movie last night called Project Almanac. If King wanted to tap into the millennial market, he would write stuff like that (either in book or celluloid form, complete with a youthful cast). He doesn't want to, which is fine. But like skimom says, imagine it was Lisey's Story instead of Carrie that you read as your first book. I doubt many younger folk right now are discovering King as their first author (unless there are any stats Ms. Mod knows about, but I doubt she may, or if she does, she may not be able to say). As time moves on, the next generation always looks to the stuff that came before it as antiquity and to be explored later (if at all). Right now, young adult materials seem to rule the land. Commercial thrillers like The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, etc., are selling; so are self-published tomes like 50 Shades of Grey.
It's just a different landscape. King could absolutely capture the imaginations of the younger set if he calculated a bit more, but he doesn't seem to want to do that. He could create a horror franchise like The Conjuring if he wanted to. He could do an HBO Tales-From-the-Crypt-type series and gather new readers (assuming of course he wrote books with concepts central to the new readers' interests). That doesn't interest him, and that is perfectly fine by me. He still is a media mogul (Under the Dome, etc.).
I'm not saying my analysis is correct, by the way. This is just how it seems to me. I look forward, actually, to seeing how Finders Keepers does; I think the first sales numbers should be out Friday.
By the way, on the Bill Hodges Trilogy -- did anyone think, as I did, that maybe King created a trilogy at the behest of his agents, etc., as a way of maybe fighting the natural sales decline in a mature business? Book series, it would seem to me, are like movie franchises, and might be easier to build brand equity with than it might be with one-shot novels. Just a thought.
No, it wasn't the reason. As I understand it, he had to really pitch them on the idea of even doing Mr. Mercedes because it was not his usual style and they were concerned about its reception by his fans. It also didn't intentionally start out as a trilogy.
My gut reaction is that SK has more than enough money to do anything and everything he wants to in the time he has left on Earth, and to ensure his children and grandchildren are taken care of very well, and that he can support whatever causes he wishes.
His publishers might want more sales, but I think SK can follow his nose wherever it might lead, and there will be SOMEONE out there who will publish it. The members of this message board alone can put a book on the bestseller list!
...you'll see if you do the research that, while a large percentage of fans might be "old farts"-there is a large young contingent becoming the New Wave of fans...and as far as the twerk jerk, she may be popular-but there's no accounting for taste...
I suppose it just has to do with your personality. I find that I have a twisted demented mind perhaps to just keep growing with SK. LOL I just love his writings.. no matter what its about. He has a way to go deep.. far better than any other writers I have experienced.. and I do love to read.
You have no argument from me on SK having a wide age variety of fans.. I just believe that age has nothing to do with people losing interest. The opposite is what I believe... I have gained more interest as I have gotten older. There are many factors in people who lose interest in SK.. as they age.. their eyesight may be failing, their brain function (dementia..etc ) .. etc etc.
...I gotcha now....I'm tracking....and I agree...
Just to take this WAY off topic, people of my generation are SUPPOSED to be appalled by people like Miley Cyrus. People said Sinatra was crude and lewd; Elvis was obscene; Mick Jagger was lascivious; The New York Dolls were degenerate; Frankie Goes To Hollywood were vile... and so on and so on.
I will likely never spend any money on Miley Cyrus. But it's shortsighted to write her off for her stunting. The girl has talent:
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
I'm dyslexic - I think it's this guy:I'm starting to get up there in age. Who's Stephen King, again?
Here he is at the disco:
Well, I'm 24 now. I became a member here in 2008 when I was 17. I don't read as much as I did at 17, but I'll always have time for Stephen King. I just take my time with books now rather than rushing for the next one.
My, apparently he's been around for quite some time. He must have a Dorian Gray thing going on, too.I'm dyslexic - I think it's this guy:
King Stephen
Here he is at the disco:
Neesy
#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
Marsha, I am stunned that Steve had to 'pitch' a trilogy of books to his publisher at this point in his career. He may not be selling the mega-millions of copies of novels like he did back in the mid-'80's, but he still outsells alot of other 'name' authors. He has a well-established fan base. Not everyone of his fans are going to buy every single book he writes, but even then he still would sell alot of copies of books. Lawd how I detest the publishing industry!!!!